Sustainability assessment improvement

The LCA results can be used for a sustainability assessment of a new technology by comparing the outcome with the existing technology results. In the conceptual phase of the new technology, a relative assessment can be used to highlight where improvements should be made and where the problem areas are. This is shown in Section 3 on process intensification assessment. 

Finally, a comprehensive hemodynamic evaluation in IPAH patients should include assessment of pulmonary vasoreactivity with inhaled nitric oxide (10-40 ppm), inhaled iloprost, IV epoprostenol, or adenosine in patients with precapillary hypertension. If with these treatments mPAP decreases by 10 mm Hg to levels <40 mm Hg, IPAH patients are considered responders. This denotes a small but very important population (<15% of IPAH patients) with significantly improved outcomes when treated with high doses of calcium channel blockers (29,30). For the select patients who are deemed responders and are subsequently treated with calcium antagonists, close follow-up to confirm a sustained hemodynamic improvement is essential. 

It is my hope that readers are able to take away methods and techniques for analysis, optimization, engineering design, and monitoring, which are required to identify, assess, implement, and sustain energy improvement opportunities. The... 

Sustainability Assessment and Performance Improvement of Electroplating Process Systems... 

Heinzle, Elmar, Arno P. Biwer, and Charles L. Cooney. Development of Sustainable Bioprocesses Modeling and Assessment. Hoboken, N.J. John Wiley Sons, 2007. Looks at making bioprocesses sustainable by improving them. Includes case studies on citric acid, biopolymers, antibiotics, and biopharmaceuticals. Nebel, Bernard J., and Richard T. Wright. Environmental Science Towards a Sustainable Future. 10 th ed. Englewood Cliffs Prentice Hall, 2008. Describes several bioprocesses used in waste treatment and pollution control. 

In order to better identify the current situation and to find the improvement potential, companies should build own sustainability assessment system which aims to help the managers in decision making by facilitating the control and improvement of different aspects of the business operations. The sustainability measures should include the following dimensions economic, ecological, and social. 

Several studies have been recently conducted with efforts to fiuther improve the current status of biofuel sustainability certification. Gnansounou (2011) proposed a logic-based model for the sustainability assessment of biofuels. The proposed model uses a hierarchical stracture to link multiple factors from the more specific variables to the most general one, sustainability performance. The study proposed 7 general and 20 specific indicators for assessing the social, economic, and environmental performance of a biofuel supply chain. 

Thermodynamic principles can be used to assess, design and improve energy and other systems, and to better understand environmental impact and sustainability issues. For the broadest understanding, all thermodynamic principles must be used, not just those pertaining to energy. Thus, many researchers feel that an understanding and appreciation of exergy is essential to discussions of sustainable development. 

Assessments of the sustainability of processes and systems, and efforts to improve sustainability, should be based in part upon thermodynamic principles, and especially the insights revealed through exergy analysis. 

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