Sustainable Engineering Issues and Approaches. Chris Hendrickson

Transcription

1 Sustainable Engineering Issues and Approaches Chris Hendrickson 1

2 C3 Sustainability Many (>350?) definitions of Sustainability. Mainstream goal, but underlying this consensus are very different belief systems What is planning horizon? 4 years, 100 years, 1000 years, Meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability to meet the needs of future generations. Bruntledge Commission (1997) reconciling goals of environmental protection and poverty elimination. Egalitarian viewpoint of equal outcomes Technological progress may negate concern. design..within realistic constraints such as sustainability. Required eng. graduate ability in US engineering accreditation, ABET. 2

3 Slide 2 C3 1. Bruntledge Report Chris Hendrickson, 8/23/2006

4 One Approach: Triple Bottom Line for Sustainability Economic: effective investments (eng. econ.), essential finance, job creation, competitiveness Environmental: natural systems, public health Reduce use of non-renewable resources Better manage use of renewable resources Reduce the spread of toxic materials. Social: equity, justice, security, employment, participation 3

5 Numerous Environmental Issues Global climate change Spread of toxic materials: Conventional air and water pollutants Organic materials such as endochrine disrupters Nano-materials Dwindling biodiversity Overuse of common resources such as fisheries. 4

6 Grinnell Glacier, , Montana Source: usgs 5

7 Triple Bottom Line Assessment Analytical Difficulties Multi-objective problem many dimensions of impact. Valuation problems for many items. Priorities differ among stakeholders (such as stockholders ) Trade-off and dominance analysis relevant. Role of precautionary principle do not risk irreparable harm. 6

8 Valuation Example: Economic Sectors with Highest % of External Air Emissions Costs Commodity Sector Total Direct Carbon black 87% 82% Electric services (utilities) 34% 31% Petroleum / natural gas well drilling 34% 31% Petroleum / gas exploration 31% 29% Cement, hydraulic 26% 19% Lime 22% 16% Sand and gravel 20% 16% Coal 19% 15% Products of petroleum and coal 18% 12% Primary aluminum 15% 6% Average over all 500 sectors 4% 1% Ref.: H. Scott Matthews, PhD Dissertation Data. 7

9 Sustainability Metric Examples Environmental: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Primary Energy Use, Land Disruption. Social: Employment, Income, Government Revenue Financial: Profits, Export Potential, Import Penetration Source: Balancing Act: A Triple Bottom Line Analysis of the Australian Economy 8

10 Sustainable Engineering: Examples of Heuristics Energy reduction over lifecycle (correlation with many environmental indicators) Reduce packaging and other material waste over lifecycle Reduced use of toxics 9

11 Example: Power Tool Datalogger power supply Connection to an LED for data transmission Connections to sensors 10

12 Datalogger Triple Bottom Line Permits profitable re-manufacturing to replace loss making recycling. Develops information on tool use. Reduces material use overall. Creates new low-cost tool option. No privacy issues raised (unlike autos!) Must balance cost of datalogger versus benefits return rate of used power tools is critical. 11

13 Coming Sustainable Engineering Information Technology Structural health monitoring. Toll collection and infraction identification. Operational monitoring and improvement. Multi-tasking: wireless communications. Quality and security monitoring. Etc. Power Tool Datalogger Primitive by Comparison 12

14 Life Cycle Perspective Products may exist for a long period of time (e.g. infrastructure) Products and services may have substantial (global) supply chain. Focusing upon one life cycle phase can be misleading minimizing design or construction costs can increase life cycle costs, even when discounted. 13

15 Residential Life Cycle Energy Energy Consumption (GJ) Demolition Use Fabrication Standard Efficient Source: Ochoa, Hendrickson, Matthews and Ries,

16 Motor Vehicle Energy Use Suppliers Industry/Vehicle Manufacture Operation Petroleum Refining Repair Fixed Costs/Insurance Vehicle Life Cycle Stage Energy Use (MJ)

17 Life Cycle Analysis Extraction to End of Disposal Need to Account for Indirect Inputs 16

18 Some Tools (Continued) Triple bottom line assessments (multiobjective optimization) Life Cycle Analysis Design heuristics and standards. Wider range of design alternatives (not a tactic limited to sustainable engineering, of course ) New technology (datalogger, new materials) Alternative approaches (different modes) 17

19 Example: Producing Electricity in Remote Locations 52% of electricity is produced from coal Coal deposits are generally not close to electricity demand The Powder River Basin produces more that 1/3 of U.S. coal, 350 million tons shipped by rail up to 1,500 miles Should PRB coal be shipped by rail? 18

20 Alternative Shipment Methods Coal by rail Coal by truck or waterways (non-starters!) Coal to electricity and ship by wire Coal to gas and ship by pipeline Coal to gas and ship by wire Beyond scope of example: move demand, reduce demand, alternative energy sources 19

21 Wyoming to Texas Coal Transport 20

22 US Freight Traffic is Increasing 1,800,000 1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000, ,000 Truck Railroad 600, , , Year 21 Freight (million ton-miles)

23 Rail Mileage is Declining 180, , ,000 Miles of Railroad Owned 120, ,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20, Year 22

24 Leading to Heavier Use and Productivity per Rail Mile Truck (ton-mi) Railroad (ton-mi) Roadway lane-miles Track rail-miles Relative Change (1990=100)

25 Transporting Energy from WY to 450 Texas: All New Infrastructure Annual Cost ($millions 400 Annual Cost ($million) Capital O&M Fuel Externalities Total Coal by Rail Coal by Wire Coal to Gas by Pipeline Coal to Gas by Wire 24

26 Shipping Energy Conclusions If infrastructure exists (rail lines), then it is best to use it. For new investment, alternatives to rail can be attractive but involve trade-offs. 25

27 Some Other Common Tools (Continued) Materials flow analysis Appropriate boundary setting. Risk and uncertainty analysis. Life cycle cost analysis. 26

28 What can be done to promote sustainability? Policy Education Research Local Action Personal Action 27

29 Some Policy Examples Fuel economy requirements and incentives 25% cut in CO2 emissions proposed in EU. Higher density development and Brownfields re-development Toxics emissions and water use reporting and regulation. Full cost pricing: water, energy, Green buildings 28

30 Sustainability Engineering Education Approaches Dedicated Engineering Courses: Two semester sequence for entry level grads or senior undergrads offered through CEE/EPP at Carnegie Mellon. Dedicated Non-Engr. Courses: Environment and Technology for undergraduate non-engineers. Modules: Introduction to Environmental Engineering introduces sustainability. 29

31 Center for Sustainable Engineering Arizona State Univ. (Brad Allenby), Carnegie Mellon (Cliff Davidson) and U. Texas, Austin (David Allen) with EPA/NSF Funding Benchmarking of existing educational activity. Development of educational materials Workshops: 62 faculty & 40 schools at 2006 workshops in Pittsburgh; 7/07 workshops in Austin. Website and list 30

32 Some Research Examples Re-use and recycling of goods. Alternative fuels and power generation. Energy efficient buildings. Carbon sequestration. New Technology (bio-materials, information technology, etc.) 31

33 Switchgrass (Cellulosic) Ethanol Infrastructure & Policy Pipelines Rail Shipping Distribution Policy Coal Electricity Plug-in Hybrid Electric Compact Car Decisions in the Marketplace Biomass Oil Ethanol Gasoline Internal Combustion Sports Car Distribution of Consumer Preferences Impact: Life Cycle Analysis Tar Sands Resources Resource Use Hydrogen Fuels Processing Fuel Cell Engines Light Truck Vehicles Consumers Transportation Manufacturing Use End of Life 32

34 Wairakei Geothermal Plant, New Zealand 33

35 Local Action: Carnegie Mellon 34

36 Some Carnegie Mellon Projects (cont) 35

37 Personal Action A wide range of possible responses, including self-sufficient farms. Some (relatively) easy actions: Walk, bike, or ride, don t drive. Forgo more material possessions. Support sustainable policies. 36

38 What is slowing sustainability? Ignorance of methods and the implications of our actions: e.g. climate change debate, ecosystem limits. Reaction time: political and social changes slower than technology or economy. Difficult trade-offs among competing interests: e.g. wind power nimby 37

39 Conclusions Promoting sustainable engineering is not really startlingly new, but does require some new perspectives. Triple bottom line assessment: economic, environmental, social Life cycle perspective essential Challenges should not lead to paralysis. 38

40 Some Resources Center for Sustainable Engineering (ASU, Carnegie Mellon, Texas): Carnegie Mellon Green Design Institute: Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment: website at Book: Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Goods & Services: An Input- Output Approach, (RFF Discount Code: EGX) 39