Addressing Circularity to Product Designers: Application to a Multi-Cell Power Electronics Converter

Design for enhancing a 4th industrial revolution thinking questions the sustainability of a massive use of IT devices. The communication between people and objects (IoT) inside and outside industries are supported by an increasing diversity of electronics using electric power. This causes irreversible damages on the ecosystems guarantying the livability of our planet. This paper therefore proposes a three stage method for product designers to design multiple-usage life cycle electronic products. The originality of the proposition stands in modeling the multiple-usage life cycle scenario to support the reparability of the electronic device based on a modular design of power converters. The method is applied on a power converter for photovoltaic panels. The paper concludes on the opportunity to merge technological innovations with a circular thinking in the early design stage of electronic based products. The multi-impact analysis and systemic vision as a basis of circular thinking and are a major challenge addressed to product designers in today’s 4.0 industries.