The Resource Cycle

The topic of energy was developed during the synthesis of discussions based on plenary sessions concerned with energy, as well as linkages created with transportation, minerals, water, and infrastructure. Speakers and their topics were  

Kamel Bennaceur, Chief Economist, Schlumberger The World Energy Outlook Post-2012 Climate Scenarios 

Engineering Solutions for Sustainability, First Edition. American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers. 

Hans Teddy Puttgen, Professor and Director, Energy Center EPFE Future Technological Challenges for the Power Industry 

John Corben, Office of the Chief Exonomist, International Energy Agency The New Energy Mix 

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The Resource Cycle (energy, mineral resources, materials and recycling, linking technologies to resources). 

The life cycle is first defined and the complete resource requirements (materials and energy) quantified. This allows the total environmental emissions associated with the life cycle to be quantified by putting together the individual parts. This defines the life-cycle inventory. 

Renewable carbon resources is a misnomer the earth s carbon is in a perpetual state of flux. Carbon is not consumed such that it is no longer available in any form. Reversible and irreversible chemical reactions occur in such a manner that the carbon cycle makes all forms of carbon, including fossil resources, renewable. It is simply a matter of time that makes one carbon from more renewable than another. If it is presumed that replacement does in fact occur, natural processes eventually will replenish depleted petroleum or natural gas deposits in several million years. Eixed carbon-containing materials that renew themselves often enough to make them continuously available in large quantities are needed to maintain and supplement energy suppHes biomass is a principal source of such carbon. 

Fig. 7. The cycle of stmcmie-based dmg design. The conventional or basic cycle consists of a simple loop between chemical synthesis and biological activity. This cycle is typically initiated through a lead compound. Whereas this cycle remains the core of the dmg discovery process, the resources available...

EAR Energy Resources, which develops Zn-air batteries for portable computers, claims about 250 Wh for a computer unit. The price (in 1994) was 600, including the charger. For the first discharge, ten operating hours are claimed. However, it must be realized that the subsequent cycle behavior is not well established. Sony s Li... 

In addition to external conditioning processes and the need to provide internal chemical treatments to some or all steam-water circuits within the steam cycle, the scope of boiler water treatment includes, as mentioned earlier, the provision of suitable technical resources sufficient to control the steam-water chemistry within defined limits appropriate for the boiler plant under consideration. Because these steam-water control limits tend to narrow considerably with increase in boiler pressures (and heat-flux densities), suitable monitoring and control procedures may require implementing actions with knife-edge precision. 

The ability to predict runoff and water availability is critical to water resources planners. However, the complex non-linearities of the hydrologic cycle make this an extremely difficult process. Even where precipitation is fairly well known, runoff prediction is a non-trivial problem, as land surface response depends as much (or more) on precipitation patterns and timing as on precipitation amount. The historical record of monthly rainfall and inflow at the Serpentine Dam, near Perth, Western Australia, provides an illustration of this sensitivity (Fig. 6-11a and b). 

Administrative representatives are often shy about developing water reuse projects. Evaluations of the risks related to water reuse have been twisted so as to be employed in political arguments during election campaigns, which may explain the reluctance of politicians. Examples of failure and success of indirect potable reuse projects in the United States are provided by [13]. Such experiences point out the importance of public education as regards the human interaction with the water cycle and the management of water resources. The population should be aware that... 

An even more streamlined approach scores each stage of the life cycle for impact on a number of environmental indicators. Typical indicators include resource depletion, global warming potential, smog production, acidification, eutrophication, toxic waste production and biodiversity impact. Impact is estimated using a simple numerical scale. The completed matrix is used to focus attention on areas for improvement. 

Resource efficient syntheses and production processes of fine chemicals contribute significantly to sustainable development. This has also been pointed out in Agenda 21 Promote efficient use of materials and resources, taking into account the life cycles of products, in order to realize the economic and environmental benefits of using resources more efficiently and producing fewer wastes (Agenda 21, Chapter 9.18). 

The life cycle is first defined and the complete resource... 

In the life cycle phases of product manufacturing, the focus of resource efficiency moves from the material applied per unit to resources used in the various production phases, for example, cooling lubricants, compressed air or hydraulic oil and on the energy requirements of the production processes [24]. Process relevant information is based on equipment energy consumption curves. Each curve is specific to a production equipment item and enables an accurate determination of the energy consumption of the item over the production time. 

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