Dynamic Material Flow Analysis-Based Life Cycle Optimization Framework and Application to Sustainable Design of Shale Gas Energy Systems

We propose a novel modeling framework integrating the dynamic material flow analysis (MFA) approach with life cycle optimization (LCO) methodology for sustainable design of energy systems. This dynamic MFA-based LCO framework provides high-fidelity modeling of complex material flow networks with recycling options, and it enables detailed accounting of time-dependent life cycle material flow profiles. The decisions regarding input, output, and stock of materials are seamlessly linked to their environmental impacts for rigorous quantification of environmental consequences. Moreover, by incorporating an additional dimension of resource sustainability, the proposed modeling framework facilitates the sustainable supply chain design and operations with a more comprehensive perspective. The resulting optimization problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear fractional program and solved by an efficient parametric algorithm. To illustrate the applicability of the proposed modeling framework and solution algorithm, a case study of Marcellus shale gas supply chain is presented.