(144a) Integrated Life Cycle Engineering and Design: A Methodology | AIChE

(144a) Integrated Life Cycle Engineering and Design: A Methodology

Authors 

Ceridon, K. M. - Presenter, Kalepa Tech, LLC


It is not impossible to integrate sustainability into early stages of design. Cradle-to-grave environmental impact analysis methods are rarely used as a metric during product development. In early stages of a project, companies measure feasibility according to money, performance and time metrics. Sustainability is commonly measured at a design cycle's end on finished products when design features cannot be easily modified for sustainability measures. It is ineffective to apply new design metrics to finished products. Evaluating the 'green-ness' of products is typically done to market the 'greenest' product in a line. This does not address the need to create sustainable products at project onset; thus, products remain ?un-green' and ?unsustainable'.

Introduction

Over the past century, the consumer society has generated an ever increasing stream of raw materials being harvested from the earth and materials moving about the planet. Currently, many raw materials used are from non-renewable sources or their rate of consumption is much faster than their rate of regeneration. Only 32.5% of solid waste in the United States enters the recycling stream1 while the rest enters the waste stream in an alarming and ever-increasing rate. The materials and products that are not recycled are discarded into the environment whether it is to a landfill or as trash that ultimately washes into waterways. In either case, they concentrate in the environment as persistent non-biodegradable matter and, for some materials; the concentration level is toxic to many life forms including humans. If the entire population of the planet consumed at the 1995 rate of consumption of an average American, it is estimated that a landmass the size of 3-5 earth's is required.2 At the current rate of material consumption and waste generation is not sustainable. Given the population of the planet is estimated to grow from 6.8 billion today to 9.5 billion in 2050,3 the trend is worsening. Fundamental changes in the ways humans consume and generate must be managed.

The most obvious way to reduce of the consumption of raw materials and the generation of waste to sustainable levels is to substantially reduce or eliminate consumerism as we currently know it. However, historical evidence indicates this is not likely since economic growth is consistently tied to a population's viability. Consumerism is enabled by a steady supply of new products that do not incorporate measures of sustainability. Product development exists at the front end of this consumer cycle. Rather than treating ecology and sustainability as properties outside of product development and outside of an engineer or designer's control, this paper introduces a method of changing the way the engineers and designers should perceive sustainability and ecological impact throughout the design process. Just as it is simply considered good engineering and design to account for mechanical, electrical and cost performance using analytical tools to develop products, this paper also proposes that ecological accounting through the use of analytical tools, such as Life Cycle Assessment, and standard practices that measure environmental impact is an element of good product engineering and design.

To provide background, the concepts of sustainability, life cycle assessment and the product development cycle are introduced and discussed. These concepts are integrated to present a framework for incorporating ecological metrics throughout the design process. This concludes with a discussion on the technical value of integrating ecological impacts for an engineer or designer.

Checkout

This paper has an Extended Abstract file available; you must purchase the conference proceedings to access it.

Checkout

Do you already own this?

Pricing

Individuals

AIChE Pro Members $150.00
AIChE Graduate Student Members Free
AIChE Undergraduate Student Members Free
AIChE Explorer Members $225.00
Non-Members $225.00