Lithium-ion battery’s life cycle : safety risks and risk management at workplaces

This summary is the final report of the research project “Lithium-ion battery’s life cycle: safety risks and risk management at workplaces”, funded by Finnish Work Environment Fund, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, OSALAN and Mitsubishi Logisnext Europe. The project has been part of SAF€RA program. The research was coordinated by Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Finland) and the research partner was GAIKER (Spain). The report summarizes the occupational safety of the LIB value chain and presents good practices and aspects that need to be taken into account in the management of the safety risks related to LIBs, together with assessment of gaseous emissions and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which was used for evaluating the environmental impacts throughout the value chain of the LIB selected for the case study

The role of hydrogen and fuel cells in the global energy system

Hydrogen technologies have experienced cycles of excessive expectations followed by disillusion. Nonetheless, a growing body of evidence suggests these technologies form an attractive option for the deep decarb onisation of global energy systems, and that recent improvements in their cost and performance point towards economic viability as well. This paper is a comprehensive review of the potential role that hydrogen could play in the provision of electricity, h eat, industry, transport and energy storage in a low - carbon energy system, and an assessment of the status of hydrogen in being able to fulfil that potential. The picture that emerges is one of qualified promise: hydrogen is well established in certain nic hes such as forklift trucks, while mainstream applications are now forthcoming. Hydrogen vehicles are available commercially in several countries, and 225,000 fuel cell home heating systems have been sold. This represents a step change from the situation of only five years ago. This review shows that challenges around cost and performance remain, and considerable improvements are still required for hydrogen to become truly competitive. But such competitiveness in the medium - term future no longer seems an unrealistic prospect, which fully justifies the growing interest and policy support for these technologies around the world

Analysis of the risks related to the logistics of the Hazardous Materials

Today, the number of industrial enterprises producing, using, storing and transporting hazardous materials is constantly increasing worldwide. This growth is linked to the progressive demand in various sectors, which makes our world riskier because of the nature and diversity of the dangerous events that may occur. The risks incurred by the hazardous materials transport activity, in case of the occurrence of an incident that may occur and have serious consequences for persons, the environment, property, a fire as an example accompanied by a release of toxic smoke, pollution of the soil and / or water, it can lead in case of non-control of the fire or the reactivity of the goods transported to an explosion. To this purpose, it is essential to protect the health and safety of personnel and to preserve the environment from any deterioration related to the risks incurred by the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG) business, which presents important issues for population, state and highly urbanized areas The aim of this thesis is to propose a systemic approach to risk assessment, taking into account in a global way the risks related to hazardous materials throughout the logistics chain (transport & storage). The approach consists of using the modeling and simulation techniques of an accident, to understand the consequences generated in the various scenarios in the event of the occurrence of a hazardous materials accident. This approach will allow the presentation of an industrial safety reasoning method based on actual case studies, rather than a detailed analysis of how to prevent and protect a given hazard. In the process of assessing the technological risks associated with the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG), the essential step is the evaluation of the risk intensity when an accidental event occurs, which is to quantify the risks involved. effects or impacts, in order to respond quickly and prioritize relief actions for the protection of the population and the environment. The assessment of the intensity of a technological risk can be carried out using an effects model, capable of estimating the effects induced by the hazardous phenomenon from a quantitative point of view, in order to determine the geographical area of the hazard where the intensity of the risk is deemed too high. In this context, the first issue addressed in this thesis is to assess the level of risk of hazardous goods transport areas for both road and marine modes of transportation, while the second issue of assessing risks in an industrial facility fixed

Requirements for the management of waste containing persistent organic pollutants

Persistent organic pollutants are toxic chemical compounds that persist in the environment, bioaccumulate through the food chain, and are transported far from their sources via the air, water or migratory species. Provisions on the management of waste containing POP compounds are laid down in Regulation (EC) No 850/2004. Several substances have been added to the POP Regulation since its adoption in 2004. Now the Regulation contains 25 persistent organic compounds or groups of compounds. The most recently added new substances are significant in terms of waste management because these compounds are also present in regular consumer goods that end up in municipal waste management. Earlier the Regulation was mainly concerned with waste management relating to industrial chemicals and pesticides. The guide gives the instructions on types of waste to be classified as POP waste and presents the requirements for the management of such waste laid down in the Regulation. The guide presents in more detail how the management of end-of-life vehicles (ELV) and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) containing brominated flame retardants should be organised in order that the requirements of the POP Regulation are fulfilled. The guide is intended for the municipal and state environmental permit and supervisory authorities, companies in whose operations POP waste may be generated, waste management companies, and waste management consultant

Thermally efficient advanced diesel exhaust aftertreatment for cleaner vehicles

Increased diesel vehicle use and growing concerns about the health and environmental effects of exhaust gas pollutants lead to a greater attention upon the reduction of vehicle emissions. The evolution of driving patterns and vehicle technologies lead to lower average exhaust gas temperatures. This can limit the diesel aftertreatment (catalyst) system's ability to meet increasingly stringent emissions legislation. A thermally efficient aftertreatment system can be produced through advanced and novel catalyst designs. The research work presented in this thesis investigates diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and exhaust gas properties that can enhance aftertreatment performance at low temperatures. Firstly, an advanced two-catalyst configuration is designed that widens the aftertreatment system operating temperature window. Catalyst cell density, wall thickness and material choices were optimised using theoretical equations, modelling tools and an experimental approach. Secondly, strategics were developed to assist the aftertreatment low temperature activity through the understanding of exhaust species interactions (inhibition and promotion) within the catalyst. This was achieved by varying the exhaust composition at the catalyst inlet, using alternative fuels and combustion modes. Finally, a catalyst component combining a filtration/oxidation function (partial-flow filter) was found to promote particulate removal while reducing the needs for diesel particulate filter active regeneration

Caracterização das propriedades mecânicas e de tenacidade à fratura do SMC

No desenvolvimento de projetos de engenharia, a seleção dos materiais é cada vez mais um critério decisivo e de elevada importância no resultado final dos mesmos. A correta ou errada escolha do material a utilizar tem influência direta na eficácia e eficiência do produto, bem como no preço final do mesmo. De modo a ser possível proceder à sua escolha, é necessário ter todas as informações sobre o comportamento do mesmo. Assim sendo, é necessário caracterizar e documentar cada uma das propriedades dos materiais disponíveis no mercado. A presente dissertação estuda o comportamento mecânico de várias concentrações de fibra de vidro no Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC), quando sujeito a ensaios Bulk (ensaio de tração) e Block Shear (ensaio de corte). Nestes ensaios obtêm-se dados como os módulos de elasticidade à tração (E) e ao corte (G). Além dos anteriores, ainda é possível determinar a tensão máxima, tensão cedência e tensão de rotura, novamente, para cada uma das concentrações de fibra. Através de ensaios Double-Cantillever Beam (ensaio de fratura à tração) e End-Notched Flexure (ensaio de fratura ao corte) é possível determinar a tenacidade à fratura, ou seja, a resistência à propagação de fendas do material. Com estes ensaios são obtidos valores como a taxa de libertação de energia de deformação à tração (GIc) e ao corte (GIIc). Terminada a fase experimental, os ensaios descritos anteriormente foram simulados num software de modelação numérico, ABAQUS®, com o objetivo de comparar valores. Em conclusão, com os ensaios realizados foi possível determinar que as propriedades do material no sentido da direção das fibras são tanto melhores quanto maior a concentração das mesmas.During project engineering development, the material’s choice is one of the most decisive and with the highest importance criteria to achieve the best final product. The correct or wrong material’s choice has a direct impact on the efficiency and product performance, and even on its final price. To choose, it is necessary to have all the information regarding the material behavior. For this, it is necessary to determine and record all the material properties. This thesis studies the material’s mechanical behavior in different amount of fiber glass present on the Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC), when subjected to Bulk (tensile test) and Block Shear (shear test). In these tests, it is possible to obtain the tensile modulus (E) and shear modulus (G). Even more, it is possible to determine the maximum stress, the yield stress and the strength, for all the different fiber concentrations. By DoubleCantilever Beam (tensile fracture test) and End-Notched Flexure (shear fracture test), it is possible to determine the fracture toughness, i.e., the material resistance to crack propagation. With these tests, the tensile strain energy release rate (GIc) and shear deformation energy release rate (GIIc) can be obtained. With the experimental stage finished, the described tests were simulated in a numerical modeling software, ABAQUS®, with the goal to compare results. In conclusion, it was possible to determine that the material’s properties according with the fiber’s orientation can be improved with the increase of the amount of fiber

Pysyviä orgaanisia yhdisteitä sisältävien jätteiden käsittelyvaatimukset

Pysyvät orgaaniset yhdisteet (Persistent Organic Pollutants, POP) ovat myrkyllisiä, hitaasti hajoavia kemiallisia yhdisteitä, jotka kertyvät eliöihin ravintoketjussa ja kulkeutuvat kauas päästöpaikastaan ilman, veden tai muuttavien eläinlajien välityksellä. POP-yhdisteitä sisältävien jätteiden käsittelystä on säädetty EU:ssa ns. POP-asetuksella (EY N:o 850/2004). POP-asetukseen on sen voimassaoloaikana lisätty lukuisia uusia aineita. Tällä hetkellä asetus sisältää 25 pysyvää orgaanista yhdistettä tai yhdisteryhmää. Asetuksen viimeisimmät uudet aineet ovat jätehuollon kannalta merkityksellisiä sen vuoksi, että näitä yhdisteitä esiintyy myös tavallisissa yhdyskuntajätehuoltoon päätyvissä kulutushyödykkeissä. Aiemmin asetus koski lähinnä erilaisten teollisuuskemikaalien ja torjunta-aineiden jätehuoltoa. Oppaan tarkoituksena on antaa ohjeet siitä, milloin jäte on luokiteltava POP-jätteeksi ja mitä vaatimuksia asetuksessa säädetään POP-jätteiden käsittelylle. Ohjeessa käsitellään tarkemmin kuinka POP-yhdisteiksi luokiteltuja bromattuja palonsuoja-aineita sisältävien romuajoneuvojen ja sähkö- ja elektroniikkalaiteromun käsittely tulisi järjestää, jotta se täyttäisi POP-asetuksen vaatimukset. Opas on tarkoitettu kuntien ja valtionhallinnon ympäristölupa- ja valvontaviranomaisille, yrityksille, joiden toiminnassa voi syntyä POP-jätteitä, jätehuoltoalan yrityksille, sekä jätteen käsittelyn suunnittelua tekeville konsulteill

Risk management of occupational exposure to nanomaterials during metal additive manufacturing

Programa doutoral em Engenharia Industrial e de SistemasA manufatura aditiva, também chamada impressão 3D, de metais deixou de ser um processo de prototipagem e está agora integrada em diversas indústrias, com trabalhadores alocados a estes postos de trabalho. Esta tecnologia emergente apresenta diversos riscos ocupacionais, nomeadamente a exposição dos trabalhadores a nanomateriais incidentais libertados durante este processo de manufatura. Estudos recentes evidenciam a libertação de nano-objetos e muitas têm sido as abordagens utilizadas para estudar a exposição aos mesmos. Alguns autores optam por uma abordagem quantitativa, que inclui a utilização de equipamentos de leitura direta, análise laboratoriais às características físico-químicas das emissões e/ou indicadores biológicos. Foram ainda publicados alguns estudos com uma abordagem qualitativa, nomeadamente a aplicação de métodos baseados na abordagem por bandas de controlo. Independentemente do tipo de abordagem, tem havido lugar a descobertas relevantes neste campo ainda pouco explorado. No entanto, estes estudos revelam também algumas limitações e pouco se sabe ainda acerca do controlo adequado deste risco. Motivada pela necessidade e importância de gerir o risco nestes postos de trabalho e de proteger os trabalhadores envolvidos, esta tese debruçou-se sobre o estado-da-arte e teve como principal questão de investigação qual a abordagem a adotar para gerir o risco ocupacional de exposição a nanomateriais incidentais na impressão 3D de metais. Para esse efeito, foram testadas diferentes abordagens em casos de estudo, culminando na criação de um método de gestão do risco ocupacional de exposição a nanomateriais incidentais na impressão 3D de metal, intitulado IN Nanotool. Esta ferramenta, baseada no CB, permite alcançar um nível de risco, com base na pontuação atribuída a diferentes fatores de risco quer na banda de perigo, quer na de exposição. A IN Nanotool fornece ainda recomendações para o controlo do risco, propondo assim uma solução para a abordagem a ter na gestão deste risco ocupacional. Esta ferramenta foi testada num caso de estudo concreto, apresentando resultados coerentes com o estado-da-arte e mostrando-se promissora. Não obstante, este método carece de mais aplicações práticas e de validação, apresentando algumas limitações também exploradas no decorrer da presente tese.Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, of metals is no longer a prototyping process and is now integrated in several industries, with workers allocated to these workplaces. This emerging technology presents various occupational hazards, namely the exposure of workers to incidental nanomaterials (INM) released during this manufacturing process. Recent studies show this release of nano-objects and many approaches have been used to study exposure to these INM. Some authors prefer quantitative approaches, including the use of direct reading equipment, laboratory analysis of the physicochemical characteristics of emissions and/or biological indicators. Other studies provided a qualitative approach, namely the application of methods based on control banding. Regardless of the type of approach, relevant discoveries have been made in this still unexplored field. However, these studies also reveal some limitations, and little is known about the adequate control of this risk. Motivated by the need and the importance of managing risk in these workplaces and protecting the workers involved, this thesis focused on the state-of-the-art and had as main research question what approach to adopt to manage the occupational risk exposure to incidental nanomaterials in 3D printing of metals. For this purpose, different methodologies were tested in case studies, culminating in the design of a method for occupational risk management of exposure to incidental nanomaterials in metal 3D printing, entitled IN Nanotool. This CB-based tool allows reaching a risk level, based on the score assigned to different risk factors, either in the hazard band and the exposure band. IN Nanotool also provides recommendations for risk control, thus proposing a solution for the approach to be taken in the management of this occupational risk. This tool was tested in a specific case study, presenting promising results, consistent with the state-of-the-art. However, this method requires more practical applications and validation, presenting some limitations also explored in the course of this thesis

Quantitative Health Risk Assessment of Metals on Surfaces Using the Construction Industry as a Test Environment

Routes of human exposure to hazardous substances include inhalation, ingestion, skin, and eye contact. To protect worker health against airborne contaminants numerous occupational exposure limit values (OELVs) have been established by regulatory or health authorities. These limits are airborne concentrations of hazardous substances which are often established as health-based benchmarks according to epidemiological and toxicological evaluations. OELVs have exclusively focused on the inhalation exposure pathway because it has been considered the most important route of exposure (Anderson & Meade 2014; Schneider et al. 1999). In contrast, there is a lack of quantitative exposure limits to assess skin exposures in the workplace. A research gap with respect to the development of health-based skin exposure limits for metals was identified. This thesis addressed two main research questions; (1) What methods should be employed to measure skin exposure to metals? (2) What is an acceptable skin exposure limit to metals using the construction industry, where there is a high prevalence of occupational skin exposures, as a test environment