System with ECO-design tool for generating life-cycle assessment for component of passenger vehicle

Abstract

Described are systems that may be used to generate a life-cycle assessment of a component. The system may receive a design for a component for a passenger vehicle. The system may determine an optimized design that may minimize a first environmental impact associated with the design. The system may receive a component source list for the optimized design. The system may determine an optimized component source list that may minimize a second environmental impact associated with the component source list. The system may receive a manufacturing plan for the optimized design. The system may determine an optimized manufacturing plan that may minimize a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component. The system may generate, based on the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, a life-cycle assessment for the component.

Description

SYSTEM WITH ECO-DESIGN TOOL FOR GENERATING LIFE-CYCLEASSESSMENT FOR COMPONENT OF PASSENGER VEHICLEFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The field of the invention relates generally to passenger vehicles, and, more specifically, though not necessarily exclusively, to a computer system that may be used to generate an optimized life-cycle impact for a component of a passenger vehicle using an ecodesign tool.BACKGROUND

[0002] Passenger vehicles may be composed of various, and sometimes many, different parts or components. The parts or components may be independently designed, independently sourced, independently produced, and the like. A life-cycle of a particular product may be assessed to determine an impact of producing the product, using the product, removing the product from use, and the like. Assessing the particular product can be difficult since there are multiple different steps in the life-cycle of the particular product, and, in some cases, the multiple different steps may depend on one another or on previous steps. Additionally, changes in design, sourcing, and the like may cause any previous assessments to be rendered moot and otherwise useless.SUMMARY

[0003] The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patentclaims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the invention and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings and each claim.

[0004] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a system may include one or more processor devices and a non-transitory computer-readable memory that may include instructions that may be executed by the processor device to perform various operations. The system may receive a design for a component for a passenger vehicle. The design may include dimensions and a composition of the component. The system may determine, based on the design, an optimized design that may minimize a first environmental impact associated with the design. The system may receive a component source list for the optimized design. The system may determine, based on the component source list, an optimized component source list that may minimize a second environmental impact associated with the component source list. The system may receive a manufacturing plan for the optimized design using the optimized component source list. The system may determine, based on the manufacturing plan, an optimized manufacturing plan that may minimize a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component. The system may generate, based on the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, a life-cycle assessment for the component.

[0005] In some embodiments, the operation of determining the optimized design may include (i) identifying a set of sub-components for the design, and (ii) determining a fourth environmental impact associated with the set of sub-components by identifying an amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the set of sub-components, an expected pollution associated with the set of sub-components, or an amount of energy associated with producing the set of sub-components.

[0006] In certain embodiments, the operation of determining the optimized design may include (i) comparing the first environmental impact with the fourth environmental impact, and (ii) in response to determining that the first environmental impact is lower than the fourth environmental impact, automatically adjusting the design to the optimized design.

[0007] In various embodiments, the operation of determining the optimized component source list may include identifying a first score associated with a component producer. The first score may indicate a fifth environmental impact associated with acquiring the component source list.

[0008] In some embodiments, the operation of determining the optimized component source list may include: (i) comparing the first score with a set of second scores associated with other component producers, and (ii) identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores. The particular second score may be associated with a particular component producer having the optimized component source list, and the particular second score may be higher than the first score.

[0009] In certain embodiments, the operation of determining the optimized component source list may include automatically adjusting the component source list to the optimized component source list. The optimized component source list may be provided by the particular component producer.

[0010] In various embodiments, the operation of determining the optimized manufacturing plan may include (i) identifying a first score associated with a manufacturing entity for carrying out the manufacturing plan, and (ii) comparing the first score to a set of second scores associated with other manufacturing entities for producing the optimized design using the optimized component source list.

[0011] In some embodiments, the operation of determining the optimized manufacturing plan may include (i) identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores that is higher than the first score and higher than other second scores of the set of second scores, and (ii) identifying a particular manufacturing entity associated with the particular second score.

[0012] In certain embodiments, the operation of determining the optimized manufacturing plan may include automatically adjusting the manufacturing plan to the optimized manufacturing plan using the particular manufacturing entity.

[0013] In various embodiments, a total environmental impact may be minimized for the component using the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan. The total environmental impact may include total greenhouse gas emissions, total expected pollution, and total energy expected to be used.

[0014] In some embodiments, the operation of determining the optimized design may include automatically adjusting one or more dimensions of the component or at least a portion of the composition of the component.

[0015] In certain embodiments, the operation of automatically adjusting the one or more dimensions of the component or at least the portion of the composition of the component may include minimizing an environmental impact of the component by adjusting the one or more dimensions of the component or at least the portion of the composition of the component.

[0016] In various embodiments, (i) the operation of receiving the design for the component may include receiving a computer aided design (CAD) file for the component, and (ii) the operation of determining the optimized design may include automatically generating an updated CAD file that includes a representation of the optimized design.

[0017] In some embodiments, the passenger vehicle may be an aircraft, and the component may be a component for the aircraft.

[0018] In certain embodiments, the life-cycle assessment may be used to generate an environmental component declaration for the component of the aircraft.

[0019] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a method may include receiving, by an eco-design tool of a computer system, a design for a component for a passenger vehicle. The design may include dimensions and a composition of the component. The method may include determining, by the eco-design tool and based on the design, an optimized design that may minimize a first environmental impact associated with the design. The method may include receiving, by the eco-design tool, a component source list for the optimized design. The method may include determining, by the eco-design tool and based on the component source list, an optimized component source list that may minimize a second environmental impact associated with the component source list. The method may include receiving, by the eco-design tool, a manufacturing plan for the optimized design using the optimized component source list. The method may include determining, by the eco-design tool and based on the manufacturing plan, an optimized manufacturing plan that may minimize a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component. The method may include generating, by the eco-design tool and based on the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, a life-cycle assessment for the component.

[0020] In some embodiments, determining the optimized design may include (i) identifying a set of sub-components for the design, (ii) determining a fourth environmental impact associated with the set of sub-components by identifying an amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the set of sub-components, an expected pollution associated with the set of sub-components, or an amount of energy associated with producing the set of sub-components, (iii) comparing the first environmental impact with the fourth environmental impact, and (iv) in response to determining that the first environmental impact is lower than the fourth environmental impact, automatically adjusting the design to the optimized design.

[0021] In certain embodiments, determining the optimized component source list may include identifying a first score associated with a component producer. The first score may indicate a fifth environmental impact associated with acquiring the component source list. Additionally, determining the optimized component source list may include (i) comparing the first score with a set of second scores associated with other component producers and identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores. The particular second score may be associated with a particular component producer having the optimized component source list, and the particular second score may be higher than the first score. Additionally, determining the optimized component source list may include automatically adjusting the component source list to the optimized component source list. The optimized component source list may be provided by the particular component producer.

[0022] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include instructions that may be executed by one or more processor devices for causing the one or more processor devices to perform various operations. The operations may include receiving a design for a component for a passenger vehicle. The design may include dimensions and a composition of the component. Theoperations may include determining, based on the design, an optimized design that may minimize a first environmental impact associated with the design. The operations may include receiving a component source list for the optimized design. The operations may include determining, based on the component source list, an optimized component source list that may minimize a second environmental impact associated with the component source list. The operations may include receiving a manufacturing plan for the optimized design using the optimized component source list. The operations may include determining, based on the manufacturing plan, an optimized manufacturing plan that may minimize a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component. The operations may include generating, based on the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, a life-cycle assessment for the component.

[0023] In various embodiments, (i) the operation of receiving the design for the component may include receiving a computer aided design (CAD) file for the component, and (ii) the operation of determining the optimized design may include automatically generating an updated CAD file that includes a representation of the optimized design.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example of a data flow with respect to an eco-design tool of a computer system, according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example of a computer system that may include the eco-design tool of Figure 1.

[0026] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a process for using the eco-design tool of Figure 1 to perform various operations relating to a life-cycle assessment of a component of a passenger vehicle.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.

[0028] As described herein, the term “environmental impact” may refer to adverse effects to the environment, either locally, regionally, and / or globally. In some embodiments, factors that may contribute to an increase in environmental impact may include higher energy use (e.g., using more energy may involve increased greenhouse gas emissions), may include using dirty or hard-to-produce materials (e.g., using mined aluminum, which may involve complicated or energy-intensive production costs, instead of recycled aluminum may involve increased greenhouse gas emissions or increased pollution), may include using production entities located in low-regulation areas, which may allow excessive greenhouse gas emissions or pollution to be emitted, or production entities with histories of excessive greenhouse gas emissions or pollution, etc. Adjusting the above factors may reduce the environmental impact of producing, using, and / or processing components for passenger vehicles, and doing so may be a goal for one or more entities.

[0029] The described embodiments of the invention provide computer systems with eco-design tools for components of passenger vehicles. While the computer system with ecodesign tools are discussed for use with components for aircraft, they are by no means so limited. Rather, embodiments of the computer systems with eco-design tools may be used for components of passenger vehicles of any type or otherwise as desired.

[0030] According to certain embodiments of the present invention, and as illustrated in Figures 1-3, a computer system 100 comprises an eco-design tool 102. The eco-design tool 102 may be or include a computer model, a computer module, an algorithm, a heuristic, a machine-learning or artificial intelligence model, any other suitable type of software (e.g., stored in non-transitory memory), hardware, or a combination thereof, or any combination of the foregoing. In a particular example, the eco-design tool 102 may be or include a computer- based algorithm that may be configured to receive input, such as from a user of the computer system 100 or any other suitable entity, and to generate various output that may be used with respect to a passenger vehicle or any component thereof. The computer system 100 may include any additional or alternative tools, models, components, or the like for providing functionality to the computer system 100. The eco-design tool 102 may be configured to perform various operations relating to a particular component of the passenger vehicle. The passenger vehicle may be or include an aircraft, and the particular component may be a particular part or product used on or used to form the aircraft.

[0031] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an example of a data flow with respect to an eco-design tool 102 of a computer system 100, according to certain embodiments of the present invention. The computer system 100 may execute the eco-design tool 102 to perform the following operations, which may be or include exemplary operations, though the computer system 100 may execute the eco-design tool 102, or any other suitable computer model or service, to perform any additional or alternative operations. The computer system100 may execute the eco-design tool 102 to receive a design 106 for a component for a passenger vehicle. In some embodiments, the computer system 100 may receive component information 104, which may be or include specifications about a potential component, performance requirements associated with the potential component, and the like. The design 106 may include dimensions and a composition of the component. In some embodiments, the design 106 may be based on the component information 104. Additionally, the computer system 100 may execute the eco-design tool 102 to determine, based on the design 106, an optimized design 107 that may minimize a first environmental impact associated with the design 106.

[0032] The computer system 100 may execute the eco-design tool 102 to receive a component source list 108 for the optimized design 107. The computer system 100 may execute the eco-design tool 102 to determine, based on the component source list 108, an optimized component source list 109 that may minimize a second environmental impact associated with the component source list 108. The computer system 100 may execute the eco-design tool 102 to receive a manufacturing plan 110 for the optimized design 107 using the optimized component source list 109. The computer system 100 may execute the eco- design tool 102 to determine, based on the manufacturing plan 110, an optimized manufacturing plan 111 that may minimize a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component. The computer system 100 may execute the eco-design tool 102 to generate, based on the optimized design 107, the optimized component source list 109, and the optimized manufacturing plan 111, a life-cycle assessment 112 for the component. In some embodiments, the life-cycle assessment 112 may be optimized such that a life-cycle impact, or a total environmental impact, of the component design, of producing the component, of using the component, and / or of post-life processing, such as recycling the component, may be minimized.

[0033] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example of a computer system 100 that may include the eco-design tool 102 of Figure 1. In some embodiments, Figure 2 illustrates a simplified block diagram of the computer system 100 that can be used to perform at least some of the operations described herein. The computer system 100 may implement some or all functions, behaviors, and / or capabilities described herein that may use electronic storage or processing, as well as other functions, behaviors, or capabilities not expressly described. The computer system 100 may include a processing subsystem 202, a storage subsystem 204, a user interface 206, and / or a communication interface 208. The computer system 100 may also include other components, which may not be expressly illustrated. The computer system 100 may also include other components such as a battery, one or more power controllers, and other components operable to provide various enhanced capabilities. In some embodiments, the computer system 100 may be implemented in a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a mobile device, such as a tablet computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, etc., a wearable device, a media device, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, electronic units designed to perform a function or combination of functions described above, and the like.

[0034] The storage subsystem 204 may be implemented using a local storage medium and / or a removable storage medium, such as disk memory, flash memory, such as a secure digital card, a universal serial bus flash drive, etc., or any other non-transitory storage medium, or a combination of media, and may include volatile and / or non-volatile storage media. Examples of local storage may include random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), or battery backed-up RAM. In some embodiments, the storage subsystem 204 may store one or more applications and / or operatingsystem programs that may be executed by the processing subsystem 202, including programs to implement some or all operations described above that may be performed using a computer or a computing device. For example, the storage subsystem 204 may store one or more code modules, such as code module 210, for implementing one or more process operations described herein.

[0035] A firmware and / or software implementation may be implemented with modules such as procedures, functions, and so on. A machine-readable medium tangibly embodying instructions may be used in implementing methodologies described herein. The code modules 210, such as instructions stored in memory, may be implemented within a processor or may be implemented external to the processor. As used herein, the term “memory” may refer to a type of long term, short term, volatile, nonvolatile, or other suitable storage medium and is not to be limited to any particular type of memory or number of memories or type of media upon which memory is stored. Moreover, the term “storage medium” or “storage device” may represent one or more memories for storing data, including read only memory (ROM), RAM, magnetic RAM, core memory, magnetic disk storage mediums, optical storage mediums, flash memory devices and / or other machine-readable mediums for storing information. The term “machine-readable medium” may include portable or fixed storage devices, optical storage devices, wireless channels, and / or various other storage mediums capable of storing one or more instructions and / or data.

[0036] Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, scripting languages, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, and / or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware, scripting language, and / or microcode, program code or code segments to perform tasks may be stored in a machine-readable medium such as a storage medium. A code segment, such as the code modules 210, or machine-executable instruction may represent a procedure, afunction, a subprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a script, a class, or a combination of instructions, data structures, and / or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and / or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, and / or memory contents. Information, arguments, parameters, data, etc., may be passed, forwarded, or transmitted by suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, token passing, network transmission, etc.

[0037] Implementation of the techniques, blocks, steps, and means described herein may be done in various ways. For example, the techniques, blocks, steps, and means may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For a hardware implementation, the processing units may be implemented within one or more ASICs, DSPs, DSPDs, PLDs, FPGAs, processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described above, and / or a combination thereof.

[0038] Each code module of the code modules 210, or any subset thereof, may include sets of instructions or codes embodied on a computer-readable medium that can direct a processor of the computer system 100 to perform corresponding actions. For example, the code modules 210 may include the eco-design tool 102 or any code associated therewith or embodied therein. The instructions may be configured to run in sequential order, in parallel, such as under different processing threads, or in a combination thereof. After loading a code module of the code modules 210 on a general -purpose computer system, the general-purpose computer system may be transformed into a special-purpose computer system.

[0039] Computer programs incorporating various features described herein, such as in one or more of the code modules 210, may be encoded and stored on various computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media encoded with the program code may be packaged with a compatible electronic device, or the program code may be provided separately from electronic devices such as via Internet download or as a separately packaged computer-readable storage medium, etc. The storage subsystem 204 may additionally or alternatively store information useful for establishing network connections using the communication interface 208.

[0040] The user interface 206 may include or interface with one or more input devices, such as a touch pad, a touch screen, a scroll wheel, a click wheel, a dial, a button, a switch, a keypad, a microphone, etc., as well as output devices, such as a video screen, indicator lights, speakers, headphone jacks, virtual-reality display, augmented-reality display, etc., together with supporting electronics such as digital-to-analog or analog-to-digital converters, signal processors, etc. A user may operate input devices of the user interface 206, or of the computer system 100, to invoke the functionality of the computer system 100 and may view and / or hear output from the computer system 100 via output devices of the user interface 206. In some embodiments, the user interface 206 may not be present such as for a process using an ASIC. In other embodiments, the user interface 206 may be or include a digital user interface that may be generated and presented on a display device for a user of the computer system 100 to view and / or with which to interact via an input device such as a computer mouse or a touchscreen. In some embodiments, a user of the computer system 100 may user the user interface 206 to provide input, such as the design 106, the component source list 108, the manufacturing plan 110, and the like, for the eco-design tool 102.

[0041] The processing subsystem 202 may be implemented as one or more processors such as integrated circuits, one or more single-core or multi-core microprocessors, microcontrollers, central processing unit, graphics processing unit, etc. In operation, the processing subsystem 202 may control operation of the computer system 100. In someembodiments, the processing subsystem 202 may execute a variety of programs in response to program code and may maintain multiple concurrently executing programs or processes. At a given time, some or all of a program code to be executed may reside in the processing subsystem 202 and / or in storage media such as the storage subsystem 204. Through programming, the processing subsystem 202 may provide various functionality for the computer system 100. The processing subsystem 202 may additionally or alternatively execute other programs to control other functions of the computer system 100, including programs that may be stored in the storage subsystem 204.

[0042] The communication interface 208 may provide voice and / or data communication capability for the computer system 100. In some embodiments, the communication interface 208 may include radio frequency (RF) transceiver components for accessing wireless data networks (e.g., Wi-Fi network; 3G, 4G / LTE, 5G; etc.), mobile communication technologies, components for short-range wireless communication (e.g., using Bluetooth communication standards, NFC, etc.), other components, or combinations of technologies. In some embodiments, the communication interface 208 may provide wired connectivity, such as universal serial bus, Ethernet, universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter, etc., in addition to, or in lieu of, a wireless interface. The communication interface 208 may be implemented using a combination of hardware, such as driver circuits, antennas, modulators / demodulators, encoder s / decoders, and other analog and / or digital signal processing circuits, etc., and software components. In some embodiments, the communication interface 208 may support multiple communication channels concurrently. In some embodiments, the communication interface 208 may not be used.

[0043] It will be appreciated that the computer system 100 is illustrative and that variations and modifications are possible. The computer system 100 may have various functionality, such as voice communication via cellular telephone networks, etc., notspecifically described and may include components appropriate to such functionality. Further, while the computer system 100 is described with reference to particular blocks, it is to be understood that these blocks are defined for convenience of description and are not intended to imply a particular physical arrangement of component parts. For example, the processing subsystem 202, the storage subsystem 204, the user interface 206, and / or the communication interface 208 may be in one device or distributed among multiple devices. Further, the blocks need not correspond to physically distinct components. Blocks may be configured to perform various operations, for example by programming a processor or providing appropriate control circuitry, and various blocks may or may not be reconfigurable depending on how an initial configuration is obtained. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be realized in a variety of apparatuses including electronic devices implemented using a combination of circuitry and software. Electronic devices described herein may be implemented using the computer system 100.

[0044] Figure 3 is a flowchart of a process 300 for using the eco-design tool 102 of Figure 1 to perform various operations relating to a life-cycle assessment of a component of a passenger vehicle.

[0045] At block 302, the computer system 100 receives a design 106 for the component for the passenger vehicle. In some embodiments, the design 106 may include dimensions and a composition of the component. A user of the computer system 100 may interact, such as via an input device (e.g., a computer mouse, voice recognition, a keyboard, etc.), with the computer system 100 to provide the design 106 to the computer system 100, which may provide the design 106 as input to the eco-design tool 102. In some embodiments, receiving the design 106 may include receiving a computer aided design (CAD) file, an STP file, or other suitable modeling-type file, for the component.

[0046] At block 304, the computer system 100 determines, based on the design 106, an optimized design 107 that may minimize a first environmental impact associated with the design 106. In some embodiments, determining the optimized design 107 may include (i) identifying a set of sub-components for the design 106 and (ii) determining a fourth environmental impact associated with the set of sub-components by identifying an amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the set of sub-components, an expected pollution associated with the set of sub-components, and / or an amount of energy associated with producing the set of sub-components. The set of sub-components may be used to form the component represented by the design 106 and / or the optimized design 107. Additionally or alternatively, determining the optimized design 107 may include (i) comparing the first environmental impact with the fourth environmental impact and (ii) in response to determining that the first environmental impact is lower than the fourth environmental impact, automatically adjusting the design 106 to the optimized design 107. In some embodiments, adjusting the design 106 to the optimized design 107 may involve identifying a particular sub-component of the set of sub -components that may be adjusted to reduce the environmental impact of the component. In a particular example, a material of the particular sub-component may be changed from titanium to a recycled polymer to reduce a weight of the component and / or to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and / or pollution associated with the component. Additionally or alternatively, determining the optimized design 107 may include automatically generating an updated CAD file, an updated STP file, or the like that may include a representation of the optimized design 107.

[0047] In some embodiments, determining the optimized design 107 may include automatically adjusting one or more dimensions of the component or at least a portion of the composition of the component. Additionally or alternatively, automatically adjusting the one or more dimensions of the component or at least the portion of the composition of thecomponent may include minimizing an environmental impact of the component by adjusting the one or more dimensions of the component or at least the portion of the composition of the component.

[0048] At block 306, the computer system 100 receives a component source list 108 for the optimized design 107. A user of the computer system 100 may interact, such as via an input device (e.g., a computer mouse, voice recognition, a keyboard, etc.), with the computer system 100 to provide the component source list 108 to the computer system 100, which may provide the component source list 108 as input to the eco-design tool 102. In some embodiments, the component source list 108 may include a list or other suitable type of indication of where or from whom the set of sub-components of the optimized design 107 is intended to be sourced.

[0049] At block 308, the computer system 100 determines, based on the component source list 108, an optimized component source list 109 that minimizes a second environmental impact associated with the component source list 108. In some embodiments, determining the optimized component source list 109 may include identifying a first score associated with a component producer. The first score may indicate a fifth environmental impact associated with acquiring sub-components indicated by the component source list 108. In some embodiments, determining the optimized component source list 109 may include (i) comparing the first score with a set of second scores associated with other component producers configured to provide the sub-components indicated by the component source list 108 and other suitable sub-components and (ii) identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores. The particular second score may be associated with a particular component producer being configured to provide sub-components indicated by the optimized component source list 109. In some embodiments, the particular second score may be higher than the first score, and the particular second score may be associated with a lower environmentalimpact than an environmental impact associated with the first score. In some embodiments, determining the optimized component source list 109 may include automatically adjusting the component source list 108 to the optimized component source list 109. The optimized component source list 109, or any sub-component indicated thereby, may be provided by the particular component producer.

[0050] At block 310, the computer system 100 receives a manufacturing plan 110 for the optimized design 107 using the optimized component source list 109 or sub-components indicated thereby. A user of the computer system 100 may interact, such as via an input device (e.g., a computer mouse, voice recognition, a keyboard, etc.), with the computer system 100 to provide the manufacturing plan 110 to the computer system 100, which may provide the manufacturing plan 110 as input to the eco-design tool 102. In some embodiments, the manufacturing plan 110 may indicate one or more processes, and entities associated therewith, for forming the component using the optimized design 107 and subcomponents indicated by the optimized component source list 109.

[0051] At block 312, the computer system 100 determines, based on the manufacturing plan 110, an optimized manufacturing plan 111 that may minimize a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component. In some embodiments, the optimized manufacturing plan 111 may include an indication of how the component may be intended to be used with respect to the passenger vehicle, and the indication of how the component may be intended to be used may be indicated by the manufacturing plan 110 and / or the optimized manufacturing plan 111. In some embodiments, determining the optimized manufacturing plan 111 may include (i) identifying a first score associated with a manufacturing entity for carrying out the manufacturing plan 110 and (ii) comparing the first score to a set of second scores associated with other manufacturing entities for producing the optimized design 107 using the optimizedcomponent source list 109. Additionally or alternatively, determining the optimized manufacturing plan 111 may include (i) identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores that is higher than the first score and higher than other second scores of the set of second scores and (ii) identifying a particular manufacturing entity associated with the particular second score. In some embodiments, determining the optimized manufacturing plan 111 may include automatically adjusting the manufacturing plan 110 to the optimized manufacturing plan 111 using the particular manufacturing entity. In some embodiments, a total environmental impact may be minimized for the component using the optimized design 107, the optimized component source list 109, and / or the optimized manufacturing plan 111, and the total environmental impact may include total greenhouse gas emissions, total expected pollution, and total energy expected to be used based on the component using the optimized design 107, the optimized component source list 109, and / or the optimized manufacturing plan 111.

[0052] At block 314, the computer system 100 generates, based on the optimized design 107, the optimized component source list 109, and the optimized manufacturing plan 111, a life-cycle assessment 112 for the component. In some embodiments, the life-cycle assessment 112 may be used for generating an environmental declaration for the component of a passenger vehicle, which may be or include an aircraft. Additionally or alternatively, the life-cycle assessment 112 that is associated with the optimized design 107, the optimized component source list 109, and the optimized manufacturing plan 111 may have an optimized (e.g., minimized) life-cycle impact, or total environment impact, compared to a life-cycle impact, or an environmental impact, of a life-cycle assessment associated with the design 106, the component source list 108, and the manufacturing plan 110. The life-cycle assessment 112 may be generated automatically and with continuous input from the ecodesign tool 102. For example, instead of sequentially formulating a design, a componentsource list, and a manufacturing plan then determining an environmental impact of the design, the component source list, and the manufacturing plan, the eco-design tool 102 provides real-time feedback at each stage of formulating a design, a component source list, and a manufacturing plan for the component. This may streamline the design and production of the component and may minimize delays, inefficiencies, wasted product, and the like.

[0053] In the following, further examples are described to facilitate the understanding of the invention:

[0054] Example 1. A system comprising: one or more processor devices; and a non-transitory computer-readable memory including instructions that are executable by the processor device to perform operations comprising: receiving a design for a component for a passenger vehicle, the design comprising dimensions and a composition of the component; determining, based on the design, an optimized design that minimizes a first environmental impact associated with the design; receiving a component source list for the optimized design; determining, based on the component source list, an optimized component source list that minimizes a second environmental impact associated with the component source list; receiving a manufacturing plan for the optimized design using the optimized component source list; determining, based on the manufacturing plan, an optimized manufacturing plan that minimizes a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component; and generating, based on the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, a life-cycle assessment for the component.

[0055] Example 2. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the operation of determining the optimized design comprises: identifying a set of sub-components for the design; and determining a fourth environmental impact associated with the set of sub-components by identifying an amount of greenhouse gas emissionsassociated with the set of sub-components, an expected pollution associated with the set of sub-components, or an amount of energy associated with producing the set of subcomponents.

[0056] Example s. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the operation of determining the optimized design comprises: comparing the first environmental impact with the fourth environmental impact; and in response to determining that the first environmental impact is lower than the fourth environmental impact, automatically adjusting the design to the optimized design.

[0057] Example 4. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the operation of determining the optimized component source list comprises identifying a first score associated with a component producer, the first score indicating a fifth environmental impact associated with acquiring the component source list.

[0058] Example 5. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the operation of determining the optimized component source list comprises: comparing the first score with a set of second scores associated with other component producers; and identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores, wherein the particular second score is associated with a particular component producer having the optimized component source list, and wherein the particular second score is higher than the first score.

[0059] Example 6. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the operation of determining the optimized component source list comprises automatically adjusting the component source list to the optimized component source list, wherein the optimized component source list is providable by the particular component producer.

[0060] Example 7. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the operation of determining the optimized manufacturing plan comprises: identifying a first score associated with a manufacturing entity for carrying out the manufacturing plan; and comparing the first score to a set of second scores associated with other manufacturing entities for producing the optimized design using the optimized component source list.

[0061] Example 8. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the operation of determining the optimized manufacturing plan comprises: identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores that is higher than the first score and higher than other second scores of the set of second scores; and identifying a particular manufacturing entity associated with the particular second score.

[0062] Example 9. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the operation of determining the optimized manufacturing plan comprises automatically adjusting the manufacturing plan to the optimized manufacturing plan using the particular manufacturing entity.

[0063] Example 10. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein a total environmental impact is minimized for the component using the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, and wherein the total environmental impact comprises total greenhouse gas emissions, total expected pollution, and total energy expected to be used.

[0064] Example 11. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the operation of determining the optimized design comprises automatically adjusting one or more dimensions of the component or at least a portion of the composition of the component.

[0065] Example 12. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the operation of automatically adjusting the one or more dimensions of the component or at least the portion of the composition of the component comprises minimizing an environmental impact of the component by adjusting the one or more dimensions of the component or at least the portion of the composition of the component.

[0066] Example 13. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein: the operation of receiving the design for the component comprises receiving a computer aided design (CAD) file for the component; and the operation of determining the optimized design comprises automatically generating an updated CAD file that includes a representation of the optimized design.

[0067] Example 14. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the passenger vehicle is an aircraft, and wherein the component is a component for the aircraft.

[0068] Example 15. The system of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein the life-cycle assessment is usable for generating an environmental declaration for the component of the aircraft.

[0069] Example 16. A method comprising: receiving, by an eco-design tool of a computer system, a design for a component for a passenger vehicle, the design comprising dimensions and a composition of the component; determining, by the eco-design tool and based on the design, an optimized design that minimizes a first environmental impact associated with the design; receiving, by the eco-design tool, a component source list for the optimized design; determining, by the eco-design tool and based on the component source list, an optimized component source list that minimizes a second environmental impact associated with the component source list; receiving, by the eco-design tool, a manufacturing plan for the optimized design using the optimized component source list; determining, by theeco-design tool and based on the manufacturing plan, an optimized manufacturing plan that minimizes a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component; and generating, by the eco-design tool and based on the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, a life-cycle assessment for the component.

[0070] Example 17. The method of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein determining the optimized design comprises: identifying a set of sub-components for the design; determining a fourth environmental impact associated with the set of subcomponents by identifying an amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the set of sub-components, an expected pollution associated with the set of sub-components, or an amount of energy associated with producing the set of sub-components; comparing the first environmental impact with the fourth environmental impact; and in response to determining that the first environmental impact is lower than the fourth environmental impact, automatically adjusting the design to the optimized design.

[0071] Example 18. The method of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein determining the optimized component source list comprises: identifying a first score associated with a component producer, the first score indicating a fifth environmental impact associated with acquiring the component source list; comparing the first score with a set of second scores associated with other component producers; identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores, wherein the particular second score is associated with a particular component producer having the optimized component source list, and wherein the particular second score is higher than the first score; and automatically adjusting the component source list to the optimized component source list, wherein the optimized component source list is provided by the particular component producer.

[0072] Example 19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable by one or more processor devices for causing the one or more processor devices to perform operations comprising: receiving a design for a component for a passenger vehicle, the design comprising dimensions and a composition of the component; determining, based on the design, an optimized design that minimizes a first environmental impact associated with the design; receiving a component source list for the optimized design; determining, based on the component source list, an optimized component source list that minimizes a second environmental impact associated with the component source list; receiving a manufacturing plan for the optimized design using the optimized component source list; determining, based on the manufacturing plan, an optimized manufacturing plan that minimizes a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component; and generating, based on the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, a life-cycle assessment for the component.

[0073] Example 20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of the preceding or subsequent examples, wherein: the operation of receiving the design for the component comprises receiving a computer aided design (CAD) file for the component; and the operation of determining the optimized design comprises automatically generating an updated CAD file that includes a representation of the optimized design.

[0074] Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and sub-combinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited tothe embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims below.

Claims

CLAIMSThat which is claimed is:

1. A system comprising: one or more processor devices; and a non-transitory computer-readable memory including instructions that are executable by the processor device to perform operations comprising: receiving a design for a component for a passenger vehicle, the design comprising dimensions and a composition of the component; determining, based on the design, an optimized design that minimizes a first environmental impact associated with the design; receiving a component source list for the optimized design; determining, based on the component source list, an optimized component source list that minimizes a second environmental impact associated with the component source list; receiving a manufacturing plan for the optimized design using the optimized component source list; determining, based on the manufacturing plan, an optimized manufacturing plan that minimizes a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component; and generating, based on the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, a life-cycle assessment for the component.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation of determining the optimized design comprises: identifying a set of sub-components for the design; and determining a fourth environmental impact associated with the set of sub-components by identifying an amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the set of subcomponents, an expected pollution associated with the set of sub-components, or an amount of energy associated with producing the set of sub-components.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operation of determining the optimized design comprises: comparing the first environmental impact with the fourth environmental impact; andin response to determining that the first environmental impact is lower than the fourth environmental impact, automatically adjusting the design to the optimized design.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation of determining the optimized component source list comprises identifying a first score associated with a component producer, the first score indicating a fifth environmental impact associated with acquiring the component source list.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the operation of determining the optimized component source list comprises: comparing the first score with a set of second scores associated with other component producers; and identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores, wherein the particular second score is associated with a particular component producer having the optimized component source list, and wherein the particular second score is higher than the first score.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the operation of determining the optimized component source list comprises automatically adjusting the component source list to the optimized component source list, wherein the optimized component source list is providable by the particular component producer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation of determining the optimized manufacturing plan comprises: identifying a first score associated with a manufacturing entity for carrying out the manufacturing plan; and comparing the first score to a set of second scores associated with other manufacturing entities for producing the optimized design using the optimized component source list.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operation of determining the optimized manufacturing plan comprises: identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores that is higher than the first score and higher than other second scores of the set of second scores; andidentifying a particular manufacturing entity associated with the particular second score.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operation of determining the optimized manufacturing plan comprises automatically adjusting the manufacturing plan to the optimized manufacturing plan using the particular manufacturing entity.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a total environmental impact is minimized for the component using the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, and wherein the total environmental impact comprises total greenhouse gas emissions, total expected pollution, and total energy expected to be used.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation of determining the optimized design comprises automatically adjusting one or more dimensions of the component or at least a portion of the composition of the component.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operation of automatically adjusting the one or more dimensions of the component or at least the portion of the composition of the component comprises minimizing an environmental impact of the component by adjusting the one or more dimensions of the component or at least the portion of the composition of the component.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein: the operation of receiving the design for the component comprises receiving a computer aided design (CAD) file for the component; and the operation of determining the optimized design comprises automatically generating an updated CAD file that includes a representation of the optimized design.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the passenger vehicle is an aircraft, and wherein the component is a component for the aircraft.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the life-cycle assessment is usable for generating an environmental declaration for the component of the aircraft.

16. A method comprising: receiving, by an eco-design tool of a computer system, a design for a component for a passenger vehicle, the design comprising dimensions and a composition of the component; determining, by the eco-design tool and based on the design, an optimized design that minimizes a first environmental impact associated with the design; receiving, by the eco-design tool, a component source list for the optimized design; determining, by the eco-design tool and based on the component source list, an optimized component source list that minimizes a second environmental impact associated with the component source list; receiving, by the eco-design tool, a manufacturing plan for the optimized design using the optimized component source list; determining, by the eco-design tool and based on the manufacturing plan, an optimized manufacturing plan that minimizes a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component; and generating, by the eco-design tool and based on the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, a life-cycle assessment for the component.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the optimized design comprises: identifying a set of sub-components for the design; determining a fourth environmental impact associated with the set of sub-components by identifying an amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the set of subcomponents, an expected pollution associated with the set of sub-components, or an amount of energy associated with producing the set of sub-components; comparing the first environmental impact with the fourth environmental impact; and in response to determining that the first environmental impact is lower than the fourth environmental impact, automatically adjusting the design to the optimized design.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the optimized component source list comprises: identifying a first score associated with a component producer, the first score indicating a fifth environmental impact associated with acquiring the component source list;comparing the first score with a set of second scores associated with other component producers; identifying a particular second score of the set of second scores, wherein the particular second score is associated with a particular component producer having the optimized component source list, and wherein the particular second score is higher than the first score; and automatically adjusting the component source list to the optimized component source list, wherein the optimized component source list is provided by the particular component producer.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable by one or more processor devices for causing the one or more processor devices to perform operations comprising: receiving a design for a component for a passenger vehicle, the design comprising dimensions and a composition of the component; determining, based on the design, an optimized design that minimizes a first environmental impact associated with the design; receiving a component source list for the optimized design; determining, based on the component source list, an optimized component source list that minimizes a second environmental impact associated with the component source list; receiving a manufacturing plan for the optimized design using the optimized component source list; determining, based on the manufacturing plan, an optimized manufacturing plan that minimizes a third environmental impact of producing the component and end-of-life processing of the component; and generating, based on the optimized design, the optimized component source list, and the optimized manufacturing plan, a life-cycle assessment for the component.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein: the operation of receiving the design for the component comprises receiving a computer aided design (CAD) file for the component; and the operation of determining the optimized design comprises automatically generating an updated CAD file that includes a representation of the optimized design.

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