Applying agent-based modeling to the evolution of eco-industrial systems

Authored by Kai Cao, Xiao Feng, Hui Wan

Date Published: 2009-09-15

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.06.009

Sponsors: Chinese National Natural Science Foundation

Platforms: Swarm

Model Documentation: Pseudocode Other Narrative Flow charts Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Agent-based modeling is simply a modeling technique for describing complex adaptive systems in a form that can be solved by computers. In this paper, agent-based modeling is applied to eco-industrial systems to gain new insights into their behavior. The factory in the eco-industrial systems is taken as an agent, and the objects, attributes and behaviors are determined. Some important interaction mechanisms between agents are also designed. Besides, the sustainability evolution is also studied through emergy theory. More importantly, a new concept, the Internal-flow emergy, is used to indicate the evolution direction of an eco-industrial system. Finally, a hypothetical eco-industrial park utilizing natural gas and halite as the main raw material inputs is adopted as a case study to illustrate the effectiveness of the agent-based modeling. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tags

Agent-based modeling complex adaptive system Eco-industrial systems Emergy