Phase Summary
The activities carried-out in the 2nd Phase of the Project were aimed to the adjustment of the model that has been achieved in the previous phase and to its validation.
Within the activities A2.1, based on mass and energy conservation equations, the exergy of each flow of raw materials has been calculated. Proper, validatedtables for the calculation of exergy of raw materials were used. In this way, using the database set up in the previous phase, the α and β econometric coefficients defined in the EEA method as well as the primary exergy of Work (in kJ/workhour) and for Capital (kJ/RON) were calculated. This allowed for the calculation of the Exergy Footprint “EF” of the country and a series of indicators (defined based on alternative models) in order to establish correlations between them and the EF.
The results are presented in the Delivery 4 titled: Reference Values for the EEA corresponding to work and capital in Romania, econometric coefficients a and b; The Exergy Footprint and its correlation with other monetary, industrial, environmental and social indicators.
The research activities carried-out in A2.2 were aimed to the investigation of an innovative approach in the present project. To this goal, the possibilities of decomposition of the National system into 7 component sectors were evaluated. This included a thorough examination of the data sources, the accessibility to the detailed information regarding mass and energy budgets for each sector and the possibility of deriving information related to the flows of workforce and capital at the National level. Based on the above activity, a pilot phase has been implemented to apply the methodology on a subsystem of the tertiary sector consisting of the thermal energy utility system.
The results of these activities have been presented in Delivery 6 titled: Holistic simulation of representative processes (L3) and of possible improvement measures in their design and in Deliverable 7: Impact of Improvements obtained at level L4 on the levels L1 and L0.
The activities that have been carried-out in A2.3, aimed the comparison of the results obtained at the L0 level of the system in Romania with some previously published results for Italy. Comparative evaluations on some macroeconomic indicators and on the exergy footprint EF were performed: a smaller EF of a country for comparable values of GDP is characteristic for a more sustainable national system.
The results of this activity have been reported in deliverable 8 titled Comparative analysis of the exergy footprint of Romania with other reference countries.
Withing the activity 2.4, a utility system converting primary- to thermal energy has been analysed. Simulations were performed to identify and motivate some “design changes” or “morphing” activities on the architecture of the system. Several scenarios were analysed to reach a preliminary evaluation of the resilience of the Romanian National system.
The results have been included in Deliverable 9 titled: The resilience of the national system to different resource- or final product oriented scenarios and in deliverable 10 titled: A set of simulations for processes and components based on possible modifications to the connectivities (process level) and the efficiencies (components level) to obtain an improvement in operational scenarios.
Project Manager
Prof. Enrico SCIUBBA