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Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) has been suggested as an effective means of providing strategic environmental information to enable more informed decision making. The process of how to conduct an LCIA has been the center of controversy as evidenced during the development of the draft international standard life cycle assessment principles and framework document (ISO 14040). For the past decade, successful methods have been employed in the field of human health and ecological risk assessment to predict chemical-related environmental impacts. This paper investigates areas of commonality between LCIA and risk assessment, and presents a conceptual framework suggesting how better integration of risk assessment might be achieved in the automotive industry's goal of reducing car fluff quantity and toxicity.

Life cycle impacts and sustainability considerations are unique to a specific vehicle design. This paper compares initial life cycle impacts and sustainability considerations of an electric, hybrid and two conventional vehicles. The analysis provides comparable information for vehicle usage, design, product limitation, battery implications, life-span factors, environmental impacts, maintenance, user requirements, recyclability, recoverability, energy consumptions and the sustainability for these vehicles. The evaluation provides value for automotive designers, component suppliers and end users. A variety of design intentions to reduce vehicle weight, improve efficiency and increase technological innovation; can be challenged by end user requirements, in this quantitative approach.

The Institute for Polymer Testing and Polymer Science (IKP) is an independent institute of the University of Stuttgart. For approximately 8 years work is done on the field of Life Cycle Engineering. The first couple of years knowledge about the production of materials was collected within plenty industrial cooperation. Parallel to this a methodology for the Life Cycle Engineering approach and a software system (GaBi 1.0-2.0) were developed. Based on these information, projects for balancing single parts like bumpers, fender, air intake manifolds and oil filters followed by projects handling more complex parts or processes like several body in white, headlights, fuel tanks, green tire or coating processes were done to establish the methodology of Life Cycle Engineering as a tool for decision makers and weak point analysis. Parallel to this a methodology for an Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) for the system automobile was developed in cooperation with the Volkswagen AG in 1993.

We compare the life cycle inventories of near–term fuel–propulsion technologies. We analyze fossil fuels (conventional and reformulated gasolines, low sulfur diesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG)), ethanol from biomass, and electricity, together with internal combustion engines (port and direct injection, spark and compression ignited) and electric vehicles (battery–powered, hybrid electric, and fuel cell). The fuel economy and emissions of conventional internal combustion engines powered by gasoline continue to improve. Unless emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHG) are stringently regulated or gasoline prices more than double, gasoline powered internal combustion engines will continue to dominate the light duty fleet. Two appealing alternative fuels are CNG and biomass ethanol. CNG cars have low emissions, including GHG and the fuel is less expensive than gasoline. Biomass ethanol can be renewable and have no net carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The Inventory Analysis for the life cycle of sugarcane ethanol is presented. Methodological problems related to the application of the Life Cycle Assessment methodology to agricultural systems are discussed and solutions are proposed, based on the literature. The system modeled is representative of the State of São Paulo/Brazil and includes an agricultural sub-system and an industrial sub-system. The agricultural sub-system includes all operations required for the production and the delivery of cane to the industrial sub-system. The industrial sub-system includes all processes for the production of sugar, alcohol (anhydrous and hydrous) and surplus power. The agricultural sub-system and its management practices covering the whole life cycle of sugarcane biomass is discussed in detail, since most of the environmental aspects occur in this sub-system.

In this paper we present a hybrid approach to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using the case study of an electronically controlled unit injector (EUI), which is a time-controlled fuel injection system. Using the hybrid approach, we are able to quantify environmental information on upstream production processes preceding manufacture at Bosch without the need to gather all supplier data empirically. Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) data based on “conventional” process models are combined with LCI data from economic input-output relations between different industry sectors and associated pollution discharges and nonrenewable resource consumption. The economic input-output-based LCA (EIO-LCA) allows us to quantify indirect environmental impacts of production processes generally neglected in conventional LCA models. As EIO-LCA quantifies environmental impacts on a rather aggregate level, additional process models for LCA are used to account for specific characteristics of the processes investigated.

As a means of effectively incorporating the concept of “life cycle” for reducing the environmental impact of the automobile, we carried out a life cycle inventory study on a part-by-part basis. The targets of our study are the fuel tanks that are made of different materials and manufacturing processes. One is made of steel, and the other is made of plastic, both perform identical functions. Our evaluation study encompasses the period from the manufacturing of the main materials until the disposal of the tanks. The evaluation items consist of the amount of energy consumed and the emissions (of CO2, NOx, SOx, and PM) that are released into the atmosphere. The results show that the plastic tank poses a greater burden in terms of the amount of energy consumed and the CO2 and NOx emitted.

A life cycle inventory (LCI) study evaluates the environmental performance of the ULSAB-AVC (UltraLight Steel Auto Body - Advanced Vehicle Concepts) vehicle product system. The LCI quantifies the inputs and outputs of each life cycle stage of the ULSAB-AVC PNGV-gas engine vehicle (998 kg) over the 193,000 km service lifetime of the vehicle. The use phase of the ULSAB-AVC PNGV-diesel engine variant (1031 kg) is also quantified. The data categories measured for each life cycle phase include resource and energy consumption, air and water pollutant emissions, and solid waste production. The ULSAB-AVC LCI study is based on the methods, model and data from the 1999 study by the United States Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP), a consortium within the United States Council for Automotive Research. This model was modified to represent the ULSAB-AVC PNGV-gas engine vehicle for each life cycle phase as well as the use phase of the PNGV-diesel engine variant.

The United States Automotive Materials Partnership Life Cycle Assessment Special Topics Group (USAMP/LCA) has conducted a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) using a suitable set of metrics to benchmark the environmental (not cost) performance of a generic vehicle, namely, the 1995 Intrepid/Lumina/Taurus. This benchmark will serve as a basis of comparison for environmental performance estimates of new and future vehicles (e.g. PNGV). The participants were Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, The Aluminum Association, The American Iron and Steel Institute, and the American Plastic Council. The study was strictly a life cycle inventory. The approach was to quantify all suitable material and energy inputs and outputs, including air, water, and solid wastes. The inventory covered the entire life cycle; from raw material extraction from the earth, to material production, parts manufacture, vehicle assembly, use, maintenance, recovery/recycling, and disposal.

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry has noted that the peer review process is a key feature for the advancement of life cycle assessment. The International Organisation for Standardisation has recently provided further guidance and requirements for conducting such reviews in the ISO standard on life cycle assessment (ISO 14040). This paper outlines the contribution of the peer review process to the Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) of a generic 1500 Kg vehicle that was carried out by United States Automotive Materials Partnership's Life Cycle Assessment Special Topics Group (USAMP/LCA). At the time of writing the final report for this study had not been reviewed, therefore the paper focuses on the overall peer review process, preliminary findings and lessons learned to date. This paper is one of six SAE publications discussing the results and execution of the USCAR AMP Generic Vehicle LCI.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the land requirement, energy consumption and GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions of microalgal biodiesel (M-BD) and Jatropha curcas seeds (J-BD) based biodiesel from the perspective of life cycle assessment (LCA). Mass and energy balance was used through the whole LCA calculation for each process. Two types of biodiesel (100% biodiesel: BD100, and 20% blends of biodiesel: BD20) were assumed to be combusted in the suitable diesel engine. Displacement method was adopted to measure the co-products credits. The results showed that the land requirement of producing 1 kg biodiesel from microalgae was about 1/31 of that from Jatropha curcas seeds. The well to pump (WTP) stage for microalgal biodiesel had higher fossil energy requirement but lower petroleum energy consumption and GHG emissions compared to Jatropha curcas and conventional diesel (CD). The WTP energy efficiency for J-BD100 and M-BD 100 were 26% and 17.4%, respectively.

Environmental issues have significantly impacted automotive operations worldwide. Countries are continuing to ratchet down their allowable emissions and to remain competitive, all industries must take Life Cycle Management (LCM) and implement it into everyday practice. Economic competitiveness as a part of economic development is central to the nation's social and financial well-being. America must catch-up to the rest of the world in how it views government and industry relationships as well as how to focus costs within the corporate structure. The adversarial relationships between government and industry must give way to stronger partnerships. For this concept to succeed a long term view of problems must be made by a corporation and both short and long term actions taken to resolve these problems. Industry must help create the market for recycled goods and must “walk the talk” by using recycled goods where possible.

Environmental issues continue to impact operations in the auto industry. With the introduction of the new Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA), a new emphasis away from traditional command and control regulations towards technology driven regulations has begun. Innovative ways of meeting the new regulations are more essential than ever before. The Life Cycle Management (LCM) approach combines sound environmental decision-making with good business practices. This management approach focuses on the total cost impact of a decision throughout the entire life of the product, process and material. LCM concentrates its efforts up front at the product's developmental stage where 80% of all cost savings can be gained. LCM is not a formula for success. It is an approach which stimulates corporate cultural changes to produce quality, environmental friendly products at the lowest total cost.

A Life Cycle Management (LCM) model was used to compare two plastic protective seat cover alternatives for a vehicle. Protective seat covers are temporary plastic covers placed over the seats of a vehicle to protect them from soiling during the assembly process. A contoured all-plastic seat cover was compared to a plastic seat cover with elastic. The results indicate that use of the contoured seat cover results in cost savings of $136,000 annually for this particular model year vehicle. In addition, the contoured seat protector contains at least 25 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) content and is recyclable, while the alternative cover contains no PCR and is not recycled. This case study concludes that cost savings can be achieved while increasing the recycled content and recyclability of an item necessary in the production of vehicles. By using the all-plastic seat protector, 90,000 pounds of waste can be diverted from landfills annually.

Life Cycle Management (LCM) is a method for incorporating costs which have historically been considered indirect or overhead costs into a traditional cost analysis. It is a comparative, decision making tool, which combines the systems based thought process and environmental focus of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with the cost evaluation process used in Activity Based Cost (ABC) accounting. However, unlike LCA, this type of analysis may be performed in a matter of weeks rather than months because the boundaries are drawn around the manufacturing facility and the disposal of the material or end product. This paper describes the stepwise approach used in performing a LCM study and also presents a case study of three engine oil filters.

Life cycle benefits of a fully integrated thermoplastic instrument panel (IP) are compared to a traditional steel lattice construction. Design, manufacture, use and end-of-life phases are reviewed and presented in a life cycle management methodology. All components and processes are reviewed in a design for “X” format (i.e., recyclability, assembly, separability, disassembly, etc.) The IP objectives that were balanced include: design implications; feature content; consumer appeal; occupant energy management; quality, warranty, and NVH performance; design flexibility, materials of construction; weight savings and time to market. This methodology has been found useful to examine complex systems to guide decision makers in optimizing total life cycle costs.

An assessment of automobile painting at General Motor's Lake Orion, Michigan, USA assembly facility from a life cycle perspective was conducted. The Orion Facility produces the new Oldsmobile Aurora and Buick Riviera models. Improvements in on-site pollution prevention, energy conservation and regulatory barriers to technology innovation were identified. The environmental implications of auto body substrate material choice were analyzed. A life cycle inventory framework was developed for paint suppliers and other parts of the auto painting life cycle. An Alternative Regulatory System was proposed for the entire U.S. auto industry that will, if implemented, facilitate the integration of environmental management into core business strategies and planning.

A systematic life cycle management (LCM) approach has been used by Chrysler Corporation to compare existing and alternate hydraulic fluids and lubricating oils in thirteen classifications at a manufacturing facility. The presence of restricted or regulated chemicals, recyclability, and recycled content of the various products were also compared. For ten of the thirteen types of product, an alternate product was identified as more beneficial. This LCM study provided Chrysler personnel with a practical purchasing tool to identify the most cost effective hydraulic fluid or lubricant oil product available for a chosen application on an LCM basis.

The developing field of life cycle assessment is influenced by a multitude of environmental, economic, societal and cultural factors. The pace of change in the field masks the emerging consensus on the methodologies and common factors that influence life cycle assessment and give birth to life cycle management. This paper is designed to extract the trends from the developing field and present the concepts and structure of the state-of-the-art life cycle management techniques as they apply to business decision-makers.

A material selection including a natural material is conducted using a Simplified Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) according to SETAC within the framework of Ford's Design for Environment (DfE) process. The aim has been to check both, the environmental performance of a design option concerning a specific component and the feasibility of methodology. The result of the simplified LCA is the recommendation to substitute glass fibers by hemp fibers in a specific insulation. The methodology provides differentiated environmental information and seems to be feasible. However, a lot of LCA experience is necessary to be enabled to simplify LCA.