A selection methodology of key parts based on the characteristic of carbon emissions for low-carbon design

Abstract

Key parts refer to the problematic parts which have higher carbon emissions and need to be further optimized in low-carbon design. However, it is difficult to pick them out for designers because the quantitative relationship and unified connection between product life cycle stages and carbon emissions are hard to determine. To efficiently and effectively select the key parts of equipment products, this paper presents a selection methodology based on the characteristic of carbon emissions for low-carbon design. First, a low-carbon design framework is constructed to guide the low-carbon design process. Second, an embodied carbon-energy field (ECEF)-based selection method is proposed to help product designers make a decision. The ECEF denotes the carbon emissions distribution on product structures. Based on the temperature field of products, the ECEF can be constructed by integrating the main life cycle stages of products. The definition of ECEF is given initially. Then, the mapping mechanism and process between the temperature field and ECEF are studied. Meanwhile, the mathematical model of the ECEF is also presented to support the mapping process. Thus, the total carbon emissions distribution of every part and every point can be achieved by the ECEF of products and also seen by product designers visually. Therefore, the key parts could be selected easily. Finally, the proposed method is applied to a CNC gantry type honing machine to validate its feasibility and correctness. The result shows the selection method can be used to identify the problematic parts and points effectively and easily.