Engineering performance and sustainability metrics to drive optimisation of steel in low carbon rail transport networks

交通运输部门未来的可持续性将需要从个人交通转向公共交通。这一努力的关键将是建立在可持续铁路基础设施上的可持续铁路系统。在目前的铁路基础设施中，钢铁约占嵌入碳的43%，但积极的一面是，钢铁是100%可回收的。本项目旨在从工程和技术经济的角度科学地研究钢铁在铁路基础设施中的作用。多年来，无论是在商业还是学术界，工程功能和商业功能之间的联系都非常明显。该项目旨在通过涵盖真实的实验工程视角和铁路基础设施的“真实”商业应用/模型来模糊这些学科之间的界限。从工程角度来看，该项目将利用英国铁路研究创新网络UKRRIN，谢菲尔德大学和英国钢铁公司是该网络的创始成员。英国钢铁公司和谢菲尔德大学都有大量最先进的设备，通过加速生命周期评估和真实的测试来解决钢铁基础设施部件的可持续性问题。这项工作将在谢菲尔德的工程学院和英国钢铁研发部进行。从技术经济的角度来看，该项目将调查：-钢铁铁路部件中碳的“成本函数”，作为影响生产寿命，性能和成本的所有因素的加权组合-与上述相关，探索系统边界定义的敏感性-优化-是否有一些非显而易见的方法来最大化结果？-基础设施的替代商业模式-租赁还是自有？这项工作将在谢菲尔德的管理学院进行，并与英国钢铁公司的商业和营销团队合作。目前，企业的工程和商业职能之间的联系过于广泛。这个项目有可能挑战这些学科的分离，并产生一个全面的毕业生，这是行业渴望。

Future sustainability in the transportation sector will require a shift from personal transport toward public transport. Key in this drive will be a sustainable rail system built on a sustainable rail infrastructure.Within the current rail infrastructure, steel accounts for around 43% of the embedded carbon but, on the positive side, steel is 100% recyclable. This project aims to scientifically investigate the role of steel within the rail infrastructure from both an engineering, and techno-economic perspective.For years the ties between engineering functions and business functions, within both business and academia, have been very distinct. This project aims to blur the lines between these disciplines by encompassing both a real experimental engineering perspective, and a 'true to life' business application/model with respect to rail infrastructure.From an engineering viewpoint, the project will leverage UKRRIN, the UK Rail Research Innovation Network of which University of Sheffield and British Steel are founding members. There is an extensive state-of-the-art equipment set located at both British Steel and University of Sheffield to address sustainability of steel infrastructure components through accelerated life cycle assessments and real testing. This work will be carried out both at Sheffield's Faculty of Engineering and British Steel R&D.From a techno-economic viewpoint, the project will investigate:- A 'cost function' for carbon in steel railway components as a weighted combination of all the factors influencing productive life, performance, and the costs- Linked to the above, exploration of sensitivity to where the system boundary is defined- Optimisation- are there some non-obvious ways to maximise outcomes?-Alternative business models for infrastructure - lease or own?This work will be carried out at Sheffield's Management School, and with British Steel's Commercial and Marketing Teams.The link between the engineering and commercial functions of business is currently too wide. This project has the potential to challenge the separation of these disciplines and produce a well-rounded graduate for which industry is craving.