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As global awareness of environmental concerns associated with automobiles has grown significantly, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has emerged as one of the analytical tools to provide environmental information on automobiles throughout their life cycles. In order to be most efficient in terms of both environmental performance and cost saving, it is necessary to perform LCA studies within a short period of time in the automobile design stage. However, since an automobile consists of a great number of components, a full LCA of an automobile takes too much time and expense. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a practical, systematic LCA methodology for a whole automobile, with which a time and cost effective calculation can be ensured for a highly complex system. First of all, the entire automobile is divided into several modules, each of which is composed of 10-20 submodules. In this process, the concepts of part modularization and platform commonization are incorporated.

The results of previous Life Cycle Assessments indicate the ecological dominance of the vehicle's use phase compared to its production and recycling phase. Particularly the so-called weight-induced fuel saving coefficients point out the great spectrum (0.15 to 1.0 l/(100 kg · 100 km)) that affects the total result of the LCA significantly. The objective of this article, therefore, is to derive a physical based, i.e. scientific chargeable and practical approved, concept to determine the significant parameters of a vehicle's use phase for the Life Cycle Inventory. It turns out that - besides the aerodynamic and rolling resistance parameters and the efficiencies of the power train - the vehicle's weight, the rear axle's transmission ratio and the driven velocity profile have an important influence on a vehicle's fuel consumption.

The main difference between conventional and electric vehicles is between the drive system and the energy storage. Especially the batteries play an important role within the life cycle assessment of electric vehicles. Based on our work within the „Rügen project” /IFEU 1997a/ we now have derived full energy and mass flow analyses for the production, supply, and recycling of four types of batteries: lead/acid, Ni/Cd, Na/NiCl2, and Na/S. The assessments were made in accordance with the present state of the discussion concerning the standardization of life cycle assessments (ISO/DIS 14040 - 14043) and considering the following impact categories: Resource demand, greenhouse effect, ozon depletion, acidification, eutrophication, human and eco toxicity, and photosmog. In a second step also the usage of the batteries has been assessed. The results show that there are significant differences between the batteries if the usage of them is very low.

Future challenges on environmental sound products need adapted solutions. This paper deals with a method and softwaretools required to support the designer to cope with this challenges. After a short introduction, the background and the score of development of this method is described, followed by different steps of further developments.

A product life cycle inventory (LCI) is done by modelling the reality in a flow diagram or map of processes. The map contains simple tree-structures and eventually networks with sophisticated recycling loops. The unit processes are scaled to 1 unit of a selected input or output for better understanding. The map determines the demand of intermediate products of the various unit processes in the whole system. When performing the balance of the map, the unit processes are scaled in such a way that the map complies with the rules and conventions of mapping, e.g. the delivered product quantity of one process should be equal to the amount received by the other process. The final map balance is the vector sum of all scaled unit processes.

This paper presents some results of the cooperation between Opel and Norsk Hydro for optimizing the life cycle of an automotive structural part using a holistic life cycle assessment approach. The aim of the study presented in this paper was to compare, already in the vehicle development stage, the environmentally relevant parameters of two alternative material applications for a vehicle component with functional equivalence, using the Life Cycle Engineering approach developed by PE Product Engineering GmbH. The comparison of the two alternative part designs made out of steel and magnesium alloy considered the production of materials, the processing of the materials to manufacture the cross beam component, and the use phase as a part applied to the complete vehicle. End-of-life options were also taken into consideration.

Federal standards that mandate improved fuel economy have resulted in the increased use of lightweight materials in automotive applications. However, the environmental burdens associated with a product extend well beyond the use phase. Life cycle assessment is the science of determining the environmental burdens associated with the entire life cycle of a given product from cradle-to-grave. This report documents the environmental burdens associated with every phase of the life cycle of two fuel tanks utilized in full-sized 1996 GM vans. These vans are manufactured in two configurations, one which utilizes a steel fuel tank, and the other a multi-layered plastic fuel tank consisting primarily of high density polyethylene (HDPE). This study was a collaborative effort between GM and the University of Michigan's National Pollution Prevention Center, which received funding from EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory.

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.

Used ATs (automatic transmissions) in the market were analyzed using a remanufacturing process, and causes of troubles/defects were investigated. By providing specific parts of an AT with sufficiently ample working-stress levels at the design stage, the remanufacturing cycle can be better controlled and managed, while still maintaining the quality of ATs at the highest levels. Scheduled part changes performed as part of this process successfully make an AT returnable to new-car assembly lines for reinstallation. This fully recycled AT enables reductions in steel and aluminum consumption, and thus contributes substantially to environmental protection efforts.

The Japan Automobile Manufactures Association (JAMA), in pursuit of their goal of “creating products that put a minimum of load on the earth's environment”, have been carrying out an LCA Study related to motor vehicles. At the time of the previous TLC, for a single car taken as a collection of parts, an LCI study of the carbon dioxide emissions and consumption of energy only was carried out. It was based on 17 basic categories of materials and 13 basic manufacturing process categories. At the time of this study, the data obtained was limited to the total material consumption and energy consumption related to the manufacture of a typical 2000cc Japanese passenger car. The current study was focused on a 1500cc gasoline engine 4-door passenger sedan model, and we reclassified into approximately 140 classifications. The production process data was limited to the target model.

Phase 1 of this LCA project highlighted significant unresolved differences in allocation rules adopted by the partners in the ‘use phase’. Phase 2 updates the LCA guidelines, and achieves consensus for the algorithms adopted for both allocating absolute fuel use to a component, and the fuel reduction for a particular weight reduction. Further examination is made of end of life recycling scenarios, the sensitivity of inventory and assessment results to recycling credits, and a comparison of selected assessment methods. These are made within the context of a typical automotive comparative study. Some comments on the adoption of ‘quick’ LCA methods are also made.

Presently, the international standardization of environmental management tools is being studied as part of the ISO14000 series. Because these tools are used for sustainable developments, we believe they should be positively incorporated in the design and development of automobiles. Among them, the environmental management system (EMS) is used for establishing and managing the environmental policies and environmental objectives/targets in terms of the influences exerted on the environment by every possible activity, product, and service of a given organization. We are certain that the adoption of the EMS and the advancement of the system's continuous improvements will lead to improving the environmental performance of our activities and products. Starting in 1996, we adopted the EMS that meet with ISO14001, primarily in our production sites. So far, four of our major vehicle plants have completed their certification registration.

Streamlining Life Cycle Inventory Analysis is an indispensable condition to make Life Cycle Assessment cost effective and therefore applicable to a wide spectrum of users. This paper presents a Hybrid-Approach which completes the generally used Process Chain Analysis by a model based on economic Input-Output-Tables and data on sector specific elementary flows. The additional use of Input-Output-Analysis allows a quick and easy estimation of the elementary flows of processes not included in the process chain and therefore serves to check whether the existing process chain has a satisfactory degree of accuracy or should be more detailed.

LCA studies aim at an integrating system assessment as a comprehensive and holistic approach to prevent tradeoffs and guide users and decision makers for better informed decisions. The total life cycle approach aims at informing and supporting decision making and management support. LCA, like other management techniques as well, has inherent limitations, making choices, assumptions etc. inevitable. Before using the findings of life cycle studies, a consideration of those uncertainties, the effects of value choices and assumptions, as well as the inherent data inaccuracies must be examined in more detail. Traditional error and uncertainty analysis failed in practical use due to the specific system modeling, the data availability and the respective data collection procedures in life cycle studies. New approaches to identify and understand the system specific uncertainties are necessary for this purpose.

The framework for environmentally conscious manufacturing in industry is the life cycle assessment structure developed by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry and incorporated into ISO 14000 Environmental Management Systems. Plant managers subject to this standard have the responsibility for environmental improvement projects. Often, applying these projects creates significant risks, particularly if the project is unsuccessful or requires a new technology that has not been widely applied. Plant managers are inherently risk adverse. Thus plant managers need to know not only how a project will succeed but also what could happen if the project fails or results in a state different than intended. Based on that knowledge, plants managers prepare contingency plans. This paper illustrates a method by which the optimum plan and all possible contingency plans can be selected based upon minimizing project cost while maximizing project success to arrive at an improvement goal.

Fulfilling the goal and scope of a life cycle inventory (LCI) requires hundreds of thousands of discrete data inputs to be consolidated into a useful form. The planning and execution of data collection activities is therefore a critical aspect of ensuring the quality of an LCI study. This paper highlights how the members of The Aluminum Association and the Aluminum Association of Canada managed the data collection process for the United States Automotive Materials Partnership's Life Cycle Assessment Special Topics Group (USAMP/LCA). Overcoming the challenge of meeting the USAMP data quality requirements with inputs from over 200 reporting locations in nine countries on five continents is examined. This paper is one of six SAE publications discussing the results and execution of the USCAR AMP Generic Vehicle LCI. The papers in this series are (Overview of results 982160, 982161, 982162, 982168, 982169, 982170).

A large life cycle inventory study like the one completed under the banner of the United States Automotive Materials Partnership (USAMP) can be a complex affair. Apart from the technical requirements of modeling a “generic” North American vehicle, it was necessary to bring a diverse group of stakeholders to the life cycle table and to have the stakeholders work together for a common purpose. This paper identifies six stakeholders that participated in the LCI study of a generic North American automobile and describes how the work was organized. These stakeholders, particularly the auto, steel, plastics, and aluminum industries, each had different experiences with life cycle inventory analysis, held competing interests, and perhaps entered the project with different expectations. Issues that had to be addressed include goal selection, provision of resources, division of the work among stakeholders, scheduling and related project planning, as well as the process for decision making.

In 1946, the Allison Division of General Motors initiated heavy duty transmission operations at its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. Since that time, Allison has become a world leader in the design, development, and manufacture of heavy duty automatics for the world truck and bus market. This paper traces the history of this effort and discusses key innovations and events at Allison over the past 50 years. Included are discussions starting with Allison's history, its first bus transmission in 1946, and first automatic transmission for on-highway trucks in 1954. This is followed by the development of both the second and third generation automatics and the innovations that are incorporated in these generations. The effect of these innovations is expressed in terms of customer benefits and market growth. Lastly, a view of future trends in automatic transmissions is provided.

This paper gives a short historical background of how the need for information has evolved and how the design is influenced by a variety of factors. The communication and information exchange networks are used as a common base when comparing instruments, Information Systems, of today, tomorrow and in the future. The European design considerations, with few gauges, and only important information shown when driving, is explained with design examples and block diagram of Truck Networks. Information sharing networks, are in Europe, considered to be one of the most important factors for integrated information system design. Not only in the normal working condition of the truck, but also for “In Truck Diagnostics”, “External Diagnose” and “Remote Diagnostics” of the vehicle systems. For Truck Companies with activities in a global market, the Global Instrument, with flexibility in design, for adaptation to different markets needs and requirements is discussed.

The uniqueness of heavy and medium duty vehicle powertrain design, compared to that of passenger cars, is two fold: vast variations exist from vehicle to vehicle because of mission requirements, and powertrain components are sourced from a diverse group of suppliers. Vehicle powertrain design involves selection of the appropriate major components, such as the engine, clutch, transmission, driveline, and axle. At this design stage the main focus is on power matching, to ensure that the vehicle's performance meets specifications of gradability, maximum speed, acceleration, fuel economy, and emissions[1, 2, 3, 4 and 5]. The general practice also demands that the durability of the drivetrain components for the intended vocation or application be verified. Equally important but often neglected in the design phase is the system's NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness) performance, such as torsional vibration, U-joint excitation, and gear rattle.