From material selection to structural topology optimization: sustainable product design based on carbon footprint allocation

Abstract Climate change and the continuous increase of greenhouse gas concentration have a great impact on the human economy and society. Dozens of countries and regions have proposed the climate goal of “zero carbon” or “carbon neutrality.” Therefore, how to make products low carbon has become a trend in product design. This study proposes a low-carbon optimization method based on carbon footprint allocation for products, which can be used to solve the problem of overall product low-carbon optimization and selection of key parts. The first contribution is to build a product carbon footprint analysis model and propose an element-based carbon footprint allocation method. The second contribution is to propose a low-carbon material selection method based on comprehensive carbon emissions, economic cost, and material density and to propose a structural topology optimization method on force condition and carbon emission reduction timeliness. The third contribution is to use force analysis and manufacturing process simulation to ensure the feasibility of the optimization scheme. Finally, a product life cycle carbon emission reduction scheme for high-carbon parts is formed, which takes into account the emission reduction time constraint, comprehensive carbon emissions, economy, mechanical properties, and manufacturability. For illustration, taking a dishwasher product as an example, the results show that the proposed method can effectively identify parts with high-carbon footprint and reduce the carbon footprint.