Building a product system from a process

openLCA provides the option to create a product system from a process. The same operation can be done from the Python editor as well. Similar settings (preferred providers, process type) can be set with the LinkingConfig object. To run the following code in the openLCA Python editor, you need to open an ecoinvent database (here ecoinvent v3.10.1 APOS).

process = db.getForName(Process, "gold production | gold | APOS, U")
if not isinstance(process, Process):
    raise Exception("Process not found")

config = (
    LinkingConfig()
    .providerLinking(ProviderLinking.PREFER_DEFAULTS)
    .preferredType(LinkingConfig.PreferredType.UNIT_PROCESS)
)

system = ProductSystemBuilder(db, config).build(process)

Once again, you need to run db.insert(system) to store the product system in the database.

The ProviderLinking indicates how default providers of product inputs or waste outputs in processes should be considered in the linking of a product system. It is define as follows:

class ProviderLinking(Enum):
    IGNORE_DEFAULTS,
    PREFER_DEFAULTS,
    ONLY_DEFAULTS,

• IGNORE_DEFAULTS: Default provider settings are ignored in the linking process. This means that the linker can also select another provider even when a default provider is set.
• PREFER_DEFAULTS: When a default provider is set for a product input or waste output the linker will always select this process. For other exchanges it will select the provider according to its other rules.
• ONLY_DEFAULTS: Means that links should be created only for product inputs or waste outputs where a default provider is defined which are then linked exactly to this provider.

The PreferredType indicates which type of process should be used to link the product system. It is defined as follows:

enum PreferredType(Enum):
    UNIT_PROCESS,
	SYSTEM_PROCESS,
    RESULT