Search results for " Life Cycle assessment"
showing 10 items of 73 documents
Resource depletion of a Lithium ion battery cell technology
2018
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are the dominating storage technology for electric vehicles (EVs). Different types of LIBs, using diverse cathode materials are available in the market, such as LiMn2O4, Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2. The cathodes contain a wide range of raw materials (RMs), among which e.g. cobalt is in the 2017 list of CRMs for the Europe Union (EU). CRMs are both of high economic importance for the EU, and vulnerable to supply security. In the last years, the increasing demand of LIBs has triggered a growing interest in the need to ensure the security and the sustainability of the supply of the CRMs used in LIBs and in general in EVs. In this context, lithium rich layered oxides from…
Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC): principio di funzionamento e fasi preliminari dell’analisi LCA applicata alla Smart Window-LSC
2019
Una delle tecnologie più promettenti nel panorama dei sistemi fotovoltaici integrati negli edifici è quella dei concentratori solari luminescenti (LSC - Luminescent Solar Concentrator). La peculiarità di questi dispositivi risiede nel fatto che possono essere installati in zone dell’edificio difficilmente sfruttabili da altre tecnologie fotovoltaiche, in particolare in sostituzione di aperture quali lucernari o finestre, grazie alla loro caratteristica di essere semi-trasparenti e di funzionare sia con radiazione solare diretta che diffusa. L’obiettivo del presente lavoro è stato ricostruire i percorsi di produzione dei principali componenti del pannello LSC, in modo da ottenere un parziale…
Energy and environmental benefits of circular economy strategies: The case study of reusing used batteries from electric vehicles
2019
Abstract According to recent literature and technical analyses, used batteries from electric vehicles can still be used, before the final treatment at the end-of-life, in stationary applications that are usually less stressing than the automotive ones. In this framework, a circular economy inspired pathway is emerging between the building and the transportation sector, generally called “second life” of batteries. Used batteries from electric vehicles can be re-used in residential buildings together with renewable electricity generation technologies to improve the matching between the highly variable electricity generation from renewables and the electricity demand in buildings. This study a…
La Life Cycle Assessment applicata alla valutazione della sostenibilità ambientale del riuso delle batterie da trazione
2019
In un’ottica di economia circolare, le batterie da trazione rimosse dalle auto elettriche possiedono una capacità residua sufficiente per essere riutilizzate in applicazioni stazionarie di seconda vita in edifici residenziali dotati di tecnologie per la produzione di energia elettrica da fonti rinnovabili, allo scopo di aumentare l’autoconsumo degli edifici e ridurre lo stress sulla rete elettrica. In questo contesto, lo studio propone un approccio metodologico che combina la modellizzazione energetica del sistema che fornisce l’energia elettrica richiesta in una specifica applicazione, l’analisi di load – match e la Life Cycle Assessment, da impiegare per identificare la configurazione del…
Combined Oxidation-Gasification system for waste treatment with supercritical water: LCA and performance analysis
2020
In this study the environmental performance of a first of a kind integrated process based on supercritical water gasification and supercritical water oxidation, was evaluated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The process was applied to the treatment of carbon black and used oil as model waste. Mass and energy balances were performed using Aspen Plus, and the environmental assessment was carried out through SimaPro. For the analysis was chosen a “From cradle to grave” approach, considering impact categories like climate change, ozone depletion, human toxicity, particulate matter, land use, resource depletion and others relevant indicators. The environmental profile of SCW-GcO process was co…
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF SOLAR COMMUNITIES: A SCENARIO ANALYSIS
The study proposes the comparisonof the life cycle performances of two different energy systems aimed at covering the needs of a large mixed-mode community, in Calgary (Canada). The two systems investigated are a“conventional” one, using heat pumps for heating, cooling and domestic hot water, and another one widely deploying solar thermal panels as well as a district heating infrastructure and a borehole seasonal thermal storage. The analysis is based on the LifeCycle Assessment (LCA) methodology and includes the stages of raw materials and energy supply, system manufacturing, use stage of the systems, generation and use of energy on-site, maintenance and components’ substitution, and explo…
Life cycle analysis of innovative building materials based on circular coffee ground supply chain
2022
The construction sector is widely recognized as one of the most polluting mainly due to its intensive exploitation of natural resources and large energy consumption to produce traditional building materials. In the last years, alternative building materials have been developed with the aim to reduce the environmental burden of this sector. In particular, the use of geopolymer mortars as alternative cementitious materials is gaining increasing acceptance among scientists. Numerous laboratory studies demonstrate their suitability for construction applications, highlighting the potential environmental benefits that can be obtained from their large-scale production. This study aims to perform a…
Combining Membrane and Zero Brine Technologies in Waste Acid Treatment for a Circular Economy in the Hot-Dip Galvanizing Industry: A Life Cycle Persp…
2023
AbstractAn innovative approach of combining membrane and zero brine technologies for a joint treatment of industrial liquid waste is investigated regarding its environmental impacts compared to the existing liquid waste treatment. The object of investigation is the generation of waste acid solution by a hot dip galvanizing plant in Sicily, Italy. The waste acid solution contains hydrochloric acid, iron and zinc, which makes it a hazardous waste according to EU classifications. Environmental impacts are studied for two scenarios in the Tecnozinco hot-dip galvanizing plant in Sicily, Italy: (i) the current process of pickling with linear disposal of waste acid and (ii) the pickling combined w…
Ottimizzazione Multi-Obiettivo delle Prestazioni Energetiche e Ambientali di un Edificio Residenziale
2019
Il presente lavoro, svolto nell’ambito dell’Annex 72 dell’International Energy Agency, descrive un approccio metodologico volto all’identificazione di interventi ottimali di ristrutturazione da effettuare sull’involucro di un edificio residenziale, permettendo di minimizzare contemporaneamente quattro funzioni obiettivo: i consumi energetici in fase d’uso, i costi d’investimento e gli impatti energetici e ambientali di ciclo di vita. L’ottimizzazione, eseguita tramite un algoritmo multi-obiettivo, ha permesso di identificare gli spessori di materiale isolante e di materiali massivi da aggiungere sul tetto e sulle pareti perimetrali dell’involucro edilizio per minimizzare le quattro funzioni…
A Comparison of Solar and Conventional Pavements Via Life Cycle Assessment
2023
The sustainable and green development of roads is lately receiving significant attention. As a multi-functional road capable of both accommodating traffic loads and generating clean energy, solar pavements exhibit a strategic opportunity for the future path of development in the road engineering. Although solar pavements have significant environmental benefits during their operation, they can lead to increased carbon emissions during the process of material preparation, construction, maintenance, etc. Therefore, it is essential to implement the framework of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to investigate their potential environmental impacts and/or benefits. Hence, this paper systematically anal…