Presentation and comparison of methods for evaluating the recyclability of electrotechnical products

izvorni znanstveni rad

izvorni znanstveni rad

Presentation and comparison of methods for evaluating the recyclability of electrotechnical products

Vrsta prilog sa skupa (u zborniku)
Tip izvorni znanstveni rad
Godina 2023
Nadređena publikacija Proceedings, 8th International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Technologies (SpliTech 2023)
Stranice SC1-1, 6
DOI 10.23919/SpliTech58164.2023.10193286
Status objavljeno

Sažetak

The constant expansion of the market and the consequent increase in production requirements, lead to an increase in the amount of waste and energy consumption. Nowadays, great attention is paid to waste management, i.e. waste reduction, and public awareness of the impact of human activities on the environment is increasing. With regard to the development or improvement of existing products, it is very important to be able to assess the recyclability of similar products. A whole range of quantitative methods has been developed to make it possible. This paper presents two methods that are commonly used as quantitative indicators of product recyclability: the product structure analysis method and the method of expressing the potential recyclability of products. In the examples of determining the recyclability of low-voltage switchgear, the recyclability of three complex low-voltage electrotechnical products is presented. The following products were selected for this purpose: fuse switches disconnector, digital timer and single-phase isolation transformer. In order to determine the recyclability of a single product, it must be disassembled into its individual parts and the mass of each element has to be measured. Based on the examples, conclusions were drawn out about the recyclability of these products and possible modifications to their architecture were suggested to increase the recyclability. In addition, an overview of the used methods and their comparison with the advantages and disadvantages of each method is given.

Ključne riječi

product development, recycling, recyclability, electrical and electronic waste, low-voltage switchgear and control gear