scholarly journals Application of Life Cycle Assessment to Lithium Ion Batteries in the Automotive Sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4628
Author(s):  
Rosario Tolomeo ◽  
Giovanni De Feo ◽  
Renata Adami ◽  
Libero Sesti Osséo
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Lithium Ion Batteries ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Automotive Sector ◽  
Transportation Sector

This study is a critical review of the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to lithium ion batteries in the automotive sector. The aim of this study is to identify the crucial points of the analysis and the results achieved until now in this field. In the first part of the study, a selection of papers is reviewed. In the second part of the study, a methodological approach to LCA is adopted to make clear the strengths and weaknesses of this analysis method. The lack of primary data is a crucial concern. Even if the cradle-to-grave approach is the most chosen system boundary, further scientific contribution to the life cycle inventory phase is necessary. It is likely that the more the electric vehicle becomes widespread, the more data will be accessible. Many authors have not specified the chemistry of the used batteries (5% of the studies), the software tool used (30%) or the functional unit used (17%) and, consequently, their obtained results can be questionable. However, even with the aforementioned limitations, the performed review allows us to point out the potential of electric vehicles and lithium ion batteries to reduce the overall contribution of the transportation sector to GHG emissions.

scholarly journals Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Merging Recycling Methods for Spent Lithium Ion Batteries

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 6263
Author(s):  
Zhiwen Zhou ◽  
Yiming Lai ◽  
Qin Peng ◽  
Jun Li
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Lithium Ion Batteries ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Acid Leaching ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
H2o2 Production ◽  
Life Cycle Impact ◽  
Regeneration Phase ◽  
Hydrometallurgical Method

An urgent demand for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is expected in the forthcoming years due to the rapid growth of electrical vehicles (EV). To address these issues, various technologies such as the pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical method, as well as the newly developed in-situ roasting reduction (in-situ RR) method were proposed in recent studies. This article firstly provides a brief review on these emerging approaches. Based on the overview, a life cycle impact of these methods for recovering major component from one functional unit (FU) of 1 t spent EV LIBs was estimated. Our results showed that in-situ RR exhibited the lowest energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 4833 MJ FU−1 and 1525 kg CO2-eq FU−1, respectively, which only accounts for ~23% and ~64% of those for the hydrometallurgical method with citric acid leaching. The H2O2 production in the regeneration phase mainly contributed the overall impact for in-situ RR. The transportation distance for spent EV LIBs created a great hurdle to the reduction of the life cycle impact if the feedstock was transported by a 3.5–7.5 t lorry. We therefore suggest further optimization of the spatial distribution of the recycling facilities and reduction in the utilization of chemicals.

Optimization for a Life Cycle Assessment of Lithium-ion Batteries

ATZ worldwide ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-59
Author(s):  
Andreas Bärmann ◽  
Lucia Bäuml ◽  
Alexander Martin
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Lithium Ion Batteries ◽  
Lithium Ion

scholarly journals Life Cycle Analysis of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Automotive Applications

Batteries ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Dai ◽  
Jarod C. Kelly ◽  
Linda Gaines ◽  
Michael Wang
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Lithium Ion Batteries ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Life Cycle Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Lithium Ion ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Battery Life

In light of the increasing penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) in the global vehicle market, understanding the environmental impacts of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) that characterize the EVs is key to sustainable EV deployment. This study analyzes the cradle-to-gate total energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, SOx, NOx, PM10 emissions, and water consumption associated with current industrial production of lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) batteries, with the battery life cycle analysis (LCA) module in the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model, which was recently updated with primary data collected from large-scale commercial battery material producers and automotive LIB manufacturers. The results show that active cathode material, aluminum, and energy use for cell production are the major contributors to the energy and environmental impacts of NMC batteries. However, this study also notes that the impacts could change significantly, depending on where in the world the battery is produced, and where the materials are sourced. In an effort to harmonize existing LCAs of automotive LIBs and guide future research, this study also lays out differences in life cycle inventories (LCIs) for key battery materials among existing LIB LCA studies, and identifies knowledge gaps.

scholarly journals A Colorado-specific life cycle assessment model to support evaluation of low-carbon transportation fuels and policy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Somers ◽  
Liaw Batan ◽  
Baha Al-Alawi ◽  
Thomas H. Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Transportation System ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Carbon Intensity ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Transportation Fuels ◽  
Transportation Sector ◽  
Clean Fuels

Abstract The transportation sector accounts for over 20 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Colorado which without intervention will grow to over 30 million metric tons (MMT) of GHG emissions per year. This study seeks to develop a specific characterization of the Colorado fuel and transportation system using a customized life cycle assessment (LCA) model. The model (CO-GT) was developed as an analytical tool to define Colorado’s 2020 baseline life cycle GHG emissions for the transportation sector, and to examine Colorado-specific pathways for GHG reductions through fuel types and volumes changes that might be associated with a state clean fuel standard (CFS). By developing a life cycle assessment of transportation fuels that is specific to the state of Colorado’s geography, fleet makeup, policies, energy sector and more, these tools can evaluate various proposals for the transition towards a more sustainable state transportation system. The results of this study include a quantification of the Colorado-specific roles of clean fuels, electricity, extant policies, and fleet transition in projections of the state’s 2030 transportation sector GHG emissions. Relative to a 2020 baseline, electrification of the vehicle fleet is found to reduce state-wide lifecycle GHG emissions by 7.7 MMT CO2e by 2030, and a model CFS policy able to achieve similar reductions in the carbon intensity of clean fuels as was achieved by California in the first 10 years of its CFS policies is found to only reduce state-wide lifecycle GHG emissions by 0.2 MMT CO2e by 2030. These results illustrate the insensitivity of Colorado’s transportation fleet GHG emissions reductions to the presence of CFS policies, as proposed to date.

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