Cost-constrained low-carbon product design

Product sustainability is a pressing global issue that requires urgent improvement, and low-carbon design is a crucial approach toward achieving sustainable product development. Digital twin technology, which connects the physical and virtual worlds, has emerged as an effective tool for supporting product design and development. However, obtaining accurate product parameters remains a challenge, and traditional low-carbon product design primarily focuses on design parameters. To address these issues, this paper proposes a method for data collection throughout the product lifecycle, leveraging the Internet of Things. The paper envisions the automatic collection of product lifecycle data to enhance the accuracy of product design. Moreover, traditional low-carbon design often has a limited scope that primarily considers product structure and lifecycle stage for optimization. In contrast, combining digital twin technology with low-carbon design can effectively improve product sustainability. Therefore, this paper proposes a three-layer architecture model of product sustainability digital twin, comprising data layer, mapping layer, and application layer. This model sets the carbon footprint as the iterative optimization goal and facilitates the closed-loop sustainable design of the product. The paper envisions sustainable product design based on digital twins that can address cascading problems and achieve closed-loop sustainable design.

Breastfeeding is one of the foundations of child health, development and survival. Breastmilk substitutes (BMS) are associated with negative influences on breastfeeding practices and subsequent health concerns and, as with all foods, production and consumption of BMS comes with an environmental cost. The carbon footprint (CFP) of production and consumption of BMS was estimated in this study. To illustrate regional differences among the largest producers and consumers, the CFP of BMS production in New Zealand, United States (USA), Brazil and France and the CFP of BMS consumption in United Kingdom (UK), China, Brazil and Vietnam were assessed. The CFP values were then compared with the CFP of breastfeeding arising from production of the additional food needed for breastfeeding mothers to maintain energy balance (approximately 500 kcal per day). The CFP of production was estimated to be 9.2 ± 1.4, 7.0 ± 1.0, 11 ± 2 and 8.4 ± 1.3 kg CO2e per kg BMS in New Zealand, USA, Brazil and France, respectively, with the largest contribution (68–82% of the total) coming from production of raw milk. The CFP of consumption, which included BMS production, emissions from transport, production and in-home sterilisation of bottles, and preparation of BMS, was estimated to be 11 ± 1, 14 ± 2, 14 ± 2 and 11 ± 1 kg CO2e per kg BMS in UK, China, Brazil and Vietnam, respectively. Comparison of breastfeeding with feeding BMS showed a lower CFP from breastfeeding in all countries studied. However, the results were sensitive to the method used to allocate emissions from raw milk production on different dairy processing co-products (i.e. BMS, cream, cheese and lactose). Using alternative allocation methods still resulted in lower CFP from breastfeeding, but only slightly for UK, Brazil and Vietnam. Care is also needed when interpreting findings about products that are functionally different as regards child health and development.

Land, carbon and water footprints in Taiwan

A methodology for calculating the carbon footprint of electricity production has been developed, which meets the requirements of the ISO 14067 standard and the methods of inventorying greenhouse gas emissions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Calculations of the carbon footprint of electricity production using hard coal and natural gas, as well as its components, were performed for all stages of electricity production: during the construction of power plants, fuel extraction and fuel transportation, production and transportation of electricity, and waste management of its production. A comparison of the calculation results with literature data showed a significant excess of the carbon footprint of electricity production, which is produced using hard coal and natural gas at power stations in Ukraine. The reasons for exceeding the carbon footprint of electricity production in Ukraine relative to values in other countries are explained. It was determined that the reasons for such an excess are not only due to different levels of technical condition of power plant equipment, but also depend on calculation methods, in particular, the use of different limits of the life cycle of electricity production. Also (in the case of using natural gas) using different methods of destribution of fuel costs for the production of heat and electricity in the case of combined production of heat and electricity. Expected that the results of the work will be used in the calculations of the products carbon footprint for which uses electricity. Bibl. 18, Tab. 5.

Experience with maintenance and modernization (M/M) of Navy ships has shown that life-cycle maintenance and modernization costs can significantly exceed initial acquisition costs, particularly for submarines and complex surface combatants, as shown in Fig. 1. The purpose of this paper is to draw increased attention to the influence that initial ship design has on the cost of maintenance and modernization of Navy ships, and to emphasize the need for greater consideration of these costs in Navy ship design. This paper presents several examples of actual design-related maintenance and modernization problems, along with possible design solutions, identified through a survey of U.S. naval shipyards. The paper also provides recommendations for increasing consideration of maintenance and modernization costs in Navy ship design through education, through the development of specific communication interfaces between design and maintenance and modernization production functions, and through research.

In modern realities, it is necessary to increase the efficiency of production and use of high-tech products of industrial enterprises. This becomes possible thanks to the implementation of a cost management system for the full life cycle of high-tech products. This system allows for a significant reduction in both financial and material costs at all stages of the life cycle of high-tech products. At the same time, the main attention is paid to the cost of the full life cycle of the sample. The purpose of the publication is to develop conceptual approaches to the construction of cost management systems at the stages of the life cycle of high-tech industrial products to minimize total (total) costs. Based on the analysis of theoretical and methodological approaches in the field of life cycle management of high-tech products, as well as foreign experience in managing the cost of high-tech products at various stages of its life cycle, the authors have developed a conceptual model of a cost management system for the life cycle of high-tech products. The proposed concept will contribute to the reform of the management system of the full life cycle of high-tech products. This will solve problems in the field of providing financial and material resources for all stages of the life cycle of high-tech products, starting with its development and ending with disposal, as well as increase the efficiency of using the life cycle management system of high-tech products of industrial enterprises. The novelty of the presented results lies in the fact that the authors for the first time from the standpoint of systematic and integrated approaches describe conceptual approaches to building a cost management system for the full life cycle of high-tech products, identify the problems of managing the operating costs of high-tech products and show the tools to solve them. This will allow a systematic approach to managing the full costs of all stages of the life cycle of high-tech products in order to minimize them.

Thinking in terms of product life cycles is one of the challenges facing manufacturers today: Efforts to increase efficiency throughout the life cycle do not only mean extended responsibility of the parties concerned. Economically successful business areas can also be explored. Whether new service concepts are required, new regulations have been passed or consumer values are changing, the differences between business areas are disappearing. Life cycle management (LCM) considers the product life cycle as a whole and optimizes the interaction of product design, manufacturing and life cycle activities. The goal of this approach is to protect resources and maximize effectiveness by means of life cycle assessment, product data management, technical support and, last but not least, life cycle costing. This paper shows the existing approaches of LCM and discusses their prospects and further development.

Development of a low-carbon product design system based on embedded GHG emissions

ObjectivesMitigating carbon footprint of products used in resource-intensive areas such as surgical operating rooms will be important in achieving net zero carbon healthcare. The aim of this study was to evaluate the carbon footprint of products used within five common operations, and to identify the biggest contributors (hotspots).DesignA predominantly process-based carbon footprint analysis was conducted for products used in the five highest volume surgical operations performed in the National Health System in England.SettingThe carbon footprint inventory was based on direct observation of 6–10 operations/type, conducted across three sites within one NHS Foundation Trust in England.ParticipantsPatients undergoing primary elective carpal tunnel decompression, inguinal hernia repair, knee arthroplasty, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, tonsillectomy (March 2019 – January 2020).Main outcome measuresWe determined the carbon footprint of the products used in each of the five operations, alongside greatest contributors through analysis of individual products and of underpinning processes.ResultsThe mean average carbon footprint of products used for carpal tunnel decompression was 12.0 kg CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalents); 11.7 kg CO2e for inguinal hernia repair; 85.5 kg CO2e for knee arthroplasty; 20.3 kg CO2e for laparoscopic cholecystectomy; and 7.5 kg CO2e for tonsillectomy. Across the five operations, 23% of product types were responsible for ≥80% of the operation carbon footprint. Products with greatest carbon contribution for each operation type were the single-use hand drape (carpal tunnel decompression), single-use surgical gown (inguinal hernia repair), bone cement mix (knee arthroplasty), single-use clip applier (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) and single-use table drape (tonsillectomy). Mean average contribution from production of single-use items was 54%, decontamination of reusables 20%, waste disposal of single-use items 8%, production of packaging for single-use items 6% and linen laundering 6%.ConclusionsChange in practice and policy should be targeted towards those products making greatest contribution, and should include reducing single-use items and switching to reusables, alongside optimising processes for decontamination and waste disposal, modelled to reduce carbon footprint of these operations by 23%–42%.

This study explores the impact of Design for Disassembly (DfD) design solutions on the life cycle costs of a precast concrete building, comparing these costs with those of conventional design solutions. The computational study consisted of subsets for the construction, maintenance and deconstruction and demolition costs, and the generation of values for the reusable concrete components of the frame at the deconstruction stage. Life cycle costs were assessed for an apartment building with four different scenarios. The deconstruction of a DfD building is proven to be significantly more efficient than that of a conventional building (BAU). However, the DfD solution was found to incur higher life cycle costs than the conventional design and crushing demolition. This is due to additional costs in the early stages of construction. Discounting in the life cycle calculation makes the upfront costs seem higher, so the future benefits of reuse appear to be negligible, from a financial point of view. Hence, the results suggest that DfD solutions should not be significantly more expensive than BAU solutions in terms of construction costs. Whilst it is challenging to demonstrate the economic viability of DfD in the absence of financial incentives, it should be noted that, according to the extant literature, DfD solutions have the potential to achieve a significantly lower climate impact throughout the building's entire life cycle when compared to the BAU alternative.

The world is steadily moving toward greener alternatives of established chemical production processes. Process modeling and simulation play a vital role in conceiving, designing and optimizing these greener processes. In many cases, these simulation tools are limited to a few project design stages, thus limiting their true potential. This thesis presents the benefits of process modeling and simulation at different levels of process development. The work focuses on ammonia production, which sustains global agricultural and mining activities. Ammonia production has traditionally been based on large-scale plants. The thrust toward large-scale production in order to gain economic advantages has overshadowed the benefits that could be derived from small-scale production plants. Additionally, the ammonia industry is a major consumer of global fossil fuels, and in the process of providing ammonia, also burdens the planet with greenhouse gases. In order to ensure sustainable ammonia production, this thesis highlights the techno-economic advantages that result from small-scale ammonia plants based on biomass feedstock. The use of biomass as a potential feedstock can help neutralize the carbon footprint of ammonia production. To establish the feasibility of such a process, this thesis presents the application of process simulations at different modeling levels.<br> <br> A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was used to understand the flow patterns inside a dual fluidized bed gasifier. This elevated the understanding of the hydrodynamics of the gasifier freeboard, which is neglected by the conventional two-phase methodology. The CFD simulation was utilized to perform a Residence Time Distribution (RTD) analysis of the reactor. Four different tracer approaches namely the frozen velocity approach, the snapshot approach, the data sampling approach and the transient approach, were compared. The RTD analysis formed the basis of a steady-state compartment model that was developed in ASPEN Plus simulation software. The ASPEN Plus gasifier model decoupled the pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion sections of the gasifier to affect a better comprehension of the process and the results. The model predicated satisfactory results upon validation. Additionally, the model could also be used to predict the output for different biomass feedstocks.<br> <br> ASPEN Plus is used to simulate the biomass gasification process as well as downstream gas conditioning that leads to ammonia production. Apart from major constituent gases, the model accounted for tar production in the gasifier process as well as for its subsequent removal. Three different configurations of the biomass-to-ammonia process, namely, Autothermal Reforming (ATR), Steam Methane Reforming (SMR), and CO₂ Reforming (CR) have been modeled and compared. The configurations differ on the basis of the reforming of the methane and tars, which are present in the syngas. The output of the ASPEN Plus simulation is fed into an MS Excel-based framework, which performs Life Cycle Costing (LCC) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the simulated flowsheet. Finally, these outputs are utilized by an MS Excel-/VB-based Multi-Objective Optimization (MOO) framework in order to optimize both LCC and LCA for changing process parameters.<br> <br> Three biomass feedstocks, namely, wood, straw pellets, and bagasse, which are available in Australia, India, and Brazil, respectively, have been compared in order to understand the effect of biomass composition, the supply chain, and the national economic and environmental scenario on the viability of the biomass-to-ammonia process. The MOO results that were derived for changing flowsheet configurations as well as for different biomass feedstocks that were grown at different locations worldwide are expected to highlight a more rigorous analysis of the biomass-to-ammonia process. Such an analysis will provide decision makers with consistent and comparable data to objectively judge the viability of the proposed process. This analysis distinguishes this thesis from past studies that focused on ammonia production from biomass, and presented their LCC and LCA results for a single process configuration and for a single feedstock. The results predicted that different biomass feedstocks, process configurations, and geographical regions have their own advantages. The results provide a benchmark for comparison of other biomass-to-ammonia processes on a techno-enviro-economic scale. The methodology can be employed as an example in the development of different sustainable chemical production processes.

Under the background of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with 15 national ministries and commissions, has formulated the Implementation Plan on Establishing a Carbon Footprint Management System, and it is urgent for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) pharmaceutical enterprises to carry out research on carbon footprint accounting methods of related products. Based on the life cycle assessment(LCA) theory, taking mulberry leaf extract produced by a certain enterprise as an example, this study analyzed the carbon footprint of TCM extracts during the life cycle. The results show that for every 1 kg of product produced, the carbon emissions from the stages of raw material acquisition, transportation, and extract production are-20.569, 1.205, and 173.577 kgCO_2eq(CO_2 equivalent), respectively. The carbon footprint of the product is 154.213 kgCO_2eq·kg~(-1). In addition, the carbon emission is the highest in the production stage, in which the consumption of ethanol solvents makes the greatest contribution to the carbon footprint, accounting for 25.71%, more than one-fourth of the total carbon footprint. The second contribution was from the treatment process of TCM residues, accounting for 19.67%, closely followed by wastewater treatment(17.71%), the consumption of hot steam(17.43%), and drinking water(16.90%). The consumption of electric power and packaging materials has a smaller carbon emission of 2.58%. In particular, the carbon emission caused by the consumption of packaging materials is only 0.04%, which is negligible. The results of the study are expected to provide a reference for TCM enterprises to carry out research on the carbon footprint of products, offer ideas for collaborative innovation in reducing pollution and carbon emissions throughout the entire industry chain of TCM, and develop new quality productivity of modern TCM industry based on green and low-carbon manufacturing.

Optimal operation of off-grid integrated hydrogen energy utilization systems: Life-cycle cost reduction considering waste heat recovery

Product life cycle design has gained increasing interest in recent years due to growing concerns about environmental problems. In general, there exist significant uncertainties (e.g., operating conditions, user preference, post-consumer product collection rate, etc.) in the product life cycle, requiring a design method that is robust and tolerant against these uncertainties. To this end, this paper discusses design strategies for products and their life cycle to enhance total performance as a defence measure. Based on the discussion, a robust design method is proposed for maximising environmental and economic performance for the product life cycle. The effectiveness and feasibility of this method are demonstrated through a simple example of laptop computers.

Product carbon footprinting has gained much attention in recent years as many national and international standards have been formulated as well as several carbon labeling schemes. Thailand has also made efforts in this direction over the past several years and is in fact the first country in the southeast Asian region to have developed national guidelines for carbon footprint calculation and labeling. During the process of conducting product carbon footprinting for pilot studies, many issues of concern were raised, some of which may be common to all countries, while others were more specific for tropical countries exporting agricultural products. Experiences are drawn from the study of several national (Publicly Available Specification 2050, Japanese and Thai national guidelines) and international (ISO14067) standards, including the application of some of these to several product carbon footprinting studies. Issues of data collection, grouping of products, co-product allocation, land-use change, product category rules, type of carbon label and consumer understanding have been discussed, with some possible solutions given to address these issues. The cost of carbon footprinting and labeling are also discussed, along with their implications on companies implementing carbon footprinting. Finally, suggestions are made for issues to be discussed at the international level with a view to harmonizing the carbon footprinting methodology, as well as to address the specific concerns of developing countries that have a large volume of agriculture-based exports.