Vehicle Life Cycle Research Articles

Rule and optimization combined real-time energy management strategy for minimizing cost of fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles

This paper proposes three online real-time energy management strategies for fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles aimed at minimizing the total running cost over the vehicle's lifecycle. The cost comprises hydrogen consumption, battery electricity consumption, and the degradation of fuel cell and battery systems. The first strategy is a rule-based approach that controls fuel cell power at several fixed levels, with the battery state-of-charge serving as the shifting condition between these levels. The second strategy is an optimization-based approach that determines the fuel cell power by minimizing the instantaneous running cost. Two coefficients, dependent on the battery state-of-charge, are employed to adjust the cost weights of hydrogen consumption, battery electricity consumption, and fuel cell system degradation. The third strategy combines rules with optimization, incorporating the rules as constraints into the cost optimization model. To account for practical driving conditions throughout the vehicle's lifecycle, short distance driving cycles, long distance driving cycles, and commuter driving cycles are separately investigated. The rule and optimization combined energy management strategy outperforms the others in all driving conditions, benefiting from fewer fuel cell system start-stop cycles and increased opportunities for operating in high-efficiency regions.

Low-carbon promotion of new energy vehicles: A quadrilateral evolutionary game

This study explores the impact of the behavioral strategies of manufacturers, consumers, recyclers, and the government on carbon emissions reduction in the whole life cycle of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China by establishing a quadrilateral evolutionary game model. It analyzes the influence of relevant factors on the carbon emissions of NEVs and ranks them accordingly. The study identifies low-carbon production by manufacturers, green product purchases by consumers, self-built recycling systems by recyclers, and production subsidies by the government as the future direction for the development of NEVs. Promotion strategies are proposed for carbon emission reduction of NEVs. The research results indicate that consumers' preference for low-carbon products can benefit manufacturers, and their green consumption behavior will not change until consumer subsidies reach a certain level. The government can implement consumer subsidy policies to increase consumers' motivation for green purchasing. Production subsidies can alleviate the transformation pressure of manufacturers towards low-carbon production, allowing them to focus on important factors such as opportunity costs and market benefits. The strategy choices of recyclers are influenced by dismantling costs and recycling profits. Furthermore, when the profitability of low-carbon production for manufacturers is guaranteed, they are more willing to take responsibility for recycling waste NEVs. The government has different benefits in the process of production and consumer subsidies, and its subsidy strategy choices are also influenced by the decisions of manufacturers and consumers. This makes the government to implement a dynamic subsidy system based on the producer responsibility system.

Model validation method by considering uncertainty for numerical simulation

There is a great amount of uncertainties in the whole life cycle of a flight vehicle, which can induce anon-negligible uncertainty in the numerical simulation output, then the model validation of the numerical simulation is the premise of design optimization. Lots of researches on the uncertainty quantification (UQ) of numerical simulation has been carried out. However, literature has rarely seen works about performing scientific model parameter correction by using the results of UQ and establishing a closed-loop procedure of numerical simulation model validation in a systematic way. Therefore, a numerical simulation model validation method by considering uncertainties is proposed, and a model parameter correction approach based on high-quality small samples is developed, and then a closed-loop model validation process composed by uncertainty quantification, global sensitivity analysis, and parameter correction strategy to provide a scientific and systematic procedure for constructing high-fidelity numerical simulations is established. The effectiveness and advantages of the model validation method is verified through airfoil simulation.

Exploring Vehicle Security Improvement Framework in the Safety Messaging System to Protect Against Hackers

The transportation and automotive industry have seen the shifts and effects of innovation within the last decade, from the addition of critical messaging technologies, event response systems, to safety integration of each user initiated by safety messaging systems to almost all private utility vehicles to a public utility vehicle, all have seen either responsive or unresponsive layers of usability and functionality issues, together with the need for safety and protection of each users and riders. These assistive technologies are supposed to help drivers and operators in their daily driving routine, believed to be connected to a myriad of networked hardware and software, and arguably to be either be cost effective or safety limited. The study exploring vehicle security improvement framework in the safety messaging system to protect against hackers delivered responses from 6 subject matter experts within the public transit authority, cloud supply chain companies, and network providers that have invested greatly in vehicle ad hoc network technologies. Thematic analysis was chosen as a qualitative method design to extract themes from the critical answers through the semi-structured interview retrieved from general responses from the subject matter experts. The general findings were extracted from the major themes 1 through 5. The general findings are the following (1) Automotive Organizations and Transit Authority Leaders have to Manage Vehicle Cyber Risks Throughout the Vehicle Lifecycle, (2) Automotive Organization and Transit Authority Should Be Involved in Engineering a Secure Vehicle by Design, (3) Engineering Vendor Teams Should Detect and Respond to Major Incidents within the Vehicle Lifecycle.

Electric vehicle lifecycle carbon emission reduction: A review

AbstractUnder the global carbon neutrality initiative, carbon emissions from the transportation sector are becoming increasingly prominent due to the growth in vehicle ownership. And electric mobility may be a potentially effective measure to reduce road traffic carbon emissions and achieve a green transformation of transportation. This paper systematically collates the relevant carbon accounting standards for the automotive industry and elaborates the current status of road transport greenhouse gas emissions by combining the data from the International Energy Agency. And by comparing the lifecycle carbon footprint of various energy types of vehicles, the necessity and feasibility of electric mobility to reduce carbon emissions are discussed. However, the comparison of vehicle lifecycle carbon footprints shows that electric vehicles (EVs) are not as environmentally friendly as expected, although they can significantly reduce road traffic carbon emissions. The high carbon emissions from the manufacturing process of the core components of EVs, especially the power battery, reduce the low‐carbon potential of electric mobility. Therefore, the carbon emission reduction strategies and outcomes of automakers in the automotive industry chain have been further reviewed. Finally, focusing on vehicle power batteries, this article reviews the technologies such as refined management and echelon utilization that can make EVs more environmentally friendly and promote carbon neutrality in the transportation sector.

Sustainability accounting for greenhouse gas emissions measurement using the GREET LCA model: practical review of automotive ESG reporting

AbstractThe production and personal use of passenger vehicles contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making personal transport a major contributor. In response to increasing pressure from regulators and consumers to lower emissions, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have introduced alternative powertrains, such as battery electric vehicles (BEVs). To assess the economic and environmental feasibility of BEVs, OEMs conduct various life cycle assessment (LCA) approaches as part of their internal management practices. However, the public presentation of their results is often ambiguous and of unverifiable quality. This study conducts a review of sustainability impact reporting using the GREET model, which is based on the total vehicle life cycle. The paper provides a summary of the input data requirements for validating emissions from both the fuel and vehicle cycles as part of the proposed model. The availability of the model components was tested against actual public corporate environmental, social and governance reporting disclosures of the largest global automotive OEMs, indicating a deficit in the public presentation of essential sustainability information. The implications of the research suggest that LCA models could benefit sustainability accounting by incorporating proper tagging during accounting practices and taking advantage of digital accounting and reporting practices such as the extensible business reporting language (XBRL). By further developing the model, sustainability reporting can benefit from its structure and workflow, thus ensuring improved information validity for stakeholders. Graphical abstract

Models for managing operational reliability of highly automated vehicles

In the presented article, the authors analyzed the implementation of autonomous and/or highly automated vehicles. A concept of integrated solution to the problems of managing the technical condition of highly automated vehicles, by developing and implementing adaptive management of individualization of regulations to ensure operational reliability, by means of numerical, informational and simulation modeling is proposed. The structural logical scheme of the stages of the highly automated vehicles life cycle has been developed. Theoretical and methodological bases of formation and management of stability of the system of management of operational reliability of highly automated vehicles, as a part of the polymodel complex of digital twin, within the concept of development of the fourth industrial revolution Industry 4.0 are offered. Keywords: highly automated vehicle, industry 4.0, operation, digital twin, cyber-physical systems

An experimental study on aging effects of the air–fuel ratio swing on modern gasoline three-way catalysts

Today’s governmental legislations require region specific emission standards for passenger vehicles. Continuously increasing legal requirements demand the development of more complex exhaust gas after treatment systems to further reduce harmful gases like carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Due to specific load profiles and other boundary conditions, the efficiency of the aftertreatment system declines over lifecycle, so that the emissions might increase. Consequently, the durability of the system becomes a critical design parameter with upcoming legislation demanding emissions stability over the vehicle life cycle. Within this publication, catalyst aging effects due to air–fuel ratio (AFR) swing are analyzed experimentally. To create catalyst aging conditions, a modern eight-cylinder turbocharged engine was modified and specific aging cycles with a variation of AFR swing amplitude and frequency were conducted. Light-off curves were used to depict the negative impact of the AFR swing on the aging catalyst systems. A higher swing frequency resulted in an increased temperature amplitude within the entrance area of the catalyst, while an elevated amplitude lead to more exothermic heat release and stronger aging over the complete catalyst, as visualized via conversion maps. A theoretical calculation of thermal loads by Arrhenius equation supports the results and indicates the direction of supplementary experimental approaches.

Electric Vehicle Solar Charging Station Siting Study Based on GIS and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making: A Case Study of China

Electric vehicles (EVs) are one of the most practical solutions to the energy issue and environmental pollution. In recent years, EVs have developed rapidly, but are still limited by charging problems. The emergence of photovoltaic charging stations can solve the environmental pollution and charging problems. The location of charging stations is critical in the life cycle of electric vehicles. In this paper, a multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method based on Geographic Information Technology (GIS) for optimal site selection is proposed. First, based on literature reading and expert interviews, a site selection index system was identified, including four aspects with a total of ten sub-criteria. Secondly, a spatial database of relevant evaluation criteria was established using GIS, and preliminary analysis was conducted. Then, the fuzzy DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method) is applied for assigning the criteria weights. Then, potential sites are ranked using the fuzzy MULTIMOORA (Multi-Objective Optimization on the basis of Ratio Analysis) method. Then, the model was validated by siting the electric vehicle PV charging stations in Qingdao, and eight stations were identified in the preliminary selection stage, and the most suitable locations were finally selected through the MCDM stage. Finally, the reliability and validity of the model were further verified by comparative analysis and dual sensitivity analysis.

Comprehensive analysis of clean fuel vehicle life cycle environment under multiple fuel scenarios

Comprehensive analysis of clean fuel vehicle life cycle environment under multiple fuel scenarios

Brazil: Impacts of Digital Technology on Sustainability in the Automotive Recycling Sector

Objective: The article aims to analyze the impact of digital technology on the sustainability of automotive recycling, highlighting the importance of using digital technology to monitor sustainability requirements throughout the vehicle life cycle and recycling processes.
 
 Method: The study is based on research developed under the Postdoctoral Program in Business Administration at FCU Florida Christian University. Preliminary data and literature review on sustainable management, automotive recycling and waste disposal are presented, and the use of digital technology in this context is explored.
 
 Results: The results highlight the lack of shared protocols and knowledge about hazardous waste in the automotive sector. Areas of action for companies and countries wishing to move towards the circular economy, such as neutralizing CO2 emissions and using renewable energy sources, are also presented.
 
 Conclusions: The article highlights the need to develop and implement digital technology tools for managing sustainability policies in the automotive sector. The use of digital technology can contribute to the proper management of waste, the valorization of components, and the minimization of environmental impact throughout the life cycle of the vehicle.

Energy-Material Cycles: A materials-based perspective of vehicle energy systems

In this article, we propose an Energy-Material Cycles (EM-cycles) model to facilitate communication and comparison of tradeoffs that exist across energy systems. We ask: How would a materials-based perspective on vehicle energy systems change how the life cycle of combustion, non-renewable electric, and renewable-electric vehicles are characterized?We account for equivalent material transformation steps in a way that can be applied to both combustion-based and electrified energy systems. This is important due to the increasing coexistence of fossil and non-fossil systems, and the dominance of fuelsbased perspectives. We apply the EM-cycles model to compare recent vehicle models and draw conclusions for environmental assessment of decarbonization in general. Results show that electrification may present a material efficiency advantage rather than an energy efficiency advantage over combustion - a result that differs from typical energy system classifications. Results motivate a discussion of energy system perspectives and the advantages of a materials-based perspective.

Regional energy policies for electrifying car fleets

The mobility sector must reduce its carbon footprint over the vehicle life cycle, including production, usage, and recycling. The carbon footprint of vehicle usage varies with the mileage and the profile, urban or highway, and the carbon intensity of the energy source, emphasizing regional specificities: biofuels and the renewability of the electrical matrix. Battery-electric vehicles offer higher energy efficiencies, making passenger fleet electrification an effective way to reduce energy demand. However, transitioning to electric vehicles is challenging due to high costs and the required recharging infrastructure. We compared the life-cycle simulations of a conventional passenger car to its fully electrified or hybrid version. We found that the carbon footprint of a battery-electric vehicle is more than five times that of a conventional internal combustion-vehicle. Depending on the considered boundary conditions, the desired CO2e breakeven of a battery electric vehicle could not be achieved. Therefore, conducting a comprehensive and specific analysis of each country is crucial to optimize solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We analyzed the specificities of the USA, China, EU, and Brazil. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the challenges and opportunities and hopes to inform policy-makers to choose paths that reduce greenhouse gas emissions properly.

Revisiting electric vehicle life cycle greenhouse gas emissions in China: A marginal emission perspective

The accurate estimation of electric vehicle (EV) life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is critical for policymakers to predict and manage the reduction of GHG emissions due to transportation electrification. Most previous studies in the Chinese context evaluated the EV life cycle GHG based on the annual average emission factor (AAEF). However, the hourly marginal emission factor (HMEF), which is conceptually more appropriate than AAEF for evaluating the GHG implications of EV growth, has not been applied in China. This study fills this gap by estimating the EV life cycle GHG in China based on the HMEF and comparing it with AAEF-based estimates. It is found that the estimates based on the AAEF substantially underestimate the EV life cycle GHG in China. Moreover, the influences of the electricity marketization reform and changes in the EV charging mode on the EV life cycle GHG in China are analyzed.

Life Cycle Emissions of Passenger Vehicles in China: A Sensitivity Analysis of Multiple Influencing Factors

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles, new energy vehicles are actively promoted by China’s government. Various power system types are being developed and their sales keep increasing. However, there is uncertainty about the greenhouse gas emission of different vehicle types. This paper studies the life cycle carbon emissions of passenger vehicles in China. A calculation model is established with consideration of all types of power systems, model classes, and electric driving ranges. In order to calculate and compare the effect of carbon emission reduction on all types of vehicles, a sensitivity analysis is conducted in two ways to study three of the main influencing factors. The results show the carbon emission-reducing effect of different factors on different stages in the life cycle. It is known that different influencing factors have different effects on these stages. Since there is a variation in different vehicle types, the carbon reduction effect caused by these factors is different for these vehicle types. This paper describes a sensitivity analysis of three main influencing factors and puts forward relevant policy recommendations to reduce the carbon emissions of passenger cars during their life cycle based on these results. It is necessary to take the vehicle life cycle as a whole for carbon emission management. The conclusions of this paper can be used for vehicle manufacturers to decide the focus of technology research, and also have important reference significance for enterprises when making life cycle carbon reduction strategies for their products. It is also of certain value for China to formulate a medium- and long-term carbon emission reduction strategy for the passenger car industry.

Research on State-of-Health Estimation for Lithium-Ion Batteries Based on the Charging Phase

The lithium-ion battery state of health (SOH) estimation is an essential parameter to ensure the safety and stability of the life cycle of electric vehicles. Accurate SOH estimation has been an industry puzzle and a hot topic in academia. To solve the problem of low fitting accuracy of lithium-ion battery SOH estimation in a traditional neural network, a nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input (NARX) neural network is proposed based on the charging stage. Firstly, six health factors related to the lithium-ion battery aging state are acquired at the charging stage because the charging process has better applicability and simplicity than the discharging process in actual operation. Then six health factors are pre-processed using the principal component analysis (PCA) method. The principal component of the input variable is selected as the input of the neural network, which reduces the dimension of input compared with the neural network model without principal component analysis. The correlation between the inputs is eliminated. To verify the rationality of the proposed algorithm, two public aging datasets are used to develop and validate it. Moreover, the proposed PCA-NARX method is compared with the other two neural networks. The simulation results show that the proposed method can achieve accurate SOH estimation for different types of lithium-ion batteries under different conditions. The average mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) are 0.68% and 0.94%, respectively. Compared with other neural networks, the prediction error is reduced by more than 50% on average, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed SOH estimation method.

An Evaluation of the Safety Effectiveness and Cost of Autonomous Vehicles Based on Multivariable Coupling.

There is a need for in-depth studies of autonomous vehicle safety that evaluate the effectiveness of safety functions and different "atomic" technology combinations for vehicles and roads. In this paper, we provide a crash avoidance effectiveness evaluation model for autonomous vehicles enabled with different sensor combinations based on multiple variables of 14 different "atomic" sensing technologies on the vehicle side and road side, 52 safety functions, and 14 accident types. Meanwhile, a cost-sharing model is developed based on the traveled distance during the life cycle of vehicles and based on the traffic flow over the life cycle of roads to evaluate the unit cost per km of different "atomic" technology combinations. The results clearly show that the cost increases with the addition of "atomic" sensing technologies on the vehicle side, while an increase in crash avoidance effectiveness decreases. It is necessary to switch to V2X and to introduce roadside "atomic" technology combinations to realize better safety effectiveness at a lower cost for vehicles. In addition, a map that covers the safety effectiveness and cost per kilometer of all "atomic" technology combinations is calculated for decision-makers to select combinations under the preconditions of cost and safety.

Concept of vehicle safety parameter persistence within life cycle and ways to implement it in Russia

Introduction (problem statement and relevance). The task of traffic safety improving determines the need to maintain the vehicle safety parameters checked and tested during certification throughout the entire life cycle of the vehicle – from design to disposal.The research objective is to analyze the current state of safety requirements applicable to vehicles at different life cycle stages contained in the UN Regulations, regulatory documents of other countries and in the Eurasian Economic Union Technical Regulations on Wheeled Vehicles Safety.Methodology and research methods. The research methodology is the analytical method.Scientific novelty and results. The scientific novelty consists in the analysis results showing that the vehicle type approval procedure is a separate stage of the vehicle life cycle and that the existing control system for the vehicle technical state in the form of technical inspection does not ensure traffic safety to the full. The proposal is to add random road inspections to the technical inspection of socially dangerous vehicles. It is also proposed to complement the existing technical regulations On Wheeled Vehicles Safety with the requirements for vehicle disposal and component reuse conditions.Practical significance. The research results can be used when improving the Eurasian Economic Union vehicle technical regulations and when developing the Russian Federation national legislative acts in this field.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Environmental impact assessment of road transport is a serious problem that needs an immediate solution. Intensive development of road transport is associated with an increase in anthropogenic load on the environment in the form of exhaust gases containing more than 200 pollutants, waste generation, pollution of water bodies and soils. This problem concerns not only the environmental assessment of the state of cities and settlements, but also the assessment of the state of intercity roads, roads passing through natural areas and protected areas. This problem is especially acute in industrially saturated centers and large cities of Ukraine. In this regard, the issues of improving methods for assessing the impact of vehicles on the environment are being actualized in order to find reserves for reducing the ecological and economic damage to the biosphere. Environmental impact assessments carried out in accordance with state legislation are components of the environmental assessment system. The paper shows that when assessing the environmental impact of road transport, the full life cycle of a motor vehicle should be taken into account. Therefore, the work conducted a study of the life cycle of a car from mining to utilization of a motor vehicle and assessed its impact on the environment. Evaluation of production processes and products for the full life cycle of a car is very difficult, as it is associated with the collection of information about many production processes taking place, including outside the enterprise. It should be noted that the information obtained when assessing a vehicle for the full life cycle allows us to invent ways to improve the design of the car and technological processes of its production, as well as reduce the negative impact on the environment. Therefore, the work identified the main parameters and factors influencing the environment of road transport. Possible mathematical models of the impact of road transport on the environment, in particular on the hydrosphere, are considered.

The Role of Logistics in the Management of the Railway Rolling Stock Life Cycle

Abstract Every undertaking providing transport services in passenger rail transport must currently prepare for the liberalization of transport services operating under a public service obligation. Competition in the mentioned segment is expected to intensify. Rolling stock represents a significant cost item for railway operators. The management of the life cycle of railway rolling stock is a way to efficiently manage vehicles. Adequately chosen parameters that are monitored and evaluated during the life cycle of railway rolling stock are crucial to successful management. Logistics plays an important role in the railway vehicle life cycle management, which, when properly set up, represents a significant competitive advantage. All railway undertakings are facing challenging times due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis. Proper and effective railway rolling stock life cycle management will help them overcome current and future challenges.