Utilize OpenLCA for master thesis

Question

Hello everyone,

I have to utilize OpenLCA in combination with the PSICLA database for my master thesis. OpenLCA was downloaded from the official website and PSILCA database was supplied by my college. As I am an absolute beginner when it comes to OpenLCA, I hope that you can help me.

In my master thesis I have to conduct a SLCA for different sourcing strategies for different raw materials using OpenLCA. My system boundaries seem to be simple, Country of Extraction to Country of Refinery/Production.

Following procedure was implemented:

1) Added a new flow called "Local Sourcing Strategy - Aluminum", the flow type set as Product and reference flow property as Mass.

2) Added a new process called "Case 1 - Local Sourcing Strategy - Production Aluminum" with the flow created in 1).

3) Inputs are 6 kg of Bauxite (Elementary flows/Resources/in ground) and 150 USD for Road Freight Transport - AU (Products/Australia/Commodities).

4) Press Create Product System, then Calculate.

5) Default setting for Allocation Method, Social Impacts Weighting Method for Impact Assessment Method and press Finish.

This procedure shows no impact analysis results.

Hopefully somebody can help me.

Answer 1

Hi and welcome, 

It could be that the method does not fit to the database? You can check this by looking at any process, open it and go to direct impacts, select the method and you should see some of the indicators are not 0.

These are the direct impacts of this process; in a life cycle, you will then see contributions of all the connected processes, scaled to their "involvement" in the life cycle, added up.

 Also, you can skip the product system, step 4, as the PSILCA database does not have several processes producing one product, thus connections are clear already from the database, unless your own processes have more than one provider for one product -> if not you can apply direct calculation, this saves time and memory.

You could have a look at the social LCA or also openLCA trainings if you are interested (check the Nexus website).

Good luck! Andreas