Life cycle analyses of a composite towbar realized via filament winding and comparison with traditional metallic alternatives

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional metallic materials due to their exceptional mechanical properties and low weight. However, their production processes are still mainly based on costly manual labour and raw materials (i.e. polymer matrixes and reinforcement fibers) are typically associated with high environmental impacts. Filament Winding represents an automated solution to produce high performance axisymmetric composite components. This process could contribute to the reduction of composite parts cost, thus enhancing their market spread. In this context, this paper presents comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing analyses to quantify the environmental impacts and total costs of a filament wound composite towbar for aircrafts pushback. A preliminary design phase using process and structural simulation software was carried out to provide primary inventory data for the analyses. In addition, comparison with traditional metal parts (i.e. in aluminum or steel) was conducted. The analysis showed that the composite part can provide environmental impacts reduction with respect to the traditional components; as a matter of fact, a total Global Warming Potential of 302 kg CO₂ eq was obtained for the composite towbar whilst 375 kg CO₂ eq were obtained for the traditional aluminum towbar. This is due to the low energy consumption of the filament winding process and the fuel consumption reduction achieved thanks to the lightweight composite material. In addition, strong improvement possibilities are expected for the composite alternative as more sustainable options for carbon fibers production and recycling are developed. Filament Winding has low energy consumption and, therefore, low carbon footprint and costs.