Unit 8.

Eco-selection
and the
Eco-audit tool
Introducing students to life-cycle thinking

Mike Ashby
Department of Engineering
University of Cambridge

© M. F. Ashby, 2011
For reproduction guidance see back page

This lecture unit is part of a set created by Mike Ashby to help introduce students to materials, processes and rational selection.

The Teaching Resources website aims to support teaching of materials-related courses in Design, Engineering and Science.
Resources come in various formats and are aimed primarily at undergraduate education.
www.grantadesign.com/education/resources
 Material production

Concern 1: Resource consumption, dependence

96% of all
material
Usage

20% of
Global
energy
 Carbon to atmosphere

Concern 2: Energy consumption, CO2 emission

20% of all
carbon to
atmosphere
 The product life-cycle

Resources

Life cycle
assessment (LCA)

Combust Landfill
Emissions and waste
 Life cycle assessment (LCA)
Typical LCA output
ISO 14040 series
PAS 2050 Aluminum cans, per 1000 units
•  Bauxite 59 kg

Resource •  Oil fuels 148 MJ

•  Electricity 1572 MJ
consumption
•  Energy in feedstock 512 MJ
•  Water use 1149 kg
•  Emissions: CO2 211 kg
•  Emissions: CO 0.2 kg
Roll up into an
Emissions •  Emissions: NOx 1.1 kg “eco-indicator” ?
inventory •  Emissions: SOx 1.8 kg
•  Particulates 2.47 kg
•  Ozone depletion potential 0.2 X 10-9
Impact •  Global warming potential 1.1 X 10-9
assessment •  Acidification potential 0.8 X 10-9
•  Human toxicity potential 0.3 X 10-9

n Full LCA expensive, and requires great detail and skill – and even
then is subject to uncertainty

n  How can a designer use these data?

 Design guidance vs. product assessment

Market need

Problem statement

Alternative schemes Concept

Layout and
Embodiment Eco – audit
materials
ability

CAD, FE analysis,
Detail
optimization, costing

Product specification

Life cycle
Production assessment
 Eco-audit for design

Need: Fast Eco-audit with sufficient precision to guide decision-making

§  1 resource – energy (oil equivalent) 1 emission – CO2 equivalent

§  Distinguish life-phases

600 16

14
400
12

C02 equiv (kg)

300 10
Energy (MJ)

8
200
6

100 4

2
0
0

-100 -2

This is the life-energy and life-CO2 These are potential benefits

(as prescribed in ISO 14040 and PAS 2050) (could be recovered at end of life)
 Eco-aware design: the strategy (1)

The steps
Analyse Explore
Fast
results, identify options with
eco-audit
priorities “What if..”s

600 600
Initial design What if ..
400 400 Different material?

300 300
Energy (MJ)

Energy (MJ)
200 200

100 100

0 0

-100 -100
 Eco-aware design: the strategy (2)

The steps Look at the first three steps

Analyse Explore Use CES to Recommend
Fast
results, identify options with select new Materials actions & assess
eco-audit
priorities “What if..”s and/or Processes potential savings

600

Use eco-audit to
400
indentify
design objective
300
Energy (MJ)

200

100

-100

Material Manufacture Transport Use End of life

Minimize: Minimize: Minimize: Minimize: Select:
•  material in part •  process energy •  mass •  mass •  non-toxic materials
•  embodied energy •  CO2/kg •  distance •  thermal loss •  recyclable
•  electrical loss materials
•  CO2 / kg •  transport type
 The CES Eco-audit tool

User inputs Data from CES

User interface Eco database
§  Bill of materials §  Embodied energies
§  Manufacturing process §  Process energies
§  Transport needs §  CO2 footprints
§  Duty cycle §  Unit transport energies
§  End of life choice §  Recycling / combustion

Eco audit
model

Outputs
(including
tabular data)
Typical record showing eco-properties
 The simple Audit tool: Levels 1, 2 and 3

Add record
Eco Audit
Synthesizer
Options….

^ 1. Material, manufacture and end of life ?

1 Component 1 Cast iron 30% 2.4 Casting Recycle

1 Component 2 Polypropylene 0% 0.35 Molding Landfill

How Name Choose Set recycle Enter Choose Choose end-of-

many? material from content mass process life path
CES DB tree 0 – 100%
v 2. Transport ?

v 3. Use ? HELP at
each step

v 4. Report ?
 Material and process energy / CO2

Component name Material Process Mass (kg) End of life

Component 1 Aluminum alloys Casting 2.3 Recycle

Component 2 Polypropylene •  Casting

Polymer molding 1.85 •  Reuse
Landfill
•  Forging / rolling
•  Refurbish
•  Extrusion
Component 3 Glass Glass molding
•  Wire drawing 3.7 •  Recycle
Reuse
•  Powder forming •  Combust
•  Vapor methods •  Landfill
Total embodied energy Total process energy Total mass Total end of life energy
Available
processes End of life
CES EduPack options
materials
tree
 Transport

Transport stage Transport type Distance (km)

Stage 1 32 tonne truck 350

Stage 2 Sea freight 12000

Transport energy

Transport CO2

Table of transport types:

MJ / tonne.km
CO2 / tonne.km
 Use phase – static mode

Energy input and output Fossil fuel to electric

Power rating 1.2 kW

Energy conversion path
W Fossil fuel to heat, enclosed system
Usage 365 days per year
kW Fossil fuel to heat, vented system
MW Fossil fuel to electric
Usage 0.5 hours
hpper day Fossil fuel to mechanical
ft.lb/sec Electric to heat
Total energy and CO2 for use
kCal/yr Electric to mechanical (electric motor)
BTU/yr Electric to chemical (lead-acid battery)
Electric to chemical (Lithium-ion battery)
Electric to light (incandescent lamp
Electric to light (LED)
 Bottled water (100 units)

§  1 litre PET bottle with PP cap

§  Blow molded
§  Filled in France, transported 550 km to UK
§  Refrigerated for 2 days, then drunk

Number Name Material Process Mass (kg) End of life

100 Bottles PET Molding 0.04 Recycle

100 Caps Polyprop Molding 0.001 Recycle

100 Water 1.0

Transport
Stage 1 14 tonne truck 550 km

Use - refrigeration
Fossil to electric 0.12 kW 2 days 24 hrs/day
 The output: drink container

400
The audit reveals
300 the most energy
and carbon
Energy (MJ)
200 intensive steps…

100

End of life … and allows rapid

0
Material Manufacture Transport Use “What if…”
-100
100% virgin PET
with recycling
-200

12

10

8
Carbon (kg)

2
End of life
0
Material Manufacture Transport Use
-2
100% virgin PET
PET Glass ?
-4
with recycling
-6
 Change the materials

§  1 litre glass bottle with aluminum cap

§  Glass molded
§  Filled in France, transported 550 km to UK
§  Refrigerated for 2 days, then drunk

Number Name Material Process Mass (kg) End of life

100 Bottles PET
Soda glass Molding
Glass mold 0.04
0.45 Recycle

100 Caps Polyprop

Aluminum Molding
Rolling 0.002
0.0001 Recycle

100 Water 1.0

Transport
Stage 1 14 tonne truck 550 km

Use - refrigeration
Fossil to electric 0.12 kW 2 days 24 hrs/day
 Glass bottle replacing PET

400 Change 800

of scale
300 600

200 400

Energy (MJ)
Energy (MJ)

100 200

End of life End of life

0 0
Material Manufacture Transport Use Material Manufacture Transport Use

-100 -200
100% virgin PET 100% virgin glass
with recycling with recycling
-200 -400

12 60
Change
10 of scale 50

8 40

Carbon (kg)
30
Carbon (kg)

4 20

2 10
End of life End of life
0 0
Material Manufacture Transport Use Material Manufacture Transport Use
-2 -10

-4 100% virgin PET -20 100% virgin glass

with recycling with recycling
-6 -30
 Use recycled PET instead of virgin?

400 400

300 300

200 200

Energy (MJ)
Energy (MJ)

100 100

End of life
0 0
Material Manufacture Transport Use Material Manufacture Transport Use End of life

-100 -100
100% virgin PET 100% recycled PET
with recycling with recycling
-200 -200

12 12

10 10

8 8

Carbon (kg)
6
Carbon (kg)

4 4

2 2
End of life
0 0
Material Manufacture Transport Use Material Manufacture Transport Use End of life
-2 -2

-4 100% virgin PET -4 100% recycled PET

with recycling with recycling
-6 -6
Is it practical to use recycled PET?
 Combust instead of recycle

400 400

300 300

200 200

Energy (MJ)
Energy (MJ)

100 100

End of life End of life

0 0
Material Manufacture Transport Use Material Manufacture Transport Use

-100 -100
100% virgin PET 100% virgin PET
with recycling with combustion
-200 -200

12 12

10 10

8 8

Carbon (kg)
6
Carbon (kg)

4 4

2 2
End of life
0 0
Material Manufacture Transport Use Material Manufacture Transport Use End of life
-2 -2

-4 100% virgin PET -4 100% virgin PET

with recycling with combustion
-6 -6
 Ship by air freight, refrigerate 10 days

400 1000

Change 800
300
of scale
600
200

Energy (MJ)
Energy (MJ)

400
100
200
Disposal
0 Disposal
Material Manufacture Transport Use 0
Material Manufacture Transport Use
-100 -200 100% virgin PET
100% virgin PET
with truck transport with air freight
-200 -400

12 60

10 Change 50

8 of scale 40

Carbon (kg)
30
Carbon (kg)

4 20

2 10
Disposal Disposal
0 0
Material Manufacture Transport Use Material Manufacture Transport Use
-2 -10

-4 100% virgin PET -20 100% virgin PET

with truck transport with air freight
-6 -30
 Teaching with the CES Eco-audit tool

Introductory level teaching Pre-loaded in CES Edu 2011

•  Overview of the life cycle §  Bottled mineral water.prd
•  Shown how Eco Audit Tool works §  Hair dryer.prd
•  Pre-loaded projects §  Electric kettle.prd
Which life phase dominates? §  Portable space heater.prd
What could you do about it? §  Family car.prd
•  Self-made projects §  Wind turbine.prd

Students can explore change of

§  Material
§  Recycle content
§  Transport mode
§  Transport distance
§  Use pattern
§  Electric energy mix
§  End of life
 Jug kettle

Bill of materials and processes

2 kW jug kettle
§  Made SE Asia
§  Air freight to UK
§  Life: 3 years

Transport Use
§  6 minutes per day
§  12,000 km, air freight §  300 days per year
§  250 km 14 tonne truck §  3 years
 Eco audit: the jug kettle

What do we learn?

§  Little gained by change of material for its own sake

§  Much gained by insulation – double wall with foam or vacuum
§  Or make hot water on the fly – only as much as needed
 The enhanced Audit tool: Eco Design

Add record
Eco Audit
Synthesizer Same as the
Options…. simple model
^ 1. Material, manufacture and end of life ?

1 Component 1 Cast iron 30% 2.4 Casting Fine machining 10% Recycle 95%

Joining and finishing

Machining, % recovered
Component 1 Painting 0.55 m2 at end of life
grinding, %
Component 1 Welding 0.7 m removed

v 2. Transport ? Choose joining Set

(adhesives, fastners, parameters
welding)
v 3. Use ? and finishing
(painting, plating,
powder coating)
v 4. Report ?
 So what?

CES has two tools-sets to help explore the materials dimension of

environmental design

Tool 1. Eco-audits allows students to implement quick, approximate

portraits of energy / CO2 character of products.

Tool 2. Selection strategies allows selection to re-design products to meet

eco-criteria, using systematic methods

They allow fast audits and systematic materials selection for redesign
 Reproduction Author
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Professor Mike Ashby
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
License.
University of Cambridge, Granta Design Ltd.
www.grantadesign.com/education
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Accuracy
We try hard to make sure these resources are of a high quality. If you have any suggestions for improvements, please contact us
by email at teachingresources@grantadesign.com

M. F. Ashby, 2011

Granta’s Teaching Resources Website aims to support teaching of materials-related courses in Engineering, Science and Design.
The resources come in various formats and are primarily aimed at undergraduate students.
This resource is one of 23 lecture units created by Professor Mike Ashby.
The website also contains resources donated by faculty at the 800+ universities and colleges worldwide using
Granta’s CES EduPack.
The teaching resource website contains both resources that require the use of CES EduPack and those that don’t.
Some of the resources, like this one, are open access.
www.grantadesign.com/education/resources