Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1996

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Chemical Engineering

Major Professor

Fred Weber

Committee Members

Pete Counce, George Frazier

Abstract

Automobile manufacturers are searching for a methodology that will allow them to minimize their product's environmental impacts. Life cycle assessment (LCA) gives automobile manufacturers the opportunity to implement life-cycle thinking. Life-cycle thinking is a process of analyzing the overall effect of a product through several stages. Each stage represents a part of a product's life cycle and consists of materials which influence the environment. For life cycle assessment, the tracking of a material's life cycle starts at the raw material acquisition stage and ends with disposal. This methodology is applicable for newly designed automobiles. However, for existing automobiles in production, the extent of tracking should be condensed in order to obtain meaningful results. Life cycle management (LCM), a tailored form of LCA, successfully allows automobile manufacturers to implement LCA practices because tracking starts when the material enters the plant and ends when the product leaves the plant. Currently, automobile manufacturers have several databases consisting of incoming materials, their chemical characteristics, and releases. These databases are used for inventory purposes and regulatory adherences. As with any methodology, there are impediments which hinder a LCA/LCM. Limitations such as data quality, cost, and time-consumption are the main problems. Automobile manufacturers usually encounter these LCA limitations as they attempt to implement LCA practices. In the area of data quality, the development of databases and software with a LCA framework will enhance a LCA's credibility. The objective of this thesis is two-fold: (1) improve the data accuracy of existing databases for future data entries (2) demonstrate the extent of data retrieval for life cycle assessment purposes. To achieve these objectives, a data retrieval model is designed with a life cycle assessment basis. This data retrieval model is primarily a conceptual design with a few "proof-of-principle" examples. (See footnote.) A partial LCA is performed to demonstrate how database organization may influence the extent of data retrieval. The objectives of this thesis were successfully accomplished and the results of the partial LCA also confirmed existing advantages of LCA. Applying LCA to individual subsystems and the overall subsystem, one was able to do the following: illustrate a material's life cycle, compare subsystems and their releases, and identify all release streams. This thesis does not include certification or full implementation of the model Due to the limited dialogue between the designer and the Saturn company, this product is developed as a demonstration tool of probable database fields which have not received the approval of Saturn.

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