US 12,229,785 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. 17/493,706.
Claims priority of application No. 20200091 (EP), filed on Oct. 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0108327 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)] 15 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 an input including an interface to a consolidation system, at least one processor for executing processor-executable instructions that, in response to execution, enable the apparatus to perform actions comprising:
(a) gathering process data comprising information about one or more process step(s) from raw materials to the product;
(b) gathering the carbon footprint of one or more raw material(s);
(c) gathering energy data comprising information about energy consumption for one or more process step(s);
(d) determining the carbon footprint of the product taking into account the process data, the carbon footprint of each raw material and/or the energy data; and
(e) outputting the carbon footprint of the product obtained in step (d); and
an output including a graphical user interface, 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, and 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 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.