Life Cycle Assessment of Natural Gas-Powered Personal Mobility Options

The recent expansion of unconventional natural gas production in the United States has enabled a steady increase of its use in all consumption sectors, including transportation. In this study, the environmental footprints of three natural gas-based personal mobility options are examined from a life cycle perspective: battery electric vehicles (BEVs), compressed natural gas vehicles (CNGVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). The results suggest that natural gas-powered vehicles have the potential to considerably reduce the overall environmental impact associated with driven miles in comparison to conventional petroleum-powered internal combustion engine vehicles (PICVs). BEVs and FCVs in particular offer significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, especially if carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies are implemented at the fuel conversion facilities. It was furthermore determined that the use phase dominates the life cycle impacts of all of the vehicles considered, although the manufacture...

[1]  Dominic A. Notter,et al.  Contribution of Li-ion batteries to the environmental impact of electric vehicles. , 2010, Environmental science & technology.

[2]  V. Manousiouthakis,et al.  CO2 capturing from power plant flue gases: Energetic comparison of amine absorption with MgO based, heat integrated, pressure–temperature-swing adsorption , 2014 .

[3]  Yang‐Kook Sun,et al.  Synthesis of Spinel LiMn2O4 by the Sol−Gel Method for a Cathode-Active Material in Lithium Secondary Batteries , 1997 .

[4]  Sai-Cheong Chung,et al.  Optimized LiFePO4 for Lithium Battery Cathodes , 2001 .

[5]  Erik Kjeang,et al.  A comparative life cycle assessment of diesel and compressed natural gas powered refuse collection vehicles in a Canadian city , 2013 .

[6]  F. García-Alvarado,et al.  Influence of the structure on the electrochemical performance of lithium transition metal phosphates as cathodic materials in rechargeable lithium batteries : A new high-pressure form of LiMPO4 (M = Fe and Ni) , 2001 .

[7]  Alexandre Lucas,et al.  Life cycle analysis of energy supply infrastructure for conventional and electric vehicles , 2012 .

[8]  Wim G. Haije,et al.  Calcium oxide for CO2 capture: Operational window and efficiency penalty in sorption-enhanced steam methane reforming , 2009 .

[9]  I. Dincer,et al.  Life cycle assessment of hydrogen fuel cell and gasoline vehicles , 2006 .

[10]  Karl-Michael Nigge.  Life Cycle Assessment of Natural Gas Vehicles , 2000 .

[11]  James J Winebrake,et al.  Greater focus needed on methane leakage from natural gas infrastructure , 2012, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[12]  Ibrahim Dincer,et al.  A preliminary life cycle assessment of PEM fuel cell powered automobiles , 2007 .

[13]  Feng Wu,et al.  Recovery of cobalt and lithium from spent lithium ion batteries using organic citric acid as leachant. , 2010, Journal of hazardous materials.

[14]  Trevor Pryor,et al.  Life-cycle assessment of diesel, natural gas and hydrogen fuel cell bus transportation systems , 2007 .

[15]  M. Pehnt.  Life-cycle assessment of fuel cell stacks , 2001 .

[16]  V. Manousiouthakis,et al.  Natural gas based hydrogen production with zero carbon dioxide emissions , 2011 .

[17]  Yang‐Kook Sun,et al.  Synthetic optimization of Li[Ni 1/3Co 1/3Mn 1/3]O 2 via co-precipitation , 2004 .

[18]  Edgar G. Hertwich,et al.  Life cycle assessment of natural gas combined cycle power plant with post-combustion carbon capture, transport and storage , 2011 .

[19]  Marc Melaina,et al.  The co-evolution of alternative fuel infrastructure and vehicles: A study of the experience of Argentina with compressed natural gas , 2011 .

[20]  Joeri Van Mierlo,et al.  SUBAT: An assessment of sustainable battery technology , 2006 .

[21]  Panagiota Dilara,et al.  Effect of a change towards compressed natural gas vehicles on the emissions of the Milan waste collection fleet , 2011 .

[22]  Development of a lithium ion battery using a new cathode material , 2005 .

[23]  M. Zackrisson,et al.  Life cycle assessment of lithium-ion batteries for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles – Critical issues , 2010 .

[24]  Hun‐Gi Jung,et al.  Improved Co-substituted, LiNi0.5−xCo2xMn1.5−xO4 lithium ion battery cathode materials , 2012 .

[25]  W. Bunn,et al.  A comparison of emissions from vehicles fueled with diesel or compressed natural gas. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[26]  Klaus Höhne,et al.  With System Integration and Lightweight Design to Highest Energy Densities , 2013 .

[27]  Mark A. Delucchi,et al.  Emissions of Nitrous Oxide and Methane from Conventional and Alternative Fuel Motor Vehicles , 2002 .

[28]  Jenn-Jiang Hwang,et al.  Lifecycle performance assessment of fuel cell/battery electric vehicles , 2013 .

[29]  Dawei Wang,et al.  Life cycle analysis of internal combustion engine, electric and fuel cell vehicles for China , 2013 .

[30]  Rosli Abu Bakar,et al.  A Technical Review of Compressed Natural Gas as an Alternative Fuel for Internal Combustion Engines , 2008 .

[31]  Julio Lumbreras Martin,et al.  Impact of Spanish electricity mix, over the period 2008–2030, on the Life Cycle energy consumption and GHG emissions of Electric, Hybrid Diesel-Electric, Fuel Cell Hybrid and Diesel Bus of the Madrid Transportation System , 2013 .

[32]  M. A. Amalina,et al.  An experimental investigation of CNG as an alternative fuel for a retrofitted gasoline vehicle , 2006 .

[33]  Ho-Gi Kim,et al.  Preparation of LiMn2O4 thin films by a sol–gel method , 2000 .

[34]  Anders Hammer Strømman,et al.  Life cycle environmental assessment of lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride batteries for plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. , 2011, Environmental science & technology.

[35]  Y. Todorov,et al.  Effects of the Li:(Mn + Co + Ni) molar ratio on the electrochemical properties of LiMn1/3Co1/3Ni1/3O2 cathode material , 2004 .

[36]  Hsien Hui Khoo,et al.  Life cycle investigation of CO2 recovery and sequestration. , 2006, Environmental science & technology.

[37]  Andrew Harrison,et al.  A new comparison between the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of battery electric vehicles and internal combustion vehicles , 2012 .