Can a prolonged use of a passenger car reduce environmental burdens? Life Cycle analysis of Swiss passenger cars

Michael Spielmann; Hans-Jörg Althaus

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.07.022

The pigmeat supply chain: pre-assessment for a Life Cycle Inventory

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s1752756200029653 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2009 ◽

pp. 126-126

Author(s):

R Olea ◽

J H Guy ◽

H Edge ◽

S A Edwards

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Life Cycle Inventory ◽

Life Cycle Analysis ◽

Assessment Method ◽

Assessment Methods ◽

Previous Experience ◽

Environmental Burdens

Formulating the inventory of relevant commodities to assess the life cycle of goods or services (LCI) is highly demanding on time and resources (Suh et al., 2004). Collected information is not always satisfactory to take account of all possible sources of environmental burdens (E-burdens) produced in the commodity supply chain. Several pre-assessment methods have been proposed to serve this function, although these have identified limitations; lack of previous experience and use of subjective cut off criteria are the most frequent weaknesses found (Suh, 2006). An objective pre-assessment method was developed as part of a life cycle analysis (LCA) for different pigmeat supply chain (PSC) scenarios.

Download Full-text

Life-Cycle Analysis on Acid-Gases Emissions of the Lightweight to Passenger Cars Using Aluminum Alloy and Advanced High Strength Steel

International Asia Conference on Industrial Engineering and Management Innovation (IEMI2012) Proceedings ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-38445-5_32 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 319-329

Author(s):

Li-sa Zhu

Keyword(s):

Aluminum Alloy ◽

Life Cycle ◽

High Strength Steel ◽

Life Cycle Analysis ◽

High Strength ◽

Advanced High Strength Steel ◽

Acid Gases ◽

Passenger Cars

Download Full-text

Environmental Assessment of the Vehicle Operation Process

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14010076 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 76

Author(s):

Małgorzata Mrozik ◽

Agnieszka Merkisz-Guranowska

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Fuel Consumption ◽

Environmental Assessment ◽

Combustion Engine ◽

Environmental Safety ◽

Point Of View ◽

Pollutant Emissions ◽

So2 Emissions ◽

Passenger Cars ◽

Passenger Car

The environmental safety of a car is currently one of the most important indicators of vehicle competitiveness and quality in the consumer market. Currently, assessment of the ecological properties of vehicles is based on various criteria. In the case of combustion-powered cars, most attention is usually paid to the values characterizing their use, and in terms of environmental assessment, pollutant emissions, and operational fuel consumption are key factors. The current article considers the possibility of using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method to analyze the ecological properties of a passenger car during its operation. A simplified LCA method for vehicles, which, in strictly defined cases, can be used for the analysis of environmental impact and assessment of the energy analysis related to its operation, is presented. For this purpose, a vehicle life cycle model is developed. Data on the operation of 33 passenger cars from different manufacturers with similar operational characteristics, coming from different production periods, are analyzed in detail. The vehicle use model takes into account the environmental load due to fuel consumption and pollutant emissions from the internal combustion engine, as well as processes related to the maintenance of the car. The obtained results show that, from the point of view of a car’s impact on the environment throughout its life cycle, the phase of its operation plays the most important role. For the annual operation period, the results of the analysis lead to the conclusion that, in the assessment of energy inputs and related emissions throughout the life cycle of a passenger car, the mileage of the car, which is determined by both the periodicity of replacement of elements and materials subject to normal wear and the length of the adopted period, is of key importance. For the tested vehicles, both the energy input resulting from fuel consumption as well as CO2 and SO2 emissions constitute about 94% to 96% of the total input during the annual operation of the vehicle.

Download Full-text

Highway cost allocation methodologies

Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering ◽

10.1139/l92-077 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 680-687

Author(s):

Alemayehu Ambo ◽

F. R. Wilson ◽

A. M. Sevens

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Cost Allocation ◽

Passenger Cars ◽

Passenger Car ◽

Unit Costs ◽

Light Trucks ◽

Recreational Vehicles ◽

Axle Loads ◽

Discounted Costs

Four methodologies of life-cycle highway cost allocation were examined using the province of New Brunswick, Canada, as a case study. The first two methodologies were reported by Wong and Markov. The third methodology was suggested by Rilett et al. The fourth methodology was introduced as part of the research project. It was in line with the procedures practised in public accounts for the construction and maintenance of roads on a continuing basis. The four methodologies were tested using the same data base pertaining to vehicle types; traffic measures (independent vehicle, passenger car equivalents, and equivalent standard axle loads); and costs of construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation. These data were applicable to a major two-lane highway in the study area. Six sites were selected for the case study. An analysis period of 60 years, three traffic growth scenarios, and three pavement design periods were considered. Eleven types of vehicles, comprising passenger cars, light trucks and vans, trucks, buses, and recreational vehicles, were used in the analysis. The assessment of the methodologies resulted in the recommendation of, and the suggestions for, the costing of highways. Key words: equivalent standard axle loads, passenger car equivalents, vehicle count, life-cycle costing, unit costs, accumulated costs, annual costs, discounted costs.

Download Full-text

Addressing Environmetal Issues for the Automotive Industry

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/proc-0895-g01-07-s01-07 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 895 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stella Papasavva

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Energy Consumption ◽

Automotive Industry ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Life Cycle Analysis ◽

Alternative Fuels ◽

Automotive Paint ◽

Use Phase ◽

Environmental Burdens

AbstractThe integration of environmental, social, and economic (ESE) objectives into business decisions and future planning is the path towards sustainable development. The goal of this paper is to address the environmental component of sustainable development within the automotive industry based on the Life Cycle Analysis and Well-to-Wheels approach.Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is very relevant for making the concept of environmental sustainability operational because environmental impacts have to be examined from a 'cradle-to-grave' perspective. Life cycle analysis is an analytical tool that quantifies energy consumption and emissions associated with the raw material extraction, processing of materials, manufacturing, use phase, and end-of-life (reuse, recycling, and disposal) of products. The potential impact of current production and consumption patterns, on the future availability of non-renewable resources, can also be evaluated within the LCA framework. Thus, LCA provides an effective way for industry to support better management of natural resources, in order to maximize economic benefits and minimize environmental burdens.Well-to-Wheel (WtW) analysis is a subset of a complete LCA because it quantifies the environmental burdens associated only with the fuel production and its consumption during the driving time of a vehicle. Well-to-Wheel studies mainly provide energy use and air emissions inventories.This paper provides the results obtained from two major studies conducted at General Motors R&D Center. The first is a LCA study that assesses the environmental emissions associated with four alternative automotive paint processes and seven different paint formulations. The second is a WtW study that addresses 18 different combinations of alternative fuels and vehicle engines.Considering that the use phase of the vehicle contributes more than 80% of its life cycle energy consumption, and that the automotive paint process is the most energy intensive component of the manufacturing phase in any given vehicle, the results presented in this paper are noteworthy for environmental sustainability considerations relevant to the automotive industry.

Download Full-text

Comparative Life Cycle Analysis of Conventional and Hybrid Heavy-Duty Trucks

World Electric Vehicle Journal ◽

10.3390/wevj9020033 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 33 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Matthias Rupp ◽

Sven Schulze ◽

Isabel Kuperjans

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Life Cycle Analysis ◽

Operation Time ◽

Energy Conversion Efficiency ◽

Heavy Duty ◽

Parameter Variations ◽

Use Phase ◽

The Difference ◽

The Impact ◽

Environmental Burdens

Heavy-duty trucks are one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in German traffic. Drivetrain electrification is an option to reduce tailpipe emissions by increasing energy conversion efficiency. To evaluate the vehicle’s environmental impacts, it is necessary to consider the entire life cycle. In addition to the daily use, it is also necessary to include the impact of production and disposal. This study presents the comparative life cycle analysis of a parallel hybrid and a conventional heavy-duty truck in long-haul operation. Assuming a uniform vehicle glider, only the differing parts of both drivetrains are taken into account to calculate the environmental burdens of the production. The use phase is modeled by a backward simulation in MATLAB/Simulink considering a characteristic driving cycle. A break-even analysis is conducted to show at what mileage the larger CO2eq emissions due to the production of the electric drivetrain are compensated. The effect of parameter variation on the break-even mileage is investigated by a sensitivity analysis. The results of this analysis show the difference in CO2eq/t km is negative, indicating that the hybrid vehicle releases 4.34 g CO2eq/t km over a lifetime fewer emissions compared to the diesel truck. The break-even analysis also emphasizes the advantages of the electrified drivetrain, compensating the larger emissions generated during production after already a distance of 15,800 km (approx. 1.5 months of operation time). The intersection coordinates, distance, and CO2eq, strongly depend on fuel, emissions for battery production and the driving profile, which lead to nearly all parameter variations showing an increase in break-even distance.

Download Full-text

Sustainable Peach Compote Production: A Life Cycle Thinking Approach

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10114229 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 4229

Author(s):

Evanthia Nanaki ◽

Christopher Koroneos

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Life Cycle Analysis ◽

Functional Unit ◽

Photochemical Oxidation ◽

Life Cycle Thinking ◽

Impact Categories ◽

Acidification Potential ◽

Canning Industry ◽

Environmental Burdens ◽

Potential Global Warming

Peach production as well as the fruit canning industry is one of the most important agricultural supply chain sectors in Greece. In 2016 Greek canned peach production reached 300,000 tones. In this study we perform an environmental analysis of a peach compote production system in Greece, using Life Cycle Assessment. The system studied includes the stages of cultivation, transportation of peaches to the peach compote plant, the canning and finally packaging. The data used were collected directly from an orchard located in Larissa, in central Greece, and covers the production year of 2016. The functional unit adopted is the production of one paper box containing 24 cans of peach compotes. The Life Cycle Analysis results indicate that 48.41%, 25% and 20.98% of the environmental burdens are attributed to the acidification potential, global warming potential and particular matter formation impact categories, respectively; whereas eutrophication impact potential and photochemical oxidation formation impact accounted for 5.38% and 0.23%, respectively. The results of this study provide an understanding of the key environmental impact issues related to peach compote production in Greece.

Download Full-text