Due to the rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves and increasing concern for climate change as a result of greenhouse gas effect, every country is looking for ways to develop eco-friendly renewable energy sources. Wi...Due to the rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves and increasing concern for climate change as a result of greenhouse gas effect, every country is looking for ways to develop eco-friendly renewable energy sources. Wind energy has become a good option due to its comparative economic advantages and environment friendly aspects. But there is always an ongoing debate if wind energy is as green as it seems to appear. Wind turbines once installed do not produce any greenhouse gases during operation, but it can and may produce significant emissions during manufacture, transport, installation and disposal stages. To determine the exact amount of emissions, it is necessary to consider all the stages for a wind turbine from manufacture to disposal. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is a technique that determines the energy consumption, emission of greenhouse gases and other environmental impacts of a product or system throughout the life cycle stages. The various approaches that have been used in the literature for the LCA of wind turbines have many discrepancies among the results, the main reason(s) being different investigators used different parameters and boundary conditions, and thus comparisons are difficult. In this paper, the influence of different parameters such as turbine size, technology (geared or gearbox less), recycling, medium of transport, different locations, orientation of the blade (horizontal or vertical), blade material, positioning of wind turbine (land, coastal or offshore), etc. on greenhouse gas emissions and embodied energy is studied using the available data from exhaustive search of literature. This provides tools to find better solutions for power production in an environmental friendly manner by selecting a proper blade orientation technique, with suitable blade material, technology, recycling techniques and suitable location.展开更多
It is estimated that there is a generation of 307,224 ton/year [1] of waste from electronic and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Mexico, of which 10% is recycled, 40% remains stored and 50% reaches landfills or uncontro...It is estimated that there is a generation of 307,224 ton/year [1] of waste from electronic and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Mexico, of which 10% is recycled, 40% remains stored and 50% reaches landfills or uncontrolled dumps. In the practice, even the regulatory instruments are not consolidated and the adequate management of the use of WEEE management, so the aim of this study is an analysis of life cycle of printed circuit boards (TCI) to identify the management alternatives that represent the least impact to the environment. This assessment was carried out using software SIMAPRO to determine the environmental impact of each scenario, through the comparison of impacts and the proposed improvements to reduce it, following phases of this methodology by applying standards, ISO 14040/ISO 14044 [2], using data from the INE official reports since 2006 until 2010 which concentrate the information of the WEEE problem in Mexico. These data were pooled to carry out inventories according to the availability in the information, identifying the environmental impacts generated by processing. The conclusions of the LCA will serve to identify the stage with greater environmental impact, and thus propose ideas for improvement in order to minimize this impact.展开更多
Climate change mitigation technologies have been a focus in reducing atmospheric carbon levels for the past few years.One such mitigation technology is pyrolysis,where biomass feedstocks are combusted at elevated temp...Climate change mitigation technologies have been a focus in reducing atmospheric carbon levels for the past few years.One such mitigation technology is pyrolysis,where biomass feedstocks are combusted at elevated temperatures for varying durations to produce three main products:biochar,bio-oil,and biogas.While bio-oil and biogas are typically used to produce energy via further combustion,biochar can be used in several different applications.Furthermore,using forest harvest residues as a feedstock for biochar production helps use excess biomass from the forestry industry that was previously assumed unmarketable.In our study,we combined forest carbon analysis modelling with cradle-to-gate life cycle emissions to determine the greenhouse gas emissions of biochar produced from forest harvest residues.We examined three collection scenarios,spanning two harvesting methods in one forest management unit in northern Ontario,Canada.From our analysis,we observed immediate reductions(−0.85 tCO_(2eq)·t_(biochar)^(−1)in year 1)in CO_(2)-equivalent emissions(CO_(2eq))when producing biochar from forest harvest residues that would have undergone controlled burning,without considering the end use of the biochar.For the forest harvest residues that would remain in-forest to decay over time,producing biochar would increase overall emissions by about 6 tCO_(2eq)·t_(biochar)^(−1).Throughout the 100-year timeframe examined-in ascending order of cumulative emissions-scenario ranking was:full tree harvesting with slash pile burn<full tree harvesting with slash pile decay<cut-to-length/tree-length harvesting.展开更多
Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) provides a systematic approach to assess the total cost associated with owning, operating, and maintaining assets throughout their entire life. BIM empowers architects and designers to ...Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) provides a systematic approach to assess the total cost associated with owning, operating, and maintaining assets throughout their entire life. BIM empowers architects and designers to perform real-time evaluations to explore various design options. However, when integrated with LCCA, BIM provides a comprehensive economic perspective that helps stakeholders understand the long-term financial implications of design decisions. This study presents a methodology for developing a model that seamlessly integrates BIM and LCCA during the conceptual design stage of buildings. This integration allows for a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the design process, ensuring that the development aligns with the principles of low carbon emissions by employing modular construction, 3D concrete printing methods, and different building design alternatives. The model considers the initial construction costs in addition to all the long-term operational, maintenance, and salvage values. It combines various tools and data through different modules, including energy analysis, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) to execute a comprehensive assessment of the financial implications of a specific design option throughout the lifecycle of building projects. The development of the said model and its implementation involves the creation of a new plug-in for the BIM tool (i.e., Autodesk Revit) to enhance its functionalities and capabilities in forecasting the life-cycle costs of buildings in addition to generating associated cash flows, creating scenarios, and sensitivity analyses in an automatic manner. This model empowers designers to evaluate and justify their initial investments while designing and selecting potential construction methods for buildings, and enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions by assessing different design alternatives based on long-term financial considerations during the early stages of design.展开更多
Carbon emissions from buildings account for approximately half of China’s total social carbon emissions.Focusing only on the carbon emissions of building operation tends to neglect the carbon emissions of other relat...Carbon emissions from buildings account for approximately half of China’s total social carbon emissions.Focusing only on the carbon emissions of building operation tends to neglect the carbon emissions of other related parts of the building sector,thus slowing down the progress of carbon peaking in the building sector.By applying life-cycle analysis to calculate carbon emissions throughout the building’s life cycle,the performance of carbon emissions at each stage of building materials,construction,operation and end-of-life demolition can be identified,so that carbon reduction strategies in building design can be selected..This paper constructed a method for calculating the carbon emissions of green buildings in whole-building life cycle,and conducted a summary analysis of the carbon emissions of 33 projects that were awarded green building certification.The study found that the Chinese Assessment Standard for Green Buildings has a significant effect on reducing the carbon emissions of buildings in whole-building life cycle.Compared with the current average operational carbon emissions of buildings in China,the carbon intensity of green public buildings is 41.43%lower under this standard and the carbon intensity of green residential buildings is 13.99%lower.A carbon correlation analysis of the provisions of the current Chinese Assessment Standard for Green Buildings was conducted,comparing the changes in the carbon intensity of buildings before and after the revision of the standards.The study concluded that the new version of the standards has a greater impact on public buildings than residential buildings,the requirement of carbon emission reduction in the production stage of building materials is strengthened in terms of carbon emission during the whole-building life cycle.This study addresses the current problem of unclear carbon emission reduction effect of green buildings.展开更多
The Government of the Republic of Indonesia states that the thermal energy for hot-mixed asphalt production shall be supplied by the direct combustion of fossil fuels in the form of diesel oil,natural gas,or fuel gas ...The Government of the Republic of Indonesia states that the thermal energy for hot-mixed asphalt production shall be supplied by the direct combustion of fossil fuels in the form of diesel oil,natural gas,or fuel gas from coal gasification which may generate GHG emission.Biomasses are able to substitute the fossil fuels through gasification technology.Gasification converts the biomass using limited air into gaseous fuel containing mainly CO and H_(2) that are subsequently combusted to produce heat,carbon dioxide,and water.It is obvious that the CO_(2) is then absorbed by the plants for photosynthesis,main-taining a balanced closed cycle.This study examines the level of global warming potential of this system for supplying heat based on the openLCA v1.9 software.The analysis used a gate-to-gate approach to evaluate scenarios of shell gasification to produce 1 metric tonne of hot-mixed asphalt.The scope covers raw material supply and transportation,palm kernel shell gasification,and products.The evaluation concludes that gasification could potentially reduce CO_(2) emissions.Environmental impact analysis and interpretation of the results using the openLCA database of Traci 2.1 recommend that greater CO_(2) emis-sion reduction is possible using palm kernel shell gasification,not only for supplying heat but also for electricity generation to operate all electrical equipments.展开更多
Pavement performance and economic efficiency are researched on the perpetual test pavement of Yijiang-Suzhou Express Highway in Jiangsu province, China. Test sections were continuously monitored. The conditions and de...Pavement performance and economic efficiency are researched on the perpetual test pavement of Yijiang-Suzhou Express Highway in Jiangsu province, China. Test sections were continuously monitored. The conditions and developing laws of deflection, rutting and cracking are compared among the perpetual pavement with the rich binder layer （RBL）, the perpetual pavement without the RBL, and the conventional semi-rigid asphalt pavement in the past eight years after opening for traffic. Economical evaluation is conducted via life cycle cost analysis （LCCA）. Based on the performance comparison and LCCA analysis, sections with the RBL have good crack resistance, but they are not very satisfactory in the aspect of permanent deformation; the conventional semi-rigid asphalt pavement is the least economic one due to requiring more frequent maintenance. Research results show that the perpetual pavement without RBL is a more appropriate structure for the test site.展开更多
The de-manufacturing stage is an overlooked component of most current LCA （life cycle assessment） methodologies. Most of the current LCA techniques do not fully account for the usage of the product and end of life a...The de-manufacturing stage is an overlooked component of most current LCA （life cycle assessment） methodologies. Most of the current LCA techniques do not fully account for the usage of the product and end of life aspects. This paper introduces a comprehensive methodology that takes strong consideration of the inventory costs of use and end of life of the functional unit by combining manufacturing and de-manufacturing into the centerpiece of the hybrid analysis. In order to obtain this goal, a new disaggregated model was developed by enhancing current LCA hybrid methods related to life cycle inventory compilations. The new methodology is also compared to existing methodologies.展开更多
Biochar-based bioenergy production and sub- sequent land application of biochar can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by fixing atmospheric carbon into the soil for a long period of time. A thorough life cycle assessmen...Biochar-based bioenergy production and sub- sequent land application of biochar can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by fixing atmospheric carbon into the soil for a long period of time. A thorough life cycle assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and biochar land application in Northwestern Ontario is conducted using SimaPro Ver. 8.1. The results of energy consumption and potential environmental impact of biochar-based bioenergy production system are compared with those of conventional coal-based system. Results show that biocbar land application consumes 4847.61 MJ per tonne dry feedstock more energy than conventional system, but reduces the GHG emissions by 68.19 kg CO2e per tonne of dry feed- stock in its life cycle. Biochar land application improves ecosystem quality by 18 %, reduces climate change by 15 %, and resource use by 13 % but may adversely impact on human health by increasing disability adjusted life years by 1.7 % if biomass availability is low to medium. Replacing fossil fuel with woody biomass has a positiveimpact on the environment, as one tonne of dry biomass feedstock when converted to biochar reduces up to 38 kg CO2e with biochar land application despite using more energy. These results will help understand a comprehensive picture of the new interventions in forestry businesses, which are promoting biochar-based bioenergy production.展开更多
Increasing production and use of various novel plastics products,a low recycling rate,and lack of effective recycling/disposal methods have resulted in an exponential growth in plastic waste accumulation in landfills ...Increasing production and use of various novel plastics products,a low recycling rate,and lack of effective recycling/disposal methods have resulted in an exponential growth in plastic waste accumulation in landfills and in the environment.To better understand the effects of plastic waste,Life Cycle Analysis(LCA)was done to compare the effects of various production and disposal methods.LCA shows the specific effects of the cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-cradle scenarios for landfill,incineration,and mechanical recycling.The analysis clearly indicates that increasing recycling of plastics can significantly save energy and eliminate harmful emissions of various carcinogens and GHGs into the environment.As recycling increases,the need for virgin-plastic production can be greatly reduced.Furthermore,the results of this study may help improve current mechanical recycling processes as well as potential future recycling methods,such as chemical recycling.Concerns about the current recycling/disposal methods for plastics have brought increasing attention to the waste accumulation problem.However,with the current COVID-19 pandemic,plastic accumulation is expected to increase significantly in the near future.A better understanding of the quantitative effects of the various disposal methods can help guide policies and future research toward effective solutions of the plastic waste problem.展开更多
Inverted pavements have proven performance across the world,and there is a need to opti-mize the layer thickness and material properties of the pavement addressing the critical failures in the mechanistic-empirical pa...Inverted pavements have proven performance across the world,and there is a need to opti-mize the layer thickness and material properties of the pavement addressing the critical failures in the mechanistic-empirical pavement design.The present study is made on bituminous concrete(BC)pavement with traffic up to 50 samples per second(MSA)and studying the critical factors affecting the pavement performance.The Minitab’s response surface methodology(RSM)box behnken method,was used for the design of experi-ments which includes critical factors and responses obtained from ANSYS finite element modeling of the inverted pavement.The critical factors and responses are normally dis-tributed and indicate a linear relationship with the least error.The composite desirability for minimum stress and strains in the pavement layers was found to be 0.89.The optimized pavement thickness and layer material properties were validated with two pavement field cross sections of different Indian national highways,and it is observed that the optimized cross-section is safe.Further,this research paper carried out life cycle cost analysis(LCCA)and life cycle assessment(LCA)of inverted pavement with optimized pavement cross-section obtained including the carbon footprint during the vehicle operation phase.The study demonstrated the benefits of inverted pavement with reduced costs and carbon emissions.Thus,this approach paves the way towards sustainable and long-lasting pavements.展开更多
Applying energy-saving measures in residential buildings is usually constrained by the increase of initial investment. ＂However, if it is analyzed from the view of energy cost and life-cycle cost, the energy-saving b...Applying energy-saving measures in residential buildings is usually constrained by the increase of initial investment. ＂However, if it is analyzed from the view of energy cost and life-cycle cost, the energy-saving benefit can offset ~he increase of initial investment. An analysis method based on life-cycle concept was developed to calcu- late the energy cost of residential building flats. Several uncertain factors were included into the model, making it more accurate to reflect practical situation. The model was solved using the software DeST and applied to one resi- dential building project in Shanghai. The case study shows that the initial investment （cost） is paid back during the operational phase through less consumption of energy. It further indicates that the investment recovery period is between 10 and 19 years which are acceptable to households and developers in China.展开更多
Sludge quality is a critical factor influencing the economic and environmental performance of treatment and disposal processes.In many regions,sludge is typically characterized by a low organic matter content.Conseque...Sludge quality is a critical factor influencing the economic and environmental performance of treatment and disposal processes.In many regions,sludge is typically characterized by a low organic matter content.Consequently,the selection of sludge treatment and disposal routes should be tailored to the specific characteristics of sludge in each region,considering its dual attributes of“resource”and“pollution”,and aiming to maximize environmental,economic,and social benefits.Using the current sludge treatment and disposal situation in Wuhan,China,this study conducted a quantitative assessment of carbon emissions,environmental risks,and economic benefits associated with several existing treatment and disposal routes from a life cycle perspective.The results suggest that for sludge characteristics with low organic matter content,co-incineration in coal-fired power plants or cement production processes is the most favorable option.Specifically,when the organic matter content of the sludge falls below approximately 40%,cement production is deemed the preferred process,whereas co-incineration with coal is favored when the organic matter content exceeds 40%but is less than 50%.Owing to the relatively low organic matter and nutrient contents of sludge,optimization of existing anaerobic digestion and aerobic composting processes can be achieved through collaborative treatment with other solid wastes.Moreover,the prevailing carbon trading prices in the Chinese carbon market are relatively low and do not significantly impact the selection of current sludge treatment processes.This study aids in the development of sustainable management strategies for sludge characterized by low resource and pollution attributes in the future.展开更多
A compressive design and analysis of a turbofan engine is presented in this paper. The components of jet engine have been analyzed based on mechanical design concept. An attempt has been to select materials based on s...A compressive design and analysis of a turbofan engine is presented in this paper. The components of jet engine have been analyzed based on mechanical design concept. An attempt has been to select materials based on sustainability and green design considerations. The energy content （e） of the materials has been one of the parameters for material selection. The choice of material has a substantial impact on cost, manuthcturing process, and the life cycle efficiency. All components nose cone, fan blade, inlet shaft, including compressor has been solid modeled using Siemens NX 11.0 CAD software. The finite element analysis of every component was performed and found safe. A tolerance analysis was performed before assembly of the turbofan engine. A numerical analysis was completed on blade and inlet geometries to determine a more efficient turbofan engine. Thermal analysis was executed oi1 the cone and suitable corrections were made. Finally, the cost and the total energy were estimated to show how much energy is needed to manufacture a turbofan jet engine.展开更多
Plasma-based processes,particularly in carbon capture and utilization,hold great potential for addressing environmental challenges and advancing a circular carbon economy.While significant progress has been made in un...Plasma-based processes,particularly in carbon capture and utilization,hold great potential for addressing environmental challenges and advancing a circular carbon economy.While significant progress has been made in understanding plasma-induced reactions,plasma-catalyst interactions,and reactor development to enhance energy efficiency and conversion,there remains a notable gap in research concerning overall process development.This review emphasizes the critical need for considerations at the process level,including integration and intensification,to facilitate the industrialization of plasma technology for chemical production.Discussions centered on the development of plasma-based processes are made with a primary focus on CO_(2) conversion,offering insights to guide future work for the transition of the technology from laboratory scale to industrial applications.Identification of current research gaps,especially in upscaling and integrating plasma reactors with other process units,is the key to addressing critical issues.The review further delves into relevant research in process evaluation and assessment,providing methodological insights and highlighting key factors for comprehensive economic and sustainability analyses.Additionally,recent advancements in novel plasma systems are reviewed,presenting unique advantages and innovative concepts that could reshape the future of process development.This review provides essential information for navigating the path forward,ensuring a comprehensive understanding of challenges and opportunities in the development of plasma-based CCU process.展开更多
The mining process involves drilling and excavation, resulting in the production of waste rock and tailings. The waste materials are then removed and stored in designated areas. This study aims to evaluate the mechani...The mining process involves drilling and excavation, resulting in the production of waste rock and tailings. The waste materials are then removed and stored in designated areas. This study aims to evaluate the mechanical strength and the environmental and economic impact of using Coltan Mining Waste (CMW) as a substitute for aggregates in concrete and mortar production. To achieve this, the CMW needs to be characterised. The Dreux Gorisse method was primarily used to produce concrete with a strength of 20 MPa at 28 days. The mortars, on the other hand, were formulated according to the NF P 18-452 standard. The environmental impact of using CMW as substitutes for natural aggregates in the production of concrete and mortar was analysed using SimaPro software. The results showed that mortars and concrete made with CMW have comparable compressive strengths to the reference mortar and concrete;reduce the negative impact on ecosystem quality, human health, resources, and climate change. It has also been shown that the substitution of aggregates by CMW reduces the cost of concrete and mortar as a function of the distance from the aggregate footprint.展开更多
This paper provides a summary of the literature in the past twelve years that focused on life cycle seismic performance of buildings and bridges, considering metrics related to both resilience and sustainability. The ...This paper provides a summary of the literature in the past twelve years that focused on life cycle seismic performance of buildings and bridges, considering metrics related to both resilience and sustainability. The studies were presented and discussed in terms of the following categories: 1) individual buildings, 2) portfolio-scale assessments of buildings, 3) seismic retrofit of buildings, 4) bridges (individual and network), 5) methods for jointly assessing resilience and sustainability in life cycle performance assessment and 6) optimization for resilience and sustainability. Several of the considered studies focused on issues that belong to multiple categories (e.g., optimizing seismic retrofit of building portfolios) and are therefore discussed in multiple sections. The methodology used to review the existing literature is also presented along with the geographic distribution of the authors and publication timelines. Given the acute focus in recent years on climate resilience, we expect that research in this area will continue to grow in popularity.展开更多
The energy conservation plays an important role for low carbon development.In order to evaluate the energy conservation in the full life-cycle,a scheme to estimate the energy consumption,or alternatively the energy pa...The energy conservation plays an important role for low carbon development.In order to evaluate the energy conservation in the full life-cycle,a scheme to estimate the energy consumption,or alternatively the energy pay,in constructing an overhead transmission line is proposed in this paper.The analysis of a typical projection is given for demonstration.With new additional overhead transmission lines,the energy consumption,known as the power loss in power network,is expected to be decline,which is defined in this paper as the energy payback.In order to estimate this kind of contribution,the scheme that consisted of load forecast,production simulation for generating systems,load flow simulation and power loss calculation has been proposed.Case studies,based on the IEEE 24-bus test system,are given to demonstrate the efficacy of the schemes.Moreover,several presumptive scenarios are deployed and analysed with the presented schemes for comparison.展开更多
Currently,the reduction of weight in automotive is a very important topic to reduce the air pollution.In this context,the purpose of the present paper is to analyze a real case study through a comparison of the enviro...Currently,the reduction of weight in automotive is a very important topic to reduce the air pollution.In this context,the purpose of the present paper is to analyze a real case study through a comparison of the environmental impacts between a conventional steel bumper and a polyester prototype.In the first part of this work,a door-to-door life-cycle assessment methodology was used throughout the study of the component manufacturing phase.The SimaPro 7.1 software is used to evaluate the impacts of both bumpers on the environment and health.The second part is devoted to dust analysis from the polyester workshop.The obtained results have allowed us to show the company that its choice of steel substitution by the polyester is advantageous for certain impacts including the impact of climate change,but unfortunately there may be,given the working conditions of the polyester workshop,a transfer of impact,since we will end up with a risk of health(irritations,cancers)for the workers.LCA has proven to be a very useful tool for validating a redesigned automotive component from an environmental point of view;from this case study,several recommendations were made for the company to design environmentally friendly components,and ecodesign should be introduced into the company’s procedures.展开更多
The paper focus on the life cycle analysis of stainless steels.It describes the system boundaries and gives an evaluation of the CO_2 emissions of Stainless Steels from cradle to gate.It gives as well an evaluation of...The paper focus on the life cycle analysis of stainless steels.It describes the system boundaries and gives an evaluation of the CO_2 emissions of Stainless Steels from cradle to gate.It gives as well an evaluation of the recycling rates of stainless steels according to the market applications and an evaluation of the overall cycle of manufacturing and scraps in 2005 on a world wide basis.It concludes with a presentation of some remarkable application focusing on green energy and future growth markets.展开更多
文摘Due to the rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves and increasing concern for climate change as a result of greenhouse gas effect, every country is looking for ways to develop eco-friendly renewable energy sources. Wind energy has become a good option due to its comparative economic advantages and environment friendly aspects. But there is always an ongoing debate if wind energy is as green as it seems to appear. Wind turbines once installed do not produce any greenhouse gases during operation, but it can and may produce significant emissions during manufacture, transport, installation and disposal stages. To determine the exact amount of emissions, it is necessary to consider all the stages for a wind turbine from manufacture to disposal. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is a technique that determines the energy consumption, emission of greenhouse gases and other environmental impacts of a product or system throughout the life cycle stages. The various approaches that have been used in the literature for the LCA of wind turbines have many discrepancies among the results, the main reason(s) being different investigators used different parameters and boundary conditions, and thus comparisons are difficult. In this paper, the influence of different parameters such as turbine size, technology (geared or gearbox less), recycling, medium of transport, different locations, orientation of the blade (horizontal or vertical), blade material, positioning of wind turbine (land, coastal or offshore), etc. on greenhouse gas emissions and embodied energy is studied using the available data from exhaustive search of literature. This provides tools to find better solutions for power production in an environmental friendly manner by selecting a proper blade orientation technique, with suitable blade material, technology, recycling techniques and suitable location.
文摘It is estimated that there is a generation of 307,224 ton/year [1] of waste from electronic and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Mexico, of which 10% is recycled, 40% remains stored and 50% reaches landfills or uncontrolled dumps. In the practice, even the regulatory instruments are not consolidated and the adequate management of the use of WEEE management, so the aim of this study is an analysis of life cycle of printed circuit boards (TCI) to identify the management alternatives that represent the least impact to the environment. This assessment was carried out using software SIMAPRO to determine the environmental impact of each scenario, through the comparison of impacts and the proposed improvements to reduce it, following phases of this methodology by applying standards, ISO 14040/ISO 14044 [2], using data from the INE official reports since 2006 until 2010 which concentrate the information of the WEEE problem in Mexico. These data were pooled to carry out inventories according to the availability in the information, identifying the environmental impacts generated by processing. The conclusions of the LCA will serve to identify the stage with greater environmental impact, and thus propose ideas for improvement in order to minimize this impact.
文摘Climate change mitigation technologies have been a focus in reducing atmospheric carbon levels for the past few years.One such mitigation technology is pyrolysis,where biomass feedstocks are combusted at elevated temperatures for varying durations to produce three main products:biochar,bio-oil,and biogas.While bio-oil and biogas are typically used to produce energy via further combustion,biochar can be used in several different applications.Furthermore,using forest harvest residues as a feedstock for biochar production helps use excess biomass from the forestry industry that was previously assumed unmarketable.In our study,we combined forest carbon analysis modelling with cradle-to-gate life cycle emissions to determine the greenhouse gas emissions of biochar produced from forest harvest residues.We examined three collection scenarios,spanning two harvesting methods in one forest management unit in northern Ontario,Canada.From our analysis,we observed immediate reductions(−0.85 tCO_(2eq)·t_(biochar)^(−1)in year 1)in CO_(2)-equivalent emissions(CO_(2eq))when producing biochar from forest harvest residues that would have undergone controlled burning,without considering the end use of the biochar.For the forest harvest residues that would remain in-forest to decay over time,producing biochar would increase overall emissions by about 6 tCO_(2eq)·t_(biochar)^(−1).Throughout the 100-year timeframe examined-in ascending order of cumulative emissions-scenario ranking was:full tree harvesting with slash pile burn<full tree harvesting with slash pile decay<cut-to-length/tree-length harvesting.
文摘Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) provides a systematic approach to assess the total cost associated with owning, operating, and maintaining assets throughout their entire life. BIM empowers architects and designers to perform real-time evaluations to explore various design options. However, when integrated with LCCA, BIM provides a comprehensive economic perspective that helps stakeholders understand the long-term financial implications of design decisions. This study presents a methodology for developing a model that seamlessly integrates BIM and LCCA during the conceptual design stage of buildings. This integration allows for a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the design process, ensuring that the development aligns with the principles of low carbon emissions by employing modular construction, 3D concrete printing methods, and different building design alternatives. The model considers the initial construction costs in addition to all the long-term operational, maintenance, and salvage values. It combines various tools and data through different modules, including energy analysis, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) to execute a comprehensive assessment of the financial implications of a specific design option throughout the lifecycle of building projects. The development of the said model and its implementation involves the creation of a new plug-in for the BIM tool (i.e., Autodesk Revit) to enhance its functionalities and capabilities in forecasting the life-cycle costs of buildings in addition to generating associated cash flows, creating scenarios, and sensitivity analyses in an automatic manner. This model empowers designers to evaluate and justify their initial investments while designing and selecting potential construction methods for buildings, and enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions by assessing different design alternatives based on long-term financial considerations during the early stages of design.
基金funded by National Key Research and Development Plan of China(Grant No.2020YFE0200300).
文摘Carbon emissions from buildings account for approximately half of China’s total social carbon emissions.Focusing only on the carbon emissions of building operation tends to neglect the carbon emissions of other related parts of the building sector,thus slowing down the progress of carbon peaking in the building sector.By applying life-cycle analysis to calculate carbon emissions throughout the building’s life cycle,the performance of carbon emissions at each stage of building materials,construction,operation and end-of-life demolition can be identified,so that carbon reduction strategies in building design can be selected..This paper constructed a method for calculating the carbon emissions of green buildings in whole-building life cycle,and conducted a summary analysis of the carbon emissions of 33 projects that were awarded green building certification.The study found that the Chinese Assessment Standard for Green Buildings has a significant effect on reducing the carbon emissions of buildings in whole-building life cycle.Compared with the current average operational carbon emissions of buildings in China,the carbon intensity of green public buildings is 41.43%lower under this standard and the carbon intensity of green residential buildings is 13.99%lower.A carbon correlation analysis of the provisions of the current Chinese Assessment Standard for Green Buildings was conducted,comparing the changes in the carbon intensity of buildings before and after the revision of the standards.The study concluded that the new version of the standards has a greater impact on public buildings than residential buildings,the requirement of carbon emission reduction in the production stage of building materials is strengthened in terms of carbon emission during the whole-building life cycle.This study addresses the current problem of unclear carbon emission reduction effect of green buildings.
文摘The Government of the Republic of Indonesia states that the thermal energy for hot-mixed asphalt production shall be supplied by the direct combustion of fossil fuels in the form of diesel oil,natural gas,or fuel gas from coal gasification which may generate GHG emission.Biomasses are able to substitute the fossil fuels through gasification technology.Gasification converts the biomass using limited air into gaseous fuel containing mainly CO and H_(2) that are subsequently combusted to produce heat,carbon dioxide,and water.It is obvious that the CO_(2) is then absorbed by the plants for photosynthesis,main-taining a balanced closed cycle.This study examines the level of global warming potential of this system for supplying heat based on the openLCA v1.9 software.The analysis used a gate-to-gate approach to evaluate scenarios of shell gasification to produce 1 metric tonne of hot-mixed asphalt.The scope covers raw material supply and transportation,palm kernel shell gasification,and products.The evaluation concludes that gasification could potentially reduce CO_(2) emissions.Environmental impact analysis and interpretation of the results using the openLCA database of Traci 2.1 recommend that greater CO_(2) emis-sion reduction is possible using palm kernel shell gasification,not only for supplying heat but also for electricity generation to operate all electrical equipments.
基金The Science and Technology Project of Jiangsu Provincial Communications Department(No.7621000078)
文摘Pavement performance and economic efficiency are researched on the perpetual test pavement of Yijiang-Suzhou Express Highway in Jiangsu province, China. Test sections were continuously monitored. The conditions and developing laws of deflection, rutting and cracking are compared among the perpetual pavement with the rich binder layer （RBL）, the perpetual pavement without the RBL, and the conventional semi-rigid asphalt pavement in the past eight years after opening for traffic. Economical evaluation is conducted via life cycle cost analysis （LCCA）. Based on the performance comparison and LCCA analysis, sections with the RBL have good crack resistance, but they are not very satisfactory in the aspect of permanent deformation; the conventional semi-rigid asphalt pavement is the least economic one due to requiring more frequent maintenance. Research results show that the perpetual pavement without RBL is a more appropriate structure for the test site.
文摘The de-manufacturing stage is an overlooked component of most current LCA （life cycle assessment） methodologies. Most of the current LCA techniques do not fully account for the usage of the product and end of life aspects. This paper introduces a comprehensive methodology that takes strong consideration of the inventory costs of use and end of life of the functional unit by combining manufacturing and de-manufacturing into the centerpiece of the hybrid analysis. In order to obtain this goal, a new disaggregated model was developed by enhancing current LCA hybrid methods related to life cycle inventory compilations. The new methodology is also compared to existing methodologies.
基金supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada through Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships(NSERC-IPS)Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)Ontario Power Generation(OPG)
文摘Biochar-based bioenergy production and sub- sequent land application of biochar can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by fixing atmospheric carbon into the soil for a long period of time. A thorough life cycle assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and biochar land application in Northwestern Ontario is conducted using SimaPro Ver. 8.1. The results of energy consumption and potential environmental impact of biochar-based bioenergy production system are compared with those of conventional coal-based system. Results show that biocbar land application consumes 4847.61 MJ per tonne dry feedstock more energy than conventional system, but reduces the GHG emissions by 68.19 kg CO2e per tonne of dry feed- stock in its life cycle. Biochar land application improves ecosystem quality by 18 %, reduces climate change by 15 %, and resource use by 13 % but may adversely impact on human health by increasing disability adjusted life years by 1.7 % if biomass availability is low to medium. Replacing fossil fuel with woody biomass has a positiveimpact on the environment, as one tonne of dry biomass feedstock when converted to biochar reduces up to 38 kg CO2e with biochar land application despite using more energy. These results will help understand a comprehensive picture of the new interventions in forestry businesses, which are promoting biochar-based bioenergy production.
基金The authors would like to thank the University of Massachusetts Lowell for providing start-up funds.N.F.andW.-T.C.would like to thank the financial support by the U.S.Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy(EERE)under the Advanced Manufacturing Office Award No.DE-EE0007897。
文摘Increasing production and use of various novel plastics products,a low recycling rate,and lack of effective recycling/disposal methods have resulted in an exponential growth in plastic waste accumulation in landfills and in the environment.To better understand the effects of plastic waste,Life Cycle Analysis(LCA)was done to compare the effects of various production and disposal methods.LCA shows the specific effects of the cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-cradle scenarios for landfill,incineration,and mechanical recycling.The analysis clearly indicates that increasing recycling of plastics can significantly save energy and eliminate harmful emissions of various carcinogens and GHGs into the environment.As recycling increases,the need for virgin-plastic production can be greatly reduced.Furthermore,the results of this study may help improve current mechanical recycling processes as well as potential future recycling methods,such as chemical recycling.Concerns about the current recycling/disposal methods for plastics have brought increasing attention to the waste accumulation problem.However,with the current COVID-19 pandemic,plastic accumulation is expected to increase significantly in the near future.A better understanding of the quantitative effects of the various disposal methods can help guide policies and future research toward effective solutions of the plastic waste problem.
文摘Inverted pavements have proven performance across the world,and there is a need to opti-mize the layer thickness and material properties of the pavement addressing the critical failures in the mechanistic-empirical pavement design.The present study is made on bituminous concrete(BC)pavement with traffic up to 50 samples per second(MSA)and studying the critical factors affecting the pavement performance.The Minitab’s response surface methodology(RSM)box behnken method,was used for the design of experi-ments which includes critical factors and responses obtained from ANSYS finite element modeling of the inverted pavement.The critical factors and responses are normally dis-tributed and indicate a linear relationship with the least error.The composite desirability for minimum stress and strains in the pavement layers was found to be 0.89.The optimized pavement thickness and layer material properties were validated with two pavement field cross sections of different Indian national highways,and it is observed that the optimized cross-section is safe.Further,this research paper carried out life cycle cost analysis(LCCA)and life cycle assessment(LCA)of inverted pavement with optimized pavement cross-section obtained including the carbon footprint during the vehicle operation phase.The study demonstrated the benefits of inverted pavement with reduced costs and carbon emissions.Thus,this approach paves the way towards sustainable and long-lasting pavements.
基金The Research on Key Technologies of Sustainable Building and Their Demonstration,Shanghai Commission of Science of Technol-ogy(No03dz12009)
文摘Applying energy-saving measures in residential buildings is usually constrained by the increase of initial investment. ＂However, if it is analyzed from the view of energy cost and life-cycle cost, the energy-saving benefit can offset ~he increase of initial investment. An analysis method based on life-cycle concept was developed to calcu- late the energy cost of residential building flats. Several uncertain factors were included into the model, making it more accurate to reflect practical situation. The model was solved using the software DeST and applied to one resi- dential building project in Shanghai. The case study shows that the initial investment （cost） is paid back during the operational phase through less consumption of energy. It further indicates that the investment recovery period is between 10 and 19 years which are acceptable to households and developers in China.
基金supported by the Technical Service Foundation,China University of Geosciences(Wuhan)(No.122-KH2360504).
文摘Sludge quality is a critical factor influencing the economic and environmental performance of treatment and disposal processes.In many regions,sludge is typically characterized by a low organic matter content.Consequently,the selection of sludge treatment and disposal routes should be tailored to the specific characteristics of sludge in each region,considering its dual attributes of“resource”and“pollution”,and aiming to maximize environmental,economic,and social benefits.Using the current sludge treatment and disposal situation in Wuhan,China,this study conducted a quantitative assessment of carbon emissions,environmental risks,and economic benefits associated with several existing treatment and disposal routes from a life cycle perspective.The results suggest that for sludge characteristics with low organic matter content,co-incineration in coal-fired power plants or cement production processes is the most favorable option.Specifically,when the organic matter content of the sludge falls below approximately 40%,cement production is deemed the preferred process,whereas co-incineration with coal is favored when the organic matter content exceeds 40%but is less than 50%.Owing to the relatively low organic matter and nutrient contents of sludge,optimization of existing anaerobic digestion and aerobic composting processes can be achieved through collaborative treatment with other solid wastes.Moreover,the prevailing carbon trading prices in the Chinese carbon market are relatively low and do not significantly impact the selection of current sludge treatment processes.This study aids in the development of sustainable management strategies for sludge characterized by low resource and pollution attributes in the future.
文摘A compressive design and analysis of a turbofan engine is presented in this paper. The components of jet engine have been analyzed based on mechanical design concept. An attempt has been to select materials based on sustainability and green design considerations. The energy content （e） of the materials has been one of the parameters for material selection. The choice of material has a substantial impact on cost, manuthcturing process, and the life cycle efficiency. All components nose cone, fan blade, inlet shaft, including compressor has been solid modeled using Siemens NX 11.0 CAD software. The finite element analysis of every component was performed and found safe. A tolerance analysis was performed before assembly of the turbofan engine. A numerical analysis was completed on blade and inlet geometries to determine a more efficient turbofan engine. Thermal analysis was executed oi1 the cone and suitable corrections were made. Finally, the cost and the total energy were estimated to show how much energy is needed to manufacture a turbofan jet engine.
文摘Plasma-based processes,particularly in carbon capture and utilization,hold great potential for addressing environmental challenges and advancing a circular carbon economy.While significant progress has been made in understanding plasma-induced reactions,plasma-catalyst interactions,and reactor development to enhance energy efficiency and conversion,there remains a notable gap in research concerning overall process development.This review emphasizes the critical need for considerations at the process level,including integration and intensification,to facilitate the industrialization of plasma technology for chemical production.Discussions centered on the development of plasma-based processes are made with a primary focus on CO_(2) conversion,offering insights to guide future work for the transition of the technology from laboratory scale to industrial applications.Identification of current research gaps,especially in upscaling and integrating plasma reactors with other process units,is the key to addressing critical issues.The review further delves into relevant research in process evaluation and assessment,providing methodological insights and highlighting key factors for comprehensive economic and sustainability analyses.Additionally,recent advancements in novel plasma systems are reviewed,presenting unique advantages and innovative concepts that could reshape the future of process development.This review provides essential information for navigating the path forward,ensuring a comprehensive understanding of challenges and opportunities in the development of plasma-based CCU process.
文摘The mining process involves drilling and excavation, resulting in the production of waste rock and tailings. The waste materials are then removed and stored in designated areas. This study aims to evaluate the mechanical strength and the environmental and economic impact of using Coltan Mining Waste (CMW) as a substitute for aggregates in concrete and mortar production. To achieve this, the CMW needs to be characterised. The Dreux Gorisse method was primarily used to produce concrete with a strength of 20 MPa at 28 days. The mortars, on the other hand, were formulated according to the NF P 18-452 standard. The environmental impact of using CMW as substitutes for natural aggregates in the production of concrete and mortar was analysed using SimaPro software. The results showed that mortars and concrete made with CMW have comparable compressive strengths to the reference mortar and concrete;reduce the negative impact on ecosystem quality, human health, resources, and climate change. It has also been shown that the substitution of aggregates by CMW reduces the cost of concrete and mortar as a function of the distance from the aggregate footprint.
文摘This paper provides a summary of the literature in the past twelve years that focused on life cycle seismic performance of buildings and bridges, considering metrics related to both resilience and sustainability. The studies were presented and discussed in terms of the following categories: 1) individual buildings, 2) portfolio-scale assessments of buildings, 3) seismic retrofit of buildings, 4) bridges (individual and network), 5) methods for jointly assessing resilience and sustainability in life cycle performance assessment and 6) optimization for resilience and sustainability. Several of the considered studies focused on issues that belong to multiple categories (e.g., optimizing seismic retrofit of building portfolios) and are therefore discussed in multiple sections. The methodology used to review the existing literature is also presented along with the geographic distribution of the authors and publication timelines. Given the acute focus in recent years on climate resilience, we expect that research in this area will continue to grow in popularity.
基金This work was supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars(No.51325702)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2014M560968).
文摘The energy conservation plays an important role for low carbon development.In order to evaluate the energy conservation in the full life-cycle,a scheme to estimate the energy consumption,or alternatively the energy pay,in constructing an overhead transmission line is proposed in this paper.The analysis of a typical projection is given for demonstration.With new additional overhead transmission lines,the energy consumption,known as the power loss in power network,is expected to be decline,which is defined in this paper as the energy payback.In order to estimate this kind of contribution,the scheme that consisted of load forecast,production simulation for generating systems,load flow simulation and power loss calculation has been proposed.Case studies,based on the IEEE 24-bus test system,are given to demonstrate the efficacy of the schemes.Moreover,several presumptive scenarios are deployed and analysed with the presented schemes for comparison.
文摘Currently,the reduction of weight in automotive is a very important topic to reduce the air pollution.In this context,the purpose of the present paper is to analyze a real case study through a comparison of the environmental impacts between a conventional steel bumper and a polyester prototype.In the first part of this work,a door-to-door life-cycle assessment methodology was used throughout the study of the component manufacturing phase.The SimaPro 7.1 software is used to evaluate the impacts of both bumpers on the environment and health.The second part is devoted to dust analysis from the polyester workshop.The obtained results have allowed us to show the company that its choice of steel substitution by the polyester is advantageous for certain impacts including the impact of climate change,but unfortunately there may be,given the working conditions of the polyester workshop,a transfer of impact,since we will end up with a risk of health(irritations,cancers)for the workers.LCA has proven to be a very useful tool for validating a redesigned automotive component from an environmental point of view;from this case study,several recommendations were made for the company to design environmentally friendly components,and ecodesign should be introduced into the company’s procedures.
文摘The paper focus on the life cycle analysis of stainless steels.It describes the system boundaries and gives an evaluation of the CO_2 emissions of Stainless Steels from cradle to gate.It gives as well an evaluation of the recycling rates of stainless steels according to the market applications and an evaluation of the overall cycle of manufacturing and scraps in 2005 on a world wide basis.It concludes with a presentation of some remarkable application focusing on green energy and future growth markets.
