Study On Product Life Cycle 3E+S Assessment And Methodology Of Decision Analysis

Sustainable development seeks to meet current needs of the society without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy their own needs. Sustainable development requires a dynamic state of harmony between economic activity and ecological process. However, it is clear that current production and consumption patterns are increasingly in confrontation with ecological systems and are not sustainable. The need to protect our environment and to integrate environment and ecological concerns into our economic activities is well recognized.Product modern design is based on total life cycle design, while total life cycle design is based on product life cycle assessment; therefore, the research on product life cycle assessment seems to be very necessary. Life cycle assessment (LCA) provides a systematic approach for guiding products development and comparing alternatives to determine which one is"best". With investigating the recent researches, life cycle social assessment and decision analysis based on life cycle assessment have became the hot issues in the field of LCA. After fully reviewing the status of the development and using of life cycle assessment all over the world, the dissertation proposed that it is necessary to conduct the research on life cycle social assessment, after that, life cycle social assessment was researched. Combining LCA with multi attribute utility theory (MAUT), decision analysis methodology and model based on LCA was developed. At last, biomass-based fuel ethanol system in China was researched as a case. The details are stated below:Firstly, the dissertation reviewed the status of the development and using of LCA all over the world and tracked the hot issues in LCA. After reviewed the application of LCA in the field of decision analysis and the achievement and shortage of life cycle 3E (Environment, Energy, Economy) assessment, the dissertation proposed it is necessary to conduct the research on life cycle social assessment.Secondly, in this dissertation, the definition and goal for life cycle social assessment was proposed. The definition method for product system boundary of life cycle social assessment was studied. From the production activity, the supervision activity, the life activity and the life condition containing the three former activities, this dissertation found out several factors for conducting the research on life cycle social assessment. The integrated construct for assessment aspects set and assessment indicators for each factor were developed. Finally, the basic framework of product life cycle social assessment was developed. And then, life cycle 3E assessment was extended to life cycle 3E+S assessment.Thirdly, reviewing the status of decision analysis based on life cycle assessment, this dissertation proposed that life cycle environment, energy, economy, and social performance were all required to study when decision analysis was conducted. The decision analysis indicators for four aspects were cataloged, and natural attribute, construct attribute and proxy attribute were applied to describe these four aspects. The issue about the Incommensurability between the indicators of four aspects was resolved by the application of multi attribute utility theory. Finally, decision analysis model based on life cycle 3E+S assessment was developed.Finally, biomass-based fuel ethanol system in China was studied as a case. In this part, at first, life cycle 3E+S assessment was conducted on biomass-based fuel ethanol system in China, and then, decision analysis based on life cycle 3E+S assessment was completed. At last, the decision conclusions were made and decision suggestions were proposed based on decision analysis results.Life cycle 3E+S assessment and decision analysis method developed in this dissertation could be used on the assessment and decision analysis for related departments. The assessment method and decision model integrated four aspects, including environment, energy, economy and social, could regarded as a reference for similar researches. The large data bank and information, including life cycle environment, energy, economy, and social inventory on biomass-based fuel ethanol, could not only provide the theory and data support for decision making for biomass-based fuel ethanol, but also be used to make fuel ethanol policy. It could provide useful reference for China to develop its fuel ethanol industry.