rdf-syntax-grammar
mods:
  schema location: http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
  title info:
    title: Using Bio-inspired Techniques to Design for Improved Sustainability and Robustness in Net Zero Communities
  name:
    name part: Hairston, Garrett Michael
    role:
      role term: creator
    role:
      role term: author.
  name:
    name part: Layton, Astrid
    role:
      role term: thesis advisor.
  name:
    name part: Texas A&M University
    role:
      role term: degree granting institution.
  type of resource: text
  genre: bibliography
  origin info:
    place:
      place term: txu
    date issued: 2023
    issuance: monographic
  language:
    language term: eng
  physical description:
    form: remote
    extent: 1 online resource.
  abstract: In the global effort to combat climate change, the continued emergence of Net Zero Communities (NZCs) can play a large role in establishing a sustainable foundation on which progress can be made. NZC design, however, is complicated by the need to balance the system⁰́₉s ability to achieve sustainable performance with its ability to maintain system operation during disturbances. These two design objectives, sustainable use of resources and system robustness, are often found in opposition to one another, but design inspiration can be taken from biological ecosystems, which have benefitted from generations of incremental evolution to display positive network characteristics with regards to both efficient resource use and robustness. This thesis focuses on applying the knowledge of what makes these ecosystems successful, as well as the techniques ecologists use to characterize them, to identify Net Zero (NZ) modifications that can simultaneously improve both of the aforementioned design objectives. First, a dataset of NZCs including quantitative energy and water flows throughout each case is constructed. This dataset then enables the use of Ecological Network Analysis on NZC networks, specifically identifying Finn⁰́₉s Cycling Index (FCI) and Degree of System Order (DoSO) as metrics corresponding to sustainable and robust design, respectively. The results show that for the NZ modifications tested, a strong correlation exists between FCI and NZ performance, suggesting that FCI can be used as a proxy for sustainable network behavior. Additionally, a negative correlation emerges between FCI and DoSO. This result is significant as lower DoSO is indicative of improved network robustness, especially in the face of increasingly large disturbances, meaning that the modifications tested were in direct support of both sustainability and robustness. These findings hold true through disturbance testing, where the modified networks with higher NZ performance are also able to maintain …
  note: by Garrett Hairston.
  note: "Major Subject: Mechanical Engineering"
  note: Includes vita.
  note: Master of Science Texas A&M University 2022 https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/197771
  note: Includes bibliographical references.
  note: Text (Thesis)
  subject:
    topic: Major Mechanical Engineering
  subject:
    topic: Net Zero Communities
  subject:
    topic: Sustainability
  subject:
    topic: Robustness
  subject:
    topic: Bio-inspiration
  identifier: https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/197771
  record info:
    record content source: TXA
    record creation date: 240823
    record change date: 20240829173455.2
    record identifier: in00005468326
    language of cataloging:
      language term: eng