* Starting from Need* Evolution of the Toyota Production System* Further Development* Genealogy of the Toyota Production System* The True Intention of the Ford System* Surviving the Low-Growth Period

Toyota production system : beyond large-scale production

Recycling of rare earths: a critical review

The application of batteries and ultracapacitors in electric energy storage units for battery powered (EV) and charge sustaining and plug-in hybrid-electric (HEV and PHEV) vehicles have been studied in detail. The use of IC engines and hydrogen fuel cells as the primary energy converters for the hybrid vehicles was considered. The study focused on the use of lithium-ion batteries and carbon/carbon ultracapacitors as the energy storage technologies most likely to be used in future vehicles. The key findings of the study are as follows. 1) The energy density and power density characteristics of both battery and ultracapacitor technologies are sufficient for the design of attractive EVs, HEVs, and PHEVs. 2) Charge sustaining, engine powered hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) can be designed using either batteries or ultracapacitors with fuel economy improvements of 50% and greater. 3) Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) can be designed with effective all-electric ranges of 30-60 km using lithium-ion batteries that are relatively small. The effective fuel economy of the PHEVs can be very high (greater than 100 mpg) for long daily driving ranges (80-150 km) resulting in a large fraction (greater than 75%) of the energy to power the vehicle being grid electricity. 4) Mild hybrid-electric vehicles (MHEVs) can be designed using ultracapacitors having an energy storage capacity of 75-150 Wh. The fuel economy improvement with the ultracapacitors is 10%-15% higher than with the same weight of batteries due to the higher efficiency of the ultracapacitors and more efficient engine operation. 5) Hybrid-electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells can use either batteries or ultracapacitors for energy storage. Simulation results indicate the equivalent fuel economy of the fuel cell powered vehicles is 2-3 times higher than that of a gasoline fueled IC vehicle of the same weight and road load. Compared to an engine-powered HEV, the equivalent fuel economy of the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle would be 1.66-2.0 times higher

Batteries and Ultracapacitors for Electric, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Vehicles

The future availability of rare earth elements (REEs) is of concern due to monopolistic supply conditions, environmentally unsustainable mining practices, and rapid demand growth. We present an evaluation of potential future demand scenarios for REEs with a focus on the issue of comining. Many assumptions were made to simplify the analysis, but the scenarios identify some key variables that could affect future rare earth markets and market behavior. Increased use of wind energy and electric vehicles are key elements of a more sustainable future. However, since present technologies for electric vehicles and wind turbines rely heavily on dysprosium (Dy) and neodymium (Nd), in rare-earth magnets, future adoption of these technologies may result in large and disproportionate increases in the demand for these two elements. For this study, upper and lower bound usage projections for REE in these applications were developed to evaluate the state of future REE supply availability. In the absence of efficient reus...

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Evaluating rare earth element availability: a case with revolutionary demand from clean technologies

Decarbonization of electricity generation can support climate-change mitigation and presents an opportunity to address pollution resulting from fossil-fuel combustion. Generally, renewable technologies require higher initial investments in infrastructure than fossil-based power systems. To assess the tradeoffs of increased up-front emissions and reduced operational emissions, we present, to our knowledge, the first global, integrated life-cycle assessment (LCA) of long-term, wide-scale implementation of electricity generation from renewable sources (i.e., photovoltaic and solar thermal, wind, and hydropower) and of carbon dioxide capture and storage for fossil power generation. We compare emissions causing particulate matter exposure, freshwater ecotoxicity, freshwater eutrophication, and climate change for the climate-change-mitigation (BLUE Map) and business-as-usual (Baseline) scenarios of the International Energy Agency up to 2050. We use a vintage stock model to conduct an LCA of newly installed capacity year-by-year for each region, thus accounting for changes in the energy mix used to manufacture future power plants. Under the Baseline scenario, emissions of air and water pollutants more than double whereas the low-carbon technologies introduced in the BLUE Map scenario allow a doubling of electricity supply while stabilizing or even reducing pollution. Material requirements per unit generation for low-carbon technologies can be higher than for conventional fossil generation: 11-40 times more copper for photovoltaic systems and 6-14 times more iron for wind power plants. However, only two years of current global copper and one year of iron production will suffice to build a low-carbon energy system capable of supplying the world's electricity needs in 2050.

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Integrated life-cycle assessment of electricity-supply scenarios confirms global environmental benefit of low-carbon technologies.

Strategic Materials Selection In The Automobile Body: Economic Opportunities for Polymer Composite Design

Technical cost analysis for PEM fuel cells

Although the use of aluminum in cars has been increasing for the past two decades, progress has been limited in developing aluminum auto bodies. In fact, most aluminum substitution has come in the form of castings and forgings in the transmission, wheels, etc. Car manufacturers have developed all-aluminum cars with two competing designs: conventional unibody and the spaceframe. However, aluminum is far from being a material of choice for auto bodies. The substitution of aluminum for steel is partly influenced by regulatory pressures to meet fuel efficiency standards by reducing vehicle weight, and to meet recycling standards. The key obstacles are the high cost of primary aluminum as compared to steel and added fabrication costs of aluminum panels. Both the aluminum and the automotive industries have attempted to make aluminum a cost-effective alternative to steel. This paper analyzes the cost of fabrication and assembly of four different aluminum car body designs, making comparisons with conventional steel designs at current aluminum prices and using current aluminum fabrication technology. It then attempts to determine if aluminum can be an alternative to steel at lower primary aluminum prices, and improved fabrication processes.

Automobile Bodies: Can Aluminum Be an Economical Alternative to Steel?

Production cost is a vital performance metric for engineering and management analysis. Despite its obvious relevance throughout the product development cycle, cost analysis has not been a focus of the design engineer. In part, this is because of some key misunderstandings of what cost is-engineers have not been trained in the techniques that tie manufacturing cost to the technical and design parameters with which they are more comfortable and familiar. While there have been many calls for a closer relationship between engineering and economic analysis, these key conceptual obstacles, in conjunction with the limits of the computational tools available, have limited the integration of cost analysis into product and process development. This paper summarizes the conceptual limitations that need to be overcome and presents a basis for revising the notion of process cost analysis. Moreover, it presents a series of cost analysis cases that demonstrate the way in which the notion of “context” lies at the heart of effective use of engineering cost estimates.

Richard Roth

Papers

Evaluating rare earth element availability: a case with revolutionary demand from clean technologies

Strategic Materials Selection In The Automobile Body: Economic Opportunities for Polymer Composite Design

Technical cost analysis for PEM fuel cells

Automobile Bodies: Can Aluminum Be an Economical Alternative to Steel?

Process cost modeling: Strategic engineering and economic evaluation of materials technologies