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GaoEconomicEnvironmentalAssessmentSupplement.pdf

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/articles/qj72p9293

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  • Microchannel heat exchangers provide large surface area to volume ratios and accelerated heat transfer, leading to compact form factors for application in portable and distributed thermal management and waste heat recovery. The application of microchannel heat exchangers in industry has been slowed by high manufacturing costs. Therefore, efforts are being made to find new ways to manufacture these components. This research investigates the application of a process-based cost and environmental impact assessment model to the evaluation of manufacturing alternatives to produce microchannel heat exchangers. A bottom-up process-based cost modeling method is used to estimate the cost of manufacturing a microchannel heat recovery unit (HRU). Cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment is simultaneously applied to evaluate environmental impact. Both sets of calculations extend from a single common set of data consisting of production and device geometry parameters. An analysis is demonstrated for different manufacturing alternatives for producing the HRU. Among the six manufacturing plans evaluated, the combination of laser cutting and diffusion brazing was found to have the lowest cost but the highest environmental impact, while the combination of photochemical machining and laser welding was found to have the lowest environmental impact with a comparatively high cost. Among the cost categories defined, consumables, capital tooling, and utilities were found to be the primary drivers for cost and environmental impact suggesting these as areas to concentrate in future process capability assessments and technology development.
  • Keywords: Decision making, Microchannel process technology, Bottom-up cost modeling, Environmental impact assessment, Graphical user interface
  • Keywords: Decision making, Microchannel process technology, Bottom-up cost modeling, Environmental impact assessment, Graphical user interface
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