Modular Wastewater Plant Design Size Optimization

市政供水和废水部门被认为是资本最密集的工业部门之一，不幸的是，美国土木工程师学会(2005年)将饮用水和废水基础设施系统的状况评为差，特别指出长期缺乏对资本资产的投资。显然，基于健全的金融和工程原则的方法可以增强资本资产配置战略，从而为市政决策者带来重大价值。这项提案的重点将是优化污水处理厂扩建，特别强调模块化的分阶段扩建。 拟议研究的总体目标是开发一种方法和工具，使工程师和市政决策者能够优化废水处理厂的扩建，特别是在人口高度增长的地区，制定模块化的分阶段扩建战略。具体地说，该方法将基于稳健的财务原则，利用实物期权技术，允许从政府投资角度和私人投资者的角度来看待估值。此外，该方法将有一个重要的工程组成部分，允许设计师选择不同的技术，以确保实现所需的处理。资本和运营成本将需要清楚地说明。最后，方法论必须使工程师容易理解其基本原理，以便它的使用容易被采用。

The municipal water and wastewater sector is considered to be one of the most capital intensive industrial sectors and unfortunately the American Society of Civil Engineers (2005) rated the condition of the drinking water and wastewater infrastructure systems as poor, citing specifically a lack of investment in capital assets over a prolonged period of time. Clearly, methods based on sound financial and engineering principles that enhance capital asset allocation strategies can add significant value to municipal decision makers. The focus of this proposal will be the optimization of wastewater plant expansions, with specific emphasis on modular staged plant expansion. The overall objective of the proposed research is to develop a methodology and tool that allows engineers and municipal decision makers to optimize wastewater plant expansions, and especially, in high growth population areas, to develop modular staged expansion strategies. Specifically, the methodology will be based on sound financial principles utilizing real options techniques that will allow the valuation to be viewed from both a governmental investment perspective, and from a private investor's. As well, the methodology will have a significant engineering component that allows a designer to choose different technologies to ensure that the required treatment is achieved. Capital and operating costs will need to be clearly accounted for. Finally, the methodology must be such that its fundamentals are easily understood by engineers so that its use is readily adopted.