Green Engineering focuses on the design of materials, processes, products, and systems with the objective of minimizing environmental impact across the entire life cycle. A key concept in green engineering is Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). This methodology allows environmental impacts to be quantified based on scientific research and analysis. LCA is a critical tool in decision-making since it provides quantified data regarding environmental issues.
In this seminar, fundamental green engineering concepts and examples will be discussed primarily in the context of Materials Science and Engineering. While green engineering and LCA considerations are inherently multidisciplinary, materials play a central role for most products or processes. A significant fraction of the overall environmental impact is often “locked-in” at the design stage either through materials selection or processing.
Materials scientists and engineers often use the “materials pyramid” framework of structure, properties, processing, and performance in the design of products and processes. Fortunately, life cycle environmental impacts including embodied energy, resource depletion, and materials disposal issues can be embedded in this approach; however, current design approaches often fail to consider these thoroughly. Various tools will be discussed so that engineers can consider these environmental impacts as critical design parameters.
Biosketch
Dr. Sean McGinnis holds a joint appointment as a Research Associate Professor in the departments of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) and Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) at Virginia Tech. He is the director of the Green Engineering Program which is jointly administered by these two departments for the College of Engineering.
Dr. McGinnis received bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and MSE from the University of Minnesota and a PhD in MSE from Stanford University. Before joining VT in October 2005, Dr. McGinnis spent seven years at Johnson & Johnson’s Spectacle Lens Group as a research scientist and R&D coating group manager where he helped to develop anti-reflective, scratch resistant, hydrophobic and other functional coatings for ophthalmic lenses. Dr. McGinnis was also a process engineer for Intevac, Inc. where he developed thin film processes and deposition equipment for magnetic thin films and carbon protective coatings for the computer hard-disk drive industry. His current research and educational interests now focus on sustainable materials selection and manufacturing processes, green engineering, life cycle assessment (LCA), design for the environment (DfE), and multidisciplinary engineering education.