Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Centralised vs Distributed Aerospace Manufacturing(Cranfield University, 2024-09) Almegbel, Abdulaziz; Haddad, YousefThis thesis investigates the environmental impacts of manufacturing aeronautical turbine blades using two different techniques: traditional Investment Casting (IC) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM) in both centralized (CM-EBM) and distributed (DM-EBM) settings. Through a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the study examines each phase of the blade's life cycle, from material extraction and processing to end-of-life recycling, offering insights into Global Warming Potential (GWP) and material efficiency. Findings reveal that although EBM scenarios have higher energy consumption and GWP during production, their lower buy-to-fly ratio indicates better material efficiency compared to IC. Furthermore, when the use phase is included, EBM scenarios demonstrate up to 85% lower total GWP than IC, due to the lower density of titanium alloy blades, which reduces aircraft weight and fuel consumption over their lifespan. The research highlights the importance of evaluating the entire product life cycle for sustainable aerospace manufacturing and suggests further exploration into optimizing EBM processes and hybrid manufacturing models to balance energy costs with long-term environmental benefits.10 0Item Restricted Sustainable Tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Balancing Local Community Benefits with Environmental Challenges.(Newcastle University, 2024) Alkahlani, Sabreen; Liu, Yu-LunSaudi Arabia's Vision 2030 emphasises sustainable tourism as a key component of an ongoing economic diversification strategy that aims to enhance socioeconomic welfare, address environmental issues, and preserve cultural heritage in both urban and rural areas across the country. While the Kingdom has been traditionally reliant on money from oil extraction, with its tourist trade dominated by religious tourism, its tourism sector is now being transformed and expanded, which requires a focus on sustainable practices. This study thus addresses a gap in the literature by examining the impacts of sustainable tourism on local communities and the environment in several rapidly developing regions such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and AlUla. Quantitative surveys were applied as the primary analytical approach, and the findings highlight significant both social and economic benefits, including job creation and income growth, as well as challenges in terms of balancing economic development with cultural preservation and environmental sustainability. The conclusion developed is therefore that, while Vision 2030 has improved public understanding of the benefits of tourism, there is a critical need to address various environmental challenges to ensure the long-term sustainability of the tourism sector. This leads to the development of recommendations focused on equitable economic distribution and the integration of sustainable practices in public transport and SME support.22 0Item Restricted Awareness of environmental sustainability and Practice adaptation among logistics workers in the pharmaceutical supply chain sector in Saudi Arabia(University of Sussex, 2024-09-05) Alahmari, Razan; Kondic, AdelaThis study evaluates the awareness and implementation of environmental sustainability practices among employees in Saudi Arabia's pharmaceutical sector. This is in alignment with the country's Vision 2030 sustainability goals. Considering the huge environmental impact linked to the pharmaceutical sector, including the emission of hazardous waste and greenhouse gasses, a study such as this one is crucial for the development of effective sustainability strategies within this high-stakes sector. This study used the survey method to determine the awareness and attitudes of employees in the Saudi Arabian pharmaceutical sector. From the findings, it can be inferred that there is a variance in the degree of awareness and engagement with sustainability initiatives. This highlights a considerable gap in advanced knowledge and ongoing communication on these topics in organisations. The main impediments linked to the adoption of sustainability practices include regulatory complexities, financial constraints, lack of support from management, and insufficient training and knowledge. The study shows that even though companies have started implementing sustainable practices such as energy-saving measures and waste recycling, a huge proportion of the participants are still not conscious of or engaged in those initiatives. Such a disconnection implies that there is a need for more training and better communication strategies as a way of enhancing employee engagement and the general effectiveness of sustainability programs. The findings from this study also highlight that there is a need for educational improvements, organisational support, and regulatory facilitation to improve sustainability practices within the pharmaceutical logistics sector in Saudi Arabia. Dealing with these needs is crucial for environmental stewardship and aligning with global sustainability standards and the ambitious national goals inherent in Vision 2030.8 0Item Restricted Rational Synthesis of Activated Carbons for Enhanced CO2 Uptake and Methane Storage(University of Nottingham, 2024) Albeladi, Nawaf Sweilem; Mokaya, RobertThe atmospheric concentration of CO2 has reached alarming levels, primarily due to the combustion of fossil fuels. This surge in CO2 concentrations has led to rising global temperatures, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and threats to all forms of life on Earth. This scenario necessitates the urgent need to develop CO2 capture and removal technologies to ensure a more sustainable future. Moreover, the use of fossil fuels not only contributes significantly to CO2 emissions but reserves and supply are also limited. This Thesis covers themes on the rational preparation of porous carbons that are targeted at the capture of CO2 or the storage of gases (e.g. methane) that may be used as transitional energy sources towards a fossil-free economy. In this regard, Chapter 1 explores the state-of-the art on potential solutions, including CO2 capture and storage via physisorption on porous materials, with a focus on readily synthesised activated carbons. Additionally, the chapter highlights the potential of methane-based natural gas as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels for vehicular transport, given its abundant reserves and lower carbon emissions. The storage of methane for vehicular use may be achieved using porous materials. However, the preparation of porous materials that meet set targets, such as those outlined by the US Department of Energy (DOE), remains a challenge. The considerations that must be carefully considered in seeking suitable materials for such gas storage applications include precise control over porosity parameters such as surface area, pore volume, pore size, and packing density. Therefore, both the ability to accurately modulate the textural properties and a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between gas (CO2 or CH4) uptake capacity and pore size are essential. This thesis is aimed to address these issues. Chapter 2 concentrates on material characterisation to gain a comprehensive understanding of the targeted porous carbon nanostructures. To fully assess these materials, a combination of chemical, structural, and surface characterisation techniques have been employed. This chapter provides a concise overview of the equipment and techniques used for the characterisation of the materials prepared during this research programme. Regarding preparation routes to activated carbons, this work investigates two primary synthesis methods. Firstly, Chapter 3 delves into the effect of the air-carbonisation treatment. This study aimed to investigate the impact of air-carbonisation temperature followed by potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation on the structure and gas adsorption performance of activated carbons. It primarily focused on the effect of air-carbonisation treatment on the O/C ratio (a measure of a precursor’s susceptibility to activation) in carbonaceous matter. The study found a role of air-carbonisation temperature in tailoring the porosity, surface area, and packing density of the activated carbons. It revealed a very notable trend in the O/C ratio of the carbonaceous matter, which decreases as the temperature increases. This knowledge enables the optimal design of the pore structure of the activated carbons, resulting in porous carbons with high CO2 uptake, at 25 °C, of 2.0 and 5.2 mmol g-1 at 0.15 and 1 bar, respectively. As a result of the ability to adjust the O/C ratio of the precursor, activated carbons with a high packing density of up to 0.79 g cm-3 were obtained, resulting in high CH4 uptake, wherein the gravimetric and volumetric uptake reach of 0.38 g g-1 and 278 cm3 (STP) cm-3, respectively, at 25 °C and 100 bar. The second approach centres on the effect of the activation technique when utilising N-rich precursors generated via varying pathways. Thus in Chapter 4, a N source was introduced to biomass-derived carbonaceous matter through the use of additives, resulting in a incorporation of N in the precursor. This process involves adding melamine or urea as a nitrogen source to an activation mixture containing biomass-derived carbonaceous matter of low O/C ratio (air-carbonised date seed, Phoenix dactylifera, ACDS), and KOH as an activating agent. These carbons exhibit a broad range of surface areas and porosity characteristics, controlled by varying the amount of melamine or urea, the KOH/ACDS ratio, and the activation temperature. The N added to the activation mix serves as both an N-dopant and porogen, with the later effect enabling the formation of larger pores, extending the pore size distribution into the mesopore region, and increasing the surface area. This results in carbons with tunable porosity and variable packing density, suitable for enhanced CO2 and methane uptake. The carbons exhibited excellent low-pressure CO2 capture at 25 °C, of 1.7 mmol g-1 at 0.15 bar and 4.7 mmol g-1 at 1 bar. The porosity and packing density of the carbons also were directed and modulated towards methane storage, showing a gravimetric uptake of up to 0.42 g g-1 at 25 °C and 100 bar, and volumetric storage capacity of up to 266 cm3 (STP) cm-3 at 25 °C and 100 bar. Expanding on the knowledge gained in Chapter 4 from KOH activation of precursors with nonhomogeneous incorporation of N additives and low O/C ratio precursors, Chapter 5 explores activated carbons derived from precursors with homogeneous incorporation of N. Chapter 5 explores the potential of N-rich crosslinkable imidazolium-based ionic liquids as a new class of carbon precursors for activated carbons. Upon carbonisation, the ionic liquids yield carbonaceous matter (designated as IL-C) with the unusual combination of a high N content and low O/C atomic ratio. During activation, the resulting ionic liquid-derived carbonaceous matter (IL-C) generates activated carbons with a mix of micro- and mesoporosity, having ultra-high surface area of up to ~4000 m² g-1 and a pore volume of up to 3.3 cm3 g-1. These carbons, due to their porosity and packing density, exhibit outstanding gravimetric and volumetric methane uptake of up to 0.53 g g-1 and 289 cm3 (STP) cm-3, respectively, at 25 °C and 100 bar. This surpasses both gravimetric and volumetric methane storage targets, making these ionic liquid-derived activated carbons the first porous materials (carbon or MOF) to meet both gravimetric and volumetric storage targets as set by the US DoE. To further enhance understanding of the role of N in shaping the porosity of activated carbons, Chapter 6 goes beyond KOH activation to explore non-hydroxide activation of IL-C. Activated carbons were generated via chemical activation of IL-C using a non-hydroxide activating agent, potassium oxalate (PO). Due to the very low atomic ratio O/C of 0.116 of IL-C, and gentler activating nature of PO, the generated activated carbons display moderate to high surface area of 447 to 2202 m2 g-1, depending on the activation temperature. The porosity of the activated carbon could be tailored to exhibit a highly microporous structure with porosity suitable for post-combustion CO2 uptake, having CO2 capacities of 1.6 and 4.2 mmol g-1 At 25 °C and pressures of 0.15 and 1 bar, respectively. As a benefit of PO being a milder and greener activating agent, the activated carbons have excellent properties in terms of high packing density (0.98 cm3 g-1) combined with a high surface area density (2039 m2 cm-3), which translates to excellent volumetric methane gas uptake. At 100 bar and 25 °C, the carbons achieve total volumetric uptake of 282 cm3 (STP) cm-3 along with excellent deliverable capacity of 200 cm3 (STP) cm-3 (for a pressure swing of 100 bar → 5 bar). Chapter 7 provides a summary and conclusions of this thesis, along with a future look at specific aspects. As an overview, this thesis delves into the rational and intentional synthesis of activated carbons for which various precursors and activation techniques are explored. The outcome has yielded exceptional activated carbons distinguished by the possibility of deliberately tailoring the porosity towards high surface area and pore volume. The motivation of the thesis is achieving porosity in the activated carbons that is suitable for addressing challenges associated with CO2 uptake and optimising methane storage. This research also opens up new possibilities in terms of applications for the synthesised activated carbons. A particularly promising application for future exploration lies in the utilisation of these activated carbons for hydrogen storage, presenting an exciting prospect for further investigation.28 0Item Restricted The Impact of Green Infrastructure on Urban Sustainability in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia(The University of Manchester, 2024) Al-Qahtani, Khaled Mohammed; Barron, AmyThis research aims to explore the influence of green infrastructure (GI) on the social and cultural aspects of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a particular emphasis on enhancing urban sustainability. Through online interviews as the primary research method, this study examines the impact of GI on the inhabitants' quality of life, social well-being, and sense of place. The findings indicate a strong consensus among the participants regarding the aesthetic and environmental advantages of GI, particularly in terms of mitigating air pollution and enhancing the attractiveness of the urban environment. An interesting discovery has been made regarding the role of green infrastructure (GI) in fostering social cohesion. Parks and other green spaces are becoming increasingly vital hubs for community engagement, attracting diverse groups and visitors alike. However, the correlation between GI and cultural engagement is somewhat mixed. While some participants have noted an uptick in cultural activities taking place in these outdoor settings, others have observed limited impact due to factors such as insufficient upkeep, cultural conservatism, and a dearth of organised events. The research highlights the crucial influence that GI has on the mental and emotional wellness of citizens in Riyadh. Additionally, it reveals that current urban design and planning may not be making the most of these spaces to enhance the city's cultural and social environment. The Green Riyadh Project is publicly recognised for its crucial role in creating a sustainable and eco-friendly future. It underscores the importance of integrating GI into urban design for long-term benefits. Despite the widespread consensus on the positive impact of government initiatives like the Green Riyadh project, the study uncovers a lack of community involvement and public participation in GI-related activities.59 0Item Restricted The Role of Digital Games in Supporting Children’s Engagement with Environmental Sustainability(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-12-01) Albar, Raghad Aidarous; Gauthier, AndreaThe current issue of sustainability poses a substantial global challenge that affects individuals on a global scale, with a particular vulnerability observed among children. The main purpose of this study is to reflect on the role of digital game design aspects and implementation in children's engagement with environmental sustainability (ES). To determine the outcome of this aim, I conducted a descriptive systematic review to analyse digital games research published throughout the span of five years (2018-2023) that explicitly examines the usage of children's digital games in the context of ES. The findings demonstrate the influence of the game-centred approach on children's level of engagement with ES, highlighting the emphasis on using game-based learning (GBL) to build children's understanding and promote deep learning. While also underlining the real-world connection through gamification, which enables sustainable actions. This review also identified gaming design trends and several essential drivers of children's engagement with ES like existing correlation between the use of distinct game design themes and game genres. Our analysis presents a unique research agenda highlighting the necessity of expanding the sustainability domains and user groups that are currently involved in research. It also proposes expansion in game genres that are currently utilised in ES research.25 0Item Restricted Analyzing the Relationship between Industrial Production and Air Pollution(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-06) Almoadi, Ibrahim; Fekete, DorottyaAir pollution is a pervasive global concern with profound implications for environmental sustainability and public well-being. Rapid industrialization, a driving force behind economic growth and urban expansion, significantly contributes to air pollution through the release of harmful pollutants. The repercussions of compromised air quality extend to human health, ecosystem well-being, and overall environmental sustainability. Recognizing the intricate interplay between industrial activities, air pollution, and health outcomes, this study endeavors to conduct a comprehensive examination to identify fundamental patterns and inform evidence-based policymaking (Aditya et al., 2022). Industrial processes emerge as major contributors to air pollution, releasing diverse substances such as fine particles (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and heavy metals into the atmosphere. Particularly, fine particulate matter, notably PM2.5, has been linked to adverse health effects, including respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, with more pronounced impacts observed in densely populated urban areas with extensive industrial operations (UNEP, 2016). Given the minute size of ambient PM2.5 aerosols (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm), their inhalation poses health risks. These aerosols originate from natural phenomena, anthropogenic activities (e.g., vehicle exhaust, biomass burning, combustion), and precursor emissions undergoing photochemical transformation (Singh et al., 2017). As industrial emissions escalate, air quality deteriorates, magnifying the potential health burden and contributing to both local air pollution and global climate change (Wang et al., 2023). To comprehend the intricate relationships among industrial production, air pollution, and health impacts, a global country clustering approach is proposed. Clustering countries based on their industrial production levels and air pollution provides a systematic framework for analysis, highlighting commonalities, differences, and potential causal relationships. This approach facilitates the identification of countries facing similar challenges, successes, and policy interventions, fostering the exchange of best practices and policy recommendations (Liu et al., 2020). While existing research predominantly focuses on source apportionment, PM2.5 concentration prediction, and spatiotemporal analysis, the proposed study seeks to employ advanced clustering techniques to explore the link between industrial production and air quality on a global scale. By uncovering patterns and offering policy insights, this research aims to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the environmental challenges faced by countries worldwide.6 0