Environomics - Thermoeconomic and Environomic Assessment of Biomass-based Energy Processes
The increase of energy efficiency in biomass-based industries and their integration to power generation processes requires the consideration of economical and environmental factors to find optimum solutions. Therefore, a unified modeling approach that considers thermodynamic aspects as well as economic and environmental issues provides a useful tool for analysis of energy systems. This project analyses the potential of cogeneration plants and optimize their implementation together with other biomass-based manufacturing industries from a technical, economical and environmental perspective considering the entire raw fuel source-to-product chain.
The possible implementation in a broader perspective of biomass-based polygeneration plants requires the consideration of economical and environmental factors to find optimum solutions. This can be achieved by using the environomic optimization algorithm. The so-called environomic modeling approach applied to biomass polygeneration plants is being evaluated in this research based on the conditions of the Swedish energy sector. In short, environomics employs an objective cost function, where both internal flows and externalities (like emissions) are included. Environomics allows for freedom in selecting system boundaries so that the entire raw fuel source-to-product chain can be studied. This offers the possibility to analyze synergies with the forest industry, ethanol processing industry and other industries which can be advantageous for a better use of biomass fuels for energy production.
The proposed project will study the potential of polygeneration plants and optimize their implementation together with other biomass-based manufacturing industries from a technical, economical and environmental perspective considering the entire raw fuel source-to-product chain.
The specific objectives are:
- show the way to make a complete set of evaluation in possible improvements of biofuel utilization to reach higher fuel utilization by analyzing different technologies and configurations from a source-to-product viewpoint.
- find optimized alternatives for different system integrated configurations and evaluate the effect of environmental costs in the choice of the technology.
- identify the best alternatives in terms of performance, economics and environment and possible generation of higher value products in polygeneration schemes.
Period
2008/04/01 - 2010/12/31
Project Partners
This study counts with the cooperation of:
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)
- Helsinki University of Technology
Project Lead
Ass. Prof. Andrew Martin
Researchers
Marianne Salomón
Funding
Swedish Energy Agency
Keywords
Biomass, thermoeconomic, environomics, optimization, polygeneration