Abstract
A mathematical model for strategy evaluation of municipal solid waste
management systems has been developed.The basic objective in model development
has been to create a tool for practical strategy evaluation applications.The
model is more compre hensive than earlier models in taking into account all
the functional elements of a waste management system.Thus a wider range of
technical alternatives and possible policy decisions and their effects can be
analysed.In addition to the general model formulation, costs and performance
of functional elements are presented.These include onsite storage of waste,
waste collection and transport in collection vehicles, intermediate waste
handling, transport between sites and processes, garages, and final disposal.
The basic structure of the model is, how ever, flexible in being independent
of the detailed cost and performance functions of functional elements.Many
different types of cost functions can be used without a need to change the
solution algorithm.The solution algorithm is heuristic.For solution search the
system has been divided into two interconnected subsysterns.These are the
collection and transport system and the processing and disposal system.The
solution search is done iteratively by seeking a solution for both subsystems
in sequence until the solutions are consistent.The solution algorithm has been
tested with data from four different applications and the results have been
compared with the best results obtained with other models used in these
applications.The algorithm gave good results in all tests.The best result
obtained in each example was probably the optimum solution or very close to
it.The algorithm is also fast in finding solutions for large problems because
the number of iterations in solution search is almost independent of the size
of the problem.The model has been applied several times during actual planning
processes.In all these cases the use of the model has produced necessary
information for further development of plans.One of the cases is described as
an example of how the model can be used in practice.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Doctor Degree |
| Awarding Institution |
|
| Award date | 9 Oct 1987 |
| Place of Publication | Espoo |
| Publisher | |
| Print ISBNs | 951-38-2956-1 |
| Publication status | Published - 1987 |
| MoE publication type | G4 Doctoral dissertation (monograph) |
Keywords
- waste disposal
- waste treatment
- municipal engineering
- management systems
- cost control
- mathematical models
