Dr. Akram Avami
Bio
I am an associate professor at Sharif University of Technology. I received my PhD in mechanical engineering and my MSC in energy systems engineering from Sharif University of Technology in I. R. Iran. Also, I have graduated in chemical engineering from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, in I. R. Iran. Education, research, and teaching in multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary areas regarding the energy systems highlight the problem of nexus for me as a challenging issue for future human developments. My main research interests are energy and environment, energy-health nexus, sustainable integration of energy systems, and life cycle analysis. In recent years, I have focused on methods to assess different nexuses in real case studies in power plants, waste water treatment units, desalination plants, bioenergy production units, etc. I am highly interested in collaborating in trans-disciplinary areas with highly-motivated researchers.
Education
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Ph.D. 2012
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Thesis Topic: Development of optimal integrated and intensive model of energy processing and conversion
Area of Study: Process intensification, Biodiesel
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Ph.D. Visiting student 2010
Ph.D. in Process systems engineering
RWTH, Aachen, Germany
Area of Study: Conceptual design of reactive distillatio
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M.S. 2005
M.S. in Energy Systems Engineering
Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Thesis Topic: Optimal integrated of energy flows
Area of Study: Process integration
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B.S. 2003
B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran
Thesis Topic: Modeling and simulation of water softening using artificial neural network
Area of Study: Filteration, Neural Networks
Extracurricular Activities
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2023 2018
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2016 2014
Sharif Energy Research Institute
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2016 2014
Manager
Innovation center of the committee of energy efficiency and environment, Vice presidency for science and technology
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2014 2012
Assistant professor
Energy systems engineering group, Mechanical engineering department, K. N. Toosi university of technology, 2012-2014, Tehran, Iran.
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2007
International institute for Energy Studies (IIES)
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2006
National Gas Company, R and D Department,
Honors, Awards and Grants
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2023Selected researcherSharif University of Technology
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2018Distinguished teacherSharif University of Technology
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2006M. Sc. Ranked StudentGraduated with rank 3 among M. Sc. Students in Energy Engineering systems, Sharif University of Technology,
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2004B. SC. Ranked StudentGraduated with rank 1 among B. Sc. Students in Chemical Engineering, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran
Research interests
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Energy-Environment nexus
Energy and environment are closely interconnected. The water-energy nexus indicates meaningful interdependence's of water and energy associated with human, economic, and environmental sustainability. This interweaving is getting more critical under the scarcity of natural resources and climate change issues. Comprehending the complexities of these relationships is essential to make a balance among various stakeholders, national and international policy decisions. It is also vital for conserving valuable resources like water, energy, and the environment. The application of efficient technologies on water, energy, and environmental interdependence and future energy-efficient alternatives to save energy and the environment are compelling pathways towards achieving sustainable development. Identifying the demand to focus on sustainability in water-energy nexus would be of great interest to the community of modern engineering science.
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Energy-health-pollution nexus
The integrated assessment of energy-pollution-health nexus is an important interdisciplinary research area of my interest. There are different co-benefits of energy transitions and human health that may accelerate these changes. I am highly motivated to identify, assess, model, and analyze these co-benefits for future developments of energy system.
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Life cycle assessment
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a comprehensive methodology to analyze the sustainability of complex systems. LCA quantifies the energy and materials used and pollutants or wastes released into the environment due to an activity or service over the whole life cycle, typically from cradle-to-grave. Various life-cycle-based methods for evaluating the technologies, strategies, and policies shaping the future energy system exist. I am eager to use efficient tools in different applications. We have developed new assessment tool for LCA studies to fulfill the research gap. This commercial tool names SharifLCA.
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Sustainable integration of energy systems
Integration of energy systems yield more outputs and less inputs. I traditionally follow this area to increase the efficiency of systems towards sustainability. Different techniques in the area of process intensification, process integration, and conceptual design are of my research interests.
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Bioenergy
Bioenergy is a renewable energy resource with nearly zero carbon emissions. Many geographical areas have the biomass potential. However, concerns regarding food security, water resources, and land management may exist. Thus, different energy-environment nexus must be assessed for the sustainable design of bioenergy supply chain. Biomass can be considered as one of the alternative renewable carbon based fuels that can decrease environmental footprints in different applications. I am fascinated in sustainable design of biomass processes.
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Eco-design of energy systems
Currently, energy demand has an unprecedented increase with the high rise of the population worldwide. The current world energy condition and suggested future energy scenarios contribute to a need for a revolution in the energy sector. This means an energy transition towards a more environmentally friendly system. The successful implementation of this new energy model depends on the development of advanced strategies to decrease the dependence on fossil fuels, accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and enhance the efficiency of the value chain of the energy systems, including energy extraction, transformation, transference/transport, storage, and use.
Publications
This is a list of my publications so far. Please note that for journal papers, the document available here, is different from the one published in the journal. This difference is mostly visual and due to copyright issues, but there may be some minute changes in the journal papers that are not reflected in the documents available here. Otherwise the contents of these versions are completely identical.
Investigation of Bio-energy production from municipal solid wastes and agricultural wastes in Iran, in Persian
Energy and water nexus in industry: fundamentals and applications, in Persian
Modeling and simulation of water softening by nanofiltration using artificial neural network
Journal
Paper Iranian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 2006
Abstract
An artificial neural network has been used to determine the volume flux and rejections of Ca 2+, Na+ and Cl, as a function of transmembrane pressure and concentrations of Ca 2+, polyethyleneimine, and polyacrylic acid in water softening by nanofiltration process in presence of polyelectrolytes. The feed-forward multi-layer perceptron artificial neural network including an eight-neuron hidden layer has the least error in modeling this non-linear process. The overall agreement between the artificial neural network results and experimental data is very good for both the volume flux and rejections, because the maximum values of normalized bias and error are-0.01122 and 1.0737 respectively.
Analysis of environmental emissions and greenhouse gases in Islamic Republic of Iran
Journal
Paper Analysis of environmental emissions and greenhouse gases in Islamic Republic of Iran, 2008
Abstract
Concerns about energy consumption and consequential environmental impact in Iran has been raised in recent years. Iran's total emissions in 2006 includes 413.23 million tons of carbon dioxide, 2.18 million tons of carbon monoxide, 2.5 million tons of NOx, 0.75 million tons of SO2, 2.26 million tons of residual hydrocarbons, 0.59 million tons of aldehydes and 0.32 million tons of dusts. The present paper will study the energy consumption and various types of emissions in consumption sectors in Iran. Through analyzing the trends, it will identify technological bottlenecks and improvement opportunities in order to decrease environmental impacts associated with energy consumption. Introducing natural gas is the leading opportunity of Iranian energy infrastructure. In contrast, the following problems were identified and some solutions are proposed in this study. These challenges include transportation sector from technological point of view; low standard of different fuels such as gasoline, fuel oil and gas oil; Low price of fuels; lack of logical pattern to guide the consumption sectors and low efficiency of conversion equipment.
Assessment of energy-saving opportunities of cement industry in Iran
Journal
Paper International Journal of Energy, 2007
Abstract
Growing concerns arise about energy consumption and its adverse environmental impact in recent years in Iran in which cause manufactures to establish energy management groups. Cement production has been one of the most energy intensive industries in the world. Focusing on energy consumption reduction efforts through process improvement, production management and introducing new technologies can achieve significant results. This study, based on conducting on-site energy audits of over 30 cement firms in Iran during 2004–2005, discovered the following energy-saving potentials: electricity savings of 223.5* 106 KWh equivalent to 11.3 M $, fuel oil savings of 168* 106 Lit equivalent to 39.4 M $ in FOB prices. The present paper will study the energy consumption in cement industry in Iran through real auditing and identify technological opportunities in order to decrease energy consumption of the relevant factories, increase the productivity, and improve the production process. Relevant standards planned by government that can provide significant potentials, are discussed too.
Energy consumption forecasting in Iran using recurrent neural networks,
Journal
PaperEnergy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy, Part B, 2011
Abstract
In this paper, a recurrent neural network model is developed in order to forecast the energy consumption as a complex nonlinear function of gross domestic product (GDP) and population in Iran. This intelligent model is trained by total energy consumption data as output and the population and GDP as inputs during 1976–2001, while 5 annual data points of the following years (2002–2006) are used to validate the model. It can describe time dependencies efficiently and the convergence rate is much faster. This model forecasts the trend of energy consumption annually. Simulation results show that this model can predict energy consumption in Iran with acceptable accuracy. It is expected that this study will be helpful in developing highly applicable energy policies.
A method for phase identification and equilibrium calculations in reactive mixtures
Journal
Paper
Chemical engineering research and design, 2011
Abstract
Phase identification is an important aspect of flash calculations which can affect the phase and chemical equilibria. A new simultaneous approach for reactive mixtures, based on τ-method which relies on modification equation for mole fraction summation, is introduced in this paper. In the proposed methodology, phase identification and solution of governing equations can be performed simultaneously and effectively. In addition, prior knowledge of the number of phases in advance is not required. Present methodology has been verified with the help of case studies and results are discussed in the present paper. The results indicate that the present method gives us information about presence of reactive phases at equilibrium, their quantities and compositions simultaneously. The method is easy to implement and it may be used by several thermodynamic models.
Abstract
Shortcut design methods can be valuable tools for rapid screening of different separation process alternatives to assess feasibility and determine minimum energy demand. This work presents a variant of the feed angle method (Kraemer et al., 2011), which applies to single- and double-feed reactive distillation columns. The proposed method relies on pinch point analysis and determines the minimum energy demand from the calculation of a tray at the feed pinch. It is fully algorithmic and insensitive to impurities in product specifications. Its validity and performance is illustrated by a variety of case studies covering multi-component and multi-reaction systems, mixtures with potential liquid–liquid phase split, and double-feed columns. The results show that the method is sufficiently accurate and computationally efficient, even for highly non-ideal systems and complex configurations.
A Model for biodiesel supply chain: A case study in Iran
Journal
Paper
Renewable and sustainable energy reviews, 2012
Abstract
Biodiesel is here considered as an alternative fuel in Iran in order to benefit from environmental aspects and contribution to final energy demand. An analytical tool is developed to consider different scenarios in biodiesel production. This study provides a regional framework in terms of techno-economic parameters to deeply understand the agricultural, technical, and economic aspects of biodiesel supply chain of Iran including resources, production, distribution, and consumer. The study further assesses the potential of biodiesel production in different geographical regions of Iran. It reveals the contribution of current potential resources to make the future biodiesel demand.
Conceptual design of double feed reactive distillation columns
Journal
Paper
chemical engineering technology, 2013
Abstract
The feasibility and feasible range of operating parameters for double‐feed reactive distillation columns are evaluated, based on the combination of pinch point map analysis for the middle‐section in the compositional space and the feed angle method as an efficient shortcut design method. Limiting bounds for operating parameters are determined where the properties of singular points change. The existence and values of such bounds may vary in double‐feed reactive distillation columns depending on the nature of the system under study. The methodology is illustrated by production of methyl acetate and ethyl acetate. An efficient method is described to identify the most promising candidates of double‐feed reactive distillation columns and to study the design flexibility in terms of operating parameters.
Assessment of optimal biofuel supply chain planning in Iran: technical, economic, and agricultural perspectives
Journal
Paper
Renewable and sustainable energy reviews, 2013
Abstract
Contribution to satisfying the final energy demand, the necessities arises from waste minimization, and rural area's developments are the main incentives for biofuel usage in the Iranian energy supply system. This paper develops a model for the supply chain of bioethanol and bioETBE from the farms to the end users which integrates the temporal and spatial scales. It considers the techno-economical evaluations of first and second generation biofuels. The results provide practical insights for decision makers to introduce the biofuel into the Iranian energy systems. Here, the optimal designs of transition pathways of biofuel supply chain are available which successfully assesses the benefits and barriers to the decision maker.
A simultaneous methodology for the optimal design of integrated water and energy networks considering pressure drops in process industries
Journal
Paper
Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2016
Abstract
This paper presents a simultaneous methodology for the optimal design of integrated water and energy networks. Heat transfer coefficients are not constant but are related to the velocity of the streams. Pressure drops in heat exchangers and related power costs are considered. The model is a non-convex MINLP (mixed-integer non-linear program) model, in which the objective is to minimize the total annual costs. To accomplish this task, a new superstructure is proposed that follows the energy and mass streams from sources to sinks, enabling us to consider heat exchange between streams in two separate stages of the HENS before and after mixers. Furthermore, heat recovery from wastewater is considered. The model is solved for two examples, and results are presented with and without pressure drop effects. The optimum velocity and heat transfer coefficients for the streams in the heat exchangers are determined, and the results are in good agreement with the literature. In this way, the model reflects the real situation in industrial networks where thermal and electrical energy and water requirements interact very closely.
Optimal design for gasoline supply chain planning in Iran: technical, economical, and environmental perspectives
Journal
Paper
International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy, 2017
Abstract
Taking into account the ever-increasing consumption of energy in the transportation sector in Iran, a supply chain model is here developed for gasoline as the main energy carrier. The model considers the satisfaction of demand as well as techno-economical constraints of all technologies while minimising the cost and the carbon footprint of the whole supply chain in order to reach sustainability in the Iranian transport sector. The model enables us to depict the optimal pathways from the wells to the end-users. The demand is here estimated using econometric approach in which the elasticity of gasoline price is the least and the GDP growth rate plays an active role. Six scenarios are defined to encompass different assumptions in the supply and demand sides. It has been concluded that the gasoline import will surge dramatically and the transportation vehicles will shift to economical vehicles in all scenarios for the next 30 years. In the current scenario, the vehicles with the lowest operating cost (class 5) are chosen. Taken into account the environmental considerations, more efficient vehicles (class 2) are preferred. The present work demonstrates how economical and environmental issues are interrelated in the Iranian gasoline supply chain planning.
Environmental impact assessment using ecological footprint method: Case study Energy Engineering Department of Sharif University of Technology
Journal
Paper
Environmental studies,, 2017 (in Persian)
A design procedure for the assessment of carbon capturing and utilization of flue gas from power plant using experimental data
Journal
Paper
Chemical Research and Design, 2018
Abstract
The high dependence of the atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions on fossil fuels has led it to increment. Process design along with the economic aspects, improves the technology diffusion of the carbon capturing. In the pressure swing adsorption as a promising carbon capturing technology, increasing the pressure leads to more adsorbed amount of carbon dioxide and energy consumption of compressor, which is a source for carbon dioxide emission. Experimental data shows that for pressures between 3 to 5 bar, the avoided CO2 is in maximum rate. The economic analysis reveals that the pressure of 3 bar is appropriate. Also, the utilization of CO2 in the aerogel production, as a nano-based thermal insulator, is applied in this work. Comparing the aerogel and other building insulators shows that the amount of saved energy and avoided CO2 are higher for the aerogel. The results of the present study are useful for the design configuration of a full-scale CO2 capturing and utilization plant.
Water and emissions nexus for biodiesel in Iran
Journal
Paper
Renewable and sustainable energy reviews, 2018
Abstract
Biodiesel is an attractive renewable energy in Iran. However, the concerns for food security, emissions, and water requirement move us towards developing the analytical framework to study emission-water nexus of biodiesel via the multi objective sustainable planning of biodiesel supply chain. Here, the literature of biodiesel in Iran is comprehensively reviewed and main issues are discussed. Then, a supply chain planning model is applied to depict the optimal path ways to minimize costs, net emission, and water use in Iran during 25 years. The microalgae via open ponds and jatropha cultivation reduce the total costs and improve negative emissions. The jatropha optimizes the water use and increases negative emissions. The results indicate that the integrated management of water must be carefully considered to select optimal pathway of the environmental friendly biofuel strategies. This paper provides the optimal frame work for the policy makers to consider different aspects for the future of the biodiesel supply chain of the country.
Comparative assessment of bioethanol supply chain: insights from Iran, Biofuels
Journal
Paper
Biofuels, 2018
Abstract
Biofuels are important alternative fuel in recent years. In this work, the bioethanol supply chain planning is performed by BioEnergy Supply Model to optimally find the best pathways using economic and environmental objective functions in Iran. Then, different sustainability criteria focusing on environmental, economic, and social concerns are assessed for possible routes of the bioethanol production from available resources. Although agriculture residues and wastes, decrease the greenhouse gas emissions but municipal solid wastes are more economic and require less water. The agricultural wastes and residues improve the sustainability. Then, criteria focusing on environmental, economic, and social concerns are assessed for available agricultural resources. The most cost-intensive bioethanol is obtained from the rice and barley wastes with 52.6 and 42.4 billion dollars over 25 years, respectively. The lowest total cost of the supply chain belongs to sugarcane and sugar beet wastes with the amounts of 10.7 and 13.56 billion dollars, respectively. The bioethanol form wastes of rice, barely, and wheat cultivation mitigates the global warming more than other resources while they have negative carbon cycles. Similarly, the highest and lowest number of created jobs of bioethanol supply chain belong to the rice wastes and the sugar beet and corn residues.
A novel hybrid desiccant-based ejector cooling system for energy and carbon saving
Journal
Paper
International Journal of Refrigeration, 2019
Abstract
Desiccant-based evaporative cooling systems are considered as an energy efficient alternative to conventional vapor compression systems in humid climates. A novel hybrid desiccant-based ejector cooling (hybrid DEC) system is here presented to utilize low grade heat. In order to evaluate the system performance under subtropical humid climates, a dynamic hourly simulation of the system is performed for a typical building in Sydney. The results indicate that the hybrid DEC system is able to provide comfort conditions in subtropical and humid climates. Hybrid DEC system has a significant higher coefficient of performance compared to the conventional vapor compression system resulting to 84% electricity savings and 10.2% natural gas savings during the summer season, which results to 41% reduction in CO2 emissions. Therefore, these results demonstrate that there is a good potential in combining ejector cooling cycle and desiccant-based evaporative cooling cycle for energy and carbon savings.
Multi objective planning of sustainable retrofit of educational buildings
Journal
Paper
Journal of building Engineering, 2019
Abstract
The sustainable retrofit options may significantly improve the energy consumption and the environmental impacts of the existing buildings. This paper presents a multi objective optimization framework to reach the minimum economic costs and Global Warming Potential (GWP) impact of existing buildings. New energy-efficient technologies for the supply side of the energy system are considered which may minimize life cycle environmental impacts of buildings. Two educational buildings in the campus of Sharif University of Technology are studied. The results show that utilizing reciprocating engine and exhaust-fired absorption chiller reduce the GWP to 133 tons (17.79% of reduction) and 190 tones (20.8% of reduction) of CO2 eq. for the first and second case studies, respectively. The results show that the existing energy systems in both cases are economically optimal. Moreover, the result of Pareto optimal frontier for both case studies describe the trades off between economic and environmental objectives. The findings of present work will guide the energy managers to minimize the environmental effects of educational buildings. This study implies the need for policy measures to retrofit the buildings based on a whole life cycle point of view, instead of the usual ways of giving sole importance to the operational impacts of buildings. With buildings becoming more energy-efficient during their operational stage, there is an urgent need for an increased focus on operational optimization considering the life cycle impacts of solutions including energy efficiency technologies and utilization of renewable energies.
Investigating the sustainability improvement of municipal wastewater treatment plants using the eco-efficiency index: case study Mashhad
Journal
Paper
Journal of Water and Wastewater,, 2019 (in Persian)
Optimization of the municipal solid waste management system using a hybrid life cycle assessment–emergy approach in Tehran
Journal
Paper
Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 2020
Abstract
The sustainable design of the waste-management system is of crucial importance for cities like Tehran, capital of Iran. Tehran’s municipal solid-waste management has adopted modern practices and technologies very slowly. This study proposes the optimum pathway to reach maximum environmental benefits as well as the most cost-effective technologies according to the financial limits. The hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA)–emergy approach is applied to utilize the life cycle emissions as an inventory database to estimate the ecosystem services provided by the natural ecosystem to dilute the emissions and compensate raw material consumption. Among organic waste-treatment options, composting is optimally chosen by the hybrid LCA–emergy approach while considering the LCA method solely; the anaerobic digestion is the preferable option. Recycling is the most preferable solution for paper, plastic, and glass in terms of energy recovery and cost saving. However, the budget constraint affects the results. Considering the budget constraint, 65% of ferrous metals are diverted from recycling into metal landfill. Cost reduction of recycling technologies may divert metal flow from landfill to recycling. The limited budget has a significant impact on recycling solutions. Overall, the combination of composting and source separation should be considered as the most sustainable and eco-friendly pathway in Tehran.
Bioethanol supply chain network design considering land characteristics
Journal
Paper
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2020
Abstract
Biomass is becoming an increasingly widespread source of energy. Yet land, as one of the most important resources in biomass production, is surprisingly understudied in the literature of biomass supply chain planning. This study proposes a novel framework that combines the literature of bioethanol supply chain design with agricultural land planning to simultaneously address optimal supply chain planning and sustainable land use in a bioethanol supply chain. A bi-objective mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is proposed to formulate the optimal design and planning of a bioethanol supply chain network considering competition of food and biomass feedstock over the available croplands. The proposed model is capable of making strategic decisions (i.e. locations and capacities of facilities, sourcing and allocation of biomass feedstocks to biorefineries), along with some tactical decisions (i.e. land planning, inventory and production of both biomass feedstock and bioethanol). The model incorporates the two objectives of minimum cost and maximum suitability of crops with their assigned croplands. A novel integration of the FAO framework, the best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method, PROMETHEE II and GIS is used to determine the suitability of available croplands according to the croplands’ soil and topographical characteristics. The performance of the proposed model is demonstrated through a multi-feedstock bioethanol supply chain in Fars province, Iran. It is concluded that the proposed integrated land planning-network design framework outperforms hierarchical approaches in which network design and land planning problems are solved separately in a sequential manner. Also, the case study shows that conditional on implementing second generation bioethanol production, Fars province has the potential to satisfy three percent of the fuel demand for transportation in the country.
The eco-efficiency assessment of wastewater treatment plants in the city of Mashhad using emergy and life cycle analyses
Journal
Paper
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2020
Abstract
The aim of this study is to evaluate the sustainability of two actual wastewater treatment plants using the eco-efficiency index based on emergy and life cycle analysis. The life cycle analysis is used for environmental investigation to estimate the eco-efficiency index. Moreover, the emergy theory indicating the input and output flows of the ecosystem are applied to assess the sustainability considering ecosystem services. Two treatment plants are studied in the city of Mashhad in Iran. The potential for sustainability improvement of plants is analyzed in some scenarios including the production of agricultural compost from sludge, 10% reduction of energy consumption, and 10% reduction of chlorine consumption. The eco-efficiency index based on life cycle analysis determines KhinArab plant with 10% reduction of energy consumption as sustainable alternative. While the eco-efficiency index based on emergy analysis as well as emergy sustainability index introduce Al-Teymour treatment plant with installation of a composting unit as the most sustainable option. The no-action costs play a major role in the interpretation of results. The methodology and the results of this study will be of great interest for wastewater treatment plant managers and water authorities as well as citizens to increase the sustainability of water cycle in the city.
Comparative assessment of sewage sludge disposal alternatives in Mashhad: a life cycle perspective
Journal
Paper
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2020
Abstract
Municipal wastewater treatment facilities produce a lot of sludge which is concentrated with different pollutants. The sustainable design of the sludge disposal alternatives is of crucial importance for touristic cities like Mashhad in Iran. Increasing sludge generation and its accumulation in the city and more stringent legislations highlight the challenge of sludge disposal, recently. This study compares different alternatives to reach maximum possible environmental benefits as well as the most cost-effective technologies. In this study, life cycle analysis (LCA) assesses different scenarios for disposal of sewage sludge which is aerobically treated and dewatered for two real case studies. Alteymore and KhinArab are wastewater treatment units in the city. The scenarios include incineration, composting, and landfilling alternatives. The incineration and landfill scenarios are the least interesting solutions according to different life cycle impact categories. The heavy metals’ emission to the soil worsens their impacts. Also, lifecycle cost analysis reveals that composting scenario is more cost-saving than others. However, main disadvantage of the composting scenario is its contribution in freshwater eutrophication. To move towards sustainability, the composting scenario is here determined as the best scenario for sludge disposal in Mashhad.
An integrated dynamic model for evaluating the influence of ground to air heat transfer system on heating, cooling and CO2 supply in Greenhouses: Considering crop transpiration
Journal
Paper
Renewable Energy, 2021
Abstract
Nowadays, one of the most important challenges in developing greenhouses is meeting their energy demand. The other challenge is the high water consumption of evaporative-cooling systems in arid and semi-arid regions. In this study, a integrated dynamic model is developed to determine the greenhouse relative humidity, carbon dioxide, and temperature, considering transpiration. The model is applied to a greenhouse utilizing a ground to air heat transfer system, located in the Alborz province of Iran and the results are validated with experimental data. Energy and water performance of the greenhouse are evaluated for the case study greenhouse. Then, the model is applied to a greenhouse (similar to the case study) in different climate zones of Iran to study the impact of climatic conditions on greenhouse performance. The results are presented for both cases of presence and absence of plant in greenhouses. Transpiration causes the heating/cooling demand of the greenhouse to increases/decreases by 17–40%/63–71% from climate 1 (cold and dry-humid climatic conditions) to climate 4 (mild and hot-humid climate regions). The water consumption of the evaporative-cooling system decreases by 17–49% from climate 1 to 4 when transpiration is taken into consideration.
Development of a framework for the sustainability evaluation of renewable and fossil fuel power plants using integrated LCA-emergy analysis: A case study in Iran
Journal
Paper
Renewable Energy, 2021
Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive framework for evaluating renewable and non-renewable power plants' performance using the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and emergy analysis. The emergy analysis is used to consider the free ecosystem services in the sustainability of the systems as a supplement to the LCA. The results indicate that the wind and photovoltaic power plants have the best performance in terms of the LCA analysis, while the wind and combined cycle power plants have the highest emergy sustainability index. The best scenario is chosen under a two-objective optimization problem, including the single score and emergy sustainability as objective functions. Here, the wind power plant is the most interesting option while the combined cycle power plant with CO2 capture is the least interesting alternative. In this study, a novel framework is developed to assess the Cost of Avoided Carbon emissions (CACe) using the integrated LCA-emergy analysis for the combined cycle power plant in which its value is evaluated to be about $151.65/ton of CO2. Eventually, an uncertainty analysis is performed on the solar transformities using Monte Carlo simulation. The framework presented in this paper provides insights to increase power plants' sustainability for managers and authorities.
Selection of Wastewater Treatment Plants Toward a Sustainable Design and Water Reuse:(a Case Study in the City of Mashhad)
Journal
Paper
Journal of Water and Wastewater, 2021
Abstract
The need for water reuse application in Mashhad which is the second largest city of Iran has been recognized in recent years. This need has forced local authorities to pursue upgrading the existing or installing the more advanced wastewater treatment plants for potential water reuse applications. However, the selection of suitable wastewater treatment train technologies is complex and may require a user-friendly tool to facilitate decision-making process for authorities, which is the focus of this paper. To advance the main focus of the study, this paper is prepared to develop and simulate various treatment train technologies based on multiple criteria analysis considering technical, social, economic, and environmental issues. The treatment technologies considered for simulations in this study include Moving Bed Bio Reactor, Integrated Fixed Film Activated Sludge, Sequencing Batch Reactor, Anaerobic/Anoxic/Oxic, and Modified Ludzack-Ettinger. At first, multiple simulations were performed and then a multi-criteria analysis was performed in order to select the most appropriate treatment technology. As part of this study, additional simulations were performed with respect to different sludge management alternatives including the utilization of energy produced from biogas. The overall results showed that A2/O treatment technology is the most suitable treatment for producing a highly reliable effluent quality for sustainable use of water reuse. With additional local data collection, the methods and the preliminary simulations performed in this study can further be improved to enhance the current decision-making tool for possible future practical use in Mashhad and other cities in Iran.
Assessing the contribution of different sources in atmospheric dispersion of PM2.5 and related health impact in a region of Qazvin, Iran
Journal
Paper
Air Quality, Atmosphere and Healthr, 2022
Abstract
Consumption of fossil fuels in residential, industrial, and transportation sectors has a significant contribution to air pollution and high attributable premature deaths. To target specific strategies for reducing health effects, the anthropogenic sources and their contributions should be identified. This article provides an integrated modeling approach to evaluate the sector-specific contributions of different PM2.5 sources on air pollution and relevant health impacts. The dispersion of emissions from different sources is modeled by the American Meteorological Society/Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model (AERMOD), and the health impacts are estimated by the Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program—Community Edition (BenMAP-CE), while the global exposure mortality model (GEMM) is used as the health impact function. The methodology is applied for the special region in Qazvin province, Islamic Republic of Iran. The total premature deaths from exposure to PM2.5 which are attributable to the suburban transportation systems, industries, and towns and villages (domestic sector and intra-urban transportation systems) are 108.1, 96.3, and 653.4 that are equal to 4%, 4%, and 24% of the total premature deaths, respectively. In some cases, the spatial distribution of PM2.5 from different emission sources, altogether, is not compliant with the limits, while their single distribution is compliant with the limit. This synergy effect is very important for sustainable environmental planning in the region. The results show that the emissions of PM2.5 from towns and villages play a major role in public health, and thus, additional measures and investigations should be implemented to further reduce PM2.5 pollutions and protect public health in the urban area in the future. This research suggests a framework to identify the sources of the health impacts and help policymakers to carefully design the environmental action plans in the region.
Integrated analysis of energy-pollution-health nexus for sustainable energy planning
Journal
Paper
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2022
Abstract
In recent years, the emission of various pollutants has caused many problems for human life and the ecosystem. The prioritization between different air pollution control scenarios is a challenge between scientists and policy-makers. This study develops an integrated method for sustainable energy planning considering the energy-pollution-health nexus. The paper investigates three main pollutants (i.e., PM2.5, SO2, and NOx) of different emission sources (i.e., industrial, residential, and intra-city and suburban transportations) in twelve scenarios. The American Meteorological Society/Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model (AERMOD) is applied to model the air pollution dispersion, and Environmental Benefits Mapping and Analysis Program - Community Edition (BenMAP-CE) is used for the health effect assessment. Also, the health and economic benefits of the scenarios are estimated for a region in Qazvin, I. R. Iran. Finally, the trades-off between the health benefits of cleaner ambient air and the economic benefits of energy scenarios are carefully studied for prioritizing the scenarios. The results show the scenarios of thermal efficiency enhancement of gas heaters and converting 30% of gasoline cars to CNG-burning cars in the intra-city transportation sector are the most appropriate scenarios to reduce pollution according to the net profit (about 8 and 6.3 million USD, respectively) while the scenario of reducing 10% of industrial production is the worst scenario according to this criterion (−46.4 million USD). Accordingly, the results emphasize that the closure of industrial plants to control air pollution should be stopped because it has high economic loss while its health benefit is inconsiderable in the region. The framework and results of the present paper are helpful for policy-makers, managers, and authorities to develop sustainable energy planning.
Assessment of water-energy-emissions nexus in wastewater treatment plants using emergy analysis
Journal
Paper
Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2022
Abstract
The aim of this study is to quantify the water-energy-emissions nexus in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). At first, energy auditing is done for two real WWTPs to find out the energy consumption of different plant stages and the energy-saving potentials. The power plant and carbon capture units are taken into account to assess the energy-emission nexus based on emergy flows. Then, the emergy analysis is applied to evaluate the environmental, economic and technical aspects. An emergy performance index (EmIGHG) is presented by the means of emergy flow diagram of the WWTP beside a power plant (considering the electricity production emergy cost) and carbon capture unit (considering the CO2 separation emergy cost). The ratio can be applied to assess environmental cost-effectiveness in terms of equivalent emergy values. The results show that the index has more generality (over 18 percent) than WWTPs conventional energy consumption indexes to evaluate sustainability and reflects GHG emissions emergy costs. The co-generation of heat and power from renewables is capable to improve sustainability, effectively. The present framework provides an efficient approach to assess the nexus in WWTPs for decision makers as well as engineers.
Modeling and optimization of NO emission for a steam power plant by data-driven methods
Journal
Paper
Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy, 2022
Abstract
The evolution of the power industry toward large‐scale automation and self‐monitoring provides the opportunity to optimize the technical and environmental performance of the plant with data‐driven methods with little changes in infrastructure. This article applies the artificial neural network (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA) to predicting and optimizing NO emissions. Multiple linear regression models, correlation matrix, and research background are employed to find the most influential input features. The generated power, natural gas flow, the flow of gas recirculation fan, gas air heater temperature, and the amounts of oxygen in the stack are identified as the effective input features. Mean Square Error (MSE) and the coefficient of determination (R2) of best architecture (22 neurons in a hidden layer) are calculated 0.0117 and 0.96651, respectively. The Average Percentage Error (APE) is usually below 10%, meaning the model is in good agreement with real data. Finally, the Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used to minimize the amount of NO emissions. The ANN‐GA techniques reduce the NO emission by at least 32% for selected records, enabling us to optimally find the prominent features affecting NO emission by the operational conditions and low economic costs.
An optimal integrated power and water supply planning model considering Water-Energy-Emission Nexus
Journal
Paper
Energy Conversion and Management, 2023
Abstract
Water and energy are the major factors in the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable conversion and management in the secure supply of increasing demand for water and electricity is a challenging concern. It is recently complicated due to economic development, population growth, resource depletion, and climate change, which requires a simultaneous progressive planning. Since energy and water systems are instinctively interdependent and mutually interacted (known as nexus), this paper employed an integrated solution-based method. A bottom-up optimization model is developed considering Water-Energy-Emission Nexus approach for both power and water sectors. The model minimizes the economic costs subjected to techno-economic constraints and socio-environmental requirements. An innovative multi-dimensional index called Water-Electricity Nexus Index is presented to assess how water and power sectors are interdependent. The model is applicable for any region and the results for a real case show that the nexus index is increasing remarkably (7.6, 3.3, 47.7 changes to 12.3, 3.7, 55.0) if the current situation continues for both sectors in the Business-As-Usual scenario. It means the two sectors are interweaving more in the coming years, which will make planning and security provisions difficult. The nexus of electricity for water sector increases by about 60% and although the share of water withdrawal for power sector is 3.7% in the region, the total water withdrawal is much more (55% over the life cycle considering virtual water). Hence, several scenarios are defined to depict future transition pathways and optimal strategies considering demands, prices, taxation policy, restrictions, and technological efficiency. The results show that rapid economic growth scenarios are not sustainable transition pathways (ie the nexus index changes to 16.1, 20.8, 112.0 and 16.1, 20.3, 47.7). Finally, it is concluded that increasing the renewable resource of power generation capacity between 22 and 40%, improvement of the achievable technological efficiency in power plants from 25 to 50 percent, as well as demand-side management to keep the annual growth rate of electricity and water between 1.5 and 2.5% and 1.1–1.5%, imposing the carbon tax (5–75$ ton) and water tax (0.1–2$ m 3) are the major drivers to reduce the nexus index. This framework provides significant insights to improve the integrated planning of water and power sectors in the regions for managers and authorities.
Sustainable analysis of Waste-to-Energy systems by eco-efficiency assessment using DEA approach: A case study of Iran’s municipalities
Journal
Paper
Journal of Sustainable cities and society, 2023
Abstract
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management has become a pressing global issue due to population growth, urbanization, and changing consumption patterns, especially in developing countries. This study develops a comprehensive framework to evaluate the sustainability of MSW management systems. Also, the sustainability of Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and landfill systems with/without various Cogeneration of Heat and Power (CHP) technologies in different conditions using the framework in the municipalities of Iran. The eco-efficiency index, which considers environmental and economic aspects, is used to assess the systems sustainability. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method is applied to assess and rank the performance of the systems based on their eco-efficiency indices considering parameters such as energy production, costs, emissions, land occupation, water consumption, and employment. The results indicate that the landfill and AD systems with/without CHP have the highest priority for all provinces when the food, paper, and cardboard wastes entering the systems are at their maximum and minimum amounts. However, the systems without CHP have the lowest efficiency when the share of the wastes is 50%. Although the findings can help decision-makers in improving MSW management, there may be limitations to the research, such as data availability and assumptions made during the analysis.
Water-energy nexus in the combined cycle power plant using energy, exergy, economic and environmental analyses
Journal
Paper
Energy Conversion and Management, 2023
Abstract
The growing demand for water and energy and the limitation on their resources necessitate comprehensive studies on the water-energy nexus from different aspects in large industries, especially power plants. In the present study, the water-energy nexus has been analyzed using energy, exergy, economic, and environmental analyses for the retrofit scenarios in a combined cycle power plant. The injection of boiler blow-down into the condenser will save 47809.5 m3 of make-up water and 1.115 million m3 of natural gas per year. Replacing the Maisotsenko evaporative cooler with the fogging system increases the revenue index and the water consumption index by 2.7%. The raw water is replaced with high-quality water. The output power of the combined cycle power plant is reduced by 2.1 MW (0.83%) due to the steam injection from the heat recovery boiler into the combustion chamber of the gas unit, while its exergy degradation rate is reduced by 8.5 MW (2.42%). Also, the efficiency of the first and second laws have been decreased by 0.49% and 0.4%, respectively. The results show that the recovery of boiler blow-down for condenser or steam injection into the combustion chamber of the gas unit from heat recovery of the boiler reduces water consumption and exergy destruction simultaneously. Using Maisotsenko cycle and steam injection into the combustion chamber of the gas unit from the heat recovery of boiler reduces the exergy destruction and NOx emissions. The present study provides useful insights to quantify the water-energy nexus for decision-makers in the industry to reach proper decisions according to the opportunities and limitations.
A cutting-edge tool for sustainable environmental management through life cycle assessment, renewable and sustainable energy reviews
Journal
Paper
renewable and sustainable energy reviews, 2024
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to implement a novel Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) model in a software (called SharifLCA) that can overcome the disadvantages of current models. This software can assess environmental impact categories such as the impacts of carcinogenic, non-carcinogenic including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, climate change (in various climate scenarios), ozone layer depletion potential including cataract and skin cancer, global warming potential, and resource depletion throughout the system life cycle. The model has the ability to consider different parameters affecting the results of LCA, such as the population affected by pollution, health risk assessment parameters, characteristics of pollution resource, and meteorological and topological data of the region. Furthermore, the life cycle environmental impacts of an electricity generation system are evaluated using the SharifLCA software under different scenarios. The results showed that the human health effect is higher when using fuels with lower quality. Moreover, the impacts of the carbon capture and storage system on environmental impact categories in different sectors of the system's life cycle are evaluated. In addition, the model has the ability to consider different parameters affecting the results, such as the population affected by pollution, health risk assessment parameters, characteristics of pollution resources, and meteorological and topological data. Therefore, the SharifLCA software can significantly increase accuracy in assessing local health impacts. The model presented in this study will be of great interest for researchers and policy-makers to increase the accuracy of LCA results.
Climatic scenario-based integrated recurrent ensemble model for energy demand forecasting
Journal
Paper
Energy and Buildings, 2024
Abstract
This study presents an improved approach to estimate future energy demand based on climate scenarios, upstream documents, and Machine Learning (ML). To accurately predict future weather conditions, a Regional Climate Model (RCM) is developed. The RCM incorporates an ensemble approach that combines the power of recurrent neural network and recurrent random forest algorithms to analyze relevant data. The demand model incorporates correction coefficients that are derived from behavioral and variations in income, coupled with an ensemble and recurrent ML models. Four scenarios named from the distinctive wildlife are considered for Tehran, I. R. Iran as a real case study for megacities. The average temperature in the Caracal, Striped hyena, and Balochistan black bear scenarios is projected to be 0.91 °C, 2.01 °C, and 2.86 °C higher than the Persian cheetah scenario between 2015 and 2100. Similarly, natural gas demands are estimated to be 0.93, 4.91, and 3.38 times higher than the Persian cheetah scenario by 2050, respectively. The electricity demand is also 14, 3.98, and 3.50 times higher in the Caracal, Striped hyena, and Balochistan black scenarios compared to the Persian cheetah. This study has developed scenarios delineating future temperature conditions, as well as revealing how energy demand changes within climate change. The results of this study precisely identify the influential features for predicting future energy demand and temperature, indicating that utilizing recurrent models is preferable for forecasting future temperature and energy demand. These changes in the energy demand have significant implications for investment in the energy supply sector as well as the greenhouse gas emissions and the air pollution levels. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize climate scenarios that lead to a decrease in energy demand to reach sustainable zero-emission cities.
Multi objective optimization and statistic sensitivity analysis of solid oxide fuel cell-gas turbine hybrid system fed by biogas in urban wastewater treatment plants
Journal
Paper
Modares Mechanical Engineering, 1396 (in Persian)
Professional Experience
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2022-2024Sustainable decarbonization strategies for cities to control the carcinogenesis impact using integrated analysis of energy-pollution-health nexus
NIMAD and INSF
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2021-2024Development of software to evaluate energy-environment, human health nexus using life cycle analysis in energy systems
Sharif University of Technology
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2019-2020Environmental Planning of Rajaee Power plant, Niroo Research Cente
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2017-2018Modeling of Environmental impact assessment of Alteimor and Khinarab waste water treatment units in the city of Mashhad using life cycle and proposing the environmental management system
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2017-2018Development of a model to optimally select the pathway for waste water treatment for the city of Mashhad and investigation on the new technologies and systems for wastewater treatment operation
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2015-2016Innovation center of energy efficiency and environment, The committee of energy efficiency and environment, Vice presidency for science and technology
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2012Load forecasting of useful energy demand in Iran, Iran Energy Efficiency Organization (SABA)
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2012Energy efficiency improvement in Iranian industrial sectors, Iran Energy Efficiency Organization (SABA)
Eco label
The ECO Label is an environmental labeling system created to identify and promote eco-friendly products and services. The SAREM ECO Label tool is developed in our group in accordance with national and internationally recognized standards and technical conditions, for the approval of qualifications and for their audit in certain periods. It is a crucial tool in the fields of sustainable development and environmental protection. This certification provides a strong incentive for improving the environmental performance of products and services and raises awareness of ecological responsibility.
Eco Label is designed to create sustainable solutions based on a life cycle assessment and a common goal to reduce the environmental impact from production activities or consumption of products. During this evaluation, the processes that will cause pollution in the production and usage stages of a product are focused on and their effects are calculated. It guides both consumers and producers towards products and services that minimize harm to the environment. The aim of this label is to highlight products and services designed to reduce environmental impact and conserve natural resources.
The importance of life cycle evaluation is that it is a holistic evaluation and it considers the environmental performance of the product not only during use, but also in all processes including production, use and after-use of the product. For more information, please contact us.
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