Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of Chemical Processes: A Vector-Based Three-Dimensional Algorithm Coupled with AHP

Abstract

In this study, an integrated vector-based three-dimensional (3D) methodology for the life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) of chemical process alternatives is proposed. In the methodology, a 3D criteria assessment system is first established by using the life cycle assessment, the life cycle costing, and the social life cycle assessment to determine the criteria from the environmental, economic, and social pillars, respectively. The methodology incorporates the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method to convert experts' judgments on the soft criteria into quantitative data and realize a unitary scale for both quantified soft criteria and normalized hard criteria. After assigning appropriate weights to each pillar and criterion by using the AHP method, the sustainability of the alternative processes can be prioritized by employing a novel vector-based algorithm, which combines the absolute sustainability performance and the relative sustainability deviation of the investigated processes. A case study on the sustainability assessment of three alternative ammonia production processes demonstrates that the proposed methodology is able to serve as a comprehensive and rigorous tool for the stakeholders to rank and identify the most sustainable chemical process alternatives.

Comprehensive evaluation of sustainable ammonia production systems based on fuzzy multiattribute decision making under hybrid information

“…By combining the gray relational analysis (GRA) with the vector projection algorithm (VPA), a ranking method GRP (gray relational projection) developed by Zhang et al would be suitable to address this issue. To be specific, by resorting to the computational mechanism of GRA, the GRP ranks the alternatives by exploring the degree of relationships; meanwhile, by referring to the concept of vector projection, the GRP could incorporate both the absolute performance and relative balance among the multiple criteria for the final ranking . However, the traditional GRP can only deal with the decision‐making issues with crisp values rather than the matrix composed of hybrid information.…”

Process Deasign and Sustainable Development

“…From computer aided molecular design [78], simulations of transport phenomena (heat and mass transfer in single or multiphase flows) [79], simulations of single unit operations [80] and whole processes [81] to synthesis and optimization of processes [82,83] and complete supply networks [84]. The widely accepted approach to assess the sustainability of a given process design is the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA), commonly performed to compare different process design alternatives [85] after the feasible designs have been identified. On the flip side, if a composite sustainability criterion, for example the sustainability profit [86], is incorporated directly into the process synthesis and optimization phase as an objective function, the most sustainable designs can be obtained directly without the need of a posteriori LCSA assessment.…”

Contributions in renewable energy systems: A perspective from the latest publications of FCSE

“…Chemical science and engineering play critical roles in the upgrading of the global economy and society by offering multiple energies and chemicals. However, enormous benefits contributed by the modern energy and chemical industries are accompanied by several major challenges including depletion of fossil fuels, environmental pollutions, and global warming [10,11]. Therefore, significant efforts have been made over the past decades in realizing more sustainable energy and chemical technologies and processes, which are characterized by introducing renewable energy resources to replace fossil fuels.…”