Author(s)

S M Pandit, J W Sutherland & G A Bekkala

Abstract

Existing methods that assess the environmental impact often mandate an in depth understanding of the process or product mechanics. To overcome the complexity, the approach presented in this paper extracts the environmental impacts of a bench-top apparatus using Data Dependent Systems (DDS) methodology. The focus is on experimental evaluation of the environmental impacts of a bench-top heat exchanger system which simulates an industrial drying process. Collected measurements are used to develop DDS models from which an environmental profile is established for the heat exchanger. Results from the heat exchanger study provide insight into how the environmental impact of the industrial drying process may be reduced. Statistical design of experiments determines the significance of design variables. The process is quantified using characteristic roots of the DDS models providing natural frequencies and damping ratios, and these are subsequently associated with the environmental performance, Typical examples of DDS models are presented and their association with the environmental impact is demonstrated.

Keywords