Impact of Different Parameters on Life Cycle Analysis, Embodied Energy and Environmental Emissions for Wind Turbine System

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.

Importance of Life Cycle Analysis of the Printed Circuit Board Computer

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.

Substitution of Aggregates in Concrete and Mortar with Coltan Mining Waste: Mechanical, Environmental, and Economic Impact Case Study

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.

Life cycle environmental impact assessment of biochar-based bioenergy production and utilization in Northwestern Ontario,Canada

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.

Life Cycle Assessment of Recycling High-Density Polyethylene Plastic Waste

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.

Carbon and Water Footprint Evaluation of 120Wp Rural Household Photovoltaic System: Case Study

This study uses the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate the magnitude of the environmental impact, in terms of global warming potential, and water footprint throughout the 20 years of useful life of a rural electrical energy concession comprised of 120Wp Households photovoltaic systems (HPS) in the isolated communities of San Martin, in the Peruvian Amazon region. On the other hand, due to the particular conditions of the system (installation, operation, maintenance, monthly tariff collection), it is necessary to know its real impact and sustainability;not only through the aforementioned environmental impact indicators, but also by energy intensity values required by the system throughout its life cycle. Therefore, this paper used the Cumulative energy demand (CED) method to determine the amount of energy taken from natural resources for each process involved in the LCA and calculated with this, i.e., the Energy Payback Time (EPBT) of the whole system. Likewise, the HPS has been environmentally compared to other case studies and the Peruvian Energy Mix, revealing a lower impact in the latter case and results within the range for stand-alone systems. Besides, the HPS shows a strong relation between energy production and O&M condition. Additionally, this study allows a further promotion of the use of this type of system in isolated areas, as well as the diversification of electricity generation in Peru.

Temporal Trend in Lung Cancer Burden Attributed to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter in Guangzhou, China

Objective To estimate the lung cancer burden that may be attributable to ambient fine particulate matter （PM2.5） pollution in Guangzhou city in China from 2005 to 2013. Methods The data regarding PM2.5 exposure were obtained from the ＆#39;Ambient air pollution exposure estimation for the Global Burden of Disease 2013＇ dataset at 0.1° ×0.1° spatial resolution. Disability-adjusted life years （DALYs） were estimated based on the information of mortality and incidence of lung cancer. Comparative risk analysis and integrated exposure-response function were used to estimate attributed disease burden. Results The population-weighted average concentration of PM2.5 was increased by 34.6% between 1990 and 2013, from 38.37 μg/m3 to 51.31 μg/m^3. The lung cancer DALYs in both men and women were increased by 36.2% from 2005 to 2013. The PM2.5 attributed lung cancer DALYs increased from 12105.0 （8181.0 for males and 3924.0 for females） in 2005 to 16489.3 （11291.7 for males and 5197.6 for females） in 2013. An average of 23.1% lung cancer burden was attributable to PM2.5 pollution in 2013. Conclusion PM2.5 has caused serious but under-appreciated public health burden in Guangzhou and the trend deteriorates. Effective strategies are needed to tackle this major public health problem.

Development and application of a life cycle energy consumption and CO2emissions analysis model for high-speed railway transport in China

China's high-speed railway(HSR)is booming recently,the HSR's performance of energy conservation and carbon reduction has attractedmuch attention.This study developed a new life cycle model of energy consumption and greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions on China's HSR bylife cycle analysis(LCA),covering the stages of infrastructure,HSR train,and operation,based on the TLCAM(Tsinghua-LCA Model).A caseof the BeijingeShanghai HSR has been studied to show that the full life cycle energy consumption and GHG emissions of HSR transportationare 0.4 MJ km1per capita and 0.04 kg CO2ekm1per capita,respectively,which are far less than aviation,gasoline vehicles,diesel vehicles,electric vehicles and public vehicles.With the cleaner power structure and the progress of HSR train technology,the energy consumption andcarbon emissions of HSR in 2020 could be reduced by 20%compared to 2015.This study indicates that electricity generation mix structure andfull load rate are important factors influencing the life-cycle energy consumption and GHG emissions of HSR transportation.It is recommendedto improve the coverage of HSR network,accelerate train upgrades,improve the full load rate of HSR trains,and promote the low-carbondevelopment of electricity supply to strengthen and realize the low-carbon advantage of HSR transport mode in China.HSR transportationcan be used to achieve the low carbon transformation of China's transportation sector and improve oil supply safety situation.

Stainless steel and sustainability

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.

Life cycle analysis of palm kernel shell gasification for supplying heat to an asphalt mixing plant

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.

Estimating life-cycle energy payback ratio of overhead transmission line toward low carbon development

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.

Multiaxial fatigue life prediction of composite materials

In order to analyze the stress and strain fields in the fibers and the matrix in composite materials,a fiber-scale unit cell model is established and the corresponding periodical boundary conditions are introduced.Assuming matrix cracking as the failure mode of composite materials,an energy-based fatigue damage parameter and a multiaxial fatigue life prediction method are established.This method only needs the material properties of the fibers and the matrix to be known.After the relationship between the fatigue damage parameter and the fatigue life under any arbitrary test condition is established,the multiaxial fatigue life under any other load condition can be predicted.The proposed method has been verified using two different kinds of load forms.One is unidirectional laminates subjected to cyclic off-axis loading,and the other is filament wound composites subjected to cyclic tension-torsion loading.The fatigue lives predicted using the proposed model are in good agreements with the experimental results for both kinds of load forms.

Safety Analysis of Flow Parameters in a Rotor-stator Cavity

In order to ensure the safety of engine life limited parts （ELLP） according to airworthiness regulations, a numerical approach integrating one-way fluid structure interaction （FSI） and probabilistic risk assessment （PRA） is developed, by which the variation of flow parameters in a rotor-stator cavity on the safety of gas turbine disks is investigated. The results indicate that the flow parameters affect the probability of fracture of a gas turbine disk since they can change the distribution of stress and temperature of the disk. The failure probability of the disk rises with increasing rotation Reynolds number and Chebyshev number, but descends with increasing inlet Reynolds number. In addition, a sampling based sensitivity analysis with finite difference method is conducted to determine the sensitivities of the safety with respect to the flow parameters. The sensitivity estimates show that the rotation Reynolds number is the dominant variable in safety analysis of a rotor-stator cavity among the flow parameters.

Damage Tolerance Design of Artificial Mechanical Heart Valve Holder

To study the conservative life of the artificial mechanical heart valve holder,CATIA software was used for modeling,and ABAQUS finite element analysis was used to analyze the stress of the valve holder in the complex environment of the human body and the residual thermal stress during production and processing.The damage tolerance method based on fracture mechanics analyzes the maximum initial crack size that the heart valve holder can tolerate under the premise that the structural safety life is longer than the life of the implanted patient.The results show that the maximum initial crack size is only tens of microns;the traditional S/N life analysis can only obtain non-conservative life,and the damage tolerance method is the basic requirement for analyzing the life and quality control of artificial mechanical heart valves.

Cost of non-renewable energy in production of wood pellets in China

Assessing the extent to which all bio-fuels that are claimed to be renewable are in fact renewable is essential because producing such renewable fuels itself requires some amount of non-renewable energy （NE） and materials. Using hybrid life cycle analysis （LCA）--from raw material collection to delivery of pellets to end users--the energy cost of wood pellet production in China was estimated at 1.35 J/J, of which only 0.09 J was derived from NE, indicating that only 0.09 J of NE is required to deliver 1 J of renewable energy into society and showing that the process is truly renewable. Most of the NE was consumed during the conversion process （46.21%） and delivery of pellets to end users （40.69%）, during which electricity and diesel are the two major forms of NE used, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that the distance over which the pellets are transported affects the cost of NE significantly. Therefore the location of the terminal market and the site where wood resources are available are crucial to saving diesel.

Determination of symptoms associated with hiesho among young females using hie rating surveys

Objective： Hie （cold sensation） is one of the most well-known health complaints in Japan and elsewhere in East Asia. Those who suffer from severe hie are considered to have hiesho （cold disorder）. This study was conducted to determine symptoms associated with hie in young females using a survey consisting of the hie scale and hie diary. Methods： Two hundred and seventy-one participants were included for the analysis. Survey forms were distributed to the participants. Diagnosis of hiesho was determined by using the hie scale. A discriminant score of over -0.38 was considered hiesho. The Short Form-8 Health Survey Standard Version （SF-8） was used to measure health-related quality of life （QOL）. The participants were also asked to respond to the questionnaire evaluating 14 physical and emotional symptoms, utilizing a six-level Likert scale item. Results： The 1st factor （hie factor） was correlated with hie （r= 0.546）, dry mouth （r= 0.332）, lower- extremity edema （r = 0.450）, headrushes （r=0.470）, shoulder stiffness （r = 0.311 ）, headrushes with chills （r = 0.726）, and fatigue （r= 0.359）. Cronbach＇s α of the 1st factor was 0.748, which indicated reliability between the items. When hie factor was the dependent variable, standardized partial regression coefficient was β=-0.387 for physical component score （P 〈 0.001） and β=-0.243 for mental component score （P 〈 0.001 ）. Conclusion： This study indicated that hiesho symptoms among young female adults were associated with bodily pain and general health perceptions of the SF-8 QOL survey.