Discipline: Technology and Engineering
Subcategory: Environmental Engineering
Christopher Word - Virginia State university
Hypothesis: The goal of this research is to test two different approaches, life cycle assessment (LCA) and unit manufacturing processes (UMP), to analyze the sustainability of different manufacturing processes, life cycle assessment (LCA) and unit manufacturing processes (UMP). This research aims at comparing the LCA and UMP on different manufacturing processes. Further experiments will be conducted to capture the environmental impact information and statistical models will be analyzed.
Using the products of impeller or paper clip as examples, Firstfirst, a paperthe product clip was simulated into the ThinkStep GaBi software for life cycle analysis using realistic weights and measurements. Second, using a built is component of the software, simulations of the environmental impacts would be produced. Further experiments will be conducted to capture the environmental impact information and statistical models will be analyzed. After the results are acquired we would do the same process with unit manufacturing processes and compare.
Results: Aiming for results to reveal a decisive superior strategy between life cycle analysis and unit manufacturing processes. The superior strategy will be decided upon how large of a difference between the results of the two strategies.
Sustainability analysis Tensile testing has proven to be a very valuable asset in determining which materials to use environmental impact in manufacturing processes. The current LCA material being tested is a simplistic materiastudies are nontransparent to the processesl. The newly proposed ASTM 3012-16 on UMP studies compensate the LCA on characterizing the environmental impact of product. We would hope to conduct simulation analysis and experiment studies on more complex parts such a heart pump and an impeller in future researchto further understand the difference between LCA and UMP.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): This work was supported in part by the HBCU-UP of the National Science Foundation under NSF Cooperative Agreement No. HRD-10362861719504. Any Opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation.
Faculty Advisor: Zhenhua Wu, Zwu@vsu.edu
Role: The testing and analysis of LCA and UMP.