The increasing global population has placed significant pressure on meeting food demands, leading to the widespread use of fertilizers to enhance crop yields. Urea, being the most used fertilizer globally, has contributed to improved agricultural productivity. However, conventional urea production technologies heavily rely on fossil fuels, resulting in substantial greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to climate change.  As the demand for urea fertilizer is projected to rise in the future, there is a growing societal concern for environmental sustainability. Consequently, alternative technologies are being developed to produce urea with claims of reduced environmental impacts compared to conventional production technologies.  The objective of this master's thesis was to identify available production technologies for the materials involved in urea production, analyse different technological pathways and compare their environmental impacts and cost implications. The analysis considered several scenarios involving variations in the sources of electricity, methane gas and water used during the production process.  The analysis focused on Global Warming Potential (GWP), Primary Energy use (PE) and associated costs. The environmental analysis was conducted through a cradle-to-gate perspective based on a life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA). The cost analysis was based on a material flow cost accounting (MFCA).  The results for the green, hybrid and progressive technological pathways were benchmarked against the traditional pathway for urea production. The findings indicate that all these alternative pathways can reduce the GWP or PE values, which could be linked to the utilization of electricity sources with low GWP, such European and Swedish electricity mix, and the generation of by-products in the pathways However, within the context of the research assumptions, it was not possible to achieve a simultaneous reduction that included cost reductions alongside GWP and PE.  The study highlights the challenges of outperforming the efficiency levels of traditional technologies with other technological alternatives. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of carefully considering the integrations of the technologies and better utilization of residues and by-products exploring an integration of systems under an industrial symbiosis approach.  Finally, it is important to consider the trade-offs between environmental performance and cost when defining technological pathways for urea production.

Samtidigt som klimatfrågan är på ALLAS läppar står byggsektorn för 20 procent av växthusgasutsläpp i Sverige. Byggbranschen har tagit fram en gemensam färdplan som styr mot nettnollutsläpp år 2045. Det är faktorer som gör att byggherrar och beställare strävar efter förminskade klimatavtryck i sina satsningar, som inte sällan ställer krav på miljösmarta materialval. Projektören måste då kunna leverera de bästa lösningarna.  Idén för examensarbetet har tagits fram i samarbete med Swecos avdelning för vatten i Luleå. Rapporten ska bekriva Swecos arbete med klimatkalkylering inom VA-projektering, hur de arbetar med det nu och vad som kan förbättras. Arbetet genomförs genom att studera teori för klimatberäkningar, intervjua experter samt genom att fördjupa sig i och studera klimatdata från olika leverantörer. Beräkningar utförs och sammanställs för att ge svar på vilket material för VA-ledningar som är bäst för klimatet.  Resultaten visar att det inte är vanligt att byggherrar ställer krav på material för VA-ledningar ur ett klimatperspektiv. Resultaten visar även att de material som undersökts har stora skillnader i utsläpp av växthusgaser.

Globally, the rising extraction of raw materials results in substantial resource depletion. The global circularity rate declines yearly as goods manufacturing consumes energy, fossil fuels, and primary materials. In the EU, about 11 million tonnes of furniture are discarded annually, and most end up in landfills. Sweden discards about 330.000 tonnes of office furniture each year. Sharing and reusing with Circular Economy (CE) strategies can possibly reduce environmental impact, yet challenges may arise from extra measures and expectancies when sharing. There are few studies that assess CE strategies in the use phase and environmental impacts of furniture. For the evaluation of CE strategies and a product's potential environmental impact and comparing user scenarios, this study used a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The goal is to explore under what circumstances height adjustable desks (desks) in four user scenarios (baseline scenario and three scenarios with adopted CE strategies for closing, slowing, and narrowing the material loops) are the most beneficial for the environment. The evaluation is conducted by analysing the scenario’s potential impact (i.e., midpoint categories GWP, HNCT and MRS). The results show that the manufacturing of the desk frame has a significant impact in the midpoint categories GWP and MRS, and the manufacturing of the motor in the midpoint category HNCT, in all four scenarios. The rental scenario, with high utilisation (80%) due to flexibility, has the lowest potential impact, compared to the three other scenarios with 40% utilisation. Two sensitivity analyses were conducted, which showed that the utilisation rate and lifespan of parts (due to aesthetic expectations) is crucial for what scenario that has the best outcome. Rental and reuse have a lower impact compared to recycling and baseline. The circumstances of high utilisation rate and flexibility benefitted the rental scenario. Product design strategies such as modular, easy repair and maintenance, and the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) keeping ownership or agreeing with the user are critical for substituting parts in the reuse and rental scenarios. This study shows that renting office desks is the best option, compared to the other scenarios, as long as utilisation is over 54% and high user expectations do not demand new desktops every 5th year.

[EN] Climate change is one of the short term threats for the humanity because it can affect seriously to the environment and, consequently, to vegetal and animal life. If it is not stopped in next years, maybe this effect will be irreversible. Climate change is produced by anthropogenic emissions of Greenhouse Gas to Earth's atmosphere. Vapour compression systems are one of the main contributors to this phenomenon. Among them, commercial refrigeration applications, through HFC usage, can be highlighted. Since 1990s, developed countries supermarkets are using refrigerants (mainly R134a, R404A and R507A) with great impact (high GWP values) on the climate change due to leakages, especially from parallel compressor rack DX systems. Recently, some regulations and directives have been approved to limit GWP values of HFC used in most extended refrigeration and air conditioning applications, directly affecting to commercial refrigeration. In this thesis, some low-GWP alternatives to replace the most commonly used HFC refrigerants in commercial refrigeration are evaluated, taking into account the limitations imposed by these regulations. To carry out this evaluation, the current status of parallel compressor rack refrigeration systems and their fluids has been reviewed. Then, the different low-GWP options to replace R134a and R404A have been studied. HFOs and their mixtures with HFC have been highlighted as the most promising drop-in or retrofit alternatives. Thus, R1234yf, R1234ze(E) and R450A were proposed to replace R134a and R448A to substitute R404A. The theoretical performance of the different low-GWP alternative fluids, as an overview of their potential use, has been studied at typical parallel compressor rack refrigeration operating conditions using the basic thermodynamic vapour compression cycle. Given the good theoretical performance of these refrigerants, they have been tested in a vapour compression test bench. From the experimental results it is depicted that R1234yf and R1234ze(E) are not acceptable as drop-in or light retrofit refrigerants from an energetic point of view. These fluids, when used in R134a systems, require system modifications (more severe in the case of R1234ze(E)) to achieve acceptable energy efficiency values. Moreover, due to the large refrigerant charge in PCRRS, both HFOs could present problems relating to security. Thus, while R450A presents a GWP value of 547, it appears as the best option to replace R134a due to the similar energy efficiency and properties. Its experimental mass flow rate and cooling capacity are slightly lower than R134a, but the final COP is approximately the same. The best R450A results when compared to R134a are obtained at higher CRs. Although can obtain better efficiency results in new systems, with a minor TXV adjustment R448A shows very high performance when it is used in R404A systems. Despite R448A lower cooling capacity than that R404A, this HFC/HFO mixture can achieve great CO2 equivalent emission reductions and it is recommended as lower-GWP replacement for R404A. / [ES] El cambio climático es una amenaza para la humanidad ya que puede afectar seriamente al medio ambiente y, en consecuencia, a la vida animal y vegetal. Si en los próximos años no se actúa para detenerlo, tal vez este efecto sea irreversible. Entre otros factores, el incremento de la temperatura global es producido por las emisiones antropogénicas de gases de efecto invernadero a la atmósfera. La refrigeración comercial, basada en sistemas de compresión de vapor, contribuye de forma relevante a este fenómeno a través del uso de fluidos sintéticos como refrigerantes y del consumo de energía eléctrica procedente de combustibles fósiles. Desde la última década del siglo XX, los supermercados de países desarrollados utilizan HFCs como fluidos de trabajo, principalmente R134a, R404A y R507A. Estos gases, de alto potencial de calentamiento atmosférico (PCA), contribuyen al cambio climático al fugarse accidentalmente de los sistemas de refrigeración, destacando las centrales de compresores en paralelo conectadas a sistemas de expansión directa. El valor máximo de PCA de los HFCs utilizados en aplicaciones de refrigeración y aire acondicionado va a ser controlado por normativas comunitarias, afectando directamente a los fluidos usados comúnmente en refrigeración comercial. Esta tesis evalúa diferentes alternativas de bajo PCA para sustituir los refrigerantes HFC más utilizados en refrigeración comercial, teniendo en cuenta las limitaciones impuestas por las normativas actuales. Para llevar a cabo dicho estudio, se revisa el estado actual de los sistemas de centrales de compresores en paralelo y sus fluidos. A continuación, se analizan las diferentes opciones de bajo PCA para sustituir al R134a y R404A. Al destacar los HFOs y sus mezclas con HFCs como alternativas para realizar un reemplazo con pocas modificaciones del sistema (propiedades similares); R1234yf, R1234ze(E) y R450A son propuestos para sustituir al R134a y R448A para R404A. El rendimiento teórico de los diferentes fluidos alternativos de bajo PCA, para obtener una visión general del potencial de su uso, se estudia simulando las condiciones operativas típicas de las centrales de compresores en paralelo, usando el ciclo termodinámico de compresión de vapor básico. Dado el buen rendimiento mostrado por estos refrigerantes, son ensayados en un banco de pruebas de compresión de vapor. De los resultados experimentales se observa que R1234yf y R1234ze(E) no son aceptables desde un punto de vista energético como sustitutivos directos o con menores modificaciones. Dichos fluidos, cuando son utilizados en sistemas de R134a, requieren modificaciones del sistema (más severas en el caso del R1234ze(E)) para alcanzar valores aceptables de eficiencia energética. Por otra parte, debido a la gran carga necesaria en PCRRS, ambos HFOs podrían presentar problemas en cuanto a la seguridad. Así, mientras que el R450A presenta un valor de PCA de 547, aparece como la mejor opción para sustituir al R134a debido a una eficiencia energética y propiedades similares. El caudal másico y la capacidad frigorífica del R450A son ligeramente inferiores en comparación con las del R134a, pero por otra parte, el COP resultante es aproximadamente el mismo. Los mejores resultados obtenidos para R450A son obtenidas a altas tasas de compresión. Aunque puede ser obtenida una eficiencia energética más alta en sistemas de nuevo diseño, con sólo un ajuste menor de la válvula de expansión termostática, el R448A muestra valores muy altos de rendimiento en sistemas utilizados con R404A. A pesar de que la capacidad frigorífica del R448A es menor que la del R404A, esta mezcla de HFC y HFO puede dar lugar a grandes reducciones de emisiones de CO2 equivalentes, siendo así recomendado como reemplazo del R404A con menor PCA. / [CA] El canvi climàtic és una amenaça per a la humanitat ja que pot afectar seriosament el medi ambient i, en conseqüència, la vida animal i vegetal. Si en els propers anys no s'actua per aturar-lo, potser aquest efecte siga irreversible. Entre altres factors, l'increment de la temperatura global és produït per les emissions antropogèniques de gasos d'efecte hivernacle a l'atmosfera. La refrigeració comercial, basada en sistemes de compressió de vapor, contribueix de manera rellevant a aquest fenomen per l'ús de fluids sintètics com refrigerants i pel consum d'energia elèctrica procedent de combustibles fòssils. Des de l'última dècada del segle XX, els supermercats dels països desenvolupats utilitzen HFCs com fluids de treball, principalment R134a, R404A i R507A. Aquests gasos, d'alt potencial d'escalfament atmosfèric (PCA en castellà), contribueixen al canvi climàtic quan s'escapen accidentalment dels sistemes de refrigeració. D'aquest tipus de sistemes destaquen com a grans emissors de diòxid de carboni les centrals de compressors en paral·lel connectades a sistemes d'expansió directa. El valor màxim de PCA dels HFCs utilitzats en aplicacions de refrigeració i aire condicionat serà controlat per normatives comunitàries, cosa que afectarà directament els fluids utilitzats a la gran majoria de sistemes de refrigeració comercial. Aquesta tesi avalua diferents alternatives de baix PCA per substituir els refrigerants HFC més utilitzats en refrigeració comercial sense oblidar les limitacions imposades per les normatives actuals. Per dur a terme aquest estudi, es revisa l'estat actual dels sistemes de centrals de compressors en paral·lel i els seus fluids. A continuació, s'analitzen les diferents opcions de baix PCA per substituir l'R134a i l'R404A. Els HFOs i les seves mescles amb HFCs com alternatives destaquen per permetre una substitució amb poques modificacions del sistema (propietats similars); R1234yf, R1234ze(E) i R450A són proposats per substituir l'R134a i R448A per l'R404A. Per obtenir una visió general del potencial de l'ús dels diferents fluids alternatius de baix PCA, s'estudia el seu rendiment teòric mitjançant una simulació de les condicions operatives típiques de les centrals de compressors en paral·lel. Per a aquesta simulació s'empra el cicle termodinàmic de compressió de vapor bàsic. Com a conseqüència del bon rendiment mostrat per aquests refrigerants, són assajats en un banc de proves de compressió de vapor. Dels resultats experimentals s'observa que R1234yf i R1234ze(E) no són acceptables des d'un punt de vista energètic com a substitutius directes o amb menors modificacions. Aquests fluids, quan són utilitzats en sistemes de R134a, requereixen modificacions del sistema (més severes en el cas de l'R1234ze(E)) per assolir valors acceptables d'eficiència energètica. D'altra banda, a causa de la gran càrrega necessària en PCRRS, tots dos HFOs podrien presentar problemes en temes de seguretat. Així, mentre que el R450A presenta un valor de PCA de 547, apareix com la millor opció per substituir l'R134a a causa de una eficiència energètica i propietats similars. El cabal màssic i la capacitat frigorífica de l'R450A són lleugerament inferiors en comparació amb les de l'R134a, però d'altra banda, el COP resultant és aproximadament el mateix. Els millors resultats de l'R450A són obtinguts a altes taxes de compressió. Tot i que pot ser obtinguda una eficiència energètica més alta en sistemes de nou disseny, amb només un ajust menor de la vàlvula d'expansió termostàtica, l'R448A mostra valors molt alts de rendiment en sistemes utilitzats amb R404A. Encara que la capacitat frigorífica de l'R448A és menor que la de l'R404A, aquesta barreja de HFCs i HFO pot aconseguir grans reduccions d'emissions de CO2 equivalents, i es per tant es recomanada com a reemplaçament amb menor PCA de l'R404A. / Mota Babiloni, A. (2016). ANALYSIS OF LOW GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL FLUORIDE WORKING FLUIDS IN VAPOUR COMPRESSION SYSTEMS. EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATION ALTERNATIVES [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/62680 / Premios Extraordinarios de tesis doctorales

A presente tese trata da análise experimental do efeito da geometria da seção transversal do canal e do desempenho de refrigerantes de reduzido GWP (Global Warming Potential) durante a ebulição convectiva em canais de reduzidas dimensões. A tese inclui ainda um estudo extenso e crítico da literatura sobre métodos de previsão da perda de pressão e do coeficiente de transferência de calor, e sobre estudos experimentais em canais não-circulares e de refrigerantes com reduzido GWP na ebulição convectiva em canais de dimensões reduzidas. Resultados para o coeficiente de transferência de calor e perda de pressão durante a ebulição convectiva foram obtidos para canais com geometrias de seção circular, quadrada e triangular para o refrigerante R134a. Nos testes utilizou-se canais com perímetros internos similares obtidos a partir da conformação de um tubo com diâmetro interno igual a 1,1 mm. No caso do canal circular, dados foram também levantados para os HFOs R1234ze(E) e R1234yf e o hidrocarboneto R600a, fluidos com reduzido GWP. Ensaios foram executados para amplas faixas de fluxos de calor e velocidades mássicas, temperaturas de saturação de 31 e 41°C e títulos de vapor entre 0 e 0,95. Aspectos relacionados aos efeitos da geometria e do fluido refrigerante foram minuciosamente investigados através da análise paramétrica dos resultados. Com base na comparação do banco de dados coletado com os métodos de previsão disponíveis na literatura, constatou-se que estes proporcionam previsões satisfatórias apenas para condições experimentais especificas. Portanto, novos métodos de previsão da perda de pressão e do coeficiente de transferência de calor foram desenvolvidos com base nos dados levantados no presente estudo. Os métodos propostos preveem satisfatoriamente o banco de dados do presente estudo e resultados independentes disponíveis na literatura. Adicionalmente, com base nos resultados levantados, verificou-se que dissipadores de calor baseados em multi-microcanais com canais de seção triangular apresentam desempenho superior comparados a dissipadores com canais quadrados e circulares. / The present thesis concerns an experimental study on the effects of cross-sectional geometry and low GWP refrigerants on the thermal-hydraulic performance for convective boiling inside micro-scale channels. Experimental results for heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop gradient during convective boiling were obtained for circular, square and triangular channels for the fluid R134a. The evaluated channels present the same external perimeter and equivalent diameters of 1.1, 0.977 and 0.835 mm, respectively. In the case of the circular geometry, experimental results were also acquired for the HFOs R1234ze(E) and R1234yf and the hydrocarbon R600a (isobutane), which are fluids with low GWP and null ODP. Experiments were performed for a wide range of heat fluxes and mass velocities, saturation temperatures of 31 and 41°C and vapor qualities up to 0.95. The experimental data were carefully analyzed and discussed based on a parametrical analysis focusing on the effect of the cross-sectional geometry and the working fluid. Subsequently, the experimental data were compared against the most quoted predictive methods from literature. In general, it was verified that none of the predictive methods were able to accurately capture the experimental trends of the overall database. So, new predictive methods for the pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient were developed based on the broad database obtained in the present study. The proposed methods provided satisfactory results not only for the experimental database used for its development, but also for independent databases collected in the literature. Additionally, based on the data obtained in the present study and a performance analysis taken into account pressure drop, heat transfer coefficient and the channel packing factor, triangular cross sectional geometry is recommended for heat sinks.

[pt] Configurações novas e tradicionais de sistemas de refrigeração comerciais foram comparadas considerando sua operação com fluidos refrigerantes alternativos. Primeiramente, desenvolveram-se modelos termodinâmicos para o ciclo transcrítico de dois estágios com refrigerante CO2 (CO2 booster) e para o sistema indireto com CO2 bifásico operando como fluido secundário (pumped CO2). Tais tecnologias foram, em seguida, comparadas com o ciclo de expansão direta (DX) por meio do COP e do consumo anual de energia. Nessa análise, R404A, CO2, e misturas não-azeotrópicas de baixo GWP foram utilizados como fluidos refrigerantes. Em segundo lugar, desenvolveu-se modelo de parâmetros concentrados para simular a operação em regime permanente do sistema de expansão direta com múltiplos compressores e evaporadores. O método multizona foi utilizado na modelagem dos trocadores de calor tubo-e-aleta, com a consideração de diferentes tipos de aletas e superfícies internas para os tubos. Resultados da simulação foram comparados com dados experimentais e, em seguida, calculou-se o impacto ambiental do sistema operando com diferentes refrigerantes de baixo GWP, por meio da metodologia LCCP. / [en] Comparison of new and conventional commercial refrigeration systems, operating with typical and alternative refrigerants, was performed. First, thermodynamic models for the pumped CO2 and the CO2 booster cycles were developed. The COP and the annual energy consumption of these novel designs were compared to those of the traditional direct expansion system in different geographic locations, to take into account year-round climate data. Refrigerant R404A, CO2 and new low-GWP non-azeotropic blends were considered as working uids in this analysis. Second, a component-based lumped parameter model to simulate the steady-state operation of a multicompressor multi-evaporator direct expansion system was developed. The modeling effort considered a multizone approach for the tube-and-fin heat exchangers, as well as addressing enhanced internal surfaces and different fin patterns. Predicted results were compared with experimental data, and a life cycle climate performance (LCCP) analysis was performed to compare the environmental impact of new low-GWP refrigerants.

A presente tese trata da análise experimental do efeito da geometria da seção transversal do canal e do desempenho de refrigerantes de reduzido GWP (Global Warming Potential) durante a ebulição convectiva em canais de reduzidas dimensões. A tese inclui ainda um estudo extenso e crítico da literatura sobre métodos de previsão da perda de pressão e do coeficiente de transferência de calor, e sobre estudos experimentais em canais não-circulares e de refrigerantes com reduzido GWP na ebulição convectiva em canais de dimensões reduzidas. Resultados para o coeficiente de transferência de calor e perda de pressão durante a ebulição convectiva foram obtidos para canais com geometrias de seção circular, quadrada e triangular para o refrigerante R134a. Nos testes utilizou-se canais com perímetros internos similares obtidos a partir da conformação de um tubo com diâmetro interno igual a 1,1 mm. No caso do canal circular, dados foram também levantados para os HFOs R1234ze(E) e R1234yf e o hidrocarboneto R600a, fluidos com reduzido GWP. Ensaios foram executados para amplas faixas de fluxos de calor e velocidades mássicas, temperaturas de saturação de 31 e 41°C e títulos de vapor entre 0 e 0,95. Aspectos relacionados aos efeitos da geometria e do fluido refrigerante foram minuciosamente investigados através da análise paramétrica dos resultados. Com base na comparação do banco de dados coletado com os métodos de previsão disponíveis na literatura, constatou-se que estes proporcionam previsões satisfatórias apenas para condições experimentais especificas. Portanto, novos métodos de previsão da perda de pressão e do coeficiente de transferência de calor foram desenvolvidos com base nos dados levantados no presente estudo. Os métodos propostos preveem satisfatoriamente o banco de dados do presente estudo e resultados independentes disponíveis na literatura. Adicionalmente, com base nos resultados levantados, verificou-se que dissipadores de calor baseados em multi-microcanais com canais de seção triangular apresentam desempenho superior comparados a dissipadores com canais quadrados e circulares. / The present thesis concerns an experimental study on the effects of cross-sectional geometry and low GWP refrigerants on the thermal-hydraulic performance for convective boiling inside micro-scale channels. Experimental results for heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop gradient during convective boiling were obtained for circular, square and triangular channels for the fluid R134a. The evaluated channels present the same external perimeter and equivalent diameters of 1.1, 0.977 and 0.835 mm, respectively. In the case of the circular geometry, experimental results were also acquired for the HFOs R1234ze(E) and R1234yf and the hydrocarbon R600a (isobutane), which are fluids with low GWP and null ODP. Experiments were performed for a wide range of heat fluxes and mass velocities, saturation temperatures of 31 and 41°C and vapor qualities up to 0.95. The experimental data were carefully analyzed and discussed based on a parametrical analysis focusing on the effect of the cross-sectional geometry and the working fluid. Subsequently, the experimental data were compared against the most quoted predictive methods from literature. In general, it was verified that none of the predictive methods were able to accurately capture the experimental trends of the overall database. So, new predictive methods for the pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient were developed based on the broad database obtained in the present study. The proposed methods provided satisfactory results not only for the experimental database used for its development, but also for independent databases collected in the literature. Additionally, based on the data obtained in the present study and a performance analysis taken into account pressure drop, heat transfer coefficient and the channel packing factor, triangular cross sectional geometry is recommended for heat sinks.

Transportsektorn så som den ser ut i dagens samhälle är inte hållbar då den står för ungefär 30 % av Sveriges totala utsläpp av koldioxid. Detta beror framför allt på att fossila bränslen utgör det främsta drivmedlet inom transportsektorn, och alternativa lösningar måste därför undersökas. Två sådana alternativ är elbilar och bränslecellsbilar. För att ta reda på vilket av dessa elbilskoncept som har störst möjlighet att skapa en utsläppsfri transportsektor har livscykelanalyser genomförts för att jämföra de olika bilmodellerna ur ett livscykelperspektiv. De två bilmodeller som betraktas i studien är elbilen Tesla Model S och bränslecellsbilen Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell. Analysen omfattar produktionen av de för bilmodellernas specifika komponenter, vilket för elbilen är batteriet och för bränslecellsbilen bränslecellen, vätgastankarna och batteriet, samt användningsfasen där även produktion av bränsle ingår. Distribution och återvinning av bilmodellerna har uteslutits ur denna studie. För genomförandet av livscykelanalyserna har programvaran SimaPro 7 som ger tillgång till ett stort antal databaser använts. Resultatet av studien visar att bränslecellsbilen har en lägre klimatpåverkan än en elbil sett ur ett livscykelperspektiv, med antagandet att vätgasen produceras med vattenkraftsproducerad el. Dock finns det en del osäkerheter i studien så som val av bilmodeller, material och processer vid produktionsfasen som kan ha påverkat resultatet. För att minska eventuella osäkerheter i beräkningarna undersöktes ytterligare två scenarion; ett där vätgasen som används i bränslecellsbilen producerats med en genomsnittlig svensk elproduktion och ett där ett mindre batteri användes i elbilen. Enligt resultatet av det första scenariot är bränslecellsbilen även då det bästa alternativet ur miljösynpunkt, medan elbilen skulle vara ett bättre alternativ om storleken på batteriet var mindre. Avslutningsvis kan konstateras att den största klimatpåverkan för de båda elbilskoncepten sker under produktionsfasen. Särskilt utmärkande är detta för elbilen, medan bränslecellsbilen har en högre klimatpåverkan under användningsfasen. Oavsett vilket av de undersökta elbilskoncepten som används kommer Sveriges transportsektor inte kunna bli koldioxidneutral inom den närmsta framtiden, och det är även svårt att avgöra vilket av koncepten som lämpar sig bäst för användning i större skala i en framtida svensk transportsektor. / The transport sector in today’s society is not sustainable since it contributes to about 30% of Sweden’s total greenhouse gas emissions. This is mainly due to the fact that the primary fuels used in the transport sector are fossil fuels. Therefore, alternative solutions must be investigated. Two such options that will be investigated in this report are battery electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. To find out which of these would have a greater possibility to create a zero-emission transport sector, the vehicles have been compared from a life cycle perspective by the performance of a life cycle assessment. The investigated vehicle models are the battery electric vehicle Tesla Model S and the fuel cell vehicle Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell. The assessment includes production of the specific components for each vehicle, which are defined as the battery in the battery electric vehicle and the fuel cell, hydrogen tanks and battery in the fuel cell vehicle, along with the use phase and production of the fuel. Distribution and recycling of the vehicles have been excluded from the study. The software SimaPro 7, which gives access to several life cycle inventory databases, was used when performing the life cycle assessments. According to the result of the study, fuel cell vehicles have a lower impact on the climate than battery electric vehicles from a life cycle perspective, if the hydrogen is produced using hydroelectric energy. However, a number of uncertainties such as differences in the chosen vehicle models, and assumptions made regarding the materials and processes used in the production phase of the vehicles could have affected the result. Two additional scenarios were investigated to decrease these uncertainties; one where the hydrogen used in the fuel cell vehicle was produced using an average Swedish electricity production and one where a smaller size of the battery in the battery electric vehicle was used. In the first scenario, the fuel cell vehicle would still be the better option, but in the scenario where a smaller size of the battery was used, the battery electric vehicle would be the option with the lowest impact on the climate. It can be concluded that the greater part of the climate impact from the two vehicle concepts occurs during the production phase, particularly for the battery electric vehicle. The fuel cell vehicle, on the other hand, has a greater impact on the climate during the use phase. Regardless of which of the investigated electric vehicle concepts is used, it is not possible for the Swedish transport sector to become climate neutral within the near future, and it is also difficult to determine which concept would be more suitable for a large-scale usage in the future Swedish transport sector.

This study discusses the current state of climate change, which is causing rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, and threatening ecosystems due to human resource exploitation and carbon emissions. The construction industry is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and the study aims to investigate which insulation material is best suited for a ground slab in terms of environmental impact, technical properties, and cost. The study includes a literature review and document analysis to compare the technical and environmental properties of different materials, as well as a case study to identify the most suitable material. To make the results comparable, the thickness of the different insulation layers has been chosen in such a way that the U-value becomes equivalent for all construction solutions. This has laid the foundation for the results, which demonstrates what previous research has also found: foamglass exhibits the lowest climate impact because the construction is sufficiently strong without the need for a concrete slab. However, its price is much higher compared to other construction solutions.

Waste management (WM) is a prominent issue in the world’s most populated country, India. Lack of WM can have a negative impact on the environment through leachate contamination of water bodies and emissions of greenhouse gases. The purpose of this study was to thoroughly map WM processes in South East India and identify areas with potential for environmental improvement. This was conducted in three steps: by mapping the flows in a WM system in Chennai (India), by qualitatively assessing these flows through a literature review of articles published in the field, and by interviewing representatives from the company that are responsible for the collection and transportation of waste to identify what challenges the process faces and how they can be addressed. The main finding from the study was that the lack of site-specific data made it difficult to quantitatively assess the global warming potential of the process; however, it is possible to make a qualitative analysis. From study visits to the different treatment facilities, it was clear that energy recovery is a technical solution that could reduce the GWP of the process. Additionally, it became clear that the process should be seen as a socio-technical system, as the studied process is currently focusing on developing and improving the social elements of the process. These social elements include getting the residents to segregate their waste through education in schools and door-to-door collection. The results also showed how an improved cultural perception on WM could potentially influence several of the identified challenges in the process and their respective solutions. Finally, the study highlighted the importance of conducting more in-depth research to enable the implementation of an LCA that can contribute with valuable results. / Avfallshantering är en viktig fråga i världens mest befolkade land, Indien. Bristande avfallshantering kan ha en negativ inverkan på miljön genom att lakvatten förorenar vattendrag och utsläpp av växthusgaser. Syftet med den här studien var att noggrant kartlägga en process för avfallshantering i sydöstra Indien och identifiera områden med potential för miljöförbättringar. Detta genomfördes i tre steg: genom att kartlägga flödena i ett avfallshanteringssystem i Chennai (Indien), genom att kvalitativt bedöma dessa flöden genom en litteraturgenomgång av artiklar som publicerats på området och genom att intervjua representanter från det företag som ansvarar för insamling och transport av avfall för att identifiera vilka utmaningar som processen står inför och hur de kan åtgärdas. Det viktigaste resultatet av studien var att bristen på platsspecifika data gjorde det svårt att kvantitativt bedöma processens globala uppvärmningspotential (GWP), men att det var möjligt att göra en kvalitativ analys. Vid studiebesöken vid de olika behandlingsanläggningarna blev det tydligt att energiåtervinning är en teknisk lösning som skulle kunna minska processens GWP. Dessutom blev det tydligt att processen bör ses som ett sociotekniskt system, eftersom den studerade processen för närvarande fokuserar på att utveckla och förbättra processens sociala element. Dessa sociala element omfattar att få invånarna att sortera sitt avfall genom utbildning i skolor och insamling av avfall från dörr till dörr. Resultaten visade också hur en förbättrad kulturell uppfattning om avfallshantering potentiellt skulle kunna påverka flera av de identifierade utmaningarna i processen och deras respektive lösningar. Slutligen betonade studien vikten av att genomföra mer djupgående forskning för att möjliggöra genomförandet av en LCA som kan bidra med värdefulla resultat.