158 Introduction to Renewable Biomaterials
5.3.2.5 Relating Data to the Unit Process
MuchofthedatacollectedforanLCIwillnotbeincorrectorthemostmeaningful
units. Often, there may be inventories based on a month’s production and could have
units such as energy use per number of units produced in a month. On most occasions,
data surrounding one unit are needed, and thus some data manipulation is required.
As an example, Table 5.2 lists the inputs and outputs of dry rough lumber, at kiln,
US PNW as developed by the US LCI database. The outputs from this process are
listed in the top portion of the table and the outputs on the bottom. Note that there
are product flows and elementary flows as discussed earlier in this chapter. Under the
amount column, the total quantity of product is 23 units. This would indicate that all
the emissions listed in the amount column are per 23 units of product, which in this
case is 1 kg of dry rough lumber at kiln in the US Pacific Northwest. To make these
Table 5.2US LCI inventory for wood product manufacturing/sawmills.
Flow Category Type Unit Amount
Adjusted to
one unit
Outputs
Dry rough lumber, at
kiln, US PNW
Wood product
manufactur-
ing/sawmills
PRODUCT_FLOW kg 2.30E+01 1.00E+ 00
Particulates, unspecified Air/unspecified ELEMENTARY_FLOW kg 2.46E−04 1.07E− 05
VOC, volatile organic
compounds
Air/unspecified ELEMENTARY_FLOW kg 2.51E−03 1.09E− 04
Inputs
CUTOFF disposal, inert
solid waste, to inert
material landfill
Null/CUTOFF
flows
PRODUCT_FLOW kg 2.88E−04 1.25E− 05
CUTOFF
hogfuel-biomass (50%
MC), combusted in
industrial boiler
Null/CUTOFF
flows
PRODUCT_FLOW kg 7.80E+00 3.39E− 01
Diesel, combusted in
industrial boiler
Utilities/steam and
air-conditioning
supply
PRODUCT_FLOW l 2.67E−03 1.16E− 04
Electricity, at grid,
Western US, 2000
Utilities/electric
power distribution
PRODUCT_FLOW kWh 1.44E+00 6.25E− 02
Natural gas, combusted
in industrial boiler
Utilities/steam and
air-conditioning
supply
PRODUCT_FLOW m^3 1.01E+00 4.39E− 02
Rough green lumber,
softwood, at sawmill,
US PNW
Wood product
manufactur-
ing/sawmills
PRODUCT_FLOW kg 2.30E+01 1.00E+ 00
Transport, combination
truck, average fuel mix
Truck transporta-
tion/general freight
trucking
PRODUCT_FLOW t*km 1.04E+00 4.50E− 02
