Listing 1 - 10 of 24 << page
of 3
>>
Sort by

Dissertation
The impact of eco-design practices on the carbon footprint of furniture: the case of a French furniture retailer
Authors: --- --- --- --- --- et al.
Year: 2024 Publisher: Liège Université de Liège (ULiège)

Loading...
Export citation

Choose an application

Bookmark

Abstract

BUT, France’s second-largest home equipment retailer, aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Realizing 93% of its total carbon emissions come from the products sold, BUT developed a semi-qualitative eco-scoring system to classify products by their eco-design level. So far, around one-third of products have been graded. Products with good eco-scores are then labeled as ‘eco-designed’. BUT wants to valorize this initiative in its carbon footprint report. The goal of this study is thus to assess the carbon footprint benefits of eco-designing six key furniture categories with the highest carbon footprints: mattress, bookshelf, kitchen box, fabric sofa, chest of drawers, and bed frames. The carbon footprint of eco-designed products is compared to the carbon footprint of non eco-designed products, following ISO 14067 guidelines about quantifying carbon footprint. A cradle-to-gate approach was chosen, covering raw material extraction to manufacturing. Inventories were built using data from eco-scoring grids, including material masses, recycled material share, wood supply and manufacturing energy inputs. This study is innovative in that it is based on representative quantitative data from 2,020 references, covering about 1,000,000 products sold. However, it focuses only on carbon footprint and uses moderate-quality data.&#13;&#13;Results are consistent with literature for inventories, impacts per furniture piece, impacts per kg of furniture piece, and life cycle stage hotspots. The study shows a clear decrease in carbon footprint for three categories with eco-design, averaging a 20% reduction. This reduction is attributed to a higher share of recycled materials and sustainable wood, shorter wood supply chains, and cleaner energy sources for manufacturing. However, results are contrasting for the three other categories, as the eco-scoring system 1) does not take into account mass and energy efficiency per functional unit 2) does not rank materials based on their carbon footprint (a wood-based product has no advantage over a glass product for instance) 3) includes other impact categories without proper weighting. Sensitivity analyses on metal composition, impacts of recycled materials, and carbon storage in sustainable wood validated the main hypotheses.&#13;&#13;To effectively achieve its decarbonizing objectives, BUT should consider several key actions. First, enhancing the quantitative nature of the eco-score computation would address the limitations of the current system and align it more with the principles of life cycle assessment. Additionally, digitizing the data collection process would enhance efficiency. Harmonizing the eco-scoring system with counterparts at a European level is essential to streamline data acquisition processes and enhance consumer decision-making. Moreover, BUT should deepen its involvement in the design phase to gain a more profound understanding of the industrial processes in furniture manufacturing, ultimately enabling the creation of truly eco-designed products. Last but not least, a more careful consideration of the fair distribution of the decarbonizing costs along the value chain should be undertaken.


Dissertation
Towards the circularity of outdoor lighting systems
Authors: --- --- --- --- --- et al.
Year: 2022 Publisher: Liège Université de Liège (ULiège)

Loading...
Export citation

Choose an application

Bookmark

Abstract

In recent years, there has been increasing attention to lighting energy efficiency, due to economics - lower energy costs - and environmental reasons - &#13;man-induced climate change. Driven by strict energy-efficiency requirements, the lighting industry started to replace the traditional lamps with LED lighting solutions, ignoring the limits of their maintenance and recycling. &#13;Faced with an increasing global population, rising resource consumption, and associated negative environmental impacts, shifting from a traditional economic linear model to a more sustainable paradigm of growth is now becoming increasingly urgent. Whereas the topic of circular economy has been widely investigated in literature in the past, little attention has been reserved for the different evaluation tools to assess and improve product circularity and how companies can become more resource efficient. &#13;Hence, the present thesis investigates the implementation of a circular economy in the lighting industry using circularity indicators and eco-design strategies. Concerning the real luminaires products, the role of the luminaire in the circular economy and recycling industry is explored, highlighting the limits of their End-of-life process. The main conclusions of the thesis reveal the significance of initial product development, reuse, remanufacturing, and repair strategies in a transition towards a circular economy.


Book
Les écobilans : utilité et limites d'un outil de concertation et d'aide à la décision : rapport scientifique
Authors: --- ---
ISBN: 2872121617 9782872121618 Year: 1995 Publisher: Bruxelles : Fondation Roi Baudouin,


Book
Advances on Mechanics, Design Engineering and Manufacturing III : Proceedings of the International Joint Conference on Mechanics, Design Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, JCM 2020, June 2-4 2020.
Authors: --- --- --- ---
ISBN: 3030705668 303070565X Year: 2021 Publisher: Springer Nature

Loading...
Export citation

Choose an application

Bookmark

Abstract

This open access book gathers contributions presented at the International Joint Conference on Mechanics, Design Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (JCM 2020), held as a web conference on June 2–4, 2020. It reports on cutting-edge topics in product design and manufacturing, such as industrial methods for integrated product and process design; innovative design; and computer-aided design. Further topics covered include virtual simulation and reverse engineering; additive manufacturing; product manufacturing; engineering methods in medicine and education; representation techniques; and nautical, aeronautics and aerospace design and modeling. The book is organized into four main parts, reflecting the focus and primary themes of the conference. The contributions presented here not only provide researchers, engineers and experts in a range of industrial engineering subfields with extensive information to support their daily work; they are also intended to stimulate new research directions, advanced applications of the methods discussed and future interdisciplinary collaborations.


Book
Modern architecture and climate : design before air conditioning
Author:
ISBN: 0691204942 Year: 2020 Publisher: Princeton : Princeton University Press,

Loading...
Export citation

Choose an application

Bookmark

Abstract

"Modern Architecture and Climate explores how leading architects of the twentieth century incorporated climate-mediating strategies into their designs, and shows how regional approaches to climate adaptability were essential to the development of modern architecture. Focusing on the period surrounding World War II-before fossil-fuel powered air-conditioning became widely available-Daniel Barber brings to light a vibrant and dynamic architectural discussion involving design, materials, and shading systems as means of interior climate control. He looks at projects by well-known architects such as Richard Neutra, Le Corbusier, Lúcio Costa, Mies van der Rohe, and Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and the work of climate-focused architects such as MMM Roberto, Olgyay and Olgyay, and Cliff May. Drawing on the editorial projects of James Marston Fitch, Elizabeth Gordon, and others, he demonstrates how images and diagrams produced by architects helped conceptualize climate knowledge, alongside the work of meteorologists, physicists, engineers, and social scientists. Barber describes how this novel type of environmental media catalyzed new ways of thinking about climate and architectural design. Extensively illustrated with archival material, Modern Architecture and Climate provides global perspectives on modern architecture and its evolving relationship with a changing climate, showcasing designs from Latin America, Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and Africa. This timely and important book reconciles the cultural dynamism of architecture with the material realities of ever-increasing carbon emissions from the mechanical cooling systems of buildings, and offers a historical foundation for today's zero-carbon design"-- ǂc Provided by publisher.


Book
Engineering Education and Technological / Professional Learning
Authors: --- --- ---
ISBN: 3039219855 3039219847 Year: 2019 Publisher: MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

Loading...
Export citation

Choose an application

Bookmark

Abstract

The focus of this Special Issue is aimed at enhancing the discussion of Engineering Education, particularly related to technological and professional learning. In the 21st century, students face a challenging demand: they are expected to have the best scientific expertise, but also highly developed social skills and qualities like teamwork, creativity, communication, or leadership. Even though students and teachers are becoming more aware of this necessity, there is still a gap between academic life and the professional world. In this Special Edition Book, the reader can find works tackling interesting topics such as educational resources addressing students’ development of competencies, the importance of final year projects linked to professional environments, and multicultural or interdisciplinary challenges.


Book
Metal Nanoparticles-Polymer Hybrid Materials
Author:
ISBN: 3036552049 3036552030 Year: 2022 Publisher: MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

Loading...
Export citation

Choose an application

Bookmark

Abstract

Metal nanoparticles/polymers hybrid materials have significantly contributed to the develop of nanotechnology. Moreover, these hybrid materials can respond to stimuli (e.g., pH, temperature, light, magnetic field) or self-degrade in a controlled manner to release metal nanoparticles or therapeutics encapsulated. Functional and structural hybrid materials provide opportunities for creative fields, remarkable properties, and future advanced applications. This Special Issue focuses on highlighting the progress of new hybrid materials, based on metal nanoparticles and polymers, their design, preparation, functionalization, characterization, and advanced applications.


Book
New Challenges in Water Systems
Authors: --- ---
Year: 2020 Publisher: Basel, Switzerland MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

Loading...
Export citation

Choose an application

Bookmark

Abstract

New challenges in water systems toward safety, efficiency, reliability, and system flexibility will be fundamental in the near future. In this book, readers can find different approaches that include safety analysis, system efficiency improvements, and new innovative designs. The risk function is a measure of its vulnerability level and security loss. Analyses of transient flows associated with the most dangerous operating conditions, are compulsory to grant system liability in terms of water quantity, quality, and system management. Specific equipment, such as air valves, is used in pressurized water pipes to manage the air inside, associated with the emptying and filling process. Advanced tools are developed toward near-future smart water grids. The water system efficiency and water–energy nexus, through the implementation of suitable pressure control and energy recovery devices, as well as pumped-storage hydropower, provide guidelines toward the most technical and environmental cost-effective solutions. Integrated analysis of water and energy allows more reliable, flexible, and sustainable eco-design projects, reaching better resilience systems. Hydraulic simulators and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), conjugating with field or experimental tests, supported by advanced smart equipment, allow a better design, control, and complex event anticipation occurrence to attain high levels of water system security and efficiency.

Keywords

History of engineering & technology --- trunk network --- water distribution network --- resilience --- optimization --- energy recovery --- pumps as turbines --- water distribution networks --- EPANET --- safe water --- air valve --- CFD --- hydraulic characterization --- entrapped air --- safety of water supply consumers --- risk --- water supply system --- failure risk analysis --- decision making model --- risk assessment methodology --- experiments --- ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry (UDV) --- flowmeters --- computational fluid dynamics (CFD) --- pipe system efficiency --- pressure reducing valves --- leakage reduction --- water-energy nexus --- air–water interface --- filling --- flow --- pipelines --- transient --- water management --- reservoirs --- hydropower plants --- pumped storage power plants --- hydropeaking --- environmental flows --- smart water management --- smart water grids --- water drinking network --- water losses --- energy production --- pumped-storage --- micro-hydropower --- water networks --- dimensional analysis --- pumping system --- safety and control --- hydraulic transients and CFD analyses --- water systems efficiency --- new design solutions and eco-design --- trunk network --- water distribution network --- resilience --- optimization --- energy recovery --- pumps as turbines --- water distribution networks --- EPANET --- safe water --- air valve --- CFD --- hydraulic characterization --- entrapped air --- safety of water supply consumers --- risk --- water supply system --- failure risk analysis --- decision making model --- risk assessment methodology --- experiments --- ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry (UDV) --- flowmeters --- computational fluid dynamics (CFD) --- pipe system efficiency --- pressure reducing valves --- leakage reduction --- water-energy nexus --- air–water interface --- filling --- flow --- pipelines --- transient --- water management --- reservoirs --- hydropower plants --- pumped storage power plants --- hydropeaking --- environmental flows --- smart water management --- smart water grids --- water drinking network --- water losses --- energy production --- pumped-storage --- micro-hydropower --- water networks --- dimensional analysis --- pumping system --- safety and control --- hydraulic transients and CFD analyses --- water systems efficiency --- new design solutions and eco-design


Book
Milieubalansen : nut en beperkingen van een overleg- en beslissingsondersteunend middel. Wetenschappelijk rapport.
Authors: --- ---
ISBN: 9051301758 Year: 1995 Publisher: Brussel : Koning Boudewijn Stichting,


Book
Advances in Low Carbon Technologies and Transition
Authors: ---
Year: 2021 Publisher: Basel, Switzerland MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute

Loading...
Export citation

Choose an application

Bookmark

Abstract

A wide variety of technologies and products have already become widespread in our society. However, policies have not been well-implemented to effectively reduce energy consumptions and CO2 emissions by promoting low-carbon technologies and products. This Special Issue focuses on studies targeting specific products (e.g., motor vehicle, household dishwashers, etc.) and/or technologies (e.g., information and communication technology, transport technology, CO2 capture technology, etc.) and quantifying resource and energy consumptions and CO2 emissions associated with products and technology systems using the reliable inventory database. Thus, this Special Issue provides important studies on how demand- and supply-side policies can contribute to reducing energy consumptions and CO2 emissions from consumption- and production-based perspectives.

Listing 1 - 10 of 24 << page
of 3
>>
Sort by