|
|
|||
|
Collaborations |
Capturing Uncertainty in Biofuels for
Transportation. Resolving Environmental Performance and Enabling Improved Use Reference:
MIT/SET/0014/2009 Project Objectives This project addresses the
challenge of developing a methodology for the extended LCA of biofuels
systems’ sustainability. The R&D work will provide: 1) a quantitative assessment of the nature
and magnitude of quality and environmental impact uncertainty of feedstock’s
for transportation biofuels; 2) an analytical characterization of the
potential for uncertainty-aware planning models to appropriately manage
uncertainty; 3) a framework to
combine and make trade-offs between these tools in the context of
industry-specific case studies. The explicit incorporation of quality uncertainty
in bio-derived feedstock will enhance the ability to quantify the
environmental performance of these fuels. The project will provide
critical information for the biofuel industry in sourcing particular
feedstock’s both domestically and internationally, optimizing fuel outputs by
managing the quality uncertainty of feedstock’s, and assessing their
environmental impact. A “well-to-tank” modeling of the biofuels will be
adopted. The project focuses on systems producing a major crop traded on the
global market, and explores the use of next generation biofuels and
feedstock’s that could be sourced domestically, which could provide a
business opportunity for Portuguese fuel companies. The project will: •
Characterize the uncertainty in selected
bio-derived fuel feedstock sources, including their quality and environmental
performance. Uncertainty in quality deals with determining statistical
quality distributions for incoming feedstock’s.
Towards environmental impact uncertainty, this work will look at several
uncertainties including indirect land use changes. •
Assess the environmental value of biofuel
alternatives based on the complementary use of MCDA and LCA. •
Develop decision-support tools considering
uncertainty of the quality performance function (that maps feedstock
characteristics to final fuel properties) into blending decisions using
stochastic optimization, including as inputs residual sources and
conventional feedstock’s. •
Combine LCA and blending algorithms using MCDA
towards novel engineering systems methodologies through case studies that
compare fuels for transportation on metrics of environmental performance. Research Team Principal
Investigator - Fausto Miguel Seixas Cereja
Freire Members of the research team - Ariovaldo Lopes
de Carvalho - Carla Margarida Saraiva de Oliveira
Henriques - Carlos Alberto Henggeler
de Carvalho Antunes - Érica Geraldes Castanheira - Jeremy E. Gregory - João Manuel Nogueira Malça de Matos Ferreira - Jorge Campos da Silva André - Luís Manuel Ventura Serrano - Luís Miguel Cândido Dias - Randolph R. Kirchain Selected Publications Papers in international periodic with scientific
refereeing 2011 Malça, J.; Freire, F. (2011). "Life-cycle
studies of biodiesel in Europe: A review addressing the variability of
results and modeling issues". Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,
Vol. 15, nº1, 338–351. DOI:10.1016/j.rser.2010.09.013 Batterman, S.; Martins, A.; Antunes, C.; Freire, F.; Gameiro, M. (2011)."Development and Application of
Competencies for Graduate Programs in Energy and Sustainability".
(Accepted for publication in the Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering
Education and Practice) http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.1943-5541.0000069 Papers in conference proceedings 2011 Castanheira É.G.; Freire F.;(2011). “Environmental performance of palm oil biodiesel
in a life-cycle perspective". In: 2011 IEEE International Symposium on Sustainable
Systems and Technology. Chicago, Illinois. Proceedings of the International
Symposium on Sustainable Systems and Technology 2011. (accepted for
publication) Castanheira É.G.;Freire
F.;(2011). “Life cycle assessment of palm oil biodiesel addressing land use
change.". In: ECOS2011, The 24 th
International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and
Environmental Impact of Energy Systems. NoviSad.
ECOS Conference proceedings. (Accepted for publication) Castanheira É.G.;Freire
F.;(2011). “LC GHG Assessment of soybeans.". In: LCM 2011 - Towards Life
Cycle Sustainability Management. Berlin. ECOS2011. Proceedings of LCM 2011 -
Towards Life Cycle Sustainability Management. (accepted for publication) Garcia, R.; Freire F.;(2011).
“Avaliação comparativa de instrumentos de gestão ambiental aplicados a
painéis de madeira.". In: 1º Congresso IBERO-LATINOAMERICANO da madeira
na construção. Coimbra. Proceedings do 1º congresso
IBERO-LATINOAMERICANO da madeira na construção. (accepted
for publication) Garcia, R.; Freire F.;(2011).
“Modelação energética e ambiental do ciclo de vida de painéis aglomerados de
partículas.". In: 1º Congresso IBERO-LATINOAMERICANO da madeira na
construção. Coimbra. Proceedings do 1º congresso
IBERO-LATINOAMERICANO da madeira na construção. (accepted for publication) Malça, J.; Freire F.;(2011).
“GHG savings and carbon payback time of RO displacing FD in Europe.".
In: IEEE International Symposium on Sustainable Systems and Technology.
Chicago, Illinois. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Sustainable
Systems and Technology 2011. (accepted for publication) Malça, J.; Freire
F.;(2011). “Uncertainty analysis in life cycle GHG
emissions and energy efficiency of bioethanol replacing gasoline.". I
In: ECOS2011, the 24th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost,
Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems. NoviSad.
ECOS Conference proceedings. (accepted
for publication) |
||
|
|
|
|
|
