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A detailed component performance, ratings, and cost study was conducted on series and parallel hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) configurations for several battery pack and main electric traction motor voltages while meeting stringent Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) power delivery requirements. A computer simulation calculated maximum current and voltage for each component as well as power and fuel consumption. These values defined the peak power ratings for each HEV drive system's electric components: batteries, battery cables, boost converter, generator, rectifier, motor, and inverter. To identify a superior configuration or voltage level, life cycle costs were calculated based on the components required to execute simulated drive schedules. These life cycle costs include the initial manufacturing cost of components, fuel cost, and battery replacement cost over the vehicle life.

One of the most promising battery types under development for use in both pure electric and hybrid electric vehicles is lithium ion. These batteries are well on their way to meeting the challenging technical goals that have been set for vehicle batteries. However, they are still far from being able to meet the cost goals. The Center for Transportation Research at Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) undertook a project for the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) to estimate costs of lithium ion batteries and to project how these costs might change over time, with the aid of research and development. Cost reductions could be expected as the result of material substitution, economies of scale in production, design improvements, or development of new supplies.

A principal motivation for introducing alternative fuels is to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. A comprehensive evaluation of the reductions must include all Life Cycle activities from the vehicle operation to the feedstock extraction. This paper focuses on the fuel upstream activities only. We compare the results and methods of the three most comprehensive existing fuel upstream models in the U.S.A. and we explore the differences and uncertainties of these types of analyses. To explicitly include the impact of uncertainties, we create a new model using the following approaches: Instead of using a single value as input, the new model deals with ranges around the most probable value. Ranges are discussed and calibrated by an expert network, in terms of their relative probability. Probabilistic function techniques are applied to study the impact of the uncertainties on the model output.

The life-cycle energy and fuel-use impacts of U.S.-produced aluminum-intensive passenger cars and passenger trucks are assessed. The energy analysis includes vehicle fuel consumption, material production energy, and recycling energy. A model that simulates market dynamics was used to project aluminum-intensive vehicle market shares and national energy savings potential for the period between 2005 and 2030. We conclude that there is a net energy savings with the use of aluminum-intensive vehicles. Manufacturing costs must be reduced to achieve significant market penetration of aluminum-intensive vehicles. The petroleum energy saved from improved fuel efficiency offsets the additional energy needed to manufacture aluminum compared to steel. The energy needed to make aluminum can be reduced further if wrought aluminum is recycled back to wrought aluminum. We find that oil use is displaced by additional use of natural gas and nonfossil energy, but use of coal is lower.

The automobile painting is a very energy and emission (solvents) intensive process step in the production of automobiles with regard to the small amount of paint applied to the car body. The awareness has risen that cleaner production technologies must substitute end-of-pipe control technologies. If these technologies strive for being a competitive option in corporate decision-making process, not only their environmental but also their technical and economical performance has to be on the same or better level compared to conventional technologies. The approach of Life-Cycle Engineering (LCE) by IKP and PE investigates technical, environmental and economical aspects of products and technologies to analyze weak points and optimization potentials as well as to support product and technology development. LCE methodology was applied to the comparison of 1K, 2K, waterborne and powder clear coat systems for automobile painting in a multi-client project.

Recently Michelin has been developing a new airless, integrated tire and wheel combination called the Tweel® tire. The Tweel tire aims at performance levels beyond those possible with conventional pneumatic technology because of its shear band design, added suspension, and potentially decreased rolling resistance. In this paper, we will focus on the environmental impact of the Tweel tire during its life-cycle from manufacturing, through use and disposal. Since the Tweel tire is currently still in the research phase and is not manufactured and used on a large scale, there are uncertainties with respect to end-of-life scenarios and rolling resistance estimates that will affect the LCA. Nevertheless, some preliminary conclusions of the Tweel tire's environmental performance in comparison to a conventional radial tire can be drawn.

While electric vehicles including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) are considered as promising alternative vehicle/fuel systems to significantly reduce petroleum consumption of the transportation sector, it is important to analyze the emission characteristics and to assess the emission reduction potentials of electric vehicles so that their environmental impacts in terms of climate change, air quality, as well as human health effects could be better understood. To fulfill this objective, we explicitly analyzed the emission characteristics of greenhouse gases (GHG) and criteria air pollutants (CAP, representing VOC, CO, NOx, PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅, and SOx,) of the U.S. power sector, a pivotal upstream sector that impacts the life-cycle GHG and CAP emissions associated with electric vehicles.

Current vehicle manufacturers must meet economic demands and design/manufacture more fuel efficient vehicles with increasingly better performance. As a result, they are turning to the use of more non-traditional lightweight materials in their products. One favorable material due to its excellent strength-to-weight ratio and high corrosion resistance is titanium. However, to warrant the replacement of traditional materials with titanium alloys there must be the benefit of reduced vehicle mass as well as performance enhancement gains from the substitution at a justifiable cost. In this work, an unsprung suspension component is selected and redesigned from the standpoint of (i) a direct material substitution and (ii) a material and requirements consideration based substitution. In addition, for the redesign of the component in titanium, the manufacturing procedure and process plan is integrated into the design phase for the component.

To warrant the substitution of traditionally used structural automotive materials with titanium alloys, the material substitutional and redesign advantages must be attainable at a justifiable cost. Typically, during material replacement with such ‘exotic’ aerospace alloys, the initial raw material cost is high; therefore, cost justification will need to be realized from a life-cycle cost standpoint. Part I of this paper highlighted the redesign, fabrication, and validation of an automotive component. Part II details the particulars of constructing the total life-cycle cost model for both prototypes (P1, P2). Considerations in the model include adaptation to a high volume production scenario, availability of near-net size plate/bar stock, etc. Further, response surfaces of fuel costs savings and consequent life-cycle costs (state-variables) are generated against life-cycle duration and unit fuel price (design-variables) to identify profitable operating conditions.

Providing confidence in life-cycle inventories (LCI) is dependent on being able to understand the source and extent of uncertainties in data and in the results produced with the data. From a situation several years ago of nearly no methodology for data quality considerations to a future where sophisticated data modeling approaches allow decision makers to obtain quantitative indications of the differentiability of alternatives, the science and art of data quality assessment are advancing rapidly. This paper provides perspective on why and how data quality issues are critical to successful implementation of LCI results and an overview of how practitioners are responding to the need for enhanced data quality assessment procedures. These procedures range from incorporation of individual data quality indicators to statistically-based models for estimation of parameter distributions. Careful consideration of data quality can markedly improve the interpretation and utility of LCIs.

The assessment of the life-cycle of a product (LCM), which up to a few years ago was a subject restricted to but few specialists, has lately aroused the increasing interest of industry. The reason lies in the fact that LCM promises to be a useful tool in defining many technico-strategic choices made to be in harmony with the environment. This paper regards two examples of use of LCM methodology in FIAT Auto for choosing design-specification materials and for defining the possibilities of employing recycled materials. In the first case, the possibility of using two alternative materials, cast iron and aluminium, is examined for building an engine block. The second case regards the evaluation of the possibility of using recycled materials by studying two alternatives, i.e. either their reutilization on the same component or their “cascade” use on components with less demanding performance requirements.

Concurrent Engineering needs both: a series of measurement criteria that are distinct to each process, and a set of metrics to check (and validate) the outcome when two or more of the processes are overlapped or required to be executed in parallel. Since product realization involves concurrent processes that occur across multiple disciplines and organizations, appropriate metrics and the methods of qualifying them are essential. The paper describes these life-cycle measures and metrics and how those could be used for gaining operational excellence.

The environmental impact of the automobile and its components is of growing importance not only in public debates but also in the complex decision making process regarding future car concepts. To calculate the environmental compatibility of car components BMW has developed various quantifying instruments and a holistic Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) approach. The development phase significantly affects the entire life-cycle of a product. Suitable design criteria, recycling requirements and in-house standards have therefore been developed and established. One of the most important objectives in optimizing the environmental compatibility of the automobile is the realization of intelligent lightweight concepts. This means one has to find the most appropriate solution in terms of ecology and economy. Due to modern development processes car manufacturers and their suppliers have to intensify their cooperation also in this area.

The automobile painting is a very energy and emission (solvents) intensive process step in the production of automobiles with regard to the small amount of paint applied to the car body. The awareness has risen that cleaner production technologies must substitute end-of-pipe control technologies. If these technologies strive for being a competitive option in corporate decision-making process, not only their environmental but also their technical and economical performance has to be on the same or better level compared to conventional technologies. The approach of Life-Cycle Engineering (LCE) by PE and IKP investigates technical, environmental and economical aspects of products and technologies. It is developed to a simulation tool to analyse weak points and optimisation potentials as well as to support product and technology development in the painting industry.

The fuel cell vehicle (FCV) has the potential to revolutionize the world's transportation systems. As choices are made on sources of fuel for FCVs it is important to consider the life-cycle implications of each option or system. This paper summarizes the methodology and results of a joint initiative to evaluate the life-cycle performance of 72 vehicle and fuel scenarios in 3 Canadian cities, comparing Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell vehicles and fuelling infrastructure with conventional and alternative fuel vehicles. The analysis is based on actual performance data of commercial and near-commercial technologies. The specific fuels investigated were gasoline, diesel, natural gas, methanol, hydrogen and electricity. The Pembina Institute's Life-Cycle Value Assessment (LCVA) methodology was used to compare the environmental, economic and social performance of each system.

The international standardisation of Environmental Management (EM) is documented by the ISO 14000 series. Within this series a number of Environmental Management tools are treated. Therefore, it can be seen as a ‘toolbox’ which offers several options for sound Environmental Management practices in organisations. However, a number of questions remain because they are not treated by the standards themselves. Some examples are, which of the tools should be applied to what kind of Environmental Management problem or what are the synergisms and antagonisms between these tools. To illustrate the importance of a comprehensive choice and a compatible approach towards EM-tools, Life-Cycle-Assessment (ISO 14040 series) is discussed in the context of Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001). The focus of ISO 14001 are organisations, while LCA deals with products or processes.

The growing demand for transportation fuels and the global emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have led to increased interest in analyzing transport GHG emissions from the life-cycle perspective. Methanol, a potentially carbon-neutral fuel synthesized from CO2 and H2, has emerged as a promising candidate. This paper conducts a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) of the GHG emissions associated with the methanol production process, utilizing data inventory from China in 2019. To simulate the synthesis and distillation process of methanol, Aspen Plus is employed, using parameters obtained from actual plants. GHG emissions are then calculated using the GREET model, incorporating updated industry statistics and research findings. The CO2 necessary for methanol production is captured from factory flue gas.

Saturn Corporation and its suppliers are partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Design for the Environment (DfE) Program and the University of Tennessee (UT) Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies (CCPCT) in a project to develop a model for life-cycle management (LCM). This paper presents key findings from the first phase of the project, a survey by Saturn of its suppliers to determine their interests and needs for a supply chain LCM project, and identifies framework strategies for successful LCM.

LifeSat is a reusable reentry satellite for use by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the international space life sciences community. It will be employed beginning in late 1994, to understand the effects of the space environment (i.e., high energy space radiation and microgravity) on biological systems. This paper describes the program for LifeSat.

The LifeSat Program addresses the need for continuing access by biological scientists to space experimentation by accommodating a wide range of experiments involving animals and plants for durations up to 60 days in an unmanned satellite. The program will encourage interdisciplinary and international cooperation at both the agency and scientist levels, and will provide a recoverable, reusable facility for low cost missions addressing key scientific issues that can only be answered by space experimentation. It will provide opportunities for research in gravitational biology and on the effects of cosmic radiation on life systems.