US 12,223,513 B2
Method for determining the carbon footprint of a product in production processes of a production plant
Jan Schoeneboom, Ludwigshafen (DE); and Olaf Huber, Ludwigshafen (DE)
Assigned to BASF SE, Ludwigshafen (DE)
Filed by BASF SE, Ludwigshafen (DE)
Filed on Oct. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/493,587.
Claims priority of application No. 20200091 (EP), filed on Oct. 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0107618 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. G06Q 30/018 (2023.01); G05B 19/406 (2006.01); G05B 19/418 (2006.01); G05B 23/02 (2006.01); G06Q 10/0639 (2023.01)
CPC G06Q 30/018 (2013.01) [G05B 19/406 (2013.01); G05B 19/4183 (2013.01); G05B 19/41865 (2013.01); G05B 19/4188 (2013.01); G05B 23/0294 (2013.01); G06Q 10/06393 (2013.01); G05B 2219/32351 (2013.01); G05B 2219/32354 (2013.01); G05B 2219/34351 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for determining a carbon footprint of a product produced in a production process of a production plant, the apparatus including at least one processor for executing processor-executable instructions that, in response to execution, enable the apparatus to perform actions comprising:
(a) gathering, by a consolidation system for consolidating process data, the process data comprising information about process steps from one or more raw material(s) to the product;
(b) based on the gathered process data determining, by the consolidation system, the carbon footprint of the product; and
(c) outputting the carbon footprint of the product obtained in step (b) in a graphical user interface of the consolidation system, wherein the graphical user interface presents for display a visual representation of the one or more raw material(s) and intermediates as a chain of interconnected process steps, wherein a visual characteristic of each visual representation corresponds to an amount of greenhouse gas the respective process step contributes to the carbon footprint of the product, wherein the graphical user interface presents for display a visual representation of the carbon footprint originating from the one or more raw material(s), energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions in an aggregated form, wherein each process step of the interconnected process steps is represented by an arrow displayed in the graphical user interface, wherein each arrow has a width that reflects an amount of greenhouse gases in a respective process step that contribute to the carbon footprint of the product that are generated as a result of each respective process step, wherein further information is displayed when hovering over each arrow to provide information about one or more of the raw material, intermediate, product, or exact value of the greenhouse gas emission of each process step, and wherein the width of each arrow reflecting the amount of greenhouse gases associated with a respective process step is updated based on the gathered process data in the graphical user interface;
an input configured to receive the process data including an interface to an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system; and
an output including the graphical user interface.