Browsing by Author "Tuomaala, Mari"
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- Comparative environmental assessment of organic and mineral fertilizers – Case study of BioA fertilizer produced from industrial waste
Kemian tekniikan korkeakoulu | Master's thesis(2014-01-21) Miller, TeaMineral fertilizers are a powerful tool in guaranteeing world’s food supply but their production and use also cause a significant environmental burden. A possible substitute for mineral fertilizers are organic fertilizers, the production of which does not consume virgin, non-renewable raw materials. This master’s thesis studies an organic fertilizer which is produced by reusing industrial waste originating from a factory site of which the main activity is pulp and paper production. This fertilizer is named as the BioA fertilizer. The study had two objectives. The first objective was to determine the composition of the BioA fertilizer. The second objective was to conduct an environmental assessment which compares the environmental impacts that arise during the life cycle of the two research targets: the BioA fertilizer and the reference mineral fertilizer. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was selected for the assessment method and the analyzed environmental impacts were calculated in proportion to the quantity of fertilizer required to obtain a crop yield of 3000 kg of barley per hectare. The NPK rating for the BioA fertilizer was calculated to be 5-1-1, which is quite similar compared to the organic fertilizers on the Finnish market. In addition, the composition of the fertilizer did not exceed the maximum permitted limit for heavy metals in cadmium. Thus, according to the design criteria used in the present study, the BioA fertilizer is a technically feasible product. The environmental assessment studied the environmental impacts of the following five modules: 1) raw material consumption, 2) energy consumption, 3) emission generation, 4) waste generation, and 5) usage and nutrient release. In the present study, no single value representing the total environmental impact balance could be provided, rather environmental impacts were compared according to the above modules. It can be stated that from an environmental perspective, in terms of nitrogen content, energy consumption and required quantity, the reference mineral fertilizer appeared to be superior. On the other hand, the BioA fertilizer proved to be superior in raw material consumption, limiting of waste generation and probably in emission generation. - Comparative environmental assessment of organic and mineral fertilizers - Case study of BioA fertilizer produced from industrial waste
School of Chemical Engineering | Master's thesis(2013) Miller, TeaMineral fertilizers are a powerful tool in guaranteeing world s food supply but their production and use also cause a significant environmental burden. A possible substitute for mineral fertilizers are organic fertilizers, the production of which does not consume virgin, non-renewable raw materials. This master s thesis studies an organic fertilizer which is produced by reusing industrial waste originating from a factory site of which the main activity is pulp and paper production. This fertilizer is named as the BioA fertilizer. The study had two objectives. The first objective was to determine the composition of the BioA fertilizer. The second objective was to conduct an environmental assessment which compares the environmental impacts that arise during the life cycle of the two research targets: the BioA fertilizer and the reference mineral fertilizer. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was selected for the assessment method and the analyzed environmental impacts were calculated in proportion to the quantity of fertilizer required to obtain a crop yield of 3000 kg of barley per hectare. The NPK rating for the BioA fertilizer was calculated to be 5-1-1, which is quite similar compared to the organic fertilizers on the Finnish market. In addition, the composition of the fertilizer did not exceed the maximum permitted limit for heavy metals in cadmium. Thus, according to the design criteria used in the present study, the BioA fertilizer is a technically feasible product. The environmental assessment studied the environmental impacts of the following five modules: 1) raw material consumption, 2) energy consumption, 3) emission generation, 4) waste generation, and 5) usage and nutrient release. In the present study, no single value representing the total environmental impact balance could be provided, rather environmental impacts were compared according to the above modules. It can be stated that from an environmental perspective, in terms of nitrogen content, energy consumption and required quantity, the reference mineral fertilizer appeared to be superior. On the other hand, the BioA fertilizer proved to be superior in raw material consumption, limiting of waste generation and probably in emission generation. - Comparison of Indirect CO2-emissions of Different Renewable Transport Fuels
A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä(2015) Holmberg, Henrik; Siitonen, Sari; Laukkanen, Timo; Tuomaala, Mari; Niskanen, TuomasThe European Union's goal is to increase the share of renewable energy sources to 20 per cent and that of liquid biofuels for transport to at least 10 per cent by 2020. Liquid biofuels for transport are, for example, biodiesel and bioethanol. Their use is not assumed to increase CO2-emissions in the atmosphere. However, production processes of transport fuels need energy causing indirect CO2-emissions. To evaluate the environmental burden of these biofuels it is important to consider indirect CO2-emissions in analyses, too. This study defines indirect CO2-emissions for Digestion process, Bioethanol process, FT-process (Fischer-Tropsch-process) and Bio-SNG-process and compares their environmental burden. - Conceptual approach to process integration efficiency
Doctoral dissertation (monograph)(2007-06-08) Tuomaala, MariVarious types of models and methods are used to design and analyze industrial processes. Mostly their use deals with partial system efficiencies like utility system efficiency. A model for treating the entire system has been missing. An integrated industrial process consists of interconnected production processes of the process industry (e.g. pulp and paper, metallurgical, chemical and energy production industries). The thesis presents a conceptual approach to the evaluation of integrated industrial processes. According to research results, efficiency can be categorized into material efficiency, energy efficiency and operational efficiency. These dimensions are described using criteria and case-specific indicators. The criteria and indicators sometimes represent certain perspectives of design, such as economy or environment. The concept of efficiency can be attached to systems of varying physical scales. In its narrowest context the scale covers equipment and unit processes. In its largest context the scale covers complete production sites. The scale determines which criteria and indicators are emphasized in the evaluation: technical ones are emphasized on the equipment and unit process scale and strategic ones are emphasized on the site scale. An important part of the proposed concept is the way in which the potential for improvement is dealt with. The potential for improvement is dependent on the life span phase of the mill, the physical scale of the problem and the number of priority criteria (potential in respect of one criterion versus potential in respect of several simultaneous criteria). The potentials are categorized into three groups: 1) structural (theoretical) potentials, 2) technical potentials and 3) economic potentials. The research also indicates that efficiency improvement activities have to be done in close cooperation with company's operational management. The connection is required to prioritize actions and to implement corrective actions. The developed concept is qualitative and it is applied on case-by-case basis. The concept does not contain a quantitative analysis; it is used to formulate the problem and to select the correct and detailed tools for the work. The results of evaluation can be utilized e.g. to compare unit processes and process concepts against each other. - Elinkaariarviointiin liittyvät allokointikysymykset - standardien ja ohjeistuksien lähestymistapoja
Insinööritieteiden korkeakoulu | Bachelor's thesis(2013-04-24) Etto, Lotta - Energiatehokkuuden mittarit ja potentiaalit
School of Engineering | D4 Julkaistu kehittämis- tai tutkimusraportti tai -selvitys(2012) Tuomaala, Mari; Ahtila, Pekka; Haikonen, Turo; Kalenoja, Hanna; Kallionpää, Erika; Rantala, Jarkko; Tuominen, Pekka; Shemeikka, Jari; Rämä, Miika; Sipilä, Kari; Pursiheimo, Esa; Forsström, Juha; Wahlgren, Irmeli; Lahti, PekkaThe first objective of the research ‘Energy Efficiency Metrics and Improvement Potentials’ was to study how energy efficiency is measured in different sectors. The second objective was to study how energy efficiency improvement potential could be evaluated on a sectoral basis, and more comprehensively in society as a whole. The research covered five sectors: communities, buildings, transportation and logistics, (process) industry and energy production. According to the Energy Service Directive 2006/32/EC (EC, 2006), energy efficiency is defined as “a ratio between an output of performance, service, goods or energy, and an input of energy”. The output of performance, service, goods or energy covers a wide range of subjects. This results in a variety of energy efficiency metrics. Sometimes it is useful to provide a broader perspective on energy efficiency measurement(e.g. kWh/m3, kWh/m2, etc. in the construction and real estate sector). Sometimes explanatory metrics are also needed, e.g. ‘the capacity utilisation rate’ in the process industry sector. In the analysis of efficiency, one must make decisions about how to set the balance boundary and how to take the life-cycle aspects into account. It is worthwhile to compare only objects which have been defined in a similar way. Energy is used in different forms: as fuel, electricity and heat. Different forms of energy should not be aggregated until they have been transformed into a comparable form. This is made using so-called primary energy factors. There are varying practices in the use of primary energy factors, and the ways in which they are calculated is not well established. Energy efficiency and energy efficiency potential should be studied primarily using energy units. Carbon dioxide (or greenhouse gas) efficiency can be used as a supporting and complementary evaluation criterion. Energy efficiency improvement potential means a difference in energy consumption between the current situation and the reference situation. Defining the reference situation, i.e. the target state, is one of the challenges in calculating the potential. Such a target state can be the best known reference (such as BAT), or ideal performance. No common method exists to define the target state, so practices vary between the sectors. For example, the concept ‘ideal state’ is not even suitable in communities and logistics. A case study was carried out during the late part of the research to calculate the energy efficiency potential of an example area. The study was made in the Kalasatama district near the city centre of Helsinki. The case study verified for example, that metrics from different sectors can be combined in a single study. Based on the study it can be said that the methods being used are still undeveloped, and much research is needed in this area. In practical work, emphasis should be put on reaching agreements concerning the standardisation of energy efficiency calculation methods. - Measuring energy and CO2 efficiency in petrochemical industry by using energy balance analysis
Helsinki University of Technology | Master's thesis(2008) Auvinen, HeidiTämän työn tavoitteena on selvittää kuinka koko petrokemiallisen prosessin kattavaa energiatasetta voidaan hyödyntää energia- ja CO2-tehokkuuden määrittelemisessä. Tulosten perusteella pyritään esittämään ehdotus energiataseen muodostamisesta prosessiteollisuudessa ja tarvittavista laitostason mittauksista. Työn alussa esitellään energia- ja CO2-tehokkuuden määritelmiä ja mittareita prosessiteollisuudessa, käsitellen myös liittymäkohtia prosessi-integraatioon sekä päästökauppaan. Kirjallisuusosa jatkuu johdatuksella energiataseen muodostamisen termodynamiikkaan ja alalla vallitseviin käytäntöihin. Työtä havainnollistetaan petrokemian tapaustutkimuksella, jossa olefiinien tuotannossa käytettävälle höyrykrakkausprosessille muodostetaan sekä kaikki prosessin energia- että materiaalivirrat kattava energiatase. Valittu menetelmä täydentää yleisesti käytettyä energiataseen laskentatapaa, joka huomioi vain energiavirrat. Tapaustutkimuskohteessa raaka-aine- ja tuotevirtojen, polttokaasujen, palamisilman ja savukaasujen energiasisältö määritetään muodostumisentalpiaa hyödyntäen. Taselaskelmien tuloksista voidaan selvittää kuinka paljon prosessin vaatimasta energiasta sitoutuu tuotteisiin ja sivutuotteisiin höyrykrakkausprosessin kemiallisissa reaktioissa. Tämä mahdollistaa energiatehokkuuden tarkastelun täysin uudesta näkökulmasta alakohtaisten, vakiintuneiden mittareiden rinnalla. Reaktioita seuraavien vaiheiden, joissa eri tuotevirrat erotetaan toisistaan, energiankäytön tehokkuutta ei sen sijaan voida arvioida työssä käytetyillä menetelmillä, sillä taseessa niiden osuus näkyy vain hukkaan menevänä jätelämpönä. CO2-tehokkuutta mitataan polttoprosessista aiheutuvien suorien päästöjen sekä sähkön- ja höyryntuotannosta johtuvien arvioitujen epäsuorien päästöjen yhteisvaikutuksena. Lopputuloksena esitetään yksityiskohtainen ehdotus energiataseen muodostamisesta petrokemian prosessille. Työ todistaa koko prosessin kattavan taseenmuodostustavan hyödylliseksi sekä energia- että CO2-tehokkuuden analysointiin, tarjoten lukuisia uusia näkökohtia. Mahdollisia sovelluskohteita ovat petrokemian lisäksi myös muut prosessiteollisuuden alat, joissa kemiallisilla reaktioilla on merkittävä rooli. - Multi-criteria evaluation of an energy efficiency investment in titanium dioxide calcination process
Helsinki University of Technology | Master's thesis(2009) Asano-Ulmonen, Megumi - Renewable energy system integration into ship traffic environment - A technological perspective to market penetration potential
Insinööritieteiden korkeakoulu | Licentiate thesis(2014) Laine, Jani - Survey of Process Integration Methodologies Applied to Complex Energy Systems
Helsinki University of Technology | Master's thesis(2004) Heikkilä, TommiProcess integration is considered to start in the early 80's due to development of the heat exchanger pinch. The idea of process integrations is to think process as a whole. The current research on the field has concentrated on the development of different methods and different applications. The objective of this study was to give an overall view to the process integration methods, their categories and their novel applications. Chapter 1 gives a brief introduction and the objective of the study. Classification of various process integration methods is given in chapter 2. In chapters 3-5 they are explained in detail. In chapter 6, two sophisticated process integration methodologies are analysed. The purpose was to examine how these methodologies are structured and used. They are taken as example of the current practice in complex process integration problem solving. Chapter 7 is a conclusion part of the study. All the methods have their special purpose for use. It is not possible to optimise the large-scale energy systems using only one specific method. The methods are used in combination to obtain better problem solving.