University of Twente Student Theses
Development of a method to assess the environmental impact of a system with a long life cycle : a case study on train films at Fleetshield
Siebers, E. (2022) Development of a method to assess the environmental impact of a system with a long life cycle : a case study on train films at Fleetshield.
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| Abstract: | For companies to keep up with changing environmental rules and regulations, good insight in their level of sustainability is important. One of the most widely-used methods to get this insight is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Using LCA, the environmental impact of a system over its complete life cycle can be calculated and evaluated. Fleetshield is a company looking to find out how sustainable their product is. They sell films applied to trains, busses, trams and buildings to protect and enhance the surfaces. These films are products with a relatively long life cycle of over 15 years. When carrying out an LCA of such a system, its long life cycle forms an obstacle because the unknowns about the future create extra uncertainty in the results. In this research, the potential role of LCA in assessing the environmental impact of systems with a long life cycle is studied. This is done through a literature study and a case study performed at Fleetshield in cooperation with Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS; English: Dutch Railways). Fleetshield’s film is studied as applied to NS trains and compared to its alternative, which is paint. To start with, a conventional LCA is performed for the case study, which showed the importance of taking future changes into account. A literature study presented scenario modeling as a possible solution for this. With the insights gained in the initial LCA on the case study and the findings from the literature study, an approach was developed to generate scenarios that can be used to deal with the uncertainties introduced by the unknowns of the future. In turn, this approach was tested on the case study and the results were evaluated to come to an improved approach. This resulted in the following five-step method to assess the environmental impact of systems with a long life cycle: (i) executing a (simplified) conventional LCA, (ii) generating scenarios, (iii) modelling scenarios, (iv) interpreting results and (v) regular evaluation. Using this method, different possible future directions are explored and their impacts on the environment can be compared. The results acquired can be used as a good basis for discussion and informed decision making. The thesis also provides a basis for further research on the use of scenario modelling for uncertainty management in prospective LCA. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | ET: Engineering Technology |
| Subject: | 52 mechanical engineering |
| Programme: | Mechanical Engineering MSc (60439) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/93390 |
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