Preventing the Immense Increase in the Life-Cycle Energy and Carbon Footprints of LLM-Powered Intelligent Chatbots

Intelligent chatbots powered by large language models(LLMs)have recently been sweeping the world,with potential for a wide variety of industrial applications.Global frontier technology companies are feverishly participating in LLM-powered chatbot design and development,providing several alternatives beyond the famous ChatGPT.However,training,fine-tuning,and updating such intelligent chatbots consume substantial amounts of electricity,resulting in significant carbon emissions.The research and development of all intelligent LLMs and software,hardware manufacturing(e.g.,graphics processing units and supercomputers),related data/operations management,and material recycling supporting chatbot services are associated with carbon emissions to varying extents.Attention should therefore be paid to the entire life-cycle energy and carbon footprints of LLM-powered intelligent chatbots in both the present and future in order to mitigate their climate change impact.In this work,we clarify and highlight the energy consumption and carbon emission implications of eight main phases throughout the life cycle of the development of such intelligent chatbots.Based on a life-cycle and interaction analysis of these phases,we propose a system-level solution with three strategic pathways to optimize the management of this industry and mitigate the related footprints.While anticipating the enormous potential of this advanced technology and its products,we make an appeal for a rethinking of the mitigation pathways and strategies of the life-cycle energy usage and carbon emissions of the LLM-powered intelligent chatbot industry and a reshaping of their energy and environmental implications at this early stage of development.

Reliability-based life-cycle cost seismic design optimization of coastal bridge piers with nonuniform corrosion using different materials

Reinforcement corrosion is the main cause of performance deterioration of reinforced concrete(RC)structures.Limited research has been performed to investigate the life-cycle cost(LCC)of coastal bridge piers with nonuniform corrosion using different materials.In this study,a reliability-based design optimization(RBDO)procedure is improved for the design of coastal bridge piers using six groups of commonly used materials,i.e.,normal performance concrete(NPC)with black steel(BS)rebar,high strength steel(HSS)rebar,epoxy coated(EC)rebar,and stainless steel(SS)rebar(named NPC-BS,NPC-HSS,NPC-EC,and NPC-SS,respectively),NPC with BS with silane soakage on the pier surface(named NPC-Silane),and high-performance concrete(HPC)with BS rebar(named HPC-BS).First,the RBDO procedure is improved for the design optimization of coastal bridge piers,and a bridge is selected to illustrate the procedure.Then,reliability analysis of the pier designed with each group of materials is carried out to obtain the time-dependent reliability in terms of the ultimate and serviceability performances.Next,the repair time of the pier is predicted based on the time-dependent reliability indices.Finally,the time-dependent LCCs for the pier are obtained for the selection of the optimal design.

Characterization and evaluation of brittleness of deep bedded sandstone from the perspective of the whole life-cycle evolution process

The quantitative determination and evaluation of rock brittleness are crucial for the estimation of excavation efficiency and the improvement of hydraulic fracturing efficiency.Therefore,a“three-stage”triaxial loading and unloading stress path is designed and proposed.Subsequently,six brittleness indices are selected.In addition,the evolution characteristics of the six brittleness indices selected are characterized based on the bedding effect and the effect of confining pressure.Then,the entropy weight method(EWM)is introduced to assign weight to the six brittleness indices,and the comprehensive brittleness index Bcis defined and evaluated.Next,the new brittleness classification standard is determined,and the brittleness differences between the two stress paths are quantified.Finally,compared with the previous evaluation methods,the rationality of the proposed comprehensive brittleness index Bcis also verified.These results indicate that the proposed brittleness index Bccan reflect the brittle characteristics of deep bedded sandstone from the perspective of the whole life-cycle evolution process.Accordingly,the method proposed seems to offer reliable evaluations of the brittleness of deep bedded sandstone in deep engineering practices,although further validation is necessary.

A Blockchain-Based Life-Cycle Environmental Management Framework for Hospitals in the COVID-19 Context

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency, many hospitals were built or renovated around the world to meet the challenges posed by the rising number of infected cases. Environmental management in the hospital life cycle is vital in preventing nosocomial infection and includes many infection control procedures. In certain urgent situations, a hospital must be completed quickly, and work process approval and supervision must therefore be accelerated. Thus, many works cannot be checked in detail. This results in a lack of work liability control and increases the difficulty of ensuring the fulfillment of key infection prevention measures. This study investigates how blockchain technology can transform the work quality inspection workflow to assist in nosocomial infection control under a fast delivery requirement. A blockchain-based life-cycle environmental management framework is proposed to track the fulfillment of crucial infection control measures in the design, construction, and operation stages of hospitals. The proposed framework allows for work quality checking after the work is completed, when some work cannot be checked on time. Illustrative use cases are selected to demonstrate the capabilities of the developed solution. This study provides new insights into applying blockchain technology to address the challenge of environmental management brought by rapid delivery requirements.

Construction of project quality health monitoring system based on life-cycle theory

In order to more effectively assess the health status of a project, the monitoring indices in a project＇s life cycle are divided into quality index, cost index, time index, satisfaction index, and sustainable development index. Based on the feature of qualitative and quantitative indices combining, the PCA-PR （principal component analysis and pattern recognition） model is constructed. The model first analyzes the principal components of the life-cycle indices system constructed above, and picks up those principal component indices that can reflect the health status of a project at any time. Then the pattern recognition model is used to study these principal components, which means that the real time health status of the project can be divided into five lamps from a green lamp to a red one and the health status lamp of the project can be recognized by using the PR model and those principal components. Finally, the process is shown with a real example and a conclusion consistent with the actual situation is drawn. So the validity of the index system and the PCA-PR model can be confirmed.

Life-cycle Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Capture for Enhanced Oil Recovery

The development and deployment of Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage （CCS） technology is a cornerstone of the Norwegian government＇s climate strategy. A number of projects are currently evaluated/planned along the Norwegian West Coast, one at Tjeldbergodden. COe from this project will be utilized in part for enhanced oil recovery in the Halten oil field, in the Norwegian Sea. We study a potential design of such a system. A combined cycle power plant with a gross power output of 832 MW is combined with CO2 capture plant based on a post-combustion capture using amines as a solvent. The captured CO2 is used for enhanced oil recovery （EOR）. We employ a hybrid life-cycle assessment （LCA） method to assess the environmental impacts of the system. The study focuses on the modifications and operations of the platform during EOR. We allocate the impacts connected to the capture of CO2 to electricity production, and the impacts connected to the transport and storage of CO2 to the oil produced. Our study shows a substantial reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions from power production by 80% to 75 g·（kW·h）^-1. It also indicates a reduction of the emissions associated with oil production per unit oil produced, mostly due to the increased oil production. Reductions are especially significant if the additional power demand due to EOR leads to power supply from the land.

Life-cycle failure probability analysis of deteriorated RC bridges under multiple hazards of earthquakes and strong winds

Engineering structures may be exposed to one or more extreme hazards during their life-cycles.Current structural design specifications usually treat multiple hazards separately in designing structures and there is a limited probabilistic basis on extreme load combinations.Additionally,the performance of engineering structures will be deteriorated by the aggressive environments during their service periods,such as chloride attack,concrete carbonation,and wind-induced fatigue.This study presents a probabilistic methodology to assess the time-dependent failure probability of RC bridges with chloride-induced corrosion under the multiple hazards of earthquakes and strong winds.The loss of cross-section area of reinforcements and the reduction in strength of reinforcing steel and concrete cover induced by the chloride attack are considered.Moreover,the Poisson model is employed to obtain the occurrence probabilities of the individual and concurrent earthquake and strong wind events.The convolution integral is used to determine the joint probability distribution of combined load effects under simultaneous earthquakes and strong winds.Numerical results indicate that the structural failure probability under multiple hazards increases significantly during the bridge′s life-cycle due to the chloride corrosion effect.The contribution of each hazard event on the total structural failure probability varies with time.Thus,neglecting the combined influences of multiple hazards and chloride-induced corrosion may bring erroneous predictions in failure probability estimates of RC bridges.

Life-cycle CO_2 Emissions and Their Driving Factors in Construction Sector in China

As the construction sector is a major energy consumer and thus a significant contributor of CO_2 emissions in China,it is important to consider carbon reduction in this industry.This study analyzed six life-cycle stages and calculated the life-cycle CO_2 emissions of the construction sector in 30 Chinese provincial jurisdictions to understand the disparity among them.Results show that building materials production was the key stage for carbon reduction in the construction sector,followed by the building operation stage.External variables,e.g.,economic growth,industrial structure,urbanization,price fluctuation,and marketization,were significantly correlated with the emission intensity of the construction sector.Specifically,economic growth exhibited an inverted U-shaped relation with CO_2 emissions per capita and per area during the period examined.Secondary industry and land urbanization were negatively correlated with CO_2 emission intensity indicators from the construction sector,whereas tertiary industry and urbanization were positively correlated.Price indices and marketization had negative effects on CO_2 emission intensity.The policy implications of our findings are that cleaner technologies should be encouraged for cement providers,and green purchasing rules for the construction sector should also be established.Pricing tools(e.g.,resource taxes)could help to adjust the demand for raw materials and energy.

Comparative Life-cycle Assessment of Sheet Molding Compound Reinforced by Natural Fiber vs. Glass Fiber

We present comparative life-cycle assessments of three fiber-reinforced sheet molding compounds （SMCs） using kenaf fiber, glass fiber and soy protein resin. Sheet molding compounds for automotive applications are typically made of unsaturated polyester and glass fibers. Replacing these with kenaf fiber or soy protein offers potential environmental benefits. A soy-based resin, maleated acrylated epoxidized soy oil （MAESO）, was synthesized from refined soybean oil. Kenaf fiber and polyester resins were used to make SMC 1 composites, while SMC2 composites were made from kenaf fiber and a resin blend of 20% MASEO and 80% unsaturated polyester. Both exhibited good physical and mechanical properties, though neither was as strong as glass fiber reinforced polyester SMC. The functional unit was defined as mass to achieve equal stiffness and stability for the manufacture of interior parts for automobiles. The life-cycle assessments were done on SMCI, SMC2 and glass fiber reinforced SMC. The material and energy balances from producing one functional unit of three composites were collected from lab experiments and the literature. Key environmental measures were computed using SimaPro software. Kenaf fiber-reinforced SMC composites （SMC1 and SMC2） performed better than glass fiber-reinforced SMC in every environmental category. The global warming potentials of kenaf fiber-reinforced SMC （SMCI） and kenaf soy resin-based SMC （SMC2） were 45% and 58%, respectively, of glass fiber-reinforced SMC. Thus, we have demonstrated significant ecological benefit from replacing glass fiber reinforced SMC with soy-based resin and natural fiber.

The Environmental Impacts and Economic Benefits on Comprehensively Promoting Alternative Fuel Buses in China: Life-Cycle and Scenario Analysis Based on LEAP Model

With the continuous development of urban public transportation, the harmful GHG emissions and pollutants generated by itself and the consequent issues such as the losses of residents’ health, economic value and residents’ welfare have become the focus of social attention. In order to study the impacts of promoting new energy vehicles on public transportation pollution mitigation and residents’ health benefits, this paper adopts the LEAP model to build some scenarios that fulfill different development needs to quantitatively analyze the ownership of new energy buses, the reduction of pollutants and the losses of residents’ health welfare. It is concluded that promoting new energy buses comprehensively can significantly reduce the emissions of atmospheric pollutants and the economic losses of residents’ health, but cannot fully realize the targets of greenhouse gas reduction under Life Cycle Analysis.

Study on life-cycle risk management of high earth-rock dam project

Based on advanced computer technology, internet of things （lOT） technology, project management con- cept and professional technology and combined with the innovative theories, methods and techniques in earlier hy- dropower projects, the life-cycle risk management system of high earth-rock dam project for Nuozhadu project was developed. The system mainly includes digital dam, three-dimensional design, construction quality monito- ring, safety assessment and warning, etc, to integrally manage and analyze the dam design, constructional quality and safety monitoring information. It realized the dynamic updates of the comprehensive information and the safe- ty quality monitoring in the project life cycle, and provided the basic platform for the scientific management of the construction and operation safety of high earth-rock dam. Application in Nuozhadu earth-rock dam showed that construction safety monitoring and warning greatly helped accelerate the construction progress and improve project quality, and provided a new way for the quality safety control of high earth-rock dam.

Degradation process assessment of prestressed concrete continuous bridges in life-cycle

To accurately evaluate the degradation process of prestressed concrete continuous bridges exposed to aggressive environments in life-cycle,a finite element-based approach with respect to the lifetime performance assessment of concrete bridges was proposed.The existing assessment methods were firstly introduced and compared.Some essential mechanics problems involved in the degradation process,such as the deterioration of materials properties,the reduction of sectional areas and the variation of overall structural performance caused by the first two problems,were investigated and solved.A computer program named CBDAS(Concrete Bridge Durability Analysis System) was written to perform the above-metioned approach.Finally,the degradation process of a prestressed concrete continuous bridge under chloride penetration was discussed.The results show that the concrete normal stress for serviceability limit state exceeds the threshold value after 60 a,but the various performance indicators at ultimate limit state are consistently in the allowable level during service life.Therefore,in the case of prestressed concrete bridges,the serviceability limit state is more possible to have durability problems in life-cycle;however,the performance indicators at ultimate limit state can satisfy the requirements.

A Battery Life-Cycle Estimation Method Based on Degradation Test Data

LiB （lithium-ion battery） has become serious concern for energy management systems, especially in Japan, where the argument on a nuclear power plant problem is active. Including reuse of LiB, long-term use is expected, however, method to ensure LiB life has not been developed thus the users of LiB are forced to accept the uncertainty of LiB life. Therefore this study suggests an evaluation method for LiB life using degradation experimental data. This method has three elements, defining indexes, preparing degradation speed database from the result of experiment, and setting up the use patterns of LiB. In order to be usable under non-experimental conditions, degradation speed database has the data in all conditions by complementing the experimental result. Finally, this evaluation model was verified by comparing model estimates and the experimental measurements.

考虑资源稀缺性的路面养护措施综合效益全寿命周期费用评估

为提高道路工程中不可再生资源利用的合理性,建立养护措施综合效益的全寿命周期费用评价方法,推动交通运输基础设施的可持续发展,基于全寿命周期费用评价(life-cycle cost assessment,LCCA)理论,引入了资源稀缺性的评价指标,并基于存量稀缺、进口稀缺和技术稀缺3个评价维度,建立了适用于路用材料的项目级资源稀缺性评价体系,同时,将该指标量化为货币当量计入成本清单中。依托江苏省路面养护管理系统数据,将资源稀缺性、经济效益、性能发展3个维度统一,定量分析了再生类、铣刨重铺类和罩面类共3类、12个常见养护措施的综合效益。研究结果表明:考虑资源稀缺性,再生类养护措施旧料利用率较高,具有极佳的资源合理性;EC A-10薄层罩面处治厚度薄、耗材量小,与普通罩面相比能节省50%左右的资源;铣刨料直接废弃、石料来源选择不当将导致额外支出10%~20%的当量成本。考虑综合效益,各养护方案与施工特性(如施工工期、施工水平、工艺先进性等)相关的成本效益接近60%,其中用户间接的经济损失占比超过30%,直接由施工工期决定。因此,建议谨慎选择材料来源及去向以减少不可再生资源浪费,优化养护施工流程以降低用户的间接经济损失,提高施工水平以降低用户的直接油耗开支,开展科学养护决策以降低政府投入成本。

Analysis on carbon emission reduction intensity of fuel cell vehicles from a life-cycle perspective

The hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is rapidly developing in China for carbon reduction and neutrality.This paper evaluated the life-cycle cost and carbon emission of hydrogen energy via lots of field surveys,including hydrogen production and packing in chlor-alkali plants,transport by tube trailers,storage and refueling in hydrogen refueling stations(HRSs),and application for use in two different cities.It also conducted a comparative study for battery electric vehicles(BEVs)and internal combustion engine vehicles(ICEVs).The result indicates that hydrogen fuel cell vehicle(FCV)has the best environmental performance but the highest energy cost.However,a sufficient hydrogen supply can significantly reduce the carbon intensity and FCV energy cost of the current system.The carbon emission for FCV application has the potential to decrease by 73.1%in City A and 43.8%in City B.It only takes 11.0%–20.1%of the BEV emission and 8.2%–9.8%of the ICEV emission.The cost of FCV driving can be reduced by 39.1%in City A.Further improvement can be obtained with an economical and“greener”hydrogen production pathway.

Sustainability assessment of solar drying systems:a comparative life-cycle analysis of phase-change material-based vs.cylindrical solar dryers

Solar drying systems are becoming a popular alternative to traditional energy-based drying systems for agricultural products due to their effectiveness and reduced fuel consumption.Although the efficiency of solar drying systems has been thoroughly investigated,their sustainability has not been studied enough.This study aims to fill that gap by conducting a life-cycle assessment of two new solar drying systems built in Udaipur,Rajasthan,India.The environmental implications of an innovative cylindrical solar-assisted drying system and a phase-change material-based solar drying system were evaluated using cradle-to-gate life-cycle analysis.The study uses the ReCiPe 2016 endpoints(H)technique to calculate various aspects such as midpoint,endpoint,single score,normalization result,and network diagram for phase-change material-based solar drying and cylindrical solar-assisted drying.Results show that phase-change material-based solar drying has an average of 40%more impact on the environment than cylindrical solar-assisted drying,with a high impact found in human non-carcinogenic toxicity,mainly due to the production of phase-change materials.However,cylindrical solar-assisted drying system crossover phase-change material based solar drying in terms of its impact on human carcinogenic toxicity and fossil resource scarcity.The contribution to global warming of phase-change material-based solar drying is 13.7%more than that of cylindrical solar-assisted drying.The endpoint characterization indicates that phase-change material-based solar drying exceeds in terms of human health(40%)and ecosystem(37.04%),whereas cylindrical solar-assisted drying surpasses phase-change material-based solar drying in terms of impacts on resources,at 14%.The early drying in phase-change material-based solar drying makes up for its higher impact than that in cylindrical solar-assisted drying,which takes 3 hours longer to dry.This study offers guidance and methods for making the best choice of solar-powered dryers.

建筑全生命周期碳排放——内涵、计算和减量

The life-cycle assessment method,which originates from general products and services,has gradually come to be applied to investigations of the life-cycle carbon emissions(LCCE)of buildings.A literature review was conducted to clarify LCCE implications,calculations,and reductions in the context of buildings.A total of 826 global building carbon emission calculation cases were obtained from 161 studies based on the framework of the building life-cycle stage division stipulated by ISO 21930 and the basic principles of the emission factor(EF)approach.The carbon emission calculation methods and results are discussed herein,based on the modules of production,construction,use,end-of-life,and supplementary benefits.According to the hotspot distribution of a building’s carbon emissions,carbon reduction strategies are classified into six groups for technical content and benefits analysis,including reducing the activity data pertaining to building materials and energy,reducing the carbon EFs of the building materials and energy,and exploiting the advantages of supplementary benefits.The research gaps and challenges in current building LCCE studies are summarized in terms of research goals and ideas,calculation methods,basic parameters,and carbon reduction strategies;development suggestions are also proposed.

Life cycle assessment of high concentration organic wastewater treatment by catalytic wet air oxidation

There have been many studies on life cycle assessment in sewage treatment,but there are scarce few studies on the treatment of industrial wastewater in combination with advanced oxidation technology,especially in catalytic wet air oxidation(CWAO).There are no cases of using actual industrialized data onto life cycle assessment.This paper uses Simapro 9.0 software to establish a life cycle assessment model for the treatment of high-concentration organic wastewater by CWAO,and comprehensively explains the impact on the environment from three aspects:the construction phase,the operation phase and the demolition phase.In addition,sensitivity analysis and uncertainty analysis were performed.The results showed that the key factors affecting the environment were marine ecotoxicity,mineral resource consumption and global warming,the operation stage had the greatest impact on the environment,which was related to high power consumption during operation and emissions from the treatment process.Sensitivity analysis showed that electricity consumption has the greatest impact on abiotic depletion and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity,and it also proved that global warming is mainly caused by pollutant emissions during operation phase.Monte Carlo simulations found slightly higher uncertainty for abiotic depletion and toxicity-related impact categories.

海事能源转型:未来燃料和未来排放

The lifecycle greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions(Well-to-Wake)from maritime transport must be reduced by at least 50%in absolute values by 2050 to contribute to the ambitions of the Paris Agreement(2015).A transition from conventional fuels to alternative fuels with zero or lower GHG emissions is viewed as the most promising avenue to reach the GHG reductions.Whereas GHG and toxic pollutants emitted from the use of fossil fuels(heavy fuel oil(HFO)and marine gas/diesel oil(MGO/MDO))are generally well understood,the emissions associated with the new fuel options are only now being measured and communicated.This review provides an outlook on fuels that could help shipping respond to the decarbonization effort including Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG),Liquefied Natural Gas(LNG),methanol,ammonia,and hydrogen.A quantification of the pollutants associated from the use of these fuels is provided and challenges and barriers to their uptake are discussed.

Life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of the production of wood vinegar from Eucommia stem: a case study

This research undertook a case study of the life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis of the slow pyrolysis of Eucommia stem for the production of wood vinegar and activated carbon.The results showed that the production of one ton of wood vinegar via the slow pyrolysis of Eucommia stem show comparatively low global warming potential(2.37×10^(2) kg CO_(2) eq),primary energy demand(3.16×10^(3) MJ),acidification potential(2.19 kg SO2 eq),antimony depletion potential(3.86×10^(–4) kg antimony eq),and ozone depletion potential(7.46×10^(–6) kg CFC-11 eq)and was more environmentally friendly than the production of dilute acetic acid(12 wt%)via petrochemical routes.Meanwhile,the total capital investment,total product cost,and cash flowsheet were provided in the techno-economic analysis.Then,the net present value,internal rate of return,and dynamic payback period of the production process were evaluated.The findings indicated that while this production process is cost-effective,it might not be economically attractive or could generate investment risks.An increase in the added value of the wood vinegar and the activated carbon could remarkably improve the economic feasibility of this production process.