Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Potential Of Stamp Sands As Cemented Tailings, Samuel Sukaria

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Worldwide mine tailings ponds and reservoirs occupy some 534 billion m³ of space with the volume expected to increase as economic demand for minerals increases over the next decades. These reservoirs produce adverse effects on local communities and ecosystems through structural failure resulting in mass flooding events, drainage of pollutants into water supply and emissions of airborne particulate matter. Methods developed to find use for tailings include extraction of residual minerals and aggregates in construction materials. The latter method has already been used in mining operations to stabilize mining reservoirs and stopes, and as placement for temporary road work …

Modeling And Testing Chain Trencher Excavator And Cone Penetrometer Robotic Prospecting Systems For Lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization, Marcello C. Guadagno

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Artemis Missions aim to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon, requiring In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) of water-ice deposits in permanently shadowed regions. Two critical capabilities must be developed to enable ISRU at scale: prospecting instruments that can characterize the spatial distribution and geotechnical properties of icy regolith in situ, and excavation systems that can extract hardened icy regolith efficiently. This dissertation addresses both needs through the development and testing of a Percussive Heated Cone Penetrometer (PHCP) for geotechnical prospecting and a chain trencher excavator for icy regolith mining.

The PHCP was developed across eight design iterations and …

Deep Learning Framework For Sow Posture Classification From Depth Images: Comparison With Data Transformation Techniques, Models, And Cross-Validation, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Gary A. Rohrer, Sudhendu R. Sharma, Suzanne M. Leonard, Yeyin Shi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Piglet preweaning mortality (PWM) in the United States averages ≈14–15%, with sow overlaying causing about one third proportion of these losses. This research aimed to develop and evaluate deep learning models to classify six sow postures using depth images to monitor behaviors linked to overlaying risk. Top-down depth images were captured with Kinect V2^® cameras at 10 frames min^-1 for five consecutive days (2 days before to 2 days after farrowing), yielding 26,506 training images from 18 sows, 17,901 testing images from 12 sows, and 4,697 additional images from three sows in diagonal stalls for external validation. Three …

Climate Change Impacts On Hydrology In The Upper James Watershed, Imiya Mudiyanselage Chathuranika, Dalya Ismael

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Hydrological modeling of the Upper James Watershed (UJW), Virginia, is critical for predicting water availability, flood management, agriculture, ecosystem protection, and hydropower production under increasing climate change. The Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) is applied to evaluate climate change impacts on key hydrological components within the watershed. Future climate conditions were assessed for the near (NF: 2026-2050), mid (MF: 2051-2075), and far (FF: 2076-2100) periods using three Global Climate Models (GCMs) under Shared Socioeconomic Pathways SSP 2-4.5 and SSP 5-8.5. Climate data were bias-corrected using the Linear Scaling Method (LSM) and used to drive the HEC-HMS model. Results project …

Effects Of Metals On Persulfate Activation For The Decomposition Of Pfas, Malu Deav Devadasan

Civil Engineering Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants widely used in industrial and consumer products due to their unique physicochemical properties. Their resistance to degradation, potential for bioaccumulation, and associated adverse health effects have prompted increasing regulatory attention, including the establishment of drinking water standards for six PFAS compounds by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2024.

Current PFAS treatment technologies are often energy-intensive and costly or generate secondary waste streams requiring further management. Meanwhile, this research investigated transition metal-catalyzed advanced oxidation processes for PFAS decomposition in water under ambient conditions. Previous studies demonstrated effective degradation of perfluorocarboxylic acids …

Assessing Modular And Conventional Construction For Sustainable Student Housing At The University Of Rhode Island: A Life Cycle Approach, Lasse Franzen

Open Access Master's Theses

The building sector accounts for a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissions, with embodied impacts gaining importance as operational efficiency improves. Modular construction is frequently proposed as a lower-impact alternative to conventional site-built methods, yet reported findings remain inconsistent, and no comparative study of student housing was identified in the reviewed literature. This thesis compares the embodied environmental impacts of two student housing developments at the University of Rhode Island: the New University Housing Project (NUHP), a hybrid development combining a site-built concrete and steel podium with a factory-built volumetric timber module superstructure, and Brookside Hall, a conventional site-built …

Anaerobic Digestion Of Food Waste Components: Modeling Biogas Production, Opeyemi E. Adelegan

Civil Engineering Dissertations

Food waste constitutes the single largest component of municipal solid waste landfilled in the United States — approximately 22% of 292.4 million tons generated in 2018 — and its anaerobic decomposition releases methane, a greenhouse gas with global warming potential approximately 27–30 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year horizon (IPCC, 2021). Anaerobic digestion (AD) offers an alternative management pathway that recovers energy and produces nutrient-rich digestate, but AD performance varies by as much as five-fold across food waste streams (130–630 m³ CH₄ per Mg VS added), and existing predictive tools either treat food waste as a …

Iuse: A Gamified Virtual Learning Platform For Connected Vehicle Applications To Enhance Undergraduate Transportation Education, Tianyu Shen, Di Yang, Kai Sun, Hong Yang, Kun Xie, Mansoureh Jeihani

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Emerging transportation technologies are rapidly reshaping transportation systems and industry practice. However, most transportation undergraduate curricula still emphasize foundational topics such as geometric design, travel demand forecasting, pavements, and soil properties, typically delivered through lecture-centric instruction. While these subjects remain essential to the discipline, they do not fully reflect the pace of technological change or provide sufficient opportunities for experiential learning with modern tools and data. This gap limits students’ exposure to CV concepts and their ability to translate theory into practice.

Focusing on a key emerging technology, connected vehicles (CVs), this paper bridges the above gap by introducing a …

Statewide Corridor Evacuation Response And Re-Entry Behaviors In Florida During Hurricane Irma, Xin Wang, Yuan Zhu, Hong Yang, Kun Xie

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Hurricane Irma stands as one of the most destructive tropical storms to make landfall in the United States, particularly impacting the State of Florida, where it prompted the largest evacuation in history with approximately 7 million residents. The profound consequences of mass evacuation underscore the critical need to understand travel behaviors during hurricane evacuation and the recovery process. This research analyzes statewide evacuation and re-entry patterns, leveraging diverse datasets, including TTMS data from main corridors and GIS data. A statewide corridor-based empirical analysis framework is constructed to characterize evacuation and re-entry response patterns using sensor-based traffic observations. The results show …

Generating Boundary Conditions For Compound Flood Modeling In A Probabilistic Framework, Pravin Maduwantha Mahanthe Gamage

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Flooding in coastal riverine environments is often driven by the combined influence of multiple hydrometeorological flood drivers, including storm surge, rainfall, waves, and river discharge, which is referred to as compound flooding. A robust flood hazard assessment requires simulation of a wide range of flood driver conditions through dynamic compound flood models to capture the variability in resultant flooding. However, such assessments remain limited by the short length of observational records and the high computational cost of physics-based methods used to generate temporally varying boundary conditions. This dissertation develops a statistical framework to characterize compound flood drivers and generate large …

Integrated Corridor Management Framework For Severe Freeway Incidents, Sanjida Afroz Iqra

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Traffic incidents are a major source of non-recurrent congestion on urban freeways, generating substantial mobility, safety, and economic impacts. Severe incidents that block multiple or all travel lanes are particularly disruptive because they degrade freeway operations and propagate congestion onto surrounding arterials. Effective Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) requires the ability to identify severe incidents, estimate their network-wide impacts, and anticipate the traffic conditions and driver behaviors that contribute to instability. This dissertation develops a data-driven ICM framework to address these challenges using real-world incident, crash, detector, and connected vehicle data from major Central Florida corridors, including I-4 and SR-417. The …

Performance Assessment And Design Improvements For An Urban Coastal Detention Basin Under Intensifying Rainfall Extremes, Imiya Mudiyanselage Chathuranika, Agyare Asante, Faeghe Borhani, Xixi Wang, Mujde Erten-Unal, Dalya Ismael

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Coastal urban areas are increasingly exposed to flooding driven by more frequent and intense rainfall events, rising sea levels, and expanding impervious surfaces. Norfolk, Virginia, a low-lying coastal city with aging stormwater infrastructure, faces heightened vulnerability to these hydrologic pressures. This study evaluates the hydraulic performance of an existing urban detention basin within the Edgewater–Larchmont catchment under 10-, 50-, and 100-year, 2-h design storms using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). Simulations were conducted for both pre- and post-development conditions to assess changes in peak discharge, storage capacity, and water level dynamics. Results show that urbanization, …

Short-Term Response Mechanisms Of Water Quantity And Quality Of Daihai Lake Under Temperature-Driven Changes, Hao Zhang, Xiaohong Shi, Xianhua Li, Junping Lu, Ruizhong Gao, Xixi Wang, Shuhao Zhang, Longmei Xie, Yu Liu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Temperature-driven mechanisms involving complex feedback and lag that affect the evolution of hydrological processes and ecological functions in cold- and arid-region lakes represent a core scientific issue in current hydrology and lake ecology research. In this study, based on month-scale temperature and environmental factor data from Daihai Lake in Inner Mongolia from January to December 2023, statistical methods (redundancy analysis, Tukey's test analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling), time series analysis methods (dynamic time warping), and machine learning methods (random forest) were combined. A hierarchical and phased response framework was constructed that encompassed driver identification, path tracing, lag characterization, and …

Flood-Season Surface Water-Groundwater Interactions Across Distinct Geomorphic Units In A Yellow River Great Bend Tributary Basin, Yinlong Wang, Ruizhong Gao, Debin Jia, Xixi Wang, Tingxi Liu, Xiaomin Liu, Shiming Bai

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Surface water-groundwater interactions are complex in the Great Bend region of the Yellow River. Clarifying water exchange and source differences among geomorphic units is important for understanding regional hydrological processes and improving water resources management. In this study, the Wulanmulun River Basin, a typical tributary of the Yellow River, was selected as the study area. A total of 90 water samples were collected, including 25 river water samples, 43 groundwater samples, and 22 precipitation samples. Gibbs diagrams, multivariate statistical analysis, PMF, and MixSIAR models were used to investigate the hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics, source contributions, and transformation relationships of surface …

Feasibility Of Corn Stover For Biogas Production In Northwestern Illinois: A Case Study Of Jo Daviess And Carroll Counties, Anthony Amotoe-Bondzie

Masters Theses

The growing demand for renewable energy and sustainable waste management has intensified interest in agricultural residues such as bioenergy feedstocks. This study evaluated the feasibility of converting corn stover into biogas through anaerobic digestion (AD) in Jo Daviess and Carroll Counties, Illinois, with consideration of the Savanna Industrial Park as a potential centralized processing hub. Although corn stover represents one of the largest biomass resources in the United States, this research identifies a critical gap between theoretical availability and practically recoverable feedstock. Using a mixed-methods framework, the study integrates biomass quantification, methane yield modeling, economic analysis, and policy assessment. Results …

Isotropic Shrinkage Of Patterned Vacancies Enables Three-Dimensional Nanoprecise Metastructures For Visible Light Applications, Quansan Yang, Gaojie Yang, Takahiro Nambara, Hiroyuki Kusaka, Yuichiro Kunai, Alex C. Matlock, Corban Swain, Brett Pryor, Yannick Salamin, Daniel Oran, Hasindu Kariyawasam, Ramith Hettiarachchi, Dushan Wadduwage, Marin Soljačić, Peter T. C. Soflaei, Edward S. Boyden

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Three-dimensional metastructures with nanoscale feature sizes exhibit unique properties compared with structures with larger feature sizes, but are difficult to fabricate. Here we introduce implosion carving (ImpCarv), a method for photopatterning vacancies of complex geometry throughout materials, followed by isotropic shrinkage (>10-fold). ImpCarv works by photoactivating sensitizers to generate reactive oxygen species that cleave a swollen hydrogel at defined points, followed by controlled shrinkage via dehydration. ImpCarv creates three-dimensional metastructures where the refractive index of each point throughout a material can be specified with nanoscale precision via material presence or absence. By leveraging refractive index programmability for precise phase …

Land Use And Land Cover Simulation Via Integrated Modelling With Gis Techniques For Sustainable Land Utilization Development In The Northeast Khong Subwatershed Of Thailand, ฺBanchongsak Faksomboon, Thipphaphone Keoviyavong

Applied Environmental Research

Land utilization is an important indicator of socioeconomic and environmental changes caused by both natural and man-made factors. Land use and land cover (LULC) simulation is a critical tool for monitoring and predicting LULC and is essential for sustainable development, land resource management and planning. The cellular automata (CA) Markov model is the basis for the current study’s prediction of LULC changes in the Northeast Khong Sub Watershed (NKSW). Landsat data from 2013 to 2023 were used to investigate LULC classification and determine the spatiotemporal distributions of LULC. In addition, LULC data from 2013 and 2023 were used to generate …

Reduction Of Cr(Vi) With Infrared Light And Chemical Adsorption Of Cr(Iii) By A God-Crown/Bentonite Composite For Electroplating Waste Remediation, Andre Taufik Kurniawan, Muhammad Djoni Bustan, Sri Haryati

Applied Environmental Research

Heavy metal pollution, particularly chromium (Cr) from electroplating industrial waste, has severely threatened environmental quality and human health. This study aims to develop a composite adsorbent material based on bentonite and god crown biomass capable of removing chromium ions from liquid waste through a combination of reduction and adsorption mechanisms. The god crown/bentonite (GC/Bt) composite was synthesized at a mass ratio of 2:1 and calcined at 900°C. FTIR characterization revealed active functional groups (–OH, C=O, Si–O, and Al–O–Si), whereas BET analysis revealed a mesoporous structure (surface area 31.12 m2 g-1, pore diameter 4.37 nm) suitable for ion diffusion. The reduction …

Fabrication Of Urea With Amorphous Silica To Increase Rice Growth In Saline Soils, Thi Ha Chi Nguyen, Thi Hang Thuc Ha, Minh Phuong Nguyen, Ngoc Chuc Pham, Quang Bac Nguyen, Nguyen Huy Tuan Do, Ngoc Nhiem Dao, Trung Kien Nguyen

Applied Environmental Research

In recent decades, the decrease in rice cultivation areas in Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong River Delta, caused by climate change and soil salinization, has posed serious challenges for sustainable development. In addition to irrigation and agronomic practices, fertilizers that sustain rice growth under saline conditions play a crucial role in improving crop productivity. Amorphous silica has been reported to increase plant tolerance to drought, salinity, and heavy metal stress. In this study, nanosilica-coated urea (UCS) fertilizers were synthesized by coating urea granules with 1–5 wt% amorphous silica. The products were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, TG‒DSC, and EDX to …

Heavy Metals And Organic Carbon In Sediments Of Seagrass Sediments Of Trang Province, Thailand, Siriporn Pradit, Pornthep Wirachwong, Thongchai Nitiratsuwan, Sujaree Bureekul, Supraewpan Lohalaksanadech, Thawanrat Kobkeatthawin, Monticha Jirajaras, Prakrit Noppradit, Sanya Sirivithayapakorn

Applied Environmental Research

In this study, the accumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Pb) in water, suspended sediments, sediments, and seagrass in Kalase Bay, Trang Province, Thailand, during the 2024 dry season was investigated. These findings indicate that the enrichment factor (EF) for all the metals was less than 1, suggesting that anthropogenic contamination is not a significant concern in the area. The translocation factor (TF) values were less than 1 for all the metals except Cu, whose TF was greater than 1; however, these values were not statistically significant, indicating limited phytoextraction capacity. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) values for …

Spatial Modeling Of Natural Disaster Risk By Integrating Hazard, Vulnerability, And Exposure Factors Using Geospatial Techniques : Evidence From Mueang Tak District, Thailand, Suphatphong Ruthamnong

Applied Environmental Research

This study presents a comprehensive multihazard risk assessment for Mueang Tak District, Thailand, that integrates hazard, vulnerability, and exposure (H-V-E) dimensions. By utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was employed to prioritize critical risk factors. GIS analysis integrated multisource spatial data, including Landsat 9 and Sentinel-2 imagery, CHIRPS precipitation, and SRTM-derived topography, while AHP weights were established on the basis of expert judgment and socioeconomic indices such as the relative wealth index (RWI) and population statistics. The results delineate distinct spatial risk clusters: high landslide potential is concentrated in the steep terrain of …

Carbon Stock Assessment In Sonneratia Apetala Afforested Mangroves : A Case Study From Cox’S Bazar, Bangladesh, Mohammad Ismail, Sayed Abu Johany, Tanmoy Dey, Zakia Sultana Teasa, Trishna Das, Prabal Barua, Tonima Hossain, Sajib Ahmed

Applied Environmental Research

Sonneratia apetala is a key species for mangrove afforestation projects in Bangladesh and plays a crucial role in ecosystem restoration and carbon sequestration. The research on how the total carbon stock (TCS) varies across S. apetala plantations in Cox’s Bazar remains limited. Thus, in this study, the biomass and soil carbon stock were quantified across nine S. apetala afforested sites in Cox’s Bazar to assess spatial variation and influencing factors. The total biomass carbon (TBC) was calculated by summing the aboveground (AGBC) and belowground (BGBC) biomass carbon, while the soil organic carbon stock (SOCS) was determined from the 0–40 cm …

Seasonal Wastewater Monitoring And Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment Of Escherichia Coli In A University Wastewater System, Pathum Thani, Central Thailand, Natsima Tokhun, Natagarn Tongphanpharn, Weerawat Ounsaneha, Montip Jankeaw, Wiriyabhorn Klomsungcharoen, Patsara Wongsudi, Yawanart Ngamnon, Cheerawit Rattanapan, Kwang Mo Yang

Applied Environmental Research

In this study, the physicochemical properties of wastewater were characterized, and a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) of E. coli was conducted in the wastewater treatment system of the Faculty of Science and Technology, Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University, under the Royal Patronage, Pathum Thani, Thailand (VRU-SciTech). This study was conducted because the current water-quality assessment does not include the QMRA or evaluate the occupa-tional and incidental public risk of infection. Over a one-year monitoring period, this study quantified wastewater generation (~6.09 L person-1 day-1; ~3.21 × 103 m3 year-1) and analyzed its physicochemical parameters and E. coli concentrations. High concentrations …

Evaluation Of Soil Moisture Content, Ph, And Dominant Microorganisms In Crude Oil–Contaminated Soil Treated With Cow Dung, Indole-3-Acetic Acid (Iaa), And Simulated Microgravity, Amenze Ovenseri, Tawari-Fufeyin P.

Applied Environmental Research

Crude oil negatively affects soil physicochemical properties and microbial activity, thereby hindering plant growth and posing notable environmental and agricultural issues. The combined effects of cow dung, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and simulated microgravity on the recovery of soil degraded by crude oil were explored using Zea mays as the test plant. Soil was contaminated with crude oil at different concentrations (0%, 1%, 3%, and 5% v/w), with each concentration comprising eight treatments: cow dung, Zea mays seeds exposed to microgravity, and IAA alone or in combination. Changes in plant height, soil pH, soil moisture content, and soil microbial diversity were …

Numerical Study Of Air Vents Influence On Wave Forces Acting On Box-Type Bridge Girders With Cavities Under Storm Surge, Khalida H. Jihad

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Along with the continuous rise of sea level, direct interaction between elevated coastal structures, such as coastal bridges, and seawater during storm surge, has been shown to potentially cause bridge failures in the past. For example, Hurricane Irma (2017) generated storm surge levels exceeding 2-3 m in portions of South Florida, causing widespread transportation disruption including roadway washouts, erosion, and bridge approach damage along US-1 in Florida Keys. Similar failures have occurred during Hurricane Ivan (2004), where uplift forces displaced spans of the Escambia Bay Bridge, and Hurricane Ian (2022), which caused partial collapse of the Sanibel Causeway when elevated …

Discrete Element Modeling Of Granular Soils: Critical State Behavior Applied To Impact Pile Driving, Esteban Patino Marin

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This thesis investigates the use of the Discrete Element Method (DEM) to study two complementary aspects of granular soil mechanics: critical state behavior of granular materials and dynamic response of driven piles in sand, both of which are governed by the same particle-scale mechanisms of dilation, contraction, and fabric evolution.

The first examines the critical state behavior and fabric anisotropy of granular soils through DEM simulations of direct shear, direct simple shear, and true triaxial tests. Sphere-cluster particles representative of a uniform sand are used in two assemblages of approximately twenty-five thousand and one hundred twenty-five thousand spheres to evaluate …

Soil Texture And Organic Matter Influence Hydraulic Performance Of Stormwater Infiltration Systems Across Antecedent Moisture Conditions, Laura E. Andrade Barron

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Stormwater infiltration systems are widely used to improve urban stormwater management by promoting drainage and groundwater recharge while treating nonpoint source pollution such as nutrients in surface runoff. Nutrient removal and hydrologic performance of these systems are closely coupled and both are dependent on characteristics of underlying soils. In this study, laboratory flow-through experiments were conducted using 30 intact cores taken from six soil types with different textures (0.99-16.63% clay content) and organic matter contents (OMC 0.44-93.3%). Measured cumulative fluxes from laboratory experiments were used to calibrate numerical models simulating flow through porous media (HYDRUS-1D). Calibrated models were used to …

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of End-Of-Life Crystal Silicon Photovoltaic Panels: Recovery Methods And Extended Life In Agricultural Application, Patima Chaichana, Vacharaporn Soonsin, Nattapong Tuntiwiwattanapun

Applied Environmental Research

The increasing deployment of crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) panels has raised concerns about their waste management. This study evaluated management strategies for discarded c-Si PV panels in Thailand, integrating environmental and economic analyses. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) were applied. The LCA can be divided into 2 parts: (1) secured landfill vs decentralized recycling by existing facilities vs centralized full recovery and (2) reusing PV panels in agricultural applications. The results revealed that secured landfills were the most environmentally burdensome (34.43 Pt), whereas centralized recycling achieved net benefits (-211.93 Pt) through emission reductions and recovery of …

Seasonal Variations In Co2 Emission From Poultry Manure-Amended Soils In Two Contrasting Tropical Agroecosystems, Gladys M. Akande, Adebayo J. Adeyemo, Chidozie J. Oraegbunam, Iduh J.J. Otene, Ezekiel C. Are, Babatunde S. Ewulo, Chioma M. Ahukaemere, Samuel O. Kolawole, Sunday E. Obalum

Applied Environmental Research

The soil remains the largest carbon sink, the capacity of which varies spatiotemporally and with anthropogenic activities, with implications for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and associated global warming. Despite the increasing popularity of organic amendments in the ecologically and anthropoculturally diverse farming systems of tropical Africa, manure-induced CO2 emissions in this region with high soil-carbon-sequestration potential are poorly documented. This study assessed seasonal CO2 emissions from poultry manure-amended sandy-clay-loam and sandy-loam soils in the Rainforest-Savannah and Southern Guinea Savannah zones, respectively, of Nigeria. Following manure application at 3 rates (0, 10, and 15 t ha-1), soil samples were collected during …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Co2-To-Methanol: Comparative Evaluation Of Direct And Alcohol-Assisted Hydrogenation Routes, Chayet Worathitanon, Naphat Chansonthi, Pawat Pinthong, Kritsana Suwanamad, Viganda Varabuntoonvit

Applied Environmental Research

The increasing severity of global warming, primarily driven by greenhouse gas emissions, underscores the urgent need for CO2 reduction and utilization strategies. Converting CO2 into methanol presents a promising approach, as methanol serves both as a fuel and a feedstock in various industries. This study evaluates the life cycle environmental impacts of three methanol production routes: (1) direct CO2 hydrogenation, (2) ethanol-assisted CO2 hydrogenation, and (3) propanol-assisted CO2 hydrogenation. Two energy scenarios are considered: conventional energy and wind power. Process simulations were performed using Aspen Plus V.14, and inventories were analyzed through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using the ReCiPe 2016 …