scholarly journals Computer-Aided Environmental Assessment Applied for Estimation of Ecological Impacts Derived from Topological Pathways Based on Lignocellulosic Biomass Transformation

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 6586
Author(s):  
Samir Isaac Meramo-Hurtado ◽  
Plinio Puello ◽  
Julio Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Analysis ◽  
Process Simulation ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Chemical Process Design ◽  
Technical Parameters ◽  
The North ◽  
Computer Aided ◽  
Biomass Transformation ◽  
Cassava Waste

The growing awareness to include sustainability goals in the chemical process design has been making palpable since many governments and research institutions have made many efforts precisely to progress new ways to transform available resources into valuable chemicals. In this sense, this work is presenting a computer-aided evaluation based on environmental impact assessment and comparison of technical parameters for estimating the potential effects of two biorefinery designs. The first process involved a multiproduct production of acetone, butanol, and ethanol from cassava waste, while the second biorefinery comprised of succinic acid and bioethanol production from a mixture of cassava waste and banana rachis. These residues are highly available in the North Colombia region due to the agroindustrial activities of that zone. The developed environmental analysis employed the waste reduction algorithm (WAR) for estimating impact generation and output rates considering atmospheric and toxicological categories. Otherwise, process simulation of biorefineries showed production of 546.3 kg/h of acetone, 280.0 kg/h of ethanol, and 1305 kg/h of butanol for topology 1, while topology 2 delivered a synthesis of 13,865.7 kg/h of acetic acid and 2277.9 kg/h of ethanol. Data generated from process simulation allowed performing a technical comparison between evaluated biorefineries, showing a higher performance of evaluated indicators for topology 2. These evaluated variables included resource energy efficiency, and production yield, among others. The environmental analysis provided relevant information, indicating that topology 2 is a better alternative from an ecological viewpoint since this design would emit substances with lower effects than topology 1.

scholarly journals Spatial Management Measures Alter Vessel Behavior in the Aleutian Archipelago

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin K. Sullender ◽  
Kelly Kapsar ◽  
Aaron Poe ◽  
Martin Robards
Keyword(s):  
North Pacific ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Great Circle ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Study Region ◽  
The North ◽  
Management Measures ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The North Pacific

The Aleutian Archipelago and surrounding waters have enormous ecological, cultural, and commercial significance. As one of the shortest routes between North American and Asian ports, the North Pacific Great Circle Route, which crosses through the Aleutian Archipelago, is traveled by thousands of large cargo ships and tanker vessels every year. To reduce maritime risks and enhance navigational safety, the International Maritime Organization built upon earlier offshore routing efforts by designating five Areas To Be Avoided (ATBAs) in the Aleutian Islands in 2016. The ATBAs are designed to keep large vessels at least 50 nautical miles (93 km) from shore unless calling at a local port or transiting an authorized pass between islands. However, very few studies have examined the effectiveness of ATBAs as a mechanism for changing vessel behavior and thereby reducing the ecological impacts of maritime commerce. In this study, we use 4 years of satellite-based vessel tracking data to assess the effectiveness of the Aleutian ATBAs since their implementation in 2016. We determined whether vessels transiting the North Pacific Great Circle Route changed behavior after ATBA implementation, both in terms of overall route selection and in terms of compliance with each ATBA boundary. We found a total of 2,252 unique tankers and cargo vessels >400 gross tons transited the study region, completing a total of 8,794 voyages. To quantify routing changes of individual vessels, we analyzed the 767 vessels that transited the study region both before and after implementation. The percentage of voyages transiting through the boundaries of what would become ATBAs decreased from 76.3% in 2014–2015 (prior to ATBA designation) to 11.8% in 2016–2017 (after implementation). All five Aleutian ATBAs had significant increases in compliance, with the West ATBA showing the most dramatic increase, from 32.1% to 95.0%. We discuss the framework for ATBA enforcement and highlight the value of local institutional capacity for real-time monitoring. Overall, our results indicate that ATBAs represent a viable strategy for risk mitigation in sensitive ecological areas and that through monitoring, spatial protections influence vessel route decisions on multiple spatial scales.

Automated Design of Optimum Belt Drives

1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dipendra K. Sinha ◽  
Michael T. McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Database Management ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Automated Design ◽  
Drive System ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Belt Drives ◽  
Computer Aided ◽  
Aided Design ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract The paper describes a belt design package which works from within a commercial Computer Aided Design and Drafting package (AutoCAD) environment and utilizes FORTRAN programs for design and selection of lowest weight components for the drive system. The components used in the process are available as stock items in U.S.A. The relevant information on these products is stored in commercial database management systems such as EXCEL and LOTUS 1-2-3. Output from the package consists of scaled drawing and tabular specifications.

A Language and Algorithm for Automatic Merging of Ontologies

2011 ◽  
pp. 381-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma-Delia Cuevas-Rasgado ◽  
Adolfo Guzman-Arenas
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Automatic Method ◽  
Knowledge Processing ◽  
Artificial Intelligence Techniques ◽  
Business Transactions ◽  
Computer Aided

Ontologies are becoming important repositories of information useful for business transactions and operations since they are amenable to knowledge processing using artificial intelligence techniques. They offer the potential of amassing large contents of relevant information, but until now the fusion or merging of ontologies, needed for knowledge buildup and its exploitation by machine, was done manually or through computer-aided ontology editors. Thus, attaining large ontologies was expensive and slow. This chapter offers a new, automatic method of joining two ontologies to obtain a third one. The method works well in spite of inconsistencies, redundancies, and different granularity of information.

scholarly journals Integrating LCA with Process Modeling for the Energetic and Environmental Assessment of a CHP Biomass Gasification Plant: A Case Study in Thessaly, Greece

Eng ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-30
Author(s):  
Ioannis Voultsos ◽  
Dimitrios Katsourinis ◽  
Dimitrios Giannopoulos ◽  
Maria Founti
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Process Simulation ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Biomass Gasification ◽  
Lower Efficiency ◽  
Technical Parameters ◽  
Gasification Process ◽  
Gasification Plant

The energetic and environmental performance of a cogeneration biomass gasification plant, situated in Thessaly, Greece is evaluated via a methodology combining process simulation and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Initially, the gasification process of the most common agricultural residues found in the Thessaly region is simulated to establish the effect of technical parameters such as gasification temperature, equivalence ratio and raw biomass moisture content. It is shown that a maximum gasification efficiency of approximately 70% can be reached for all feedstock types. Lower efficiency values are associated with increased raw biomass moisture content. Next, the gasifier model is up-scaled, achieving the operation of a 1 MWel and 2.25 MWth cogeneration plant. The Life Cycle Assessment of the operation of the cogeneration unit is conducted using as input the performance data from the process simulation. Global Warming Potential and the Cumulative Demand of Non-Renewable Fossil Energy results suggest that the component which had the major share in both impact categories is the self-consumption of electricity of the plant. Finally, the key conclusion of the present study is the quantification of carbon dioxide mitigation and non-renewable energy savings by comparing the biomass cogeneration unit operation with conventional reference cases.

scholarly journals Enabling decisions that make a difference: guidance for improving access to and analysis of invasive species information

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah D. Wallace ◽  
Charles T. Bargeron ◽  
Jamie K. Reaser
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Data Sharing ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ◽  
Management Options ◽  
The North ◽  
Socio Economic Impact ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

AbstractThe issue of how to detect and rapidly respond to invasive species before it is economically infeasible to control them is one of urgency and importance at international, national, and subnational scales. Barriers to sharing invasive species data—whether in the form of policy, culture, technology, or operational logistics—need to be addressed and overcome at all levels. We propose guiding principles for following standards, formats, and protocols to improve information sharing among US invasive species information systems and conclude that existing invasive species information standards are adequate for the facilitation of data sharing among all sectors. Rather than creating a single information-sharing system, there is a need to promote interfaces among existing information systems that will enable them to become inter-operable, to foster simultaneous access, and to deliver any and all relevant information to a particular user or application in a seamless fashion. The actions we propose include implementing a national campaign to mobilize invasive species occurrence data into publicly available information systems; maintaining a current list of invasive species data integrators/clearinghouses; establishing an agreement for sharing data among the primary US invasive species information systems; enhancing the Integrated Taxonomic Information System to fully cover taxonomic groups not yet complete; further developing and hosting data standards for critical aspects of invasive species biology; supporting and maintaining the North American Invasive Species Management Association’s mapping standards; identifying standard metrics for capturing the environmental and socio-economic impact of invasive species, including impacts and management options; continuing to support US engagement in international invasive species data sharing platforms; and continuing US membership in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

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