Search

Die Elektromobilit��t wird als Schl��sseltechnologie zur Senkung der CO$_{2}$-Emissionen im Stra��enverkehr gesehen. In der Diskussion um die Klimabilanz der Elektromobilit��t wird allerdings der hohe ��kologische Fu��abdruck in der Herstellung batterieelektrischer Fahrzeuge wenig adressiert, der sich insb. durch die ressourcenintensive Traktionsbatterie ergibt. Neben der Bereitstellung von regenerativem Ladestrom ist eine effiziente Kreislauff��hrung der Batteriematerialien und eine m��glichst lange Nutzung der Batteriesysteme und Komponenten Voraussetzung f��r die nachhaltige Gestaltung der Elektromobilit��t. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt einen ��berblick zur kreislaufwirtschaftlichen Wertsch��pfungskette von obsoleten Traktionsbatterien aus Elektromobilen. Mithilfe eines systemdynamischen und eines ereignisdiskreten Simulationsansatzes werden zuk��nftige R��cklaufmengen obsoleter Traktionsbatterien auf Basis aktueller Diffusionsszenarien abgesch��tzt sowie unterschiedliche Verwertungsoptionen von 2nd-Life-Konzepten bis hin zu alternativen Recyclingverfahren dargestellt und diskutiert.

This study presents and demonstrates a methodology for calculating the economic potential of photovoltaic installations in urban areas including the previously often disregarded potential on building façades. The analysis of a 2km2 urban area has shown that building façades there provide almost triple the area of building roofs. However due to non-optimal inclination and orientation, they receive only 41% of the total irradiation. From this, the economic potential under present market conditions was calculated, resulting in 17% of all analyzed building surfaces, i.e. 0.3km2 of roof surfaces being economically exploitable for photovoltaic installations already now which corresponds to an installed capacity of 47MWp. Considering further a material substitution from the building integration of the photovoltaic installations, an economic potential of up to 56MWp or 0.4km2 results, of which up to 6MWp or 0.04km2 are economically installable on building façades. Façade-mounted installations would then account for 13% of the economic potential. The calculation of an economic potential and additionally considering the material substitution from building integration both constitute an extension to many existing renewable energy potential studies just focusing on the technical potential. However, only the economic potential allows forecasts of the future diffusion of this technology.

Critical infrastructures, e.g., electricity transmission / distribution, public transport and health care systems, need to be protected against various internal and external risks which can be safety- and / or security-relevant. Predominately probability-based methods are hitherto used for analysing the whole spectrum of risks. We think this is an insufficient approach, presumably leading to inefficient resource allocation and biased risk perception, as it does not consider the different natures of risk. This paper looks at the key difference between safety- and security-relevant risks, highlights resulting implications for critical infrastructure protection and describes a possible approach for handling these different types of risk.

For assessing and calculating biomass value chains the costs for transportation are the most important factor the economic performance as they form the largest share of the overall production cost. The objective of this work is to develop a methodology that includes not only the distance in the calculation of transportation costs. The main purpose is to also optimize the choice of transport mode depending on the given circumstances. These are especially the distance from the harvesting site to the subsequent processing or storage unit, the transported biomass with its distinctive properties (moisture content, bulk density etc.) and the required harvesting method. To achieve this, a model is elaborated that calculates the minimal overall transportation costs of a biomass-based supply chain comprising fixed and variable costs of the chosen transportation method. This could extend existing supply chain models for the elaboration and assessment of biomass-based value chains by a more comprehensive transportation modelling., Proceedings of the 22nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 23-26 June 2014, Hamburg, Germany, pp. 170-177

The described work investigated ethanol-water fractionation of beech wood as the basic technology for a lignocellulose biorefinery. The main products were glucose, lignin and xylose. The fractionation technology was studied, scaled-up and successfully implemented on pilot scale. Based on an Aspen process simulation of an industrial production plant, the process was assessed economically and ecologically, pointing out the potential benefits of a "lignocellulose biorefinery" and the importance to valorize all the obtained fractions. The process assumptions of the assessment have been tested at the pilot plant and its feasibility was verified.

The aim of this study is to model and assess different biomass-to-liquid (BtL) pathways for the production of fuels and chemicals via dimethyl ether (DME) synthesis as well as via Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass, such as residual wood or straw, to synthetic fuels and chemicals is currently under development at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Within the considered bioliq® concept, so-called slurry is produced by multiple decentralized fast pyrolysis plants and is then processed in a single centralized pressurized entrained flow gasifier. The resulting syngas has to be conditioned and cleaned before it is converted in a DME or FT synthesis in order to complete the biomass-to-liquid (BtL) production. This two-stage concept allows the economic transportation of biomass over long distances, due to the relatively high energy density of the slurry produced in the first stage. In addition, reductions in specific investments and costs for further processing in the second stage are enabled by economies of scale. This study addresses possibilities for further process development and presents an outlook for a commercial implementation of biomass-derived fuels and chemicals., Proceedings of the 21st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 3-7 June 2013, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp. 1975-1983

This assessment focuses on the gasification process step which converts a biomass-derived intermediate called slurry into synthesis gas (syngas) for subsequent synthesis of fuel and chemicals. The slurry is produced by fast pyrolysis plants and is processed in a pressurized entrained flow gasifier. The resulting syngas is conditioned and cleaned before it is converted in a Fischer-Tropsch or dimethyl ether synthesis in order to complete a biomass-to-liquid (BtL) production such as the considered bioliq® concept which is currently under development at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). This two-stage concept allows economic transportation of biomass over long distances due to the relatively high energy density of the slurry produced in multiple decentralized plants and economies of scale in the centralized gasification and synthesis stage. Different process configurations regarding operating pressure, gasification agent, syngas conditioning and feedstock composition of a commercial scale gasification plant for the production of clean syngas are analyzed from an energetic and economic point of view., Proceedings of the 20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 18-22 June 2012, Milan, Italy, pp. 942-947

This paper presents a framework of ICT solutions developed in the EU research project DIADEM that supports environmental management for chemical hazards in industrial areas, with an enhanced capacity to assess population exposure and health risks, alert relevant groups and organize efficient response. The emphasis is on advanced solutions which are economically feasible and maximally exploit the existing communication, computing and sensing resources. This approach supports collaborative information acquisition thus enabling efficient situation assessment and decision making in complex environmental management applications. This is achieved through a combination of (i) a service-oriented approach supporting the integration of automated and human-based reasoning for large-scale collaborative sensemaking, (ii) advanced approaches to gas detection and gas distribution modelling, (iii) novel solutions combining Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis and Scenario-Based Reasoning and (iv) enhanced human-machine interfaces. This paper presents the basic principles of the DIADEM solutions and how they are combined to a coherent decision support system and briefly discusses the evaluation principles and activities in the DIADEM project.

Wenn sich eine Katastrophe ereignet, ist eine schnelle und koordinierte Reaktion der verschiedenen Krisenmanagementakteure unerl��sslich, um die vorhandenen Ressourcen bestm��glich einzusetzen und somit ihre Auswirkungen zu begrenzen. Dieses Zusammenspiel wird erschwert, wenn die Katastrophe mehrere L��nder betrifft. Neben den unterschiedlichen Regelungen und Systemen spielen dann auch kulturelle Einfl��sse wie Sprachbarrieren oder mangelndes Vertrauen eine entscheidende Rolle. Obwohl die Resilienz von Grenzgebieten von fundamentaler Bedeutung ist, wird diese in der wissenschaftlichen Literatur immer noch untersch��tzt. Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit wird ein agentenbasiertes Modell zur Untersuchung der organisations��bergreifenden Zusammenarbeit bei Katastropheneins��tzen in einer Grenzregion vorgestellt. Indem Kommunikationsprotokolle aus der Literatur auf den Kontext der grenz��berschreitenden Kooperation erweitert werden, analysiert das Modell die globale Dynamik, die aus lokalen Entscheidungen resultiert. Ein szenariobasierter Ansatz zeigt, dass h��heres Vertrauen zwar zu signifikant besseren Versorgungsraten f��hrt, der Abbau von Sprachbarrieren aber noch effizienter ist. Insbesondere gilt dies, wenn die Akteure die Sprache des Nachbarlandes direkt sprechen, anstatt sich auf eine allgemeine Lingua franca zu verlassen. Die Untersuchung der Koordination zeigt, dass Informationsfl��sse entlang der hierarchischen Organisationsstruktur am erfolgreichsten sind, w��hrend spontane Zusammenarbeit durch ein etabliertes informelles Netzwerk privater Kontakte den Informationsaustausch erg��nzen und in dynamischen Umgebungen einen Vorteil darstellen kann. Dar��ber hinaus verdoppelt die Einbindung von Spontanfreiwilligen den Koordinationsaufwand. Die Koordination ��ber beide Dimensionen, zum einen die Einbindung in den Katastrophenschutz und zum anderen ��ber Grenzen hinweg, f��hrt jedoch zu einer optimalen Versorgung der betroffenen Bev��lkerung. In einem zweiten Teil stellt diese Arbeit ein innovatives empirisches Studiendesign vor, das auf transnationalem Sozialkapital und Weiners Motivationstheorie basiert, um prosoziale Beziehungen der Menschen ��ber nationale Grenzen hinweg zu quantifizieren. Regionale Beziehungen innerhalb der L��nder werden dabei als Vergleichsbasis genommen. Die mittels repr��sentativer Telefoninterviews in Deutschland, Frankreich und der deutsch-franz��sischen Grenzregion erhobenen Daten belegen die Hypothese, dass das Sozialkapital und die Hilfsbereitschaft ��ber die deutsch-franz��sische Grenze hinweg mindestens so hoch ist wie das regionale Sozialkapital und die Hilfsbereitschaft innerhalb der jeweiligen L��nder. Folglich liefert die Arbeit wertvolle Erkenntnisse f��r Entscheidungstr��ger, um wesentliche Barrieren in der grenz��berschreitenden Kooperation abzubauen und damit die grenz��berschreitende Resilienz bei zuk��nftigen Katastrophen zu verbessern. Implikationen f��r die heutige Zeit in Bezug auf Globalisierung versus aufkommendem Nationalismus sowie Auswirkungen von (Natur-) Katastrophen werden diskutiert.

Disasters have devastating impacts on societies, affecting millions of people and businesses each year. The delivery of essential goods to beneficiaries in the aftermath of a disaster is one of the main objectives of relief logistics. In this context, selecting suitable locations for three different types of essential facilities is central: warehouses, distribution centers, and points of distribution. The present dissertation aims to improve relief logistics by advancing the location selection process and its core components. Five studies published as companion articles address substantial aspects of relief logistics. Despite the case studies' geographical focus on Germany, valuable insights for relief logistics are derived that could also be applied to other countries. Study A addresses the importance of public-private collaboration in disasters and highlights the significance of considering differences in resources, capabilities, and strategies when using logistical models. Moreover, power differences, information sharing, and partner selection also play an important role. Study B elaborates on the challenges to identify candidate locations for warehouses, which are jointly used by public and private actors, and suggests a methodology to approach the collaborative warehouse selection process. Study C investigates the distribution center selection process and highlights that including decision-makers' preferences in the objective function of location selection models helps to raise awareness of the implications of location decisions and increases transparency for decision-makers and the general population. Study D analyzes the urban water supply in disasters using a combination of emergency wells and mobile water treatment systems. Selected locations of mobile systems change significantly if vulnerable parts of the population are prioritized. Study E highlights the importance of accurate information in disasters and introduces a framework that allows determining the value of accurate information and the planning error due to inaccurate information. In addition to the detailed results of the case studies, four general recommendations for authorities are derived: First, it is essential to collect information before the start of the disaster. Second, training exercises or role-playing simulations with companies will help to ensure that planned collaboration processes can be implemented in practice. Third, targeted adjustments to the German disaster management system can strengthen the country's resilience. Fourth, initiating public debates on strategies to prioritize parts of the population might increase the acceptance of the related decision and the stockpiling of goods for the people who know in advance that they will likely not receive support. The present dissertation provides valuable insights into disaster relief. Therefore, it offers the potential to significantly improve the distribution of goods in the aftermath of future disasters and increase disaster resilience.

Industrieunternehmen befinden sich derzeit in einem Transformationsprozess zu nachhaltigen, beispielsweise klimaneutralen Unternehmen. Die zentrale Herausforderung liegt dabei in der Identifikation von Ma��nahmen mit m��glichst gro��em Nachhaltigkeitseffekt zu m��glichst geringen Kosten, damit der Unternehmenserfolg zu keinem Zeitpunkt gef��hrdet ist. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde ein Entscheidungsunterst��tzungssystem entwickelt, mit dem industrielle Wertsch��pfungsketten klimafreundlicher und zugleich wirtschaftlich konfiguriert werden k��nnen. Eine Anwendung erfolgt in Fallstudien zur Automobil- und Zulieferindustrie.

The fast growing stakeholder interest in sustainability leads to an increased attention both on the ecological and social perspective of industrial companies and its products. While in the past the focus predominantly laid on the environmental impact of the product use phase, it recently shifted towards the manufacturing phase. Hence, both, focal companies and supply chain members are obliged to create and apply new strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). From a purchasing perspective, the selection of more environmentally efficient suppliers is a possibility to significantly reduce CO$_{2}$e emissions. Therefore, transparency is required in form of site-specific and comparable data on suppliers’ environmental performance. This data is lacking and the detailed environmental performance criteria has not been integrated in supplier selection decisions yet. In this dissertation a model is developed and applied to close the transparency gap and to integrate CO$_{2}$e as an additional supplier selection criteria in decision-making. For this purpose, a multi-criteria decision analysis approach is developed to derivate criteria weights and a supplier ranking based on expert opinion and quantitative supplier performance data. As decision making based on expert consultation is associated with a certain level of subjectivity, a sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the robustness of the model and the results. By means of ‘what-if’ scenario simulations, the dynamic behavior of the model is further investigated to examine how decisions may change when CO$_{2}$e is formulated and considered as a new criteria. In addition, a systematic and modular Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based approach is developed to enable an efficient evaluation and comparability of the sustainability performance of raw material suppliers on a production site level, based on publically available data. The model combines a bottom-up calculation of technical process flows with top-down reported site-specific CO$_{2}$ emissions, and explicitly considers technical restrictions and trading of inter-mediate products. The developed site-specific performance model is applied in two case studies for primary steel production sites in Europe and primary aluminum sites in Germany. The results, which were validated with industry experts, differ by 58 % for the comparison between the most and least efficient production site for steel and by 9 % for the examined aluminum production sites and show an opportunity to reduce GHG emissions by selecting more environmentally efficient suppliers. The combined, integrated CO$_{2}$e assessment and decision support model is subsequently applied on an automotive case study for the selection of the most adequate supplier for a powertrain part from an environmental and economic efficiency perspective. The results show that in some cases the integration of the CO$_{2}$e performance can have a significant impact on the ranking of the most preferable supplier, despite an initially investigated low importance of the new CO$_{2}$e decision criteria.