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The purpose of this thesis is to provide a new working and management methodology to be used in the projects done in the UPC Space Program association. This methodology has been based on the systems engineering methodology and the ECSS management standards, and it aims to apply the lessons learned from past experiences in previous projects that did not obtain the results that could have been expected. This methodology is based on the systems engineering product life cycle and provides a list of all the deliverables and reviews that shall be conducted during the design, fabrication, qualification and operation of any system. To provide an example of the application of this methodology and the templates of these documents, a practical example of implementation has been developed through the design of a high-power rocket compliant with the European Rocketry Challenge regulations.

En la era actual de la construcción sostenible, la selección de pavimentos como otros componentes para ejecutar un proyecto de edificación, es fundamental saber la relevancia que estos materiales constructivos generan a nivel de sostenibilidad. La necesidad de integrar consideraciones ambientales, económicas y sociales en la elección de materiales de construcción ha llevado al desarrollo de enfoques multidisciplinarios para evaluar y comparar diferentes tipos de pavimentos. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo principal analizar y comparar diferentes tipos de pavimentos interiores que presenten características similares en términos de propiedades como grosores, resistencia al deslizamiento, resistencia al fuego, absorción acústica, absorción al gua, resistencia a la flexión y sus propiedades térmicas. Para lograr este objetivo se recopilaron datos de múltiples Fuentes oficiales como la guía de la baldosa, de la madera, piedra, de terrazo etc. Como también del © CYPE Ingenieros, S.A. (generador de precios de España), base de datos técnicas y resultados de pruebas de laboratorio, a su vez se emplean herramientas de modelado avanzados, como softwares de análisis de ciclo de vida como el LCAbyg y análisis estadísticos como el software Minitab, con ayuda también del programa Microsoft Excel. La metodología utilizada en este estudio se estructura en varias etapas. En primer lugar, se recopilan datos detallados sobre las propiedades de los diferentes tipos de pavimentos, incluyendo información sobre su composición, características técnicas y comportamientos en condiciones específicas de uso. A continuación, se lleva a cabo un análisis para evaluar el impacto medioambiental global de cada tipo de pavimento a lo largo de su ciclo de vida desde la cuna a la puerta. Este análisis permite identificar las principales Fuentes de impacto ambiental asociadas con cada tipo de pavimento y proporciona una base sólida para la toma de decisiones informadas en la selección de material

In the current energy challenges, related to both climate change and the sudden rise in energy prices, batteries plays a key role in providing and storing energy. Before batteries are sent to market, the batteries are repeatedly subjected to different types of tests since it is crucial to ver- ify that the performance and safety of these technologies are ensured in the different applications. This master’s thesis is dedicated to improving battery testing methodologies to address the growing industrial and e-mobility sectors. By identifying and tackling gaps in existing inter- national standards, this research aims to enhance the link between battery testing and real-life operation of batteries, with the final objective of developing an adaptable testing framework for AVL MTC Motortestcenter AB, a leading powertrain systems company. The study investigates the factors driving battery testing, the impact of diverse applications on battery characteristics, and the need for refined testing strategies. The methodology includes a comprehensive background study of battery behavior, a review of battery performance param- eters, and an analysis of prevailing testing procedures. The research results in the development of an algorithm for adaptable synthetic duty cycles, along with new testing procedures for capacity and cycle lifetime tests. The optimization of testing procedures enables AVL to take a prominent role in electrification and battery testing, offering more accurate and effective testing solutions. Ultimately, this contributes to a more sustainable industry by facilitating the secure and efficient use of battery technologies in emerg- ing applications, particularly within the transport sector., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i Infraestructura

Over the last few years, several policies and new technological solutions have targeted the construction sector with the aim of reducing the sector's impacts on the environment. Among the different technological advances proposed, the reuse of materials in construction has been reported as a promising solution for an increase in sustainability and circularity. In particular, a type of cities' undergrounds assets for which materials' reuse is being explored are trenches for protecting services (i.e., water and gas transport pipelines, and optic fibre and other telecommunications services). Nonetheless, the economic and environmental benefits and impact of this type of system is still insufficiently quantified. In this research study, the economic and environmental impacts of four scenarios of trenches were assessed by using Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The four alternatives analysed consisted of: (1) the classical solution; (2) the classical solution with the reuse of soil; (3) the control low-strength material, and (4) the eco-trench. The results allowed concluding that in the eco-trench system, for which all material is reused, the environmental and economic impacts could be reduced by more than 80% and 50%, respectively. A parametric study for which the dimensions of the trenches were varied, permitted to reinforce these results and to quantify the impact's change along with the width and depth of the trench. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive view of the high-impact potential of reusing material for the construction of trenches in cities. The outcomes allow also remarking that the eco-trench system could be an attractive and advantageous solution for urban infrastructure stakeholders, both from an economic and environmental perspective., Peer Reviewed, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles::11.6 - Per a 2030, reduir l’impacte ambiental negatiu per capita de les ciutats, amb especial atenció a la qualitat de l’aire, així com a la gestió dels residus municipals i d’altre tipus, Postprint (published version)

El treball (TFG) se centra en el procés d’implementació d’un Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), el programari 3DExperience, en una empresa dedicada al món de l'eòlica offshore, EOLOS Floating Lidar Solutions, una startup creada el 2014 que ha experimentat un creixement accelerat, a la qual em vaig incorporar com a estudiant en pràctiques l’octubre del 2022. La implantació del software, una feina en la qual he participat des que vaig arribar a la companyia, pretén optimitzar l'eficiència i la productivitat dels recursos dedicats a la gestió dels projectes orientats a la captació i subministrament de dades a la indústria de l’energia eòlica marina a través d’una boia LIDAR flotant autònoma, i, al mateix temps, enfortir la comunicació interna de l'empresa. Els primers apartats del TFG inclouen, a banda de les motivacions personals que m’han empès a dur-lo a terme, un capítol dedicat a contextualitzar-lo en el sector de l’eòlica offshore. Intento també aportar una descripció detallada de l’empresa i del servei que comercialitza, així com de l’estat previ en què es trobava la documentació, aspectes imprescindibles a l’hora d’optar per la implantació d’un PLM. Més endavant em focalitzo en explicar què és i com funciona el PLM i els avantatges que aporta en comparació amb altres sistemes de gestió de la informació, abans de descriure les etapes del projecte en el qual he estat involucrat per aconseguir una adaptació òptima al programari i el potencial que aquest té en el futur de la companyia. Finalment, es presenten els progressos i resultats obtinguts fins ara en aspectes com l’eficiència de la gestió dels projectes, l’enfortiment en la integració dels diferents departaments de l'empresa i la reducció dels temps i costos de producció., El trabajo (TFG) se centra en el proceso de implementación de un Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), el software 3DExperience, en una empresa dedicada al mundo de la eólica offshore, EOLOS Floating Lidar Solutions, una startup creada el 2014 que ha experimentado un crecimiento acelerado, a la que me incorporé como estudiante en prácticas en octubre del 2022. La implantación del software, una tarea en la que he participado desde que llegué a la compañía, pretende optimizar la eficiencia y la productividad de los recursos dedicados a la gestión de los proyectos orientados a la captación y suministro de datos para la industria de la energía eólica marina y, al mismo tiempo, fortalecer la comunicación interna de la empresa. Los primeros apartados del TFG incluyen, además de las motivaciones personales que me han empujado a llevarlo a cabo, un capítulo dedicado a su contextualización en el sector de la eólica offshore. Intento también aportar una descripción detallada de la empresa y del servicio que comercializa, así como del estado previo en el que se encontraba la documentación, aspectos imprescindibles a la hora de optar por la implantación de un PLM. Más adelante me focalizo en explicar qué es y como funciona el PLM y las ventajas que aporta en comparación con otros sistemas de gestión de la información, antes de describir las etapas del proyecto en el que me he involucrado para conseguir una adaptación óptima al software y el potencial que este programa informático tiene en el futuro de la compañía. Finalmente, se presentan los progresos y resultados obtenidos hasta ahora en aspectos como la eficiencia en la gestión de los proyectos, el fortalecimiento de la integración de los diferentes departamentos de la empresa y la reducción de los tiempos y costes de producción., The project (TFG) focuses on the implementation process of a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), the 3DExperience software, in a company dedicated to the world of offshore wind, EOLOS Floating Lidar Solutions, a startup created in 2014 that has experienced accelerated growth, which I joined as an intern in October 2022. The implementation of the software, a task in which I have been involved since I arrived at the company, aims to optimise the efficiency and productivity of the resources dedicated to the management of projects aimed at capturing and supplying data for the offshore wind energy industry and, at the same time, strengthen the company's internal communication. The first sections of the TFG include, in addition to the personal motivations that have pushed me to carry it out, a chapter dedicated to its contextualisation in the offshore wind sector. I also try to provide a detailed description of the company and the service it sells, as well as the previous state of the documentation, essential aspects when opting for the implementation of a PLM. I then focus on explaining what PLM is and how it works and the advantages it offers compared to other information management systems, before describing the stages of the project in which I have been involved to achieve an optimal adaptation to the software and the potential that this software has for the company's future. Finally, I present the progress and results obtained so far in aspects such as efficiency in project management, the strengthening of the integration of the different departments of the company and the reduction of production times and costs.

La metodología propuesta está planteada para evaluar el desarrollo de un proyecto bajo un análisis sostenible, de esta manera reducir los impactos ambientales, económicos considerando que los costos de mantenimiento sean los menores posibles y social en la toma de decisiones desde una percepción del usuario. Esta tesis presenta una metodología que permite organizar la información del edificio para la toma de decisiones en la fase de diseño, porque si los edificios se plantean de manera sostenible en la fase de uso, los impactos se reducen y las etapas posteriores adquieren una mayor importancia. La metodología se desarrolla de la siguiente manera. En la primera fase se definirá los límites del sistema y las características generales del edificio como caso de estudio. En la segunda fase se reunirá toda la información del proyecto. En la tercera fase se cuantificará la información proporcionada y se realizará un inventario de materiales, actividades y costes. En la cuarta fase, de acuerdo a los datos del inventario se realizará el análisis de cada indicador sostenible. Y finalmente en la quinta fase se validará su aplicación a un caso de estudio, donde los resultados serán comparados entre el diseño actual y la propuesta de diseño alternativo. La aplicación de la metodología a un caso de estudio nos confirma que puede ser empleada a otros tipos de proyectos, donde se debe detallar la unidad funcional, límites de sistema y datos relevantes del caso de estudio en específico. Dicha aplicación junto con la difusión de datos importantes de un edificio permite una mejor comparación de resultados.

La correcta modelització de bateries és clau per a una gestió eficaç de l’energia, ja que té un paperfonamental tant en l’allargament de la durada de la bateria com en la garantia de la seva seguretat operativa. Dins del camp de la tecnologia de cel·les de bateries de ions de liti (Li-ion), l’estimació precisa de l’estat de càrrega (SOC) i l’estat de salut (SOH) és fonamental per aconseguir un rendiment òptim. Mitjançant la navegació per aquestes tècniques, es pretén aclarir els reptes, oportunitats i avenços en el camp de la modelització de bateries de ions de liti. El marc de modelització proposat s’ha validat utilitzant dades experimentals obtingudes de cel·les cilíndriques de Li-NMC (Lithium Nickel, Manganès, Cobalt Oxide). Es van dur a terme diversos procediments de prova en diferents condicions per caracteritzar el seu rendiment. L’anàlisi d’aquestes proves també és un aspecte important d’aquesta tesi, ja que explica el comportament de les cel·les Li-NMC i proporciona informació sobre les seves característiques de rendiment en diversos escenaris. Basant-se en la bibliografia previa, aquesta tesi de màster revisa els fonaments de les cel·les secundàries, amb un enfocament particular en les cel·les de bateries Li-NMC. Dins de l’estructura de cel·les es discuteixen diversos elements, oferint una comprensió detallada de les seves propietats i les seves funcions. A més, aquesta tesi aborda els mecanismes d’envelliment, examinant factors com l’envelliment del calendari i l’envelliment del cicle. A més a més, proporciona una visió general de diferents enfocaments de modelització de cel·les de bateries, que cobreixen models de circuits equivalents (ECM), models electroquímics i models basats en dades. La selecció dels models i tècniques s’ha basat en els recursos disponibles i s’alineen amb l’objectiu de proporcionar solucions fermes per a la correcta modelització de les bateries. En aquest context, s’han desenvolupat dos ECM diferents. Un es basa principalment en el, La precisión en la modelización de las baterías es fundamental para gestionar eficazmente la energía, prolongar su vida útil y garantizar su seguridad operativa. En el campo de la tecnología de celdas de batería de iones de litio (Li-ion), la estimación precisa del estado de carga (SOC) y el estado de salud (SOH) es esencial para lograr un rendimiento óptimo. Este trabajo se adentra en una exploración de las diversas técnicas destinadas a alcanzar este objetivo. Al examinar estas técnicas, se busca esclarecer los desafíos, oportunidades y avances en el ámbito de la modelización de celdas Li-ion. El marco de modelización propuesto se valida utilizando datos experimentales obtenidos de celdas cilíndricas de Li-NMC (Óxido de Litio Níquel Manganeso Cobalto). Se llevaron a cabo diversos tests en diferentes condiciones para caracterizar su comportamiento. El análisis de estos ensayos también es un aspecto crucial de este trabajo, ya que proporciona una visión de las características en diversos escenarios. Este trabajo revisa los fundamentos de las baterías secundarias, con un enfoque especial en las celdas de baterías Li-NMC. Se analizan varios elementos dentro de la estructura de las celdas, ofreciendo una comprensión detallada de sus propiedades y funciones. Además, esta tesis aborda los mecanismos de envejecimiento, examinando factores como el envejecimiento por tiempo (calendario) y el envejecimiento cíclico. También ofrece una visión general de los diferentes enfoques de modelización de las celdas de batería, que incluyen modelos de circuito equivalente (MCE), modelos electroquímicos y modelos basados en datos. La selección de los modelos y técnicas empleadas se basa en los recursos disponibles y se ajusta al objetivo de proporcionar soluciones sólidas para una modelización precisa de las baterías. En este contexto, se han desarrollado dos ECM diferentes. Uno de ellos se basa principalmente en el perfil dinámico de pulsos, lo que permite la monitorización on-line, mi, Accurate battery modelling is the key to effective energy management, as it plays an important role in extending battery lifespan and ensuring operational safety. Within the field of lithium- ion (Li-ion) battery cell technology, precise estimation of state-of-charge (SOC) and state-of-health (SOH) is fundamental for achieving optimal performance. This thesis embarks on an exploration of the different techniques for estate and health monitoring. By navigating these techniques, it is intended to clarify the challenges, opportunities and advances in the field of lithium-ion battery cell modelling. The proposed modelling framework is validated using experimental data obtained from cylindrical Li-NMC (Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide) cells. Diverse test procedures were conducted under different conditions to characterize their performance. The analysis of these tests is also an important aspect of this thesis, as it sheds light on the behaviour of Li-NMC cells and provides insight into their performance characteristics in various scenarios. Departing from the literature, this Master’s thesis reviews the fundamentals of secondary batteries, with a particular focus on Li-NMC battery cells. Within the cell structure, various elements are discussed, offering a detailed understanding of their properties and their roles. Moreover, this thesis addresses the ageing mechanisms, examining factors such as calendar ageing, and cycle ageing. Additionally, it provides an overview of different battery cell modelling approaches, covering equivalent circuit models (ECM), electrochemical models, and data-driven models. The selection of the models and techniques are based on the available resources and it aligns with the aim of providing robust solutions for accurate battery modelling. In this context, two different ECMs have been developed. One is primarily based on a dynamic load profile, enabling online monitoring, while the other relies on Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

The growing knowledge and awareness of the environmental condition have driven to governments to implement restrictions on energy use, levels of efficiency and resources use, aiming for higher sustainability targets. Transportation an energy sectors have found on CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers) technology a solution to achieve the highest levels of mechanical performance under low weights and is therefore a key enabling technology that makes possible the electric and hydrogen vehicles, the wind energy production and reduced levels of air transport emissions among others. This Master Thesis comprehends the study of the CFRP technological from a technical and market perspective pursuing the holistic comprehension of the system. This analysis will employ bibliographic references, quantitative and qualitative analysis and graphical visualizations to decompose complexity and to compile key data for the reader. For market forecasting time series forecasting techniques will be employed. At technical level the study covers the definition of the CFRP systems and subsystems/components, their characterization, production, manufacturing, the state of the art on the design methodology, recyclability and life-cycle assessment. This study will also detail current applications of the CFRP technology on multiple products. The market study involves the analysis of the European political context and regulations affecting CFRP adoption, the stakeholders of the system, the cost analysis of the CFRP, market quantification and the future market forecasting. The study produced has compiled relevant information from multiple sources in a summarized, relational and organized way, it has also produced useful datasets of CFRP technology and market; qualitative and quantitative analysis together with data visualization techniques have revealed multiple insights. The lifecycle assessment has quantified the environmental effects of CFRP production. A forecast of CFRP sells, prices and mar

El cemento Portland ha ofrecido a la industria de la construcción diversos beneficios gracias a sus numerosas bondades y versatilidad, lo que lo mantiene como la elección predominante para la selección de materiales en proyectos de infraestructura. Actualmente, se pueden encontrar una gran cantidad de estudios, investigaciones, usos y soluciones que hacen que sea difícil introducir materiales conglomerantes que puedan usarse para similares prestaciones. Así mismo, como se menciona en diversas investigaciones sobre el cemento Portland, su fabricación contribuye en gran medida a las altas emisiones de CO2 generadas en la producción de hormigón convencional (OPC), alrededor de un 5%. (Miller et al., 2018), del mismo modo por cada tonelada de cemento producido, se emiten entre 0.62 y 0.97 toneladas de CO2. (Eurostat EEA .2017). En este contexto, la industria del hormigón, requiere buscar soluciones con visión en la sostenibilidad y el impacto ambiental de sus operaciones. Además de los factores tradicionales como la resistencia y el costo, ahora también se plantean otros factores ambientales, como el costo energético de la producción de los materiales y su impacto en el medio ambiente. Esta tendencia hacia una construcción más sostenible ha llevado a una mayor investigación y desarrollo de materiales de construcción alternativos y más ecológicos, y ha hecho que la selección de materiales sea un proceso más importante que nunca. Uno de estos materiales conglomerantes es la cal, que, utilizada para elaborar hormigón de cal (Limecrete LC), ofrece prestaciones similares al hormigón convencional (OPC). Por lo que el objetivo de esta investigación se desarrolló en el estudio comparativo del uso del hormigón de cal mediante el análisis del ciclo de vida y el hormigón convencional para un obra en ejecución particular. Debido a que no hay producción industrializada del hormigón de cal, se consideró analizar el proceso de fabricación del hormigón de cal (LC) para unos requerimien

This thesis examines the viability of remanufacturing as a means of promoting sustainable and profitable appliance recovery, with a particular focus on washing machines. The study is based on a case study of Ri-Generation, a company located in Piemonte that recovers used appliances and remanufactures them for their sale. The thesis investigates the remanufacturing landscape in Europe and identifies several obstacles to a profitable remanufacturing business, including the the lack of regulation, negative customer perceptions, and high degree of variability in the manufacturing process as well as potential solutions. The potential environmental benefits of remanufacturing are a key focus of this master's thesis: the study specifically identifies remanufacturing as a potential solution to address the issue of material scarcity and reduce CO2 emissions. To quantify the environmental impact of remanufacturing in comparison to traditional manufacturing, a life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis is conducted. The results are used to inform the overall conclusions of the study, which emphasize the potential of remanufacturing as a sustainable approach to appliance recovery. Finally, the thesis analyzes the costs and circumstances that permit the profitability of the business as well as the factors that make Ri-Generation competitive. The results of this thesis provide insights into the challenges and opportunities of remanufacturing and offer recommendations for future research and policy decisions

Són cada vegada més les construccions que es realitzen a través d’un model BIM, en el que interactuen totes les parts implicades en el procés constructiu, i cada vegada més les aplicacions de la tecnologia Blockchain a tot tipus de sectors; és per això que en aquest projecte es presenta un cas d’aplicació de la tecnologia Blockchain a BIM. Aquest projecte es centra més concretament en la sisena dimensió de BIM (manteniment i gestió del cicle de vida), és per això que es presenta un cas d’aplicació en el que s’estudiarà la viabilitat i el potencial de l'ús de contractes intel·ligents automàtics de Ethereum en operacions de manteniment elèctric en edificis. En particular, el document aborda les oportunitats d’instal·lar sistemes sensorials connectats en una xarxa IoT (Internet of Things) de generació automàtica de contractes intel·ligents i actualitzacions automàtiques del model BIM, per a millorar l'eficiència operativa, augmentar la satisfacció del client i reduir els costos operatius per a les empreses proveïdores del manteniment. A través de l'avaluació d'un estudi de cas existent, aquest document presenta un argument per a l'ús de la tecnologia de llibre major distribuït per a resoldre la gestió automatitzada basada en contractes intel·ligents de tals operacions. A més, el document proposa un sistema hardware de detecció de tot tipus d’averies elèctriques en un Smart Building. I un algoritme per a la generació automàtica d’un contracte intel·ligent que s’executa a partir d’aquesta senyal booleana de detecció de falla. L'enfocament proposat ofereix millores respecte als sistemes convencionals de gestió del manteniment que podrien suposar un estalvi de costos i una millora dels processos. Com a resultat, aquest document proporciona una avaluació exhaustiva dels beneficis potencials, consideracions i desafiaments associats amb la utilització de contractes intel·ligents automàtics de Ethereum per a les operacions de manteniment elèctric en edificis. Amb la relació ev

The adoption of the Electric Vehicle requires a switch towards a circular system to reduce their environmental impact. Under this framework, the correct sizing of the batteries and avoiding their underuse are key actions. Based on the analysis of real data, this work proposes a model to synthesize current profiles representative of trips containing urban and highway sections. The model is used to generate cycles for common daily driving distances. Different sized batteries are analysed at their beginning and end of life to evaluate their ability to provide the required range. Based on the results, it is suggested that the ongoing trend of battery capacity increase is not justified. The commonly assumed threshold of 70–80% State of Health has proved to be too conservative in most cases, allowing for an extension of the first life that should be individually defined based on functional aspects., Peer Reviewed, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles, Postprint (published version)

Qualsevol sistema tendeix a degradar-se amb el temps. És un procés llarg i que sol acabar en la fallada del sistema. Habitualment, és molt costós esperar que un sistema falli, això no obstant, pot arribar a ser encara més costós el fet de canviar sovint les peces del sistema quan aquest funciona correctament. De totes maneres, amb les metodologies correctes, es pot arribar a identificar la falla i predir quan aquesta ocorrerà. Minimitzant així els costos de manteniment. En el present treball de fi de grau es presenten dos algorismes diferents de prognosi. En ambdós s’apliquen els mètodes d’anàlisi estructural per estudiar el sistema i es fa ús de les dades de bon funcionament per ajustar els paràmetres dels algorismes. Els dos algorismes donen resultats satisfactoris.El mètode dels RLSQM és més robust i té poc retard. El mètode d’Holt, per altra banda, és més versàtil i precís, però alhora introdueix més retard als càlculs. L’estudi conclou verificant que els dos algorismes són vàlids per a models lineals de degradació, o semblants., Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i Infraestructura

Solar radiation transmissivity in greenhouses is a key property largely determined by covering materials. This study compared tomato crop yields and their environmental performance of a polycarbonate rooftop greenhouse with alternative covering materials displaying higher solar transmissivity and lifetime performance. An integrated approach using experimental data with structural, energy modeling was used to model average lifetime crop productivities. At building functional unit (per m2·year), impacts varied between -29.0% and +24.0% compared to the current polycarbonate. Lifetime transmissivities improved up to 20.5% (4 mm-antireflective glass), leading to +46.6% of tomato yields (19.9 ± 2.2 kg/m2), and up to -33.9% of environmental impacts. Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene 60 µm-film resulted in 19.2 ± 2.3 kg tomatoes/m2 but improved environmental performance up to 41.7%. These results demonstrate the importance of employing integrated and life-cycle approaches to combine multiple trade-offs and dynamics within environmental assessments of greenhouse crops. The results are intended to contribute to improving greenhouse cultivation and sustainability., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is identified by multiple circular economy (CE) policies as a key sector for implementing circularity strategies due to the high volume of waste produced and the large consumption of raw materials. However, CE is not widely applied in the sector because of the lack of solid estimations on its environmental and economic viability. The main aim of this study was to propose a set of methodological steps to identify the optimal circularity alternatives for CDW products based on a multicriteria analysis of their environmental and economic performance. This methodology is applied to evaluate concrete waste. In specific, high-grade applications of concrete waste were analyzed comprising the processing into recycled coarse aggregates (RCA) for their use in structural and non-structural concrete. Multiple scenarios with different RCA replacements (20%, 30% and 100%) and different types of sorting and recycling (on-site and off-site) were evaluated in accordance with the specific site conditions of the region of Catalonia, Spain. The Life Cycle Analysis methodology (LCA) was used to perform the environmental analysis, while a detailed cost analysis was conducted for the economic aspect. The multicriteria method VIKOR was used for the selection of alternatives considering three different criteria. The results of this study showed environmental and economic advantages of CE scenarios based on the use of RCA over conventional concrete, mainly due to the influence of landfilling and transport distances. RCA produced on-site showed a better performance than RCA from fixed plants., This work was supported by the Catalan agency AGAUR trough their research groups support program (2017SGR00227) and by a grant from the Government of Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT)., Peer Reviewed, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Postprint (author's final draft)

In last decades, there has been an interest in using biogenic wastes and by-products as fillers or reinforcements to produce polymer composites. Hence, new composites materials based on a blend of biogenic chicken feathers (CFs) and polypropylene (PP) are proposed in this work and compared, from the environmental point of view, with currently used materials as neat PP and PP reinforced with glass-fibres (PP-GF). A Cradle-to-Grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed in order to compare the environmental impact of these three materials when being used either for automotive or stationary applications. The mechanical properties of each material were taken into account to calculate the equivalent mass of each industrial application and the use phase and end of life (EoL) were included in the LCA study. The results showed that, for automotive applications and for all the materials studied (PP-GF, PP-CFs and PP) the use phase has a great contribution to the environmental impact categories considered, proving that the new developed material based on CFs (PP-CFs) would be appropriate for stationary applications but not for mobile applications as automotive ones. In addition, the EoL scenario considered, i.e. incineration with energy recovery, has proven to provide extra environmental credits, Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Project ref. MAT2015-65392-C2-1-R (MINECO/FEDER), Postprint (published version)

By drawing on a business model lens, this study proposes that the competitive performance of servitization is higher for manufacturing firms selling long-lifespan products since they better develop the key elements required for transitioning towards integrated Business to Business (BtoB) solutions delivery. Additionally, the study argues that the moderation role of product lifespan is stronger in advanced stages of servitization as it reduces replacement and information costs. To test these hypotheses, this study merges a unique survey of Manufacturing Multinational Enterprises (MMNEs) and the Lifespan Database for Vehicles, Equipment and Structures (LiVES). Results show a positive moderating effect of product lifespan in the relationship between servitization and performance. Following this finding, across firms with high-intensity servitization, the firm that sells longest-lifespan products is predicted to capture most value from servitization. Overall, the present study suggests that the implementation of recurrent services during an extended product lifecycle provides an opportunity for BtoB solutions delivery and product usage optimisation. By including product lifespan in the equation, we improve understanding of why servitization is an excellent mechanism for managing long-lasting industrial relationships and explain why servitization boosts performance in some manufacturing industries but has a neutral effect on others., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

Global warming has become a major issue over the last thirty years, with research being carried out to reduce the amount of pollution emitted by developing new ways of producing day-to-day needs. Vehicles, as daily transport needs are not an exception, and they are becoming more and more electric as well as automated and instrumented. Consequently, it emerges a need to develop machine learning models that can detect faults dynamically in every part of a vehicle, especially in batteries, which are the new vehicles’ fuel. As mentioned, the primary requirement is to detect battery issues, with research being conducted to establish methods to achieve them. Further, the focus is to enable early adequate maintenance decisions to maximise asset as well as business value. Nevertheless, literature on this topic is still lacking. To switch it, this research work presents a framework that clarifies which maintenance types exist as well as processes for each one when a battery fault occurs. An Excel-based tool to analyse the costs of every maintenance type is developed and a case study is employed to validate the proposed framework and toolkit. The main steps of the Excel toolkit are to choose the user’s parameters, analyse the costs of the battery fault process and visualise the results in a dashboard after a failure simulation to help in decision-making., Outgoing, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables

Supply chain managers are challenged to respond quickly and efficiently to external and internal changes. A review conducted with regard to how the concept of supply chain response (SCR) is applied in suppliers’ and manufacturing processes, as well as in flexibility, agility, and resilience strategies, confirms that the concept is ambiguous and lacks pillars that guide complete application in any process of the supply chain. The purpose of this research is twofold. The first goal is to identify the attributes, antecedents, and consequences of an SCR. The second is to establish the pillars of a general definition of an SCR that is applicable to all situations in which a supply chain must respond. This study applied Rodgers' evolutionary approach to analyze the concept of SCR. Literature published in English between 1996 – 2020 dealing with SCR was used to apply the phases of Rodgers' evolutionary method. We identified the following four pillars: (1) the stimulus to which the supply chain responds, (2) the adaptation of supply chain activities, (3) the objectives that the supply chain intends to achieve with its response to the stimulus, and (4) the evaluation of the response to the stimulus. Based on these four pillars, we propose a general definition of SCR. This definition contributes to the groundwork for reaching a consensus on the concept of SCR., Postprint (published version)

Este trabajo final de grado se centra en la investigación sobre la estimación de la vida útil de los elementos de edificación por medio de la metodología introducida por la norma ISO 15868-8:2008, denominada Método de los Factores. El trabajo propone una guía estandarizada para la aplicación del Método de los Factores acompañada de herramientas de ayuda que pueden ser útiles a la hora de su aplicación. Es una guía que tiene como propósito simplificar, integrar e interconectar los pasos del método, de forma que el usuario sea capaz de seguir con el proceso de manera rápida, eficiente y utilizar el método de manera apropiada. La propuesta de guía estandarizada ha sido creada desde un punto de vista lo más neutro posible intentando dar unas respuestas en las problemáticas que acompañan el proceso de aplicación del Método de los Factores. Para comprobar si los objetivos de la guía realmente se han cumplido, dentro de este trabajo final de grado se ha realizado un caso ilustrativo donde se han aplicado las pautas propuestas por la guía estandarizada. En el caso ilustrativo se trata de realizar una estimación de la vida útil de un sistema del edificio aplicando el Método de los Factores. El sistema elegido para el caso ilustrativo es la fachada principal, desglosada por los elementos que la componen para proceder a calcular la vida útil estimada.

In this research, a framework for performing Anticipatory Life Cycle Analysis (a-LCA) has been developed to identify the sustainable end of life (EoL) management option for crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) panels. a-LCA can be used to stimulate proactive and sustainable decision making for emerging technologies through stakeholder participation. In this research, stakeholders related to EoL management of PV panels participated through a survey to identify and prioritize economic, environmental, and social indicators for PV EoL management. Several EoL strategies like bulk material recycling (centralized and decentralized), high value material recycling, and landfilling were chosen and assessed for the prioritised sustainability indicators. The EoL strategies were then ranked through a multi-criteria decision analysis tool for their level of sustainability. High value material recycling (close to 100% material recovery) was identified as the most sustainable option followed by bulk recycling of PV panels that recover only the major constituents, such as aluminium, glass, and e-waste. Landfilling remained the least preferred option, although it currently has an economic advantage over other recycling options, highlighting the need to shift the user preferences. The developed a-LCA framework is iterative and can be applied by decision makers for different EoL management strategies in the future., This research was supported by the by R2MIT project (ref. CTM2017-85346-R) financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and the Catalan Government (ref. 2017-SGR-312) the Open Innovation - Research Translation and Applied Knowledge Exchange in Practice through University-In- dustry Cooperation (OpenInnoTrain), Grant agreement number (GAN): 823971, H2020-MSCA-RISE-2018-823971. The authors would also like to thank the various stakeholders who had partic- ipated in the survey to provide their valuable inputs. Special thanks Fig. 8. Sensitivity Analysis based on changes in Economic, Environmental, and Social impact criteria (Red vertical line indicating the overall weightage of the selected criteria). K. Ganesan and C. Valderrama Energy 245 (2022) 123207 12 to Sofies Sustainability Leaders Pvt Ltd and Poseidon Solar Pvt Ltd for supporting this work and for providing insights from their Solar Waste Action Plan project., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

This paper introduces a new methodology for the analysis of the time of recycling to compare different life cycle assessments (LCA). We apply the three variables that define the value creation principles in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s definition of circularity: material, energy and time. Including time in the LCA methodology improves understanding of the system under study, especially for products that have a relatively short usage time compared to their recycling time. We developed a formula that includes the time necessary for obtaining the secondary material needed for "n+1" product. The paper shows that we need to consider the production of additional packaging products, quantity of which depends on the time needed for recycling, to develop comparative LCAs between systems that serve same function. The proposed approach to packaging LCA contributes to the scientific debate over the allocation of credits and burdens between several consecutive life cycles of a material., This study is an outcome of the KAIROS-BIOCIR Project, Grant number KAIROS-BIOCIR Project PID2019-104925RB-C33 (AEO/ FEDER, UE), financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Competitiveness. As one of the authors of this study, Ilija Sazdovski would like to express his gratitude to the UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change at ESCI-UPF for funding his PhD programme in Environmental Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, of which the research presented in this paper forms a part., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

One of the tasks of stock management is determine the safety stock of a product. The aim of the safety stock is to avoid out-of-stock situations when demand increases unexpectedly. In most of manufacturing companies, the safety stock of a material is established by supply planners and they usually do not have a clear method to do it, they simply decide it from previous experience. Thus, the objective of this project is to perform a neural network capable of substituting this task developed by a human brain. To do so, an international manufacturing company provided real data to test the results. The research is divided into two parts. In the first trial a linear regression model is fitted to find the significant variables of the data given, and then a neural network is implemented with only the relevant inputs. Secondly, several supply planners are interviewed in order to adopt the variables they use to decide the safety stock as inputs of the neural network, in addition, the dataset is separated into three groups of products according to their similarity, and one neural network is implemented for each group of products. The results obtained in both parts are not good enough, that is, the neural networks built cannot replace the job done by a supply planner. However, it is found that the more similar the products of the dataset are, the easier it is for the neural network to predict their safety stock. In fact, the best neural network performed can accurately determine the safety stock of some materials, even though the total error is too high to consider capable of substituting the decision making of a human brain.

El clorur de polivinil o PVC és el tercer polímer més consumit del món. És un plàstic extremadament versàtil i de fabricació barata que presenta unes propietats difícils d'igualar per altres polímers, i per això avui dia se segueix utilitzant en una gran quantitat d'aplicacions. Tot i això, en els últims anys el PVC ha estat en el punt de mira de la Unió Europea perquè se'l considera un material poc sostenible, i el futur de la seva economia circular i en especial de la seva reciclabilitat presenta reptes importants. L'objectiu d'aquest treball és obtenir una visió cohesiva del cicle de vida del PVC que permeti identificar-ne els reptes tècnics i barreres tecnològiques existents que li dificulten la transició a l'economia circular. Un cop identificats els principals problemes, es mirarà de proposar possibles solucions a aquests i com s'haurien d'implementar per ser efectives. Aquest treball estudia els diferents possibles finals de vida del PVC per valorar el seu impacte ambiental, posant especial èmfasi en reciclatge del PVC, ja que és una de les alternatives més atractives i amb més potencial de millora per assegurar un futur més sostenible per al material. S'estudia també el funcionament de diferents tecnologies innovadores de reciclatge, comparant-les amb mètodes tradicionals per avaluar quins avantatges i inconvenients presenten, així com valorar el seu potencial futur. L'estudi també avalua l'impacte ambiental del PVC verge i el PVC reciclat mitjançant estudis LCA ("Life-Cycle Assessment"), identificant els processos més contaminants per tal de mirar de proposar millores específiques que apuntin directament als punts més conflictius. Tanmateix, s'estudien les propietats del PVC reciclat, comparant-les amb les del PVC verge i identificant les majors mancances i problemes del material reciclat. Posteriorment es proposen mètodes per implementar solucions que permetin superar els obstacles identificats, i d'aquesta manera impulsar el consum del PVC reciclat.

From a construction point of view, neighborhoods with residents living at or below the poverty threshold are characterized by low energy efficiency buildings, in which people live in acoustic discomfort with no viable options for home improvements, as they usually can not afford the materials and labor costs associated. An alternative to this is to use low-cost insulating elements made of non-conventional materials with acceptable acoustic properties. Given that household materials at their end-of-life (EoLHM) are free of costs and available also to the more disadvantaged population, they can be used to build acoustic panels for such contexts. This approach embraces several benefits since it reduces the amount of waste produced, the footprint deriving from the extraction of new raw materials and, by highlighting the potential of the EoLHM, discourages the abandonment of waste. In this paper, the acoustic properties of EoLHM, such as cardboard, egg-cartons, clothes, metal elements and combinations of them, are investigated by means of the impedance tube technique. The measured sound absorption coefficient and transmission loss have shown that EoLHM can be used for the realization of acoustic panels. However, since none of the analyzed materials shows absorbing and insulating properties at the same time, EoLHM must be wisely selected. This innovative approach supports the circular economy and the improvement for the living condition of low-income households., Peer Reviewed, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::1 - Fi de la Pobresa, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::1 - Fi de la Pobresa::1.5 - Per a 2030, fomentar la resiliència de les persones pobres i aquelles que es troben en situacions vulnerables, i reduir-ne l’exposició i vulnerabilitat als fenòmens extrems relacionats amb el clima, així com altres crisis i des­astres econòmics, socials i ambientals, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles::11.1 - Per a 2030, assegurar l’accés de totes les persones a habitatges i a serveis bàsics adequats, segurs i assequibles, i millorar els barris marginal, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::12 - Producció i Consum Responsables::12.5 - Per a 2030, disminuir de manera substancial la generació de residus mitjançant polítiques de prevenció, reducció, reciclatge i reutilització, Postprint (published version)

The need for housing in Mexico has made the construction sector a relevant activity, constantly producing real estate developments and, therefore, generating a large number of demolitions. The volume of construction and demolition waste (CDW ) in Mexico grows every year, leading to serious impacts on the environment and the health of its inhabitants.Despite the government having recycling plans and a recycling plant to give its waste a second life, it is not enough. Considering that the plant is located in Mexico City, the rest of the country has landfills as its only option. Even so, there is a large number of landfills in the city but, onlytaking in a small portion of the waste generated day to day by the construction sector.The research was carried out in Mexico City, with the aim of obtaining alternatives for the recovery of waste, more specifically, of red brick, one of the most commonly used materialsfor housing development. It began with bibliographic documentation of the current situation concerning housing, urban growth, and the city’s brick-waste management, to understand the problem of CDW and its effects.The waysin which countries (where the reuse of material is key) increase their recovery percentage were collected. How this recovered brick is then introduced back into the market was also studied. Taking into account each method to give a second life to the bricks, an analysis to figure out the best way to apply some of the methods in Mexico City was carried out.Once the appropriate project was chosen, a general cost analysis was developed; it was concluded that introducing recovered brick into the Mexican market is feasible thus providing another viable alternative to promote the reuse of the materials and minimize the impacts derived from brick production. Through this method, Mexico could become an example for the rest of Latin America by promoting a vital activity for the management of waste., La necesidad de vivienda en México, ha provocado que el sector de la construcción sea una actividad relevante, produciendo constantes desarrollos inmobiliarios y por lo tanto generando gran número de demoliciones. De esta manera el volumen de los residuos deconstrucción y demolición(RCD)crececada año, teniendo graves impactos en el medioambiente como en la salud de sus habitantes.El Gobierno, a pesar de tener planes de reciclaje con una planta recicladora para dar una segunda vida a sus residuos, no es suficiente. Considerando que la planta se encuentra en la Ciudad de México, el resto del país tiene como única opción los vertederos. Aun así, la presencia de vertederos en la ciudad existe en grandes cantidades, teniendo un mínimo aprovechamiento sobrelosresiduos generados día a día por el sector de la construcción. La investigación se realiza enla Ciudad de México, con el objetivo de obtener otra alternativa para la recuperación de residuos, en este caso el tabique rojo o ladrillo, uno de los materiales más utilizado para el desarrollo de vivienda. Se inicia con una documentación bibliográfica acerca de la situación actual de laciudad, respecto a la vivienda, el crecimiento de la manchaurbana, su manejo de residuos yel uso del ladrillo;para la compresión de la problemática sobre los RCD y sus afectaciones. Como otro punto, se recaban las formas de recuperación del material llevadas a cabo en países donde la reutilización es clave para incrementar su porcentaje de recuperación. De igual forma, se estudia la manera en cómo introducenal mercado este ladrillo recuperado. Tomando en cuenta cada métodopara dar una segunda vida a los ladrillos, se realiza un análisis para conocer la mejor manera de aplicar alguno ellos en la Ciudad de México. Una vez eligiendo el proyecto adecuado, se desarrolló un análisis general de costes; se observó que es factible la introducción del ladrillo recuperado al mercado mexicano, dando así otra alternativa viable para promover la reutilizac

eReuse is an initiative and action-research project that since 2015 has iterated over research and activism to understand, develop, apply to communities, evaluate and scale-up the circular economy of digital devices. The work, in partnership with diverse organisations, has contributed to the transition towards a circular economy of digital devices that contributes effectively to sustainable development., This work was partially funded by the Spanish Government under contracts PID2019-106774RB-C21, and PCI2019-111851-2 (LeadingEdge Chist-era), and the Generalitat de Catalunya as Consolidated Research Group 2017-SGR-990, the NGI DLT4EU, NGI Policy in Practice, NGI Atlantic projects, Subtract (Interreg Europe), the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), and the Waste Agency of the Catalan government., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (author's final draft)

Este trabajo de final de grado es un compendio de inquietudes sobre uno de los bloques principales del mundo BIM. A lo largo del tiempo en que he estado trabajando en este mundo, he podido observar, como se les dan todo tipo de usos a los modelos BIM. Des de una simple visualización 3D, hasta la planificación entera de un proyecto, su cuantificación, incluso el mantenimiento del propio edificio construido, todo partiendo del modelo BIM. Pese a estos usos tan diferentes entre ellos, no he tenido contacto con ningún proyecto en que se use el modelo BIM en un ámbito de sostenibilidad. Ni se plantean comparativas sostenibles, ni impactos ambientales del edifico, ni ningún tipo de cálculo de la huella de carbono. Mi intención con este trabajo de final de grado, es investigar la situación actual de los softwares capaces de realizar todo este análisis ambiental y posteriormente, ver cómo podría trasladar este flujo de trabajo partiendo des de un modelo BIM. Una vez realizado este análisis de los softwares, voy a realizar una comparativa observando los puntos en común, con el fin de determinar el denominador común entre ellos, y si puedo trasladar este flujo de trabajo partiendo des de un modelo BIM. Una vez realizado este análisis voy a partir des de un software de modelado, la decisión de qué software, será tomada a partir de todo el análisis anterior. Decidido el software comprobaré como este es capaz de relacionarse en un ambiente de sostenibilidad y como podré obtener los cálculos ambientales que hasta ahora, en los proyectos en los que he tomado parte, no se han tenido en cuenta estos factores, ni a la hora de proyectar, ni a la hora de construir, ni a la hora de mantener el edifico construido. El objetivo final, es obtener un flujo de trabajo partiendo des del modelo BIM, relacionándose con las bases de datos ambientales necesarias para obtener los datos para el cálculo, con el fin de poder tomar decisiones constructivas del proyecto que representen el menor impacto

El nombre de vehicles elèctrics (VE) disponibles en el mercat ha anat augmentant al llarg dels anys, així com la capacitat de la seva bateria, i és probable que segueixin augmentant en un futur amb l’objectiu d’utilitzar transports més sostenibles. Els VE es consideren una solució potencial per la reducció d’emissions en el sector del transport, tant a escala global com local. El fet que els VE no tinguin emissions directes de tubs d’escapament, pot ajudar a millorar la qualitat de l’aire dels entorns urbans, que actualment mostren concentracions de contaminants molt elevades a diferents països del món. El component més crític d’un VE és el sistema d’emmagatzematge d’energia, és a dir, la bateria. La fabricació de bateries sovint representa la major part del consum d’energia i dels impactes ambiental relacionats amb la producció i el funcionament dels VE. Actualment, els VE funcionen amb bateries d’ió de liti (Li-ion) a causa de la seva alta densitat d’energia i major densitat de potència en comparació amb altres tecnologies de bateries. A mesura que la tecnologia de les bateries Li-ion evoluciona, és important entendre quins són els impactes ambiental de produir en massa les bateries per VE. No obstant això, amb 80-150 Wh/kg de densitat d’energia, les bateries de Li-ion no són capaces d’alimentar els VE per a un rang de conducció comparable amb els vehicles convencionals. Durant els darrers anys, han hagut ràpids avenços en la investigació i desenvolupament de tecnologies de bateries amb una densitat energètica més alta i un millor rendiment mediambiental. Entre les diverses tecnologies de bateries en desenvolupament, la bateria de liti-sofre (Li-S) és la tecnologia de bateria més prometedora per als futurs vehicles elèctrics. En comparació amb la bateria de Li-ion, la bateria de Li-S ofereix una densitat d’energia molt més gran ja que el sofre té una capacitat específica de 1672 mAh/g, que correspon a una alta densitat d’energia teòrica de 2600 Wh/kg. A més, el so

Glass fibre is the most widely used material for reinforcing thermoplastic matrices presently and its use continues to grow. A significant disadvantage of glass fibre, however, is its impact on the environment, in particular, due to the fact that glass fibre-reinforced composite materials are difficult to recycle. Polyamide 6 is an engineering plastic frequently used as a matrix for high-mechanical performance composites. Producing polyamide monomer requires the use of a large amount of energy and can also pose harmful environmental impacts. Consequently, glass fibre-reinforced Polyamide 6 composites cannot be considered environmentally friendly. In this work, we assessed the performance of a road cycling pedal body consisting of a composite of natural Polyamide 11 reinforced with lignocellulosic fibres from stone-ground wood, as an alternative to the conventional glass fibre-reinforced Polyamide 6 composite (the most common material used for recreational purposes). We developed a 3D model of a pedal with a geometry based on a combination of two existing commercial choices and used it to perform three finite-element tests in order to assess its strength under highly demanding static and cyclic conditions. A supplementary life cycle analysis of the pedal was also performed to determine the ecological impact. Based on the results of the simulation tests, the pedal is considered to be mechanically viable and has a significantly lower environmental impact than fully synthetic composites, Postprint (published version)