Well to wheel analysis

Although in principle stationary and transport-specific energy chains can be analysed, here the assessment of the latter is explained in more detail, and is then referred to as well-to-wheel (WTW) analysis. The primary focus of WTW analysis in Europe is on global environmental impact, i.e., greenhouse-gas emissions expressed as C02-equivalents. Other issues of interest are (a) primary energy demand (which equals resource utilisation), (b) local pollutant emissions and (c) full energy or fuel supply costs. Well-to-wheel analysis covers the entire fuel supply chain from feedstock extraction, feedstock transportation, fuel manufacturing and fuel distribution to fuel use in a vehicle. 

Well-to-wheel analysis needs to be applied for all relevant time steps to understand the evolution of environmental effects and possibly costs in the short to long term. This is of specific importance when innovative processes are considered, as these are characterised by technology development and cost curves with high gradients. 

Well-to-wheel analysis is a specific form of life-cycle analysis (LCA). In contrast to WTW analysis, LCA typically also takes factors other than global GHG emissions of a product or an energy carrier into consideration (such as air pollutants), including provision of all construction materials for the necessary processing plants and, furthermore, plant decommissioning. The full detail of a general LCA analysis is not needed at the level of policy discussion to reach a broad consensus on alternative fuels or drive systems. As a subset of WTW analysis, well-to-tank (WTT) analysis is often used to separate environmental or economic effects of fuel supplies and drive systems. 

Joint Research Centre, EUCAR, CONCAWE (JEC) (2007). Well-to-Wheels Analysis of Future Automotive Fuels and Powertrains in the European Context Well-to-Wheels Report. Version 2c, March 2007. http //ies.jrc.ec.europa.eu/wtw.html. 

Wang, M. (2005). Well-to-Wheels Analysis with the GREET Model. Argonne National Laboratory. Presentation at the 2005 DOE Hydrogen Program Review, May 26, 2005. 

Figure 4.2 Well to Wheel analysis of (a) primary energy consumption for conventional and electric vehicles and (b) CO2 emissions for conventional and electric vehicles.

V.A.2 Well-to-Wheels Analysis of Energy and Emission Impacts of Fuel Cell Vehicle Fuels... 

Figure 1. Stages Covered in GREET Well-to-Wheels Analysis...

Edwards, R., J.G. Griesemann, J.E. Larive and V. Mahieu (2007) Well-to-wheels analysis of future automotive fuels and powertrains in the European context . Version 2c, available at http //ies.jrc.ec.europa.eu/wtw.html (accessed August... 

Fig. 4.12 Efficiency chain of the production synthetic methane from renewable electiieity applied to vehicle. Well-to-Wheel analysis of Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) from renewable...

Huang Z and Xu Z (2006), Well-to-wheels analysis of hydrogen based fuel-cell vehicle pathways in Shanghai, Energy, 31,471-489. 

In the first step, the weU to tank analysis evaluates the energy conversion from its primary source to its storage in the reservoir. The tank to wheel analysis describes the conversion from the reservoir via energy converter and torque converter to the wheel of the transport system. The well to wheel analysis combines both approaches and displays the fuU picture with regard to the relevant parameters, for example, greenhouse gas emissions, efficiency, and others. 

Another well-known type of value-in-use model is the well-to-wheels analysis, in which the energy consumption, environmental impact, and sometimes cost of different transportation options are compared considering all steps from the primary resource to the vehicle. This type of model is commonly used to evaluate hydrogen PEFC vehicles. Argonne National Laboratories GREET model (11) is the most widely used of these models. 

Well-to-Wheel Analysis of Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Advanced Fuel/Vehide Systems - A European Study. L-B-Systemtechnik GmhH, Ottobrunn, September 2002 www.lbst.de/gm-wtw. 

One of the most frequent comments by reviewers of the first edition has been to commend its clarity. To make the many topics encompassed by fuel cell technology clear to newcomers was one of our most important aims. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement, and many changes have been made to make the text and diagrams even clearer. Many new diagrams have been added, and others improved. We have added an entirely new chapter that brings together the issues involved in system design and analysis. This introduces concepts such as well-to-wheel analysis, which is now a vital element of systems studies in transportation appUcations. In this new chapter, practical examples of both stationary and mobile applications completes our analysis of fuel cell systems. 

Figure 18.17 LCA performance in fossil energy use and GHG emissions of different biofuels. From CONCAWE—EUCAR—JRC, 2008. Well-to-wheels Analysis of Future Automotive Fuels and Powertrains in the European Context, Well-to-wheels report. Version 2c. Joint study by CONCAWE, EUCAR and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

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