Module: Whole Life Cycle Analysis

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

All Module information is indicative, and this portal is an interim interface pending the full upgrade of Coursebuilder and subsequent integration to the new DCU Student Information System (DCU Key).

As such, this is a point in time view of data which will be refreshed periodically. Some fields/data may not yet be available pending the completion of the full Coursebuilder upgrade and integration project. We will post status updates as they become available. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Whole Life Cycle Analysis
Module Code	MM537 (ITS) / MEC1060 (Banner)
Faculty	Engineering & Computing	School	Mechanical & Manufacturing Eng
Module Co-ordinator	Greg McNamara
Module Teachers	Lorna Fitzsimons
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	7.5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

None

Description

Whole Life Cycle Analysis, or sometimes referred in literature to as Whole Life Cycle Cost, is an analysis of the impact, systems, processes, or services have on environmental, economic and social domains from cradle to grave. The aim of this module is to introduce the student to the concept of life cycle thinking, and to equip the student with the appropriate skills and understanding to conduct Whole Life Cycle Costing (WLCC) of engineering systems, processes, and services. Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (E-LCA), economic Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA), and Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) represent the three pillars of WLCC and encapsulate the relevant aspects of environmental, economic, and social impacts of system investment and operation. This module also provides an understanding of the responsibilities of the engineering profession towards people and the environment.

Learning Outcomes

1. Conduct background research and a literature review on a product system
2. Assess the environmental impact of engineering systems, products, and services within the framework of the LCA methodology as per the ISO 14040 series of standards
3. Develop bespoke system models with LCA software for analysis and optimization of a system’s environmental profile
4. Evaluate economic ‘hotspots’ in a system through LCCA and propose recommendations on change actions
5. Interpret qualitative S-LCA data and evaluate the associated location-specific social standards as they relate to a system supply chain and network

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	36	Course Material & Discussion
Independent Study	151	Study and Assignments
Total Workload: 187

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introduction to Whole Life Cycle Analysis
History and development; principles and context; environmental assessment tools; applications; life cycle software and databases; stakeholder and commissioner engagement.

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment
ISO 14000 series of standards; assessment type selection; goal and scope definition; functional unit selection; boundary definition and avoided products; life cycle inventory analysis; classification and characterisation; normalisation; impact assessment; interpretation; sensitivity and scenario analyses.

Economic Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Capital expenditure estimation; construction cost indices; temporal and locational normalisation; operation and maintenance calculations; net present value; discount rates; technical and economic lifetimes; return on investment; sensitivity analysis.

Social Life Cycle Assessment
History and development; human well being; Sustainable comsumption and production; corporate social responisbility; S-LCA framwork.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Practical/skills evaluation	Students are required to complete a set of life cycle assessment software turorials.	5%	Week 12
Assignment	Students are required to conduct background research of a product system and submit a project proposal to conduct whole life cycle analysis.	5%	Week 2
Assignment	Students are required to conduct an environmental life cycle assessment of their selected product system.	35%	Week 7
Assignment	Students are required to conduct an economic life cycle cost analysis of their selected product system.	30%	Week 10
Assignment	Students are required to conduct social life cycle assessment of their selected product system.	15%	Week 12
Loop Quiz	A weekly quiz covering the material of that week.	10%	Every Week

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

Olivier Jolliet,Myriam Saade,Shanna Shaked,Alexandre Jolliet: 2015, Environmental Life Cycle Assessment, CRC Press, 9781439887660
Walter Klöpffer,Birgit Grahl: 2014, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), John Wiley & Sons, 3527655646
José Augusto de Oliveira,Diogo Aparecido Lopes Silva,Fabio Neves Puglieri,Yovana María Barrera Saavedra: 2021, Life Cycle Engineering and Management of Products, Springer, 9783030780432
John V. Farr,Isaac Faber: 0, Engineering Economics of Life Cycle Cost Analysis, 9781032184869
Thane Brown: 2006, Engineering Economics and Economic Design for Process Engineers, CRC Press, 9780849382123

Other Resources

None