scholarly journals Design and Analysis of a Lightweight Composite Shipping Container Made of Carbon Fiber Laminates

Logistics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Turkay Yildiz

The literature indicates that a 20% reduction in the weight of empty 40-foot shipping containers would result in $28 billion of fuel savings, along with a 3.6 exajoule reduction in the energy demand over containers’ 15-year lifetime. Decreasing the energy demand and thereby greenhouse gas emissions by utilizing lightweight shipping containers has been an unexplored strategy. In this regard, this study investigates the possibility of further reducing the weight of an empty container without compromising the structural integrity, strength, and function of a traditional steel container. This research finds that up to an 80% reduction in weight is possible by producing shipping containers with composite materials. This research presents the new design of a 40-foot container made of carbon fiber laminates. The tare weight of a traditional 40-foot shipping container is around 3750 kg. On the contrary, in this research, the weight of a composite design of the same container is calculated to be around 822 kg. Additional tests with various loads, such as lifting the container and stacking loads onto the composite container, are performed to explore the strength and buckling issues of the design presented in this study. The analyses reveal that the composite shipping container is a highly promising candidate for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing fuel savings and thus reducing the operational costs of transportation.

2018 ◽  
Vol 173 ◽  
pp. 443-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Nägeli ◽  
Clara Camarasa ◽  
Martin Jakob ◽  
Giacomo Catenazzi ◽  
York Ostermeyer

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 138-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anaëlle Rabès ◽  
Louise Seconda ◽  
Brigitte Langevin ◽  
Benjamin Allès ◽  
Mathilde Touvier ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 152 ◽  
pp. 67-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Peter ◽  
Xenia Specka ◽  
Joachim Aurbacher ◽  
Peter Kornatz ◽  
Christiane Herrmann ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Ritsma

Building energy models are an effective tool for evaluating energy reduction opportunities in both design phase and post-occupancy scenarios. By merging building energy models with city scale building stock data, it is possible to analyze energy performance at a greater breadth, providing more informed policy decisions and solutions to energy demand asymmetries in urban metropolises. This study examines the energy reduction potential for office buildings in the Toronto 2030 District, by testing individual and bundled energy conservation measures and greenhouse gas reduction strategies using a reference building energy model. When extrapolated across Toronto’s urban core, simulation results determined that standard interventions on the existing office building stock have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 91.5%, in line with 2030 District initiatives.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Klemm ◽  
Frauke Wiese

Abstract Background Urban energy systems are responsible for 75% of the world’s energy consumption and for 70% of the worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Energy system models are used to optimize, benchmark and compare such energy systems with the help of energy sustainability indicators. We discuss several indicators for their basic suitability and their response to changing boundary conditions, system structures and reference values. The most suitable parameters are applied to four different supply scenarios of a real-world urban energy system. Results There is a number of energy sustainability indicators, but not all of them are suitable for the use in urban energy system optimization models. Shortcomings originate from the omission of upstream energy supply chains (secondary energy efficiency), from limited capabilities to compare small energy systems (energy productivity), from excessive accounting expense (regeneration rate), from unsuitable accounting methods (primary energy efficiency), from a questionable impact of some indicators on the overall system sustainability (self-sufficiency), from the lack of detailed information content (share of renewables), and more. On the other hand, indicators of absolute greenhouse gas emissions, energy costs, and final energy demand are well suitable for the use in optimization models. However, each of these indicators only represents partial aspects of energy sustainability; the use of only one indicator in the optimization process increases the risk that other important aspects will deteriorate significantly, eventually leading to suboptimal or even unrealistic scenarios in practice. Therefore, multi-criteria approaches should be used to enable a more holistic optimization and planning of sustainable urban energy systems. Conclusion We recommend multi-criteria optimization approaches using the indicators of absolute greenhouse gas emissions, absolute energy costs, and absolute energy demand. For benchmarking and comparison purposes, specific indicators should be used and therefore related to the final energy demand, respectively, the number of inhabitants. Our example scenarios demonstrate modeling strategies to optimize sustainability of urban energy systems.


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