How to run a certain amount of material through a process chain ?

Question

Hi everyone,

the product  system presented comprises 7 different  processes  (1-7) of the  econinvent  3.6  database, which were linked by newly created  product  flows:

The product  system represents the demolition and treatment of reinforced concrete.  For example a quantity of crushed concrete of 500m3 will go through the entire product system  (or the 7 different processes) and accordingly all energy and fuel consumption will be adapted to it. How do I do that?

My problem is that in the ecoinvent datasets only takes e.g. the diesel consumption into account, which is necessary for the processing of 1m3 (in the process “excavation, hydraulic digger”) and not for th hole 500m3.

Or does the quantity only need to be adjusted in the product system  under "target amount"? But then I believe that not all expenses of all processes will be adjusted?  

Is my approach  and understanding fundamentally correct?

Thanks in advance for any response.

Best wishes,

Max

Answer 1

Hi Max,

yes indeed, if you want to model the demolition of 500m³, then this is your target amount. Then, you will only need to observe that for every process in the chain, the relation of input and output is correct. If this is the case, all other connected products, and also other flows going in and out of these processes, will be scaled accordingly.

Best wishes,

Andreas

Comments

Thank you for your fast answering.
In this context, I would have a supplementary question:

How can I ensure that the ratio of input and ouput flows is correct?  Does this have to do with the new product flows I created to link the processes?
You remember  the  case:
I linked  process  1 and  process  2  with  product  flow  1. For this step i  added  the  created  product  flow  in  process  1  as  an  input and in  process  2  as  an  output  (as  "new" quantitative  reference). But what is with the "old" quantitative reference of the process 2?
Questions:
1.    Do I need to delete the "old" quantitative reference or leave it as output?
2.    As I understand, my new product  flow  (output  as  my  "new" quantitative  reference) must have the same  amount  and  the same unit like my "old" quantitative reference?

Thanks in  advance  for  any  response.

Best wishes,

Max

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You should model each process separately, and ensure that
a) inputs and outputs that occur "in real life" are there
b) their amounts (and units) are correct and make sense.

E.g., for a process, to create 500m³ of concrete with input of 1kg of gravel and sand does not seem plausible.

You do not need to change the quantitative reference for the processes in your system then (once these two rules are met), only the amount for the product system.

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Okay, so if I have understood this correctly, I only connect my processes via my created product flows (product flow  in  Process  1  as  output and in  Process  2  as  input,etc.), leave the quantitative  reference, which is already set in the ecoinvent processes.
I assume that the ratio of input and ouput flows in the ecoinvent datasets is correct because I use the pre-built ecoinvent datasets unchanged.
In this processes case, only masses of e.g. 1m3 are stored in the processes I have linked. If I want to change the total mass, I change it in the product system under  target  amount?
Is this all correct?

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I think so ;)