PERIODO: FEBBRAIO 2018

Sustainable Engineering
Aim: the course has been finalized to give to the student the elements of analysis end tools for the interpenetration of complexes production systems to the end to synchronize the anthropologic activities to the natural cycles. The principles of irreversible thermodynamics will be introduced and used in order to analyse industrial complexes system. The process analysis is focused to the evaluation of the interactions between anthropologic activities and the environment to figure out the modification toward new technology trends. Some specific techniques of design to limitation of mater and energy use in products, process and services will be introduced and utilized; the following methodological approaches will be furnished: the transition toward the use of renewable material instead of no renewable, the evaluation of energy services using the energy efficiency and energy return on invested (EROI). Aimed to the evaluation of new technological trends, application of conservation of mater principle will be used for the determination of the water use and toxic substances in the production of products and processes following the criteria of allocation of resources and the evaluation of environmental foot print.

Introduction: Principles of irreversible systems; revisitation of I and II principles of thermodynamics; energy consumption and work lost; entropic generation: causes and effects; analysis of energy conversion: from the sources to energy service; the principles of mater conservation; renewable and no-renewable mater; kinetic models of mater consumption in open and close systems; ecological foot print of products and processes: principles and technical evaluation.

Analysis of complex anthropologic cycles: mass balance of anthropologic activities: the production of ammonium and fertilizers; the production of sulphuric acid; the chemistry of chlorine and the use of its derivatives in the production systems; the tree of petrochemical and plastic materials; the analysis of paper and glass productions; from metals to goods; the production of assembled goods.

Analysis of biotechnological productions: the carbon cycles (biological, cellulosic and fossil) as feed stream for bio-refinery new approach; the biotechnological productions as feedstock for process production. Principles of biotechnology engineering: enzymes, bacteria and fungi as biocatalyst; the biotechnology processes as tool between anthropologic activities and natural cycles; the environmental biotechnology process for energy production and restoration processes.

Industrial Ecology: historical trend of mater and energy uses, the decarbonisation processes of energy sources; energy efficiency: energy for the production, intrinsic energy and energy for uses; the use of global efficiency of a system as alternative tool for the design; the global efficiency in the use of the matter; from the production of and-made products to the production of services; services, products, and discards; the design for the de-assembling and reuse; process fluid: techniques to limit the quantities and reuses.

General theory of productive systems: founds, natural capital, flows; evaluation of obscured and external consumptions in a process; steady-state theory: thermodynamic and economic variables; the principles of feedback and the evolution of industrial production; the principles of environmental benchmarking: the developing of eco-efficiency indicators as guidelines for the modification of productions lines.

Class exercise: two numerical class work aimed to use the concepts and techniques acquired will be request to the student (for examples): i) the evaluation and definition of the possibility to substitute a carcinogenic solvent in an electronic process; ii) optimization and modification of a piping system for the service fluids to lowering the use of energy.

Texts Books:

'Efficiency and Sustainability in the Energy and Chemical Industries', Jakob de Swaan Arons, Hedzer van der Kooi, Krishnan Sankaranarayanan,CRC, 2004
'Progettare per l'Ambiente', B.Ruggeri e A.Robasto, Ranieri Editore, 2002
'Wasteless Chemical Processing', V.V. Kafarov, Mir Publ., 1982
' Industrial Metabolism, the Environment and Application of Material-Balance Principles for Selected Chemicals' by R.U.Ayres et al. IIASA Ed., 1989
'Industrial Ecology' T.E.Gradel and B.R.Allenby, Prentice Hall, 1995