María Juliana Pinilla ,Babu Joseph , Qiong...
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María Juliana Pinilla 1 , Babu Joseph 2 , Qiong Zhang 1 1 Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering 2 Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering University South Florida, Tampa FL, USA
Transcript of María Juliana Pinilla ,Babu Joseph , Qiong...
María Juliana Pinilla1, Babu Joseph2, Qiong Zhang1
1Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
2Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering
University South Florida, Tampa FL, USA
Background
Introduction to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
1. Goal and Scope Definition
2. Inventory Analysis
3. Impact Assessment and Interpretation of results
Summary
Questions
Increasing global demand for fossil fuels
Increasing fossil fuel prices
Potential fossil fuel shortage in the future
Increasing environmental impacts associated to fossil fuels
Sources: Schlaf, 2011 & Perlack, 2005.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool used to evaluate the environmental impacts of products, processes, or services over its life.
The LCA methodology
has four main components:
Goal and Scope
Definition
Inventory Analysis
Impact Assessment
Interpretation
The goal of the Study:
◦ To identify the environmental impacts involved in the
conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to a variety of liquid
fuels
◦ To look for opportunities for process improvement
Functional Unit:
◦ The production of 1 MMBTU of energy per hour
System Boundaries:
Recycling / Raw material
recovery
Raw Material
Extraction Transportation
Different conversion processes
Transportation
Final costumer
/ use stage
Disposal / End life of product
Processes Evaluated:
◦ Process 1: Biomass to a Mixed Alcohol Synthesis
◦ Process 2: Biomass to Hydrocarbons no methane
◦ Process 3: Biomass to Hydrocarbons using methane
LCAs were developed based on different processes
◦ Similarities:
Same biomass type
Gasification process
◦ Differences:
Conversion process
Mass and energy flows
Energy products
Data Needed
Source of Data
Process 1 Process 2 Process 3
Upstream
Processes
GABI 4 Database
Simapro Database
GABI 4 Database
Simapro Database
GABI 4 Database
Simapro Database
Biomass conversion
processes
National Renewable
Energy Laboratory
(NREL)
University of South
Florida (USF)
University of South
Florida (USF)
Downstream
Processes
GABI 4 Database
Literature
GABI 4 Database
Literature
GABI 4 Database
Literature
Treatment
Processes
Literature Literature
Literature
8 Impact Categories were considered
LCA Software (GABI 4)
TRACI Methodology was used
Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other
Environmental Impacts (TRACI)
Process1: ◦ Global Warming Potential
Process 2: ◦ Global Warming Potential
Process 3: ◦ Global Warming Potential
Process 3:
◦ Human Health Non Cancer
Process 2:
◦ Human Health Non Cancer
Process 1:
◦ Human Health Non Cancer
Impact Category Process 1 Process 2 Process 3
Global Warming High Medium Low
Acidification Medium High Low
Eutrophication Medium High Low
Ecotoxicity High Medium Low
Human Health Cancer Low Medium High
Human Health Non Cancer Low Medium High
Ozone Depletion Air Low Low Low
Smog Air Low Low Low
Process 1 showed high global warming and ecotoxicity impacts, but it showed low human health, smog air, and ozone depletion impacts.
Process 2 showed high acidification and eutrophication impacts, but it showed low smog air and ozone depletion impacts.
Process 3 showed high human health cancer and non cancer impacts, but it showed low global warming, ecotoxicity, acidification, eutrophication, smog air and ozone depletion impacts
