Power plants use burning processes with a heavy environmental impact. Traditional design models aim to optimize economic and thermodynamic performances. Owing to the new sensitivity arising towards the environment, power generation design must respect the environment. Today no standardized design criteria exist; the present work aims to elaborate a specific methodology for power plants consisting of a predictive instrument (the Environmental Impact Evaluation), a management tool (the Environmental Management System), and a series of environmental studies and checks. After showing the methodology, the authors tested it with an application to a real scenario: the heat and electrical power needs of a pharmaceutical firm. Cogeneration seemed to be the best available technology from an economic and environmental point of view. In the proposed case study, all possible impacts have been quantified verifying legislative standards and accomplishing the ISO 14000.

Issue Section:
Technical Papers
Keywords:
environmental engineering, power plants, optimisation, standardisation, pharmaceutical industry, economics, legislation, regulation
Topics:
Design, Emissions, Power stations, Drugs, Cogeneration plants, Combined heat and power, Water
1.
Cirillo F., 1997, Progetto di Sistemi Meccanici (Mechanic Systems Design), McGraw Hill, Milan, Italy.
2.
Guerrini B., 1988, “Considerazioni in Merito al Protocollo di Kyoto” (Considerations about Kyoto Protocol), La Termotecnica, July-Aug., pp. 35–38.
3.
Frangopulos Christos, 1993, A., Analysis and Optimization of Energy Systems With Thermodynamic, Economic and Environmental Considerations, Trent, May 13–14.
4.
UNI 10672, 1997, “Procedure di Garanzia della Sicurezza in Fase di Progettazione” (Procedures about Safety during Design Phase), June.
5.
Vismara R., 1997 “Ecologia Applicata” (Applied Ecology), Ulrico Hoepli, Milan, Italy.
6.
Bruschi, S., 1988, Valutazione dell’Impatto Ambientale (Environmental Impact Evaluation), Delle Autonome Editions, Rome, Italy.
7.
ISO, 1996–1999, International Organization for Standardization-Series EN ISO 14000, Geneva, Switzerland.
8.
Curran M. A., 1995, “Environmental Life Cycle Assessment,” McGraw Hill Companies.
9.
Michelin Tyre ple, “Environmental Information in Support of the Installation of a Gas Fired Combined Heat and Power Plant at the Stoke-on-Trent Site of Michelin Tyre ple,” September, 1988.
10.
Hunt D., Johnson C., “Environmental Management Systems, Principles and Practice,” McGraw Hill, London, 1995.
11.
Guida per la Preliminare Auto-Valutazione dell’Attivita` di Prevenzione dell’Ambiente nell’Impresa (Guidance for the Environmental Preliminary Self-Evaluation in Firms); Istituto per l’Ambiente; Italy, 1997.
12.
IRSPEL, Lo studio di impatto ambientale: elementi per un manuale (The environmental impact evaluation: elements for a manual), Franco Angeli, Milan, 1991.
13.
Vigone M., “Progettare il Silenzio” (Silence Planning), Ulrico Hoepli, Milan, 1985.
Copyright © 2001
 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.