Life cycle assessment of fiber reinforced composite materials in a solar-powered racing car

• Main Author: Pantua, Conrad Allan Jay R.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2012
• Subjects: Composite materials in automobiles; Product life cycle; Mechanical Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/9249
• Institution: De La Salle University

In this paper, a life cycle assessment is conducted on the shell materials of a solar powered racing car named Sikat two. Sikat two participated in the Challenge class of the 2011 World solar challenge held in Australia where it was able to finish 19th place. This is already the second solar powered electric vehicle the Philippines sent to the biennial competition. The vehicle's shell is composed of the top and bottom shell fabricated from a sandwhich structure of carbon fiber reinforced composites and a honeycomb core. The study would follow the usual procedure used in life cycle assessments which is God and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment and conclusion. The entire shell would be evaluated from cradle to gave or more specifically in its production, use and disposal phases of its life cycle. The composite materials would be evaluated against traditional vehicle body materials such as steel and aluminum in all life cycle phases using energy intensity data found in various literatures. The objective of this study is to investigate if the lighter composite materials used for this purpose would have a lower carbon footprint and environmental impact compared to the heavier metals given that composites are more energy intensive to produce and almost impossible to recycle. In the end, it is recommended to conduct a similar life cycle analysis to the solar panels and battery packs in order to gain a more realistic insight on the sustainability of this technology.