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Hi everyone,

I'm new to both OpenLCA and LCA in general, and I'm trying to translate an LCA model that was originally created in GaBi for an EPD to OpenLCA. I haven't modeled the GaBi version myself.

I'm having trouble understanding how to create modules and connect them in OpenLCA. For example, in GaBi, there might be a sequence like: Input -> Transport -> Manufacturing Process.

My questions are:

  1. Do I need to create a separate process for each input of my main manufacturing process?
  2. How do I connect my inputs with their respective transport processes and to the manufacturing process?

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

in openLCA by (190 points)

1 Answer

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by (125k points)
GaBi has this surprisingly loose modeling, where you can connect apples and oranges (one process delivering apples, one process needs oranges, you as LCA modeler can connect both, directly). In openLCA, the process output needs to be identical to the process input (a process that needs oranges cannot be directly linked to a process that delivers apples, it must be oranges). I think this makes sense, but a benefit of the loose modeling in GaBi is that you can easily create chains of processes where a process simply has "transport" as flow, and can be connected to many other processes that have no transport flow.

-> either make a specific "transport of my good xyz" process that transports your product specifically, or do not make a transport chain / sequence but instead have transport service input in the process where the good is transported to (manufacturing in your example) and have the transported good as input there too, the transport service effort must fit to the distance and amount of good transported.

Good luck!
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