EAGER: Fundamental Study on Hierarchical Control of Sustainable Development of Complex Industrial Systems under Uncertainty

1434277 huang在这个探索性项目中，PI建议通过建立可持续性基础、系统控制科学、不确定性理论和工程科学，开发一种新的工业可持续性战略战术控制方法。本研究旨在为以下三个问题提供科学的答案：(1)为什么要将什么样的工业问题作为可持续控制理论问题来解决；(2)应该综合什么样的可持续控制系统以及如何综合可持续控制系统；(3)如何在不确定的情况下推导工业系统的可持续发展决策。研究内容包括：(1)投入产出预测建模方法；(2)基于区间参数的系统与技术评价方法；(3)多阶段分层决策方法；(4)分层可持续性控制系统设计方法。这些方法将通过研究一个复杂的制造业可持续性问题来检验。拟议的研究与传统的工程可持续性研究截然不同。如果成功，这项探索性研究将具有变革性，因为这项研究将引入“可持续性控制”的新概念，并可能导致创建可持续性研究的新范式，并引入一个新的工程分支，可称为“可持续性控制科学”。这可能是将复杂的可持续性问题表述为层次控制问题的第一次尝试，这可能会大大提高我们对可持续发展概念和实践的理解。本研究也可能是最早引入集成SD方法的研究，该方法涵盖了不确定性下战略战术控制的系统建模、评估和决策制定。该研究旨在通过提高对工业可持续性的科学认识，并为解决复杂的可持续性问题提供一个整体的方法，为该领域做出巨大贡献。该项目将制作教育材料（即讲座材料和开放式小组项目），以加强化学工程高级设计课程和向所有工程专业学生开放的可持续工程入门课程。该方法将通过出版物和AIChE可持续工程论坛进行传播。将安排化学工业方面的短期课程。

1434277HuangIn this exploratory project, the PI proposes to develop a novel methodology for strategic-tactical control of industrial sustainability by building on sustainability fundamentals, system control science, uncertainty theory, and engineering science. The study aims at providing scientific answers to three questions: (i) why and what kind of industrial problems should be tackled as a sustainability control theory problem, (ii) what kind of sustainability control system should be synthesized and how to do so, and (iii) how to derive decisions for sustainable development (SD) of industrial systems under uncertainty? The study includes: (i) a predictive input-output modeling method, (ii) an interval-parameter-based system and technology assessment method,(iii) a multistage, hierarchical decision-making method, and (iv) a method for designing a hierarchical sustainability control system. These methods will be tested through studying a complex manufacturing sustainability problem. The proposed research is radically different from traditional studies on engineering sustainability. If successful, this exploratory research could be transformative as this study will introduce the new concept of "sustainability control," and may result in the creation of a new paradigm for sustainability study and introduce a new branch in engineering, which could be called "sustainability control science." This may be the first attempt to formulate complex sustainability problems as a hierarchical control problem, which may improve significantly our understanding of SD concept and practice. This study may be also the earliest to introduce an integrated SD methodology encompassing system modeling, assessment, and decision making for strategic-tactical control under uncertainty. The research is aimed at contributing greatly to the field through improving scientific understanding of industrial sustainability and providing a holistic methodology for tackling complex sustainability problems. The project will generate educational materials (i.e., lecture materials and open-ended team projects) for enhancing an chemical engineering senior design course and an introductory course on sustainable engineering open to all engineering students. The methodology will be disseminated through publication and the AIChE Sustainable Engineering Forum. Short courses will be arranged with chemical industries.