Analysis of internally recurring unit processes in life cycle assessment

In a life cycle assessment (LCA) study, the identification and quantification of the inputs and outputs of unit processes or gate-to-gate modules are essential. In general, however, many chemical industries are composed of very complex systems with internally recurring unit processes where the upstream input to a unit process may include the downstream output from a latter unit process. Therefore, it is rather difficult to identify and quantify the inputs/outputs for those internally recurring unit processes, respectively, for life cycle inventory analysis purposes.In this study, several calculation methods which are applicable to complex systems with internally recurring unit processes are proposed as follows: (1) Determination of the inputs/outputs associated with each unit process by using simultaneous equations. In this proposal, any parameter linked to an upstream process is treated as a ‘variable’ and the set of other parameters is considered to be a ‘constant’. (2) Determination of the inputs/outputs by using appropriate cut-off criteria based on the cumulative total mass contribution. (3) Determination of the inputs/outputs by using appropriate cut-off criteria based on the number of occurrences of an individual recurring set of unit processes.The results from these methodologies are analyzed using a hypothetical example and an actual case from the petrochemical industry. These methods enhance the reliability and consideration of on-site information in recurring unit processes. In particular, the determination of the inputs/outputs associated with each unit process by using simultaneous equations does not add assumptions regarding cut-off criteria selection and provides the advantages of time conservation, consistency and affinity to on-site consideration.     

Agricultural application of life cycle iNdeX (LInX) for effective decision making

Mechanisms for evaluating system sustainability should allow for the consideration of three main parameters: social, economic and environmental. While, there are methods for comparing processes, projects or systems on the basis of environmental impact or cost, few incorporate all three parameters into the decision process. Life cycle index (LInX) is an indexing system that is meant to simplify the decision making process by incorporating a life cycle based approach with components of sustainability and safety. Although LInX was designed for large industrial systems, this paper presents the application on a small anaerobic digestion (AD) unit on a dairy farm in Clymer, New York. An AD unit can be used to generate electricity from the combustion of biogas produced from organic waste. From the analysis, the AD unit performed well on environmental and cost parameters, but not as well on risk and social parameters. However, the AD unit performed similar to natural gas and biomass-based production. One recommendation for the method is that consideration be given to modifying parameters and weightings to suit agriculture and location specific needs.     

Life cycle inventory and energy analysis of cassava-based Fuel ethanol in China

The Chinese government is developing biomass ethanol as one of its automobile fuels for energy security and environmental improvement reasons. The cassava is an alternative feedstock to produce this ethanol fuel. Its performance of environmental impacts and energy efficiency is the critical issue. Life cycle assessment has been used to identify and quantify the environment emissions, energy consumption and energy efficiency of the system throughout the life cycle. This study investigates the entire life cycle from cassava plantation, ethanol conversion, transport, Fuel ethanol blending and distribution to its end-use. Product system of cassava-based ethanol fuel is described and it is divided into six unit processes. The environmental impacts and energy consumption of each unit process are quantified and some of the potential effects are assessed.     

Life cycle inventory for thermal treatment of waste solvent from chemical industry: a multi-input allocation model

Waste solvent incineration is an important issue in life cycle assessments (LCAs) dealing with chemical products and/or processes. Nearly all chemical products and processes involve organic solvents, and incineration is often the favoured solution to waste solvent treatment as it can deal with a large variety of solvent types and quantities. At present, there are no generic models for waste solvent incineration which allow integrating this technology as a unit process in LCA. As waste solvents as a rule are incinerated as a mixture of several solvents, an allocation problem occurs: measurements of the consumption of ancillaries and energy carriers, and of emission of pollutants and generation of co-products, always refer to the mixture of waste solvents. However, in LCAs usually waste specific data is needed. To solve this problem we developed a multi-input allocation model of the incineration process. A comprehensive case study on a waste solvent incineration plant from chemical industry provided the necessary data. The results from the multi-input allocation modelling are consumption and emission factors which facilitate the calculation of solvent specific life cycle inventory results.     

中国生命周期参考数据库的建立方法与基础模型

缺乏完善的本地化LCA(Life Cycle Assessment)数据库是国内广泛开展LCA研究与应用的主要障碍.本文总结提出了建立中国生命周期参考数据库(Chinese Reference Life Cycle Database,CLCD)的基本方法,包括环境影响类型与物质名录的选择、单元过程清单数据的收集与审核、生命周期清单数据的建模与计算、CLCD数据库的建立等4个方面.按照上述方法,以电力、煤炭、燃油、运输等基础性产品为核心,初步建立了可扩展的中国基础工业系统的生命周期模型,收集了单元过程的全国平均清单数据,通过模型计算获得了这些基础性产品的生命周期清单数据,从而得到了CLCD基础数据库,为下一步扩展为更完善的CLCD数据库提供了方法与模型基础.     

The role and implementation of LCA within life cycle management at Alcan

Life cycle management (LCM) aims at expanding the scope of the environmental management system of a company to address the up- and downstream impacts associated with the activities of its suppliers and customers. It is based on a perspective that focuses on products and the corresponding processes in addition to facilities and production sites. Therefore, the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology plays a central role in implementing LCM. At Alcan, one of the world's leading producers of aluminum materials and products, as well as composite components and packaging solutions, LCA as a core element of LCM is being used for a variety of applications. In order to achieve the objectives of LCM and to ensure efficient decision support, the LCAs are performed in a simplified mode. Simplifications predominantly concern up- and downstream processes outside of Alcan's direct control as well as impact assessment procedures, the reuse of internal life cycle inventory analysis modules, and the aggregation and presentation of the results for top-management and other internal decision-makers. A recently completed LCA from the automotive sector demonstrates the ongoing implementation of LCA at Alcan.     

Environmental management and life cycle approaches in the Mexican mining industry

Mexico ranks among the 11 major producer countries of minerals worldwide; its open pit and underground systems are 500 years old. This paper presents an overview of the Mexican mining industry from technological development, historical and economic perspectives. The efforts made by mining companies to address issues of environmental management and sustainable development expressed in national and international frameworks, as well as the Mexican environmental regulatory framework for the mining sector, are analyzed. Since, among others, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been recognized as a key topic to promote sustainable development in the Latin American and Caribbean region, this paper also examines the application of LCA in mining. Two life cycle approaches are presented: a national life cycle inventory for base metals, and an integral life cycle model for the management of mining processes.     

河道护岸工程生命周期碳排放评价探讨

全球变暖已成为人类亟待解决的问题,而解决该问题的关键在于减少全球CO2、CH4和N2O等温室气体的排放。基于生命周期评价方法,将河道护岸工程生命周期全过程划分为材料生产、材料运输、施工建设、维护管理、拆毁处置(或回收)5个单元,进行了河道护岸工程生命周期碳排放来源分析,提出了适合于河道护岸工程的生命周期碳排放评价方法框架。利用此框架,文章对崇明岛典型河道护岸类型——钢筋砼桩板护岸进行了生命周期碳排放计算,得到1功能单位钢筋砼桩板护岸工程的生命周期碳排放为447.05 t。其中,原材料生产单元、材料运输单元和施工单元的碳排放分别为330.33,13.62,103.1 t。目前,崇明岛已有此种护岸工程长度约为2 983 km,得到其总碳排放为133.4万t,占上海2005年碳排放总量的2.30%。     

黄河流域分布式水文模型开发和验证

研究目的是开发和验证大流域分布式水文模型,为黄河流域水资源评价和演化规律分析服务。在综合了分布式水文模型和陆面过程模型各自优点的基础上,开发出模拟对象为“天然-人工”二元水循环系统的WEP-L模型。该模型以“子流域内等高带”为计算单元,并用“马赛克”法考虑计算单元内土地覆被的多样性,避免了采用过粗网格单元产生的模拟失真问题。针对各水循环要素过程时间尺度不同的特点,计算时采用了1h至1d的“变时间步长”,既合理表述了水循环动力学机制又提高了计算效率。将全黄河流域划分为具有空间拓扑关系的8485个子流域和38720个等高带,采用45年(1956～2000年)水文气象系列数据及相应下垫面条件进行了模拟计算,并根据黄河流域主要水文站逐月和逐日径流系列进行了模型校验。验证结果表明,所构建的模型具有较高模拟精度,可应用于黄河流域二元水循环过程模拟和水资源演变规律分析。     

基于生命周期的干电池回收及其循环经济模型

介绍了产品全生命周期和循环经济的概念，提出了产品的资源循环模型。对干电池全生命周期的生命过程及阶段进行了划分，并分析了于电池的材料组成，提出了可应用于实践的干电池回收循环利用模型，计算出3种类型回收材料各自所占比重，为我国干电池回收业提供了决策理论和实践指导。     

河流湖泊碳循环研究进展

围绕河流湖泊的碳循环,明晰了不同水生生态系统中的颗粒有机碳（POC）、颗粒无机碳（PIC）、溶解有机碳（DOC）等各类碳组分的迁移转化过程,进而梳理了影响河流湖泊碳通量的关键因素,归纳了目前可用于水体碳组分测定的仪器和实验室技术.重点探讨了遥感技术在河湖碳循环组分反演和估算方面的应用,系统归纳了近年来利用遥感数据估算POC、DOC、有色溶解有机物（CDOM）以及叶绿素a（Chla）等河湖碳组分的相关研究进展,并进一步对目前国内外已经建立的内陆水域碳循环模型进行了全面的对比分析.研究发现,不同纬度与类型的河流湖泊碳通量和碳循环的影响因素不同,主要由当地水循环过程以及水-气交换过程决定.传统实验室测定是精确测量水体碳组分的技术手段,卫星遥感则可全方位监测河湖水体中CDOM、DOC、POC以及浮游植物等碳组分,实现大区域的水质和碳循环过程监测.河流湖泊碳循环模型可进一步分析碳组分的来源与特征,准确揭示生物地球化学循环过程,但现有模型的适用性和稳健性仍有待进一步提高.     

A methodology for the life cycle and sustainability analysis of manufacturing processes

Life cycle assessment is emerging as a powerful tool in the evaluation of the environmental impact of manufacturing processes. This paper describes a general methodology for the life cycle analysis of manufacturing processes taking into account the flexibility and decision-making potential of knowledge base systems. Emphasis is placed on on-site waste minimisation and associated sustainability characteristics in relation to environmental impact assessment and process improvement. The ensuing software model is applied with some success to an initial study of pulp and paper manufacture.     

Use of LCA to evaluate the environmental benefits of substituting chromic acid anodizing (CAA)

Chromic acid anodizing processes are currently being replaced in many industrial sectors because of the recognized adverse effect on the environment and health of used hexavalent chromium compounds. The environmental impacts of the existing processes must, however, be quantified in order to constitute a baseline against which the environmental performance of potential alternative options could be compared. The whole life cycle of the process should also be taken into account to ensure that the possible chosen solution for eliminating or lowering chromium (VI) emissions would not drastically damage the overall process performance in other environmental areas. In our study, we used a simplified life cycle assessment methodology that only took into account the key environmental issues of the considered industrial sector. Both the scope and the data needs were reduced by focusing only on significant flows and by using a generic database for steps other than the anodizing one. A precise literature review was carried out to evaluate bath atmospheric emissions. The results of the performed assessment confirmed that the only way to efficiently deal with hexavalent chromium compounds is to substitute the electrolyte used in the bath as the most Cr(VI) emissions are caused by other stages than the main one. Other specific issues, such as water and energy consumptions have, nevertheless, to be studied throughout the whole life cycle of the chemical substitute to monitor performance against CAA.     

电子产品野外环境下温循加速载荷谱编制方法

目的 将电子产品在野外环境下日变化波动与季节差异明显的温度载荷编制成温循载荷谱和转换为加速载荷谱。方法 通过四点雨流计数法提取原谱中的载荷循环信息,对提取的循环信息进行分布拟合、相关性检验等统计分析,进而构建循环均值与范围值的联合概率密度函数,再运用概率密度法,编制出8×8二维环境载荷谱。在二维载荷谱基础上,编制出温循载荷谱,使用针对电子部件参数修正的加速方程转化为加速载荷谱。结果 利用野外作业现场1个作业周期内的气温纪录,提供了一套编制温循载荷谱和转换加速载荷谱的合理化流程和解决方案。结论 该制谱方法可以利用原始环境谱中绝大部分有效信息,较好地还原电子部件野外作业阶段经历的温度变化过程,为电子产品的加速寿命试验和使用寿命预测奠定基础。     

以晶体硅太阳能电池产业为例的产业生命周期评价初探

面对日益复杂的环境问题和精细化环境管理需求,为了将生命周期评价在产业结构调整、发展方式转变中更好地发挥作用,对在产业层面开展生命周期评价的方法进行了探索研究.产业生命周期评价是在产品生命周期评价的基础上增加了:①基于“可拆解可组合”生态设计理念的功能单位和系统边界确定;②质量评估和数据整合的数据收集过程;③以不确定性分析来验证数据的合理性.选择晶体硅太阳能电池产业进行了产业生命周期评价的案例应用.结果表明:晶体硅太阳能电池产业可分为4个产品单元和11个工艺单元.基于上述产品单元和工艺单元的资源能源投入和污染物排放数据进行收集,在数据质量评估之后通过数据整合形成了产业生命周期数据清单.产业生命周期环境影响主要集中在呼吸系统影响（41.94%）、化石燃料（25.20%）、致癌（14.89%）和气候变化（8.80%）4个环境影响类别;减少环境影响的精准化途径是减少高纯多晶硅、硅片、电池片产品的电耗,组件产品中焊带消耗,硅片产品中的砂浆消耗和组件产品的铝合金边框消耗.蒙特卡洛分析结果显示,高纯多晶硅生命周期评价结果不确定性较高,与数据质量评估的结果较为一致.案例应用结果说明,产品生命周期评价可将生命周期评价从产品层面提升到产业层面,可为国家产业发展提供科学支撑.      

Reformulation of matrix-based LCI: from product balance to process balance

A recent paper in this journal points out that the ISO standards for LCA ignore the situation of internally recurring unit process in life cycle inventories. The paper also presents a way to solve this problem, using a set of simultaneous equations with one equation for each unit process and one variable for each product. The authors appear to be unaware of existing approaches towards this problem in which a set of simultaneous equations is used, but with a reverse set-up: one equation for each product and one variable for each unit process. This paper reviews the existing literature and contrasts it with the newly proposed method. It is concluded that the presentation of the new method is unclear in certain parts, and that its realm of application is probably restricted to product systems with mono-functional processes.     

Measurement of green productivity and its improvement

The measurement framework of the green productivity (GP) of a product system, or process, and its improvement are discussed. Two types of GP indicators are developed to help understand the practical concept and executive approaches of GP, using environmental management tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and total cost assessment (TCA). GP index is defined as the ratio of productivity of a system to its environmental impacts. This index is intended for estimating the GP performance of an existing product or process and comparing it with other equivalents. Specifically, the GP index is a measure of the GP performance of a product system throughout its entire life cycle. The “overall” GP index can be divided into a “direct” GP index and an “indirect” GP index which are intended to analyze the GP performances of direct production processes and indirect upstream processes, respectively. For internal managerial decision, GP ratio is developed to select one alternative out of a list of contenders in order to improve the GP performance of an existing system. In addition, GP portfolio is drawn up to check the strengths and weaknesses of alternatives. A case study of a petrochemical company in Korea is provided as an example for illustrating the feasibility of the indicators developed here (GP index and GP ratio) for the measurement of GP and its improvement.     

Preventive environmental strategies for product systems

The paper describes a model for environmental quality and resource efficiency parameters to be used in evaluation of options for improvement of product systems in a life cycle and system perspective. Four main preventive strategies for product system improvements are described and discussed in the paper. (1) Reformulating user needs and requirements to the system; (2) improvement of product system performance; (3) substitution of the whole product systems or system components on different levels; (4) optimization within and between system units and components. These main strategies are discussed with respect to the structure of the product system (the domain theory), and with respect to efficiency in general. It is concluded that at present, it is not possible to make any definite rank of priorities between the different strategies, but that this should be evaluated when more systematic studies of cases are available.     

Environmental assessment of laser assisted manufacturing: case studies on laser shock peening and laser assisted turning

Laser assisted manufacturing processes, when compared with traditional manufacturing processes, have the potential to reduce cost, increase surface resistance to wear and fatigue, extend part/tool life, and expand the range of manufacturable materials. These processes have found niche applications in automotive, aerospace, and defense industries. However, very limited research has been conducted to evaluate and compare the environmental performance of laser assisted processes with traditional methods. This paper conducts case studies on two representative laser based processes, i.e. laser shock peening of 7075-T7351 Aluminum and laser assisted turning of compacted graphite iron. Life cycle assessment is used to benchmark the environmental performance of these two processes to conventional processes, i.e. shot peening and turning, respectively. The life cycle inventory of both the laser based processes and conventional processes are developed using SimaPro 7.1 and the Ecoinvent 2.0 database and life cycle impact assessment is performed using US EPA TRACI. The results of this study show that the environmental performance of the two laser based processes is significantly better than conventional processes. For laser shock peening of aluminum, contribution analysis indicates that this is mainly due to the significant extension of fatigue life of the workpiece being treated. For laser assisted turning of compacted graphite iron, the improved performance is mainly due to the extended tool life since cutting tool manufacturing is an energy intensive process. Development of high-power laser with a lower wavelength (e.g. direct diode system) could eliminate the use of paint in laser assisted turning. This, along with improved wall plug efficiency, makes laser assisted turning even more environmentally benign compared to conventional process. A brief cost analysis suggests that both laser shock peening and laser assisted turning can be economically viable with payback period less than three years for niche applications.     

中国电动自行车动力铅酸蓄电池生命周期评价

以近年来中国用量增长最快的电动自行车动力铅酸蓄电池为对象,建立了生命周期环境影响评价模型,分析了从原材料生产、电池生产、电池运输、电池使用和废旧铅酸蓄电池及含铅废物回收处理全生命周期的环境影响.研究采用了大量企业调研数据和中国本土LCA数据库,以期反映整个中国铅酸蓄电池产业链的技术工艺和环境管理水平现状.结果表明,原材料生产和电池使用是资源(含能源)消耗的主要阶段,贡献了电池全生命周期绝大部分的环境影响.原材料生产贡献最多的全生命周期环境影响包括非生物资源耗竭(699%)、富营养化(89%)、光化学烟雾(98%)、臭氧层破坏(117%)、人体毒性(159%)和生态毒性(484%).电池使用过程的电耗间接消耗了83%的一次能源,相应地贡献了最多的气候变暖潜值(86%)和酸化潜值(70%).废旧铅酸蓄电池和含铅废物回收再生铅可抵消很大一部分原材料生产造成的环境影响.延长电池寿命,减少电池生产金属用量及提高废旧电池回收处理过程的工艺技术和污染控制水平也是减少铅酸蓄电池生命周期环境影响的关键.