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Summary
The
aim of this M.Sc. thesis is to perform a Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA) on the Hydraulic motor type OMV/W-800 manufactured by the international
company called Sauer-Danfoss.
The
goal of this study is to perform a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
on the hydraulic motor OMV/W-800, and to
assess the potential impacts, including resource
consumptions and environmental impact potentials throughout the entire lifespan
of the hydraulic motor OMV/W-800 by means of a literature survey,
Sauer-Danfoss literature and data, and other information sources by adopting the
LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) methodology as a tool.
Furthermore the goal is to carry out a complete quantitative analysis on
the product’s processes and materials, and identifying and evaluating the most
promising options for improving the product systems with respect to
environmental quality and resource efficiency. The
goal of the study is defined in detail. The scope definition concerns defining
how the study is to be performed, e.g. how the function of the system is
defined, what part of the system should be included or excluded, which
parameters should be evaluated, how the study should be validated etc. The inventory analysis is the phase where all the needed data (on inputs and outputs from material, energy, disposal processes, use stage and transportation) are collected, and this data derives primarily from Sauer- Danfoss. Data collected in the inventory part is a mixture of actual measurements, calculations, literature data and estimates To
accomplish the goal, the potential impacts on the environment and the resource
consumptions of the hydraulic product system are assessed by means of a
literature survey and the EDIP computer tool. In general, the impact assessment
aims to evaluate the contribution of the intervention to different environmental
impact categories, e.g. global warming, eco-toxicity, toxicity to human,
persistent toxicity, acidification, nutrient enrichment, hazardous waste, slag
and ash etc. Based on the results from the EDIP PC
Tool, it is determined that the main impacts of the hydraulic product system are
the contributions to persistent toxicity, human toxicity, eco-toxicity, global
warming, acidification, photochemical
ozone formation and nutrient enrichment. The most significant potentials for
global warming, acidification, nutrient enrichment, photochemical ozone
formation and human toxicity, mainly derive from the combustion of oil (gasoline
energy consumption) in the use stage, which can be improved by improving the
efficiency of the hydraulic motor. Cast iron and steel raw materials production
processes affect persistent toxicity impact potential categories due to the
emission of heavy metals to the environment, and waste impact potential
categories. Eco-toxicity mainly derives from the ancillary substances and raw
materials preparation processes. Raw material, manufacturing and use stages are
found to be significant in energy related resource consumption i.e. coal, crude
oil, natural gas, which can be improved by adopting new technology in the raw
materials production and manufacturing processes (Sauer-Danfoss),
and increasing hydraulic motor efficiency.
Material related resource consumptions of
nickel and molybdenum are due to the use of raw materials in the form of high
quality steel. In order to reduce the consumption of nickel and molybdenum, the
recycling methodology and material replacement can improve resource consumptions
in the hydraulic product system. Hydraulic
oil in the use stage and disposal stage contributes significantly to the
environmental impact potentials and crude oil resources, which can be reduced by
optimized solutions for replacing the quality and quantity of the hydraulic oil,
and by recycling hydraulic oils after use. The impact potentials for waste
categories mainly derive from the raw material production processes, which can
be reduced by optimized solutions for recycling the raw materials wastes in the
others products e.g. cement product etc.
Finally,
the life span and efficiency of the motor are the most significant, but not
unambiguous parameters. By increasing/decreasing the life span of the hydraulic
motor, the environmental impact potentials and energy related resource
consumptions increase/decreasing in the product system. Improvement in the
efficiency of the hydraulic motor decreases the environmental impact potentials
and energy related resource consumptions significantly in the product system.
The only way to make an improvement is to increase the motor efficiency thereby
decreasing the environmental impact potentials and energy related resources
significantly.
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