Influence of tribology on global energy consumption, costs and emissions

Abstract

Abstract:Calculations of the impact of friction and wear on energy consumption, economic expenditure, and CO 2 emissions are presented on a global scale. This impact study covers the four main energy consuming sectors: transportation, manufacturing, power generation, and residential. Previously published four case studies on passenger cars, trucks and buses, paper machines and the mining industry were included in our detailed calculations as reference data in our current analyses. The following can be concluded:-In total, ~23% (119 EJ) of the world's total energy consumption originates from tribological contacts. Of that 20% (103 EJ) is used to overcome friction and 3% (16 EJ) is used to remanufacture worn parts and spare equipment due to wear and wear-related failures.-By taking advantage of the new surface, materials, and lubrication technologies for friction reduction and wear protection in vehicles, machinery and other equipment worldwide, energy losses due to friction and wear could potentially be reduced by 40% in the long term (15 years)and by 18% in the short term (8 years). On global scale, these savings would amount to 1.4% of the GDP annually and 8.7% of the total energy consumption in the long term.-The largest short term energy savings are envisioned in transportation (25%) and in the power generation (20%) while the potential savings in the manufacturing and residential sectors are estimated to be ~10%. In the longer terms, the savings would be 55%, 40%, 25%, and 20%, respectively.-Implementing advanced tribological technologies can also reduce the CO 2 emissions globally by as much as 1,460 MtCO 2 and result in 450,000 million Euros cost savings in the short term. In the longer term, the reduction can be 3,140 MtCO 2 and the cost savings 970,000 million Euros.Fifty years ago, wear and wear-related failures were a major concern for UK industry and their mitigation was considered to be the major contributor to potential economic savings by as much as 95% in ten years by the development and deployment of new tribological solutions. The corresponding estimated savings are today still of the same orders but the calculated contribution to cost reduction is about 74% by friction reduction and to 26% from better wear protection. Overall, wear appears to be more critical than friction as it may result in catastrophic failures and operational breakdowns that can adversely impact productivity and hence cost.

Synthesis of Biomass‐Derived Ethers for Use as Fuels and Lubricants

“…Ethers derived from biomass also have the potential to replace petroleum‐derived automotive lubricants . Transportation vehicles consume almost 30 % of energy produced today, and of that approximately one third is lost due to friction and wear . This gives rise to a global demand for lubricants of around 35 million tonnes per year, with automotive lubricants accounting for about 15 % of the total lubricant consumption .…”

“…[16,50,51] Transportation vehicles consume almost3 0% of energy produced today,a nd of that approximately one thirdi sl ost duet of riction and wear. [52,53] This gives rise to ag lobald emand forl ubricants of around35million tonnes per year,with automotive lubricants accounting for about 15 %o ft he total lubricant consumption. [54] The performance of automotive lubricants is judged by an umber of criteria, including the kinematic viscosity (KV) at 40 and 100 8C( KV 40 and KV 100 ,r espectively), the viscosity index (VI), the pour point (PP), the oxidation stability (DSC onset temperature),t he volatility (TGA Noack), and the cold-cranking simulator viscosity (CCS).…”

Solid Lubrication with MoS2: A Review

“…Considering that a few percent of the gross domestic product of a developed nation is wasted on overcoming the negative impacts of friction and wear (in the form of direct loss of useful energy as well as replacement costs associated with machine components damaged by wear) [3], a major goal of tribology research involves the design and application of methods to minimize friction and wear at interfaces in relative motion. Toward this goal, significant effort is spent on (i) understanding the properties and improving the usefulness of existing lubricants and (ii) coming up with new ways of lubricating interfaces in a more effective fashion (e.g.…”

Advances in nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of lubricants and additives

“…In order to reduce energy consumption in engineering systems and thus CO 2 emissions, better lubricants need to be developed [1]. As in many areas of science and engineering, computer simulation has become a powerful tool which could help to accelerate future lubricant design.…”