This thesis presents a new metric-based Life-cycle Assessment (LCA) method for assessing the sustainability performance of metallic automotive components. The unique feature of this research work include the development and use of a metrics-based product sustainability index (ProdSI) methodology by considering the total life-cycle approach and the triple bottom line (TBL) with the 6R methodology. It has been shown that the manufactured product’s sustainability performance can be comprehensively assessed using this new methodology. The major focus of this research is the integration of the 6R activities (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Redesign and Remanufacture). Four life-cycle stages of the product, with various end-of-life (EOL) product scenarios, are modeled and analyzed. These scenarios include: reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling the products at EOL. Furthermore, a new mathematical model is developed and presented to determine the optimum percentage mix for various product EOL strategic options. By using the 6R methodology, the overall product sustainability was significantly improved. This improvement was quantitatively assessed by computing the ProdSI score. Ultimately, this research shows that a closed-loop material flow can be achieved.

O aço é um insumo de usos diversos que variam desde a construção civil, até a confecção de bens de consumo. Sob a perspectiva ambiental, as transformações que ocorrem nessa cadeia produtiva se destacam pelos elevados consumos de insumos e de energia - nas formas elétrica e térmica -, e por emissões para o Meio Ambiente. Assim, o grande desafio das siderúrgicas é encontrar alternativas que reduzam os impactos ambientais associados aos seus processos. Esta busca requer porém, uma análise sistêmica e integrada que considere o produto final em todo seu ciclo de vida. Este estudo tem por finalidade a avaliação do desempenho ambiental da produção de aço líquido para um arranjo tecnológico médio no país. Para tanto, utilizou-se a ferramenta de Análise de Ciclo de Vida (ACV). Embora o diagnóstico tenha sido efetuado sobre todas as etapas de processamento, optou-se por evidenciar etapas que fossem inerentes do processamento do aço líquido. O diagnóstico inicial, então, revelou que as principais etapas responsáveis pelos impactos ambientais inerentes ao processo são: a) produção de energia elétrica do Grid brasileiro, b) a manufatura do aço e c) captação e transporte de água. A partir desta vistoria de etapas inerentes pôde-se propor cenários de melhoria de desempenho ambiental para o processo de produção do aço líquido, a saber: I) Aproveitamento de Gás de Aciaria para produção de Energia Elétrica e II) Instalação de Tecnologia de apagamento a seco do coque. Embora o Cenário III não esteja contemplado nas cargas inerentes de processo, o mesmo foi efetuado a partir de solicitação da empresa: III) Substituição do fornecimento de Minério de Manganês. A técnica de ACV foi novamente aplicada com o intuito de verificar a validade das ações propostas. O estudo concluiu que houve melhorias relevantes no desempenho ambiental principalmente nos modelos CED e USEtox, em todas a categorias de impacto apresentadas (Fósseis Não Renováveis, Nuclear Não Renovável, Biomassa Não Renovável, Biomassa Renovável, Energia decorrente de efeitos naturais, Água Renovável, Toxidade Humana a Câncer, Toxidade Humana Não Câncer e Ecotoxidade Aquática) para os Cenário I e II. Pouco impacto foi observado no modelo ReCiPe Midpoint (H) para o Cenário I e II a não ser pela piora na categoria de impacto de Formação de Oxidantes Fotoquímicos para o Cenário II. Isso aconteceu por um aumento na emissão de monóxido de carbono descrito pela proposição. O Cenário III apresentou melhoria significativa apenas de uma categoria de impacto: Depleção de Metais, devido redução da depleção manganês, explicada pela melhoria de qualidade na troca de fornecedores. / Steel is an input for various uses ranging from construction, to the production of consumer goods. From an environmental perspective the changes that occur in the production chain are highlighted by high consumption of raw materials and energy - in electric and thermal forms - and emissions to the environment. So the great challenge of the steel is to find alternatives that reduce environmental impacts associated with their processes. This search, however, requires a systemic and integrated analysis that considers the final product throughout its life cycle. This study aims to evaluate the environmental performance of the liquid steel production to an average technological arrangement in the country. For this, we used the Life Cycle Analysis Tool (ACV). Although the diagnosis has been made on all processing stages, we chose to highlight steps that were inherent in the liquid steel processing. The initial diagnosis then revealed that the main stages responsible for the environmental impacts inherent in the process are: a) electricity production of the Brazilian Grid, b) the manufacture of steel and c) uptake and transport of water. From this survey inherent steps could be proposed improvement scenarios of environmental performance for the liquid steel production process, as follows: I) Steelmaking Gas Utilization for Production of Electricity and II) Coke Dry Quenching Tecnology. Although Scenario III is not contemplated in the process of inherent charges, the same was made on request from the company: III) Replacing the supply of manganese ore. The LCA technique was applied again in order to verify the validity of the proposed actions. The study concluded there were significant improvements in the environmental performance mainly in CED and USEtox models in all the presented impact categories (Fossils Renewable Not Nuclear Renewable No Biomass Renewable Non Renewable Biomass Energy from natural effects, Renewable Water, Toxicity Human to Cancer, Human Toxicity Ecotoxicity not Cancer and Frashwater Ecotoxity) for Scenario I and II. Little impact was observed in the model ReCiPe Midpoint (H) for Scenario I and II unless the worsening Photochemical Oxidant Formation impact category for Scenario II. This happened by an increase in carbon monoxide emission described by the proposition. Scenario III showed significant improvement only in a depletion impact category metals due reducing manganese depletion, explained by the improvement of quality of switching suppliers.

O desafio de se atingir o desenvolvimento sustentável tem levado os sistemas produtivos buscar um equilíbrio entre os aspectos ambientais, econômicos e sociais. Com relação ao uso dos recursos hídricos, a aqüicultura se mostra, no Brasil, como uma atividade economicamente emergente, mas que precisa considerar os aspectos de sustentabilidade em sua produção. O presente trabalho apresenta como objetivo avaliar os potenciais impactos causados pelas atividades de piscicultura e pesque-pague no corpo hídrico, localizado na região de montante da bacia hidrográfica do rio Mogi-Guaçu. Dentre as metodologias de avaliação de impactos ambientais, pode-se destacar a Avaliação do ciclo de vida (ACV) por seu caráter sistêmico, e por isso é utilizada neste trabalho. Para o desenvolvimento do estudo da ACV, foi utilizado o método Environmental Design of Industrial Products - EDIP, alguns métodos de caracterização hídrica na fase de inventário da ACV e uma avaliação qualitativa da introdução de espécies não nativas em uma região. Os resultados deste trabalho estão estruturados de acordo com a metodologia da ACV, aplicada ao pescado advindo de pesque-pague em estudo de caso localizado na região de montante da bacia hidrográfica do rio Mogi-Guaçu. A unidade funcional adotada é a quantidade de kcal contida em um kg de filé de peixe. A utilização da metodologia da ACV na produção animal permite uma avaliação quantitativa dos principais impactos ambientais gerados ao longo do seu ciclo de vida, permitindo acompanhar o comportamento ambiental de cada unidade de processo. A piscicultura se mostra como a maior consumidora dos recursos naturais não renováveis e, seu efluente apresenta um maior potencial de acidificação, em relação ao pesque-pague. O pesque-pague, por sua vez, se mostra como o maior consumidor dos recursos naturais renováveis e seu efluente apresenta um maior potencial de eutrofização, ecotoxicidade e de toxicidade humana. O consumo de energia elétrica é, praticamente, equivalente por parte das atividades de piscicultura e pesque-pague. Qualitativamente, avaliaram-se os potencias impactos decorrentes da introdução de espécies exóticas e alóctones, diagnosticando as principais espécies comercializadas nos pesque-pague, presentes na bacia hidrográfica do rio Mogi-Guaçu. Portanto, as atividades de piscicultura e pesque-pague apresentam potenciais de impactos ambientais negativos ao corpo hídrico da região e precisam adotar medidas para reduzi-los, tais como, redução do uso de substâncias químicas e melhoria da qualidade dos alimentos dos peixes. / The challenge to reach the sustainable development has taken the production systems to search a balance among the environmental, economical and social aspects. For the hydraulic resources consumption, the water based activities in Brazil show as economically emergent, but need to include the sustainable aspects in the production. The goal of this dissertation is to evaluate the potential impacts in the water caused for the activities of fish production and fishery, located in the region of the water basin of the Mogi-Guaçu river. Among the methodologies of environmental impact assessment, the life cycle assessment (LCA) can be focused, because of its systemic aspect and that\'s why it is applied in this work. For the development of the study of this LCA, the methods used are the Environmental Design of Industrial Products - EDIP, some water characterization methods for the inventory analysis of the LCA and a qualitative analysis of the impacts of the inclusion of fishes which are not from the region studied. The results of this work are structured according the LCA methodology, applied to the fish from fish production and fishery in a study case located at the water basin of the Mogi-Guaçu river. The functional unit is the amount of kcal contained in one kg of filet of fish. The use of the methodology of the LCA in the animal production allows a quantitative evaluation of the main environmental impacts caused by its cycle of life, allowing the monitoring of the environmental behavior of each unit of process. The fish production is the highest consumer of the non renewable resources and its water emissions present the highest potential for acidification. The fishery is the highest consumer of renewable resources and its water emissions present the highest potential for nutrient enrichment, ecotoxicity and of human toxicity. The consumption of electric energy is, basically, equal on the activities of fish production and fishery. Qualitatively, it was evaluated the ecological impacts due to the inclusion of fishes which are not from the region studied. Concluding, the activities of fish production and fishery present negative impact potentials for the water quality and some actions should be done to reduce these impacts, as, chemical consumption reductions and a better quality food for the fishes.

A normalização é uma importante etapa da Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida, uma vez que fornece uma unidade comum, permitindo a comparação das diferentes categorias de impacto. A referência de normalização mais utilizada considera o impacto das atividades totais da sociedade num certo período de tempo. Estes dados são inexistentes no Brasil para impactos regionais e locais, de forma que este trabalho objetivou iniciar o preenchimento dessa lacuna, com os fatores de normalização para as categorias \"acidificação\" e \"eutrofização\", no estado de São Paulo. Tais fatores foram calculados com base em um inventário das estimativas anuais de aporte ao meio ambiente de substâncias contribuintes para estas categorias, cuja realização possibilitou a análise do estado da arte desses impactos em São Paulo e dos setores responsáveis pela geração das substâncias contribuintes. Conforme esperado, os fatores (ou referências) de normalização encontrados foram diferentes daqueles por hora utilizados no Brasil, baseados em dados europeus. Entre as razões que explicam esta diferença estão a baixa emissão de \'SO IND.X\' devido a matriz energética brasileira, o uso de etanol com combustível e o despejo de esgoto sem tratamento (ou tratamento inadequado). / Normalization is an important step in Life Cycle Assessment as it provides a common unit, allowing the comparison of the different impact categories. The normalization reference most widely used considers the \"background\" impact from the total activities of society in a chosen reference period. These data are inexistent in Brazil for regional and local impacts so that this work aimed to begin filling this lack, first developing normalization factors for the categories \"acidification\" and \"eutrophication\" in the state of Sao Paulo. These factors were calculated from an inventory of the annual load to the environment of substances contributing to these categories; the production of this inventory allowed the analysis of a) the state of the art of these impacts in Sao Paulo and b) the sectors responsible for the generation of contributors. As expected, normalization factors (or references) were different from those currently used in Brazil, based on European data. Among the reasons for this difference are lower \'SO IND.X\' emissions due to the Brazilian energy matrix, the use of ethanol as fuel and disposal of sewage without treatment (or mistreatment).

The improvement of environmental impacts from production and consumption is an important sustainability target for Belgium, defined in federal and regional strategies for sustainable development. In order to monitor the implementation of sustainability targets a framework that can consistently link production and consumption and assess multiple environmental impacts such as climate change or resource use is needed. The most recognised method for the quantification of environmental impacts of product systems is life cycle assessment (LCA). Most LCAs focusing on production and consumption activities are carried out at national level. However, when regional differences in production and/or consumption structure exist, which is the case for Belgium, the use of more regionalised datasets and assessments seems more appropriate. This PhD thesis develops a multi-regional environmentally extended input-output model (EE-MRIOM) that can account for regional variation in production and consumption patterns and analyse environmental impacts of products from life cycle perspective. The model analysis three Belgian regions (Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia with a special focus on the latter) and their connections via trade flows with the rest of the world. The regional input-output tables (IOTs) of Belgium were linked to a global input-output database (EXIOBASE) and integrated into the LCA framework. The initial regional environmental data on major air emissions were extended by resource use and other emission data, so that a wide spectrum of potential environmental impacts can be analysed. The model represents all economic activities in 2003, 2007 and 2010 with a higher resolution in environmentally important sectors (e.g. energy, construction products, waste).The analysis of environmental impacts from production and consumption perspective confirms the relevance of the life cycle thinking approach, as, for example only 10 % of Walloon household environmental impacts are direct impacts and only 20 % of the Walloon production-related impacts occur on the regional territory. The results show that certain environmental impacts of production have decreased due to the economic crises and structural changes, while environmental impacts from household consumption have increased during the same period. Therefore, we conclude that only the joint improvement from production and consumption perspective will effectively reduce environmental impacts and particular efforts from the consumer side are needed. The regional comparison of impact intensities indicates significant regional variation for production, at economy scale, but also at product level. However, the results do not suggest a systematically lower or higher environmental impact intensity for a certain region. From the household consumption perspective, the results indicate low regional variation when comparing environmental impacts on a per habitant basis. Based on the results from the regional comparison of impact intensities, we conclude that there is no universal concept that could be transferred from one region to the other to improve environmental impacts. Instead, product-specific best cases at a regional scale must be identified in order to propose improvement options. For the Walloon region ‘priority products’, i.e. products or services that contribute significantly to a certain impact category in terms of total impact and impact intensities, are identified with the developed EE-MRIOM. Further model applications are demonstrated in this work such as comparative assessment within a priority sector, detailed sector analysis and scenario analysis to support the policy-making process. The developed model helps to identify most efficient measures to reduce environmental impacts from production and consumption perspective and suggests further methodological developments. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Finding innovative technologies for building our roads has always been of paramount importance. From moving to warm mix asphalt to decrease our indulgence in high energy consumption to substituting fly ash for asphalt binders to reduce dependence on pure asphalt binders from petroleum, engineers have painstakingly tried to develop new ways to improve the ways that flexible pavements are made. The major problem facing the next generation of civil engineers is sustainable practices on the field. Over the years, significant progress has been made in this regard on the impacts of building pavements on the environment. Characterizing these improvements tends to be difficult, and that is where Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comes in. LCA is a technique used to analyze and quantify the environmental impacts of a product, system, or process. LCA shows where the significant impacts occur and how improvements can be made while recommending better practices. Even with its many advantages, its use is very constrained, especially in the United States, as it is still a very novel approach in design coupled with limited datasets and protocol for its operation. With modern technologies of substitute materials for binders like bio-oil from food waste, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), and fly ash, there is a need to understand their environmental impacts. Furthermore, in this regard is where LCA can help using three significant areas: selection of materials, normalization, and characterization. Characterization refers to the identification and quantification of the relationships between the life cycle results and the environmental impacts. This research explores the environmental impacts of substituting other materials for asphalt binders using LCA. With variations in modifying levels of substitutes, results show promising levels in emissions of harmful gasses to both the air and water. This study explores ways used in normalizing this process as well as setting up a pathway for other asphalt binder substitutes. / Civil Engineering

The construction and real estate industry is one of Sweden's largest consumers of energy andraw materials. According to figures from Boverket, the building industry was responsible for21% of Sweden's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. If Sweden is to fulfil its commitmentsunder the Paris Agreement and at the same time achieve the climate goals for the 2030 Agenda,resourceefficient measures are required immediately. The transition to circular economy can bea vital step in this necessary change. In circular economy, it is crucial to eliminate waste andpollutants which can be achieved by increasing efficiency and maintaining products andmaterials in a circular cycle. The aim of this study is to examine which strategies can be applied to implementing circulareconomy in the construction industry and what opportunities and obstacles they entail. I havealso investigated whether life-cycle assessment can be an effective tool for this implementation.To answer these questions, interviews have been carried through with researchers and businessrepresentatives who have extensive knowledge of sustainable construction and who arecommitted to finding solutions to combat climate change in the construction industry. Anextensive literature study has also been performed. The results indicate that there are several opportunities and sought-after measures with thecircular economy concept, of which the most significant one is its potential to increase resourceefficiency and thereby generate climate benefits. Strategies for the implementation of CEinclude methods such as circular procurement, design for deconstruction, material passports,upcycling and reversible building design. New smart business models can also generate newrevenues and create more employment opportunities. Challenges highlighted in the study are above all lack of financial incentives. For instance, inmost cases, it is at present more profitable to buy virgin than secondary materials. The lack ofspace for intermediate storage of materials to be reused is also a challenge. There is often a lackof knowledge with suppliers and customers. In addition, there are several legal issues regardingthe division of responsibilities and finally the need of more efficient policy instruments.

No description available.

Yes / The biomass gasification process is widely accepted as a popular technology to produce fuel for the application in gas turbines and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). Chemical reactions of this process can be separated into three reaction zones: pyrolysis, combustion, and reduction. In this study, sensitivity analysis with respect to three input parameters (gasification temperature, equivalence ratio, and steam-to-biomass ratio) has been carried out to achieve energy self-sufficient conditions in a steam gasification process under the criteria that the carbon conversion efficiency must be more than 70%, and carbon dioxide gas is lower than 20%. Simulation models of the steam gasification process have been carried out by ASPEN Plus and validated with both experimental data and simulation results from Nikoo & Mahinpey (2008). Gasification temperature of 911 °C, equivalence ratio of 0.18, and a steam-to-biomass ratio of 1.78, are considered as an optimal operation point to achieve energy self-sufficient condition. This operating point gives the maximum of carbon conversion efficiency at 91.03%, and carbon dioxide gas at 15.18 volumetric percentages. In this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) is included to compare the environmental performance of conventional and energy self-sufficient gasification for steam biomass gasification. / Financing of this research was supported by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) under Grant Number PHD57I0054 and the Institutional Research Grant by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) under Grant Number IRG 5780014 and Chulalongkorn University, Contact No. RES_57_411_21_076.

The electric vehicle segments of companies have broadened, and their sales have increased in the past decade. The electric motorcycle sector is growing fast, with improved technology on electric powertrains, increased ranges, charging speeds, and infrastructure. Parallel to the increased sales, the electric battery sector is advancing rapidly, thereby lowering the environmental impacts of these vehicles. The competitive adventure sports sector also benefits from using electric powertrains with their incredible power-to-weight ratio and instant torque. The benefits of using electric vehicles over conventional ones can be seen during the use phase, with zero tailpipe emissions and clean, silent riding.   However, with the expansion of the electric motorcycle sector rolling out new technologies and models, there are uncertainties about whether the overall lifecycle has reduced impacts on the environment. Finding and improving the most sustainable model(s) or solution(s) implies scrutinizing the effects of these motorcycles on the environment, which is the goal of CAKE 0 Emission AB, a Swedish lightweight electric motorbike manufacturer.   The current project will assess the potential environmental impacts of Kalk&, an off-road electric motorcycle model certified for on-road use, designed, and manufactured by CAKE 0 Emission AB. For this purpose, Attributional Life Cycle Assessment was chosen as the method to study the impact of one whole motorbike over a lifetime of 500 battery charging cycles, used by a hypothetical example user in Stockholm, Sweden. The potential environmental impacts are focused on 12 categories using the ReCiPe Midpoint (H) method.   As expected from an electric vehicle, the results show that the impacts mainly stem from the manufacturing phase of the motorbike. The hotspots in the manufacturing phase arise from producing the battery, the electric motor, and the electrical components like lights, the charger, and cables. The materials used for construction that have a high share of impact are Copper and Aluminium. Another environmental hotspot is the casting manufacturing process. Within the vehicle use phase, the impact of using solar energy in Sweden for charging the batteries is not immediately intuitive and has shown to be higher than the Swedish electricity board mix; the results argue that the choice of electricity is vital in reducing emissions. Transporting the vehicle overseas by ship instead of by flight decreases emissions by about 82% to 97% within the various impact categories.   A sensitivity scenario was created for a hypothetical user in Barcelona, Spain, to better understand the influence of the selected lifetime and user behavior on the impacts. The results indicate that using an additional battery and thereby increasing the lifetime of the vehicle shows a 34% decrease in emissions per km driven within the lifetime of the motorcycle. Lastly, it is recommended whenever possible to source the numerous components of the vehicle closer to the assembly unit to reduce the transportation impacts incurred from transoceanic freight. / Företagens elfordonssegment har breddats och deras försäljning har ökat under det senaste decenniet. Den elektriska motorcykelsektorn växer snabbt, med förbättrad teknik på elektriska drivlinor, ökade räckvidder, laddningshastigheter och infrastruktur. Parallellt med den ökade försäljningen går elbatterisektorn snabbt framåt, vilket minskar miljöpåverkan från dessa fordon. Den konkurrensutsatta äventyrssportsektorn drar också nytta av att använda elektriska drivlinor med deras otroliga kraft-till-vikt-förhållande och omedelbara vridmoment. Fördelarna med att använda elfordon framför konventionella kan ses under användningsfasen, med noll avgasutsläpp och ren, tyst körning.  Men med expansionen av elmotorcykelsektorn som rullar ut nya tekniker och modeller, finns det osäkerheter om huruvida den övergripande livscykeln har minskat miljöpåverkan. Att hitta och förbättra de mest hållbara modellerna eller lösningarna innebär att man granskar dessa motorcyklars effekter på miljön, vilket är målet för CAKE 0 Emission AB, en svensk lättviktstillverkare av elmotorcykel.  Det aktuella projektet kommer att bedöma de potentiella miljöeffekterna av Kalk&, en terrängmodell av elektrisk motorcykel certifierad för användning på väg, designad och tillverkad av CAKE 0 Emission AB. För detta ändamål valdes Attributional Life Cycle Assessment som metoden för att studera effekten av en hel motorcykel under en livstid på 500 batteriladdningscykler, som används av en hypotetisk exempelanvändare i Stockholm, Sverige. Den potentiella miljöpåverkan är fokuserad på 12 kategorier med hjälp av metoden ReCiPe Midpoint (H).  Som förväntat av ett elfordon visar resultaten att effekterna huvudsakligen härrör från motorcykelns tillverkningsfas. Hotspots i tillverkningsfasen uppstår från att producera batteriet, elmotorn och de elektriska komponenterna som lampor, laddare och kablar. De material som används för konstruktion som har en hög andel av påverkan är koppar och aluminium. En annan miljömässig hotspot är tillverkningsprocessen för gjutning. Inom fordonsanvändningsfasen är effekten av att använda solenergi i Sverige för att ladda batterierna inte direkt intuitiv och har visat sig vara högre än den svenska elkortsmixen; resultaten talar för att valet av el är avgörande för att minska utsläppen. Att transportera fordonet utomlands med fartyg istället för med flyg minskar utsläppen med cirka 82% till 97% inom de olika påverkanskategorierna.  Ett känslighetsscenario skapades för en hypotetisk användare i Barcelona, Spanien, för att bättre förstå inverkan av den valda livslängden och användarbeteendet på effekterna. Resultaten indikerar att användning av ett extra batteri och därmed ökad livslängd på fordonet visar en 34% minskning av utsläppen per körd km under motorcykelns livslängd. Slutligen rekommenderas det när det är möjligt att köpa de många komponenterna i fordonet närmare monteringsenheten för att minska transportpåverkan från transoceanisk frakt.  Note: The abstract has been translated to Swedish from English using Google Translate