Medardo Serna-González

Bio: Medardo Serna-González is an academic researcher from Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo. The author has contributed to research in topics: Supply chain & Reuse. The author has an hindex of 31, co-authored 96 publications receiving 2722 citations.

Optimal Planning of a Biomass Conversion System Considering Economic and Environmental Aspects

Abstract: This paper presents a multiobjective optimization model based on a mathematical programming formulation for the optimal planning of a biorefinery, considering the optimal selection of feedstock, processing technology, and a set of products. The multiobjective optimization problem simultaneously considers the profit maximization and the environmental impact minimization. The economic objective function takes into account the availability of bioresources, processing limits, and demand of products, as well as the costs of feedstocks, products, and processing routes. On the other hand, the environmental assessment includes the overall environmental impact measured through the eco-indicator-99 based on the life cycle analysis methodology. The proposed methodology generates a Pareto curve that identifies the set of optimal solutions for both objectives, and it is applied to a case study for planning the production of a biorefinery in Mexico.

The history and current applications of the circular economy concept

Abstract: The challenges of balancing industrial development, environmental and human health, and economic growth in China and elsewhere in the world are drivers for recent resource use and low-carbon development strategies that include the application of the circular economy (CE) concept. A central theme of the CE concept is the valuation of materials within a closed-looped system with the aim to allow for natural resource use while reducing pollution or avoiding resource constraints and sustaining economic growth. The objectives of this study are (1) to review the history of the CE concept to provide a context for (2) a critical examination of how it is applied currently. Thematic categories are used to organize the literature review results including policy instruments and approaches; value chains, material flows, and products; and technology, organizational, and social innovation. The literature review illustrates the variability in CE project success and failure over time and by region. CE successes, key challenges, and research gaps are identified. The literature review results provide useful information for researchers as well as multi-stakeholder groups who seek to define the CE concept in practical terms, and to consider potential challenges and opportunities it presents when implemented.

Sustainable supply chain network design: An optimization-oriented review☆

Abstract: Supply chain network design (SCND) models and methods have been the subject of several recent literature review surveys, but none of them explicitly includes sustainable development as a main characteristic of the problem considered. The aim of this review is to bridge this gap. The paper analyzes 87 papers in the field of supply chain network design, covering mathematical models that include economic factors as well as environmental and/or social dimensions. The review is organized along four research questions asking (i) which environmental and social objectives are included, (ii) how are they integrated into the models, (iii) which methods and tool are used and finally (iv) which industrial applications and contexts are covered in these models. The review finds that there are a number of limitations to the current research in sustainable SCND. The narrow scope of environmental and social measures in current models should go beyond limited greenhouse gas indicators to broader life-cycle approaches including new social metrics. The more effective inclusion of uncertainty and risk in models with improved multi-objective approaches is also needed. There are also significant gaps in the sectors used to test models limiting more general applicability. The paper concludes with promising new avenues of research to more effectively include sustainability into SCND models.

Multiscale Studies on Ionic Liquids

Abstract: Ionic liquids (ILs) offer a wide range of promising applications because of their much enhanced properties. However, further development of such materials depends on the fundamental understanding of their hierarchical structures and behaviors, which requires multiscale strategies to provide coupling among various length scales. In this review, we first introduce the structures and properties of these typical ILs. Then, we introduce the multiscale modeling methods that have been applied to the ILs, covering from molecular scale (QM/MM), to mesoscale (CG, DPD), to macroscale (CFD for unit scale and thermodynamics COSMO-RS model and environmental assessment GD method for process scale). In the following section, we discuss in some detail their applications to the four scales of ILs, including molecular scale structures, mesoscale aggregates and dynamics, and unit scale reactor design and process design and optimization of typical IL applications. Finally, we address the concluding remarks of multiscale strat...