Ecodesign Methods for Mechatronic Systems: A Literature Review and Classification

Over the years a wide range of ecodesign techniques have been developed to evaluate and to improve the environmental performance of products and production processes. The purpose of this study is to perform a comprehensive literature review of ecodesign methods and tools with the objective of providing an overview of the current state of research and revealing open research topics. The focus of this work is on methods and tools for the ecodesign of mechatronic systems, particularly vehicle powertrains, which are usable in early design phases. The carbon footprint of a product is an important factor for ecodesign. An early assessment of the product carbon footprint is beneficial because at this stage design changes are still possible with little effort. Publications containing case studies are also considered in the literature review. Applying a specific research methodology, eight categories representing fields of consideration are defined and the reviewed publications are assigned to these categories. Categories with a low share of publications and high applicability in the early design phase are revealed as open research topics (e.g. a meta-model for linking of data and tools, the influence of parameter uncertainties on the calculation of the carbon footprint).