Modeling of material and energy inputs in the life cycle of a vehicle

Abstract

The paper focuses on the analysis of the environmental impacts related to the production, operation, decommissioning of vehicles as well as servicing and repairs of cars in real conditions of their use. The authors’ presented mathematical model that was implemented in original numerical program EN-VEHICLE that enables the analysis of energy consumption and emission loads related to material inputs in the entire life cycle of a passenger car. It is a tool from the Life Cycle Assessment category that aims at the effective inclusion of environmental impacts in the decision-making process. The developed program allows for a quantitative interpretation of the calculation results in terms of the environmental safety in each of the phases and throughout the life cycle of the vehicle, taking into account the possibility of supplying the vehicle system with additional material streams derived from recycling and recovery, and introduced both during the construction phase and during the car operation phase. In the presented tool, linear algebra and matrix analysis were used in modeling the vehicle life cycle system. The results of the implementation of the mathematical model were presented in the form of a regression function that allows for approximation of selected empirical data. The regression analysis was used to verify the material characteristics. The tool can be used for a comprehensive comparative assessment of the environmental impact of a passenger car from different production periods. In addition, it can be used to forecast the environmental effects of changes in the material structure determining the production technology and, consequently, having a significant impact on the entire life cycle of the vehicle as well as energy and ecological parameters.