Top

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment

Published in:

20-01-2017 | LCI METHODOLOGY AND DATABASES

Life cycle assessment-based selection of a sustainable lightweight automotive engine hood design

Authors: Xin Sun, Jingru Liu, Bin Lu, Peng Zhang, Mingnan Zhao

Published in: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment | Issue 9/2017

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

Purpose

This study presents a life cycle assessment (LCA)-based sustainable and lightweight automotive engine hood design and compares the life cycle energy consumption and potential environmental impacts of a steel (baseline) automotive engine hood with three types of lightweight design: advanced high strength steel (AHSS), aluminum, and carbon fiber.

Methods

A “cradle-to-grave” LCA including the production, use, and end-of-life stages is conducted in accordance with the ISO 14040/14044 standards. Onsite data collected by Chinese automotive companies in 2015 are used in the assessment. The Cumulative Energy Demand v1.09 method is applied to evaluate cumulative energy demand (CED), and the International Panel on Climate Change 2013 100a method is used to estimate global warming potential (GWP 100a).

Results and discussion

Among the different lightweight designs for the engine hood, the aluminum design is the most sustainable and has the lowest CED and GWP (100a) from a life cycle perspective, which is based on a lifetime driving distance of approximately 150,000 km. In addition, the AHSS design is also sustainable and lightweight. The carbon fiber design results in higher CED and GWP (100a) values than the steel (baseline) design during the life cycle but results in the largest CED and GWP (100a) savings through waste material recycling. The AHSS design exhibits the best break-even distance based on CED and GWP (100a) within 150,000 km.

Conclusions

Sensitivity analysis results show that the lifetime driving distance and material recycling rate have the largest impacts on the overall CEDs and GWPs of the three lightweight designs.

previous article Using the product environmental footprint for supply chain management: lessons learned from a case study on pork

next article Comparing land use impacts using ecosystem quality, biogenic carbon emissions, and restoration costs in a case study of hydropower plants in Norway

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Ashnani MHM, Miremadi T, Johari A, Danekar A (2015) Environmental impact of alternative fuels and vehicle technologies: a life cycle assessment perspective. Por Environ Sci 30:205–210CrossRef

CSA Group (2014) Guidelines for conducting LCA of auto parts incorporating weight changes due to material composition, manufacturing technology, or part geometry vol SPE-14040-14. Canadian Standards Association Group, Canada

Cui X, Zhang H, Wang S, Zhang L, Ko J (2011) Design of lightweight multi-material automotive bodies using new material performance indices of thin-walled beams for the material selection with crashworthiness consideration. Mater Design 32:815–821CrossRef

Das S (2011) Life cycle assessment of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Int J Life Cycle Assess 16:268–282CrossRef

Ding N, Gao F, Wang Z, Yang J (2015) Life cycle energy and greenhouse gas emissions of automobiles using aluminum in China. J Ind Ecol 20:818–827CrossRef

Dubreuil A, Bushi I, Das S, Tharumarajah A, Gong X (2010) A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Magnesium Front End Autoparts. SAE Technical Papers 01 doi:10.4271/2010–01-0275

Dubreuil A, Bushi I, Das S, Tharumarajah A, Gong X (2012) A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Magnesium Front End Autoparts. SAE Technical Papers 01 doi:10.4271/2012–01-2325

EPA (2016) EPA’s FTP-75 and HWFET driving cycles. http://www.dieselnet.com/standards/cycles/hwfet.html. Accessed 2.24 2016

Frischknecht R, Jungbluth N et al (2003) Implementation of life cycle impact assessment methods. Final report ecoinvent 2000, Swiss Centre for LCI. Duebendorf, CH. www.ecoinvent.ch

Gao Z et al (2015) Drive cycle simulation of high efficiency combustions on fuel economy and exhaust properties in light-duty vehicles. Appl Energ 157:762–776CrossRef

Hakamada M, Furuta T, Chino Y, Chen Y, Kusuda H, Mabuchi M (2007) Life cycle inventory study on magnesium alloy substitution in vehicles. Energy 32:1352–1360CrossRef

Helms H, Lambrecht U (2007) The potential contribution of light-weighting to reduce transport energy consumption. Int J Life Cycle Assess 12:58–64

IPCC (2013) Climate change 2013: the physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA

ISO (2006) ISO 14040: 2006 environmental management-life cycle assessment-principles and framework. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

Kampe S (2001) Incorporating Green Engineering in Materials Selection and Design. In: 2001 Green Engineering Conference: Sustainable and Environmentally-Conscious Engineering, Roanoke, Virginia. Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Koffler C, Rohde-Brandenburger K (2010) On the calculation of fuel savings through lightweight design in automotive life cycle assessments. Int J Life Cycle Assess 15:128–135CrossRef

Koffler C, Zahller M (2012a) Life cycle assessment of polymers in an automotive assist step, prepared for: American Chemistry Council. PE INTERNATIONAL, USA

Koffler C, Zahller M (2012b) Life cycle assessment of polymers in an automotive bolster, prepared for: American Chemistry Council. PE INTERNATIONAL, Inc., USA

Liu Q, Chen Q, Yang J (2011) The Impact of Tire Rolling Resistance on the Fuel Economy of Vehicle. AUTOMOB PARTS:77–80 doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-1986.2011.08.029

Liu Z et al (2015) Targeted opportunities to address the climate-trade dilemma in China. Nature Clim Change advance online publication. doi:10.1038/nclimate2800

Liu ZF, Wang J, Zhang L, Bao H (2012) Life cycle assessment of automotive engine hoods made of aluminum alloy and glass mat reinforced thermoplastic. J Hefei Univ Tech 35:433–438

Mayyas AT, Qattawi A, Mayyas AR, Omar MA (2012) Life cycle assessment-based selection for a sustainable lightweight body-in-white design. Energy 39:412–425CrossRef

Oliveux G, Dandy LO, Leeke GA (2015) Current status of recycling of fibre reinforced polymers: review of technologies, reuse and resulting properties. Prog Mater Sci 72:61–99CrossRef

Pimenta S, Pinho ST (2011) Recycling carbon fibre reinforced polymers for structural applications: technology review and market outlook. Waste Manag 31:378–392CrossRef

Saur K, Fava JA, Spatari S (2000) Life cycle engineering case study: automobile fender designs. Environ Prog 19:72–82CrossRef

Sun X, Liu J, Yang D, Lv B (2014) The carbon footprint of household air-conditioners and its key influence factors. Acta Scien Circum 34:1054–1060

Vo Dong PA, Azzaro-Pantel C, Boix M, Jacquemin L, Domenech S (2015) Modelling of Environmental Impacts and Economic Benefits of Fibre Reinforced Polymers Composite Recycling Pathways. In: Krist V, Gernaey JKH, Rafiqul G (eds) Computer Aided Chemical Engineering, vol Volume 37. Elsevier, pp 2009–2014. doi:10.1016/B978–0–444-63576-1.50029-7

Wang H, Gao W, Pan L, Liu C (2006) Lightweight structure of engine hood. J Tongji Univ (Natrual Science) 34:1098–1103

Witik RA, Payet J, Michaud V, Ludwig C, Månson J-AE (2011) Assessing the life cycle costs and environmental performance of lightweight materials in automobile applications. Cosmos Part A-Appl S 42:1694–1709CrossRef

Witik RA, Teuscher R, Michaud V, Ludwig C, Månson J-AE (2013) Carbon fibre reinforced composite waste: an environmental assessment of recycling, energy recovery and landfilling. Compos Part A-Appl S 49:89–99CrossRef

Yang D, Liu J, Yamg J, Ding N (2015) Life-cycle assessment of China’s multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules considering international trade. J Clean Prod 94:35–45CrossRef

Zhou J, Wang F, Wan X (2015) Optimal design and experimental investigations of Aluminium sheet for lightweight of car hood. Mater Today: Prog 2:5029–5036CrossRef

Zhu P, Meng J, Yu M, Feng Q, Zhou QW (2011) Lightweight design and Formabil ity analysis of saloon car aluminum-alloy engine hood. CNN J Highway Transp 24:113–120

Title: Life cycle assessment-based selection of a sustainable lightweight automotive engine hood design
Authors: Xin Sun
Jingru Liu
Bin Lu
Peng Zhang
Mingnan Zhao
Publication date: 20-01-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment / Issue 9/2017
Print ISSN: 0948-3349
Electronic ISSN: 1614-7502
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-016-1254-y

Springer Professional

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results and discussion

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to your license.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Springer Professional "Technik"

Other articles of this Issue 9/2017

Multi-actor multi-criteria sustainability assessment framework for energy and industrial systems in life cycle perspective under uncertainties. Part 1: weighting method

The search for an appropriate end-of-life formula for the purpose of the European Commission Environmental Footprint initiative

Using the product environmental footprint for supply chain management: lessons learned from a case study on pork

Multi-actor multi-criteria sustainability assessment framework for energy and industrial systems in life cycle perspective under uncertainties. Part 2: improved extension theory

Social life cycle assessment of average Irish dairy farm

Towards a research agenda for the use of LCA in the impact assessment of policies