Strömlinjeformad livscykelanalys av ombordsystem, för smörjning av spårtrafik

Managing friction at the wheel–rail interface is key to sustainable and reliable railway operations. Inadequate friction causes wheel burns and platform overruns while excessive friction leads to wear, noise, particle emissions, and corrugation. Friction at the wheel/rail and gauge/flange interfaces can be controlled using application systems and top-of-rail (TOR) products. This thesis presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the onboard system SKF EasyRail Compact in combination with the TOR product Keltrack ER. The assessment covers energy use and CO₂ emissions from cradle to grave, based on literature review and stakeholder interviews. Two scenarios were assessed, where the second varied power rating to test sensitivity. The results show that the material phase accounts for around 80% of total energy use and emissions for Keltrack ER. For SKF EasyRail Compact, the use phase has the biggest impact. A linear relation between power rating and both energy use and emissions were observed. In comparison with a parallel study on a trackside system, Keltrack ER outperformed its counterpart, TOR-Armor, with 4% lower energy use and 8% lower CO₂ emissions. However, SKF EasyRail Compact was inferior to the trackside system, with over five times the energy use and twice the CO₂ emissions at the same power rating. When considering both system and product, the SKF EasyRail Compact and Keltrack ER combination showed approximately 15% lower CO₂ emissions but about 5% higher energy use than the trackside solution. The preferable solution depends on whether energy use or emissions are prioritized, and whether the system is assessed alone or together with its product. Future work should include field testing under real conditions and more detailed quantification of energy savings and emission reductions for a train with an installed onboard system to support robust LCA outcomes and improve decision-making on TOR system implementation.