Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Conceptual Design Synthesis'

This thesis suggests the use of tools from the disciplines of Computational Linguistics and Knowledge Representation with the idea that such tools would enable the partial automation of two processes of Conceptual Design: the analysis of Requirements and the synthesis of concepts of solution. The viewpoint on Conceptual Design developed in this research is based on the systematic methodologies developed in the literature. The evolution of these methodologies provided precise description of the tasks to be achieved by the designing team in order to achieve successful design. Therefore, the argument of this thesis is that it is possible to create computer models of some of these tasks in order to partially automate the refinement of the design problem and the exploration of the design space. In Requirements Engineering, the definition of requirements consists in identifying the needs of various stakeholders and formalizing it into design speciႡcations. During this task, designers face the problem of having to deal with individuals from different expertise, expressing their needs with different levels of clarity. This research tackles this issue with requirements expressed in natural language (in this case in English). The analysis of needs is realised from different linguistic levels: lexical, syntactic and semantic. The lexical level deals with the meaning of words of a language. Syntactic analysis provides the construction of the sentence in language, i.e. the grammar of a language. The semantic level aims at Ⴁnding about the specific meaning of words in the context of a sentence. This research makes extensive use of a semantic atlas based on the concept of clique from graph theory. Such concept enables the computation of distances between a word and its synonyms. Additionally, a methodology and a metric of similarity was defined for clarifying requirements at syntactic, lexical and semantic levels. This methodology integrates tools from research collaborators. In the synthesis process, a Knowledge Representation of the necessary concepts for enabling computers to create concepts of solution was developed. Such, concepts are: function, input/output Ⴂow, generic organs, behaviour, components. The semantic atlas is also used at that stage to enable a mapping between functions and their solutions. It works as the interface between the concepts of this Knowledge Representation.

A numerical design synthesis methodology for new generations of combat aircraft has been developed. It incorporates advanced technology in the form of design for low observables. Aircraft capable of being modelled with this methodology will have internal or external Weapons carriage, side mounted intakes, a straight-tapered trapezoidal wing, aft-mounted tail with the option of single or twin ns, and one or two engines with rectangular or axisymmetric nozzles. The design methodology incorporates sufficiently accurate and realistic algorithms for the calculation of the geometry and the estimation of the aerodynamic, mass and performance properties of the aircraft. The inherent flexibility of the design permits the examination of a wide range of configurations whilst maintaining the accuracy required to examine minor changes in the design requirements. A numerical optimization routine was linked to the synthesis, allowing the determination of optimum aircraft design variables for a given set of mission and performance requirements. Results were obtained showing the usefulness of this design tool for setting up parametric trend studies. The numerical accuracy, flexibility of configuration options and high level of advanced aircraft technology of this synthesis make a significant contribution to the continuing development of automated design tools.

La caracterización de arreglos de micro hilos de óxido de Zinc (ZnO) se ha realizado con la finalidad de diseñar una batería experimental que utiliza la energía de deformación como fuente de energía. El principio de almacenamiento está basado en la compresión simple de un muelle cuya fuerza de compresión se encuentra asociada a la energía que es cosechada. Mediante el mismo principio se propone la compresión de un arreglo de nano hilos de ZnO crecidos de forma alineada perpendiculares al sustrato de crecimiento, funcionando como muelles elásticos que almacenen energía en un medio enteramente mecánico. El ZnO se ha elegido por ser un material en el que se pueden crecer nano estructuras con forma de hilos, barras y filamentos de manera sencilla y de bajo coste a través de un método de síntesis llamado método hidrotérmico. Tomando en cuenta las mejores muestras alineadas de micro hilos de ZnO, se realizó un proceso para su caracterización mecánica en dos fases principales. La primera fase consiste en el estudio estadístico para dimensionar su morfología y tamaños así como su densidad de crecimiento media por toda la muestra. En segundo lugar se llevó a cabo la realización de la aplicación de la teoría lineal elástica que después fue corroborada y replicada con simulaciones de elementos finitos (FEM). Las condiciones de contorno consideradas como comportamientos posibles en los micro hilos de ZnO fueron libre-empotrado y articulado-empotrado. Finalmente los micro hilos se sometieron a pruebas de compresión simple utilizando un nanoindentador comercial, para llevar a cabo el análisis experimental puntual de las propiedades del material del que se conforman y así determinar la discrepancia con el modelo teórico así como su capacidad de almacenamiento de energía real.
The synthesis and characterization for a ZnO array have been done in this research, with the aim of design an experimental mechanical battery, which uses the strain energy as energy source. The storage principle is based on a common spring, which is loaded by the force associated to the energy to be harvested. By following the same principle our approach is based on the compression of a ZnO fine wires array (ZnOfws), grown vertically on a substrate surface, working as regular springs and storing energy entirely on the mechanical domain. The ZnO has been chosen as a “spring-like” material, due to the fact the fine wires growth is cheap and simple, using an aqueous synthesis called “hydrothermal method”. By taking the best aligned ZnO array obtained, the dimensions measurement was carried out through a statistically method, based on the SEM images analysis. From this study the average growth density, diameters and lengths were obtained. Afterwards, a mechanical study for a single fine wire was done, applying the linear elastic theory and FEM simulations. In order to, analyze the most likely mechanical behaviors for a single ZnOfw. Finally, the fine wires samples were submitted to a mechanical characterization through the nanoindentation technique, with the objective of see the real deformation levels and, mechanical energy storage capability that they have. As an alternative to this measurement a customized compression set-up was fabricated, in order to, analyze the mechanical behavior of a ZnOfws array at a larger scale.

A computer-aided technique is developed in this thesis to systematically generate concepts for sensors of a wide variety. A database of building blocks, based on physical laws and effects that capture the transduction rules underlying the working principles of sensors, has been developed to synthesize concepts. The proposed method uses the database to first create a concept-space graph and then selects concepts that correspond to paths in the graph. This is in contrast to and more efficient than existing methods, such as, compositional synthesis and graph-grammar synthesis, where solution paths are laid out first and then a concept-space graph is generated. The research also explores an approach for synthesis of concepts for closed-loop sensors, where a quantity is sensed indirectly after nullifying its effect by using negative feedback. These sensors use negative feedback to increase the dynamic range of operation without compromising the sensitivity and resolution. According to the literature, generation of un-interesting solutions is a major drawback of the building block-based synthesis approaches. In the proposed approach, this shortcoming is mitigated substantially by using some rules. For a number of the concepts generated, in the sensor problems attempted, we found that those concepts were already implemented in existing patents; thus emphasising the usefulness of the concepts produced. The synthesis approach proposed new, feasible sensor concepts, thereby indicating its potential as a stimulator for enhancing creativity of designers. Another important problem is to improve the robustness of designs. Robustness can be achieved by minimizing the side effects. Side effects are defined as unwanted effects that affect the intended working of the sensor. The research presents an algorithm that (a) predicts the potential side effects for the synthesized concepts of sensors; (b) aids in quantifying the magnitude of the side effects, thus helping the designer to predict the significant side effects; and (c) suggests ways to improve the robustness of the design.
National Programme on Micro and Smart Materials and Systems (NPMASS)
Engineering Design

National Programme on Micro and Smart Materials and Systems (NPMASS)
A computer-aided technique is developed in this thesis to systematically generate concepts for sensors of a wide variety. A database of building blocks, based on physical laws and effects that capture the transduction rules underlying the working principles of sensors, has been developed to synthesize concepts. The proposed method uses the database to first create a concept-space graph and then selects concepts that correspond to paths in the graph. This is in contrast to and more efficient than existing methods, such as, compositional synthesis and graph-grammar synthesis, where solution paths are laid out first and then a concept-space graph is generated. The research also explores an approach for synthesis of concepts for closed-loop sensors, where a quantity is sensed indirectly after nullifying its effect by using negative feedback. These sensors use negative feedback to increase the dynamic range of operation without compromising the sensitivity and resolution. According to the literature, generation of un-interesting solutions is a major drawback of the building block-based synthesis approaches. In the proposed approach, this shortcoming is mitigated substantially by using some rules. For a number of the concepts generated, in the sensor problems attempted, we found that those concepts were already implemented in existing patents; thus emphasising the usefulness of the concepts produced. The synthesis approach proposed new, feasible sensor concepts, thereby indicating its potential as a stimulator for enhancing creativity of designers. Another important problem is to improve the robustness of designs. Robustness can be achieved by minimizing the side effects. Side effects are defined as unwanted effects that affect the intended working of the sensor. The research presents an algorithm that (a) predicts the potential side effects for the synthesized concepts of sensors; (b) aids in quantifying the magnitude of the side effects, thus helping the designer to predict the significant side effects; and (c) suggests ways to improve the robustness of the design.

Conceptual design synthesis is part of the conceptual phase of the design process, which focuses on creating alternative, candidate solutions. Conceptual design phase has the greatest influence on the cost and characteristics of the final product; an excellent detailed design based on a poor and inappropriate concept can never compensate for the inadequacy of the concept. Conceptual design is difficult, which currently relies on the designer’s intuition and experience to guide the process. A major issue in conceptual design is that often not many alternative candidate solutions are explored by the designer during the design process. The major reasons for this are the tendency to delimit a design problem area too narrowly and thus not being able to diversify the possible set of design solutions, possible bias towards a limited set of ideas, and time constraints. Many researchers recommended a thorough search of the design space for developing a good solution; this requires generation of a large solution space. Mechanical devices (mechanisms and machines) have fascinated the mankind throughout recorded history. Conceptual design synthesis of mechanical devices is difficult even for humans, and is also difficult to completely automate. In a single state design task, the relation between an input and output are fixed, but in a multiple state design task, the relation is not fixed. Much of the current research has been focused on supporting synthesis of single state devices, in particular where the device has to convert an input motion into an output motion. Synthesis of multiple state device is in contrast rather poorly understood and supported. Complete automation is unlikely to be possible; developing support taking into account the strength of computer and and human is important mechanical device is not adequate the biggest source for understanding of this process, and for its subsequent support, is human designers. The concept of state for a mechanical device is explained in detail by analyzing the existing multiple state mechanical devices. An operating state described by elemental functions (defined by efforts- motions of input and output components) and their associated Understanding and Supporting Conceptual Design Synthesis of Multiple State Mechanical Devices configurations and configuration changes. However, study of current literature indicates that little has been known about the actual processes carried out by designers in synthesizing multiple state devices. The main objectives of this thesis, therefore, are as follows: (1) understand the multiple state device design synthesis process carried out by designers, and (2) develop methods for supporting synthesis of multiple state mechanical devices to enhance the number of solution alternatives generated. Empirical studies are conducted to understand how designers currently carry out multiple state design tasks. Ten designers are given a multiple state design task and asked to generate as many solutions as possible. The designers are asked to think aloud while carrying out their synthesis processes. All these synthesis processes are video recorded, and analyzed to identify what activities are involved in the multiple state design synthesis, what the inputs are to each activity, and what the outcomes are from each activity. It has been found from these studies that design fixation is quite common, and the majority of the designers pursued developing a single solution to the given design task. A generic descriptive model of the multiple state mechanical device design synthesis process, explaining how this is carried by the designers, is developed. Based on this model, a prescriptive model of multiple state design synthesis process, explaining how the multiple state synthesis process should be carried by designers in order to develop a large solution space, is also developed. The prescriptive support, for synthesizing a large solution space for a given multiple state design task, has been evaluated. Eight engineering designers participated in the evaluation procedure, where each designer had to synthesize solutions for two, given multiple state design tasks. Results indicate that use of the prescriptive support, even without the power of a computational implementation, may have been beneficial in helping designers develop feasible solutions in a greater number of cases in a more efficient manner (that is, by considering fewer solution proposals and in similar amounts of time). All the designers who participated in this exercise gave a positive feedback regarding the prescriptive support. However, in none of the design sessions did the designers develop more than one feasible solution. This, along with various other comments from designers, indicates that a faster and more proactive support – implemented on computer – might be more useful in supporting the tasks. The various aspects for a potential computer support are discussed.

Conceptual design synthesis is part of the conceptual phase of the design process, which focuses on creating alternative, candidate solutions. Conceptual design phase has the greatest influence on the cost and characteristics of the final product; an excellent detailed design based on a poor and inappropriate concept can never compensate for the inadequacy of the concept. Conceptual design is difficult, which currently relies on the designer’s intuition and experience to guide the process. A major issue in conceptual design is that often not many alternative candidate solutions are explored by the designer during the design process. The major reasons for this are the tendency to delimit a design problem area too narrowly and thus not being able to diversify the possible set of design solutions, possible bias towards a limited set of ideas, and time constraints. Many researchers recommended a thorough search of the design space for developing a good solution; this requires generation of a large solution space. Mechanical devices (mechanisms and machines) have fascinated the mankind throughout recorded history. Conceptual design synthesis of mechanical devices is difficult even for humans, and is also difficult to completely automate. In a single state design task, the relation between an input and output are fixed, but in a multiple state design task, the relation is not fixed. Much of the current research has been focused on supporting synthesis of single state devices, in particular where the device has to convert an input motion into an output motion. Synthesis of multiple state device is in contrast rather poorly understood and supported. Complete automation is unlikely to be possible; developing support taking into account the strength of computer and and human is important mechanical device is not adequate the biggest source for understanding of this process, and for its subsequent support, is human designers. The concept of state for a mechanical device is explained in detail by analyzing the existing multiple state mechanical devices. An operating state described by elemental functions (defined by efforts- motions of input and output components) and their associated Understanding and Supporting Conceptual Design Synthesis of Multiple State Mechanical Devices configurations and configuration changes. However, study of current literature indicates that little has been known about the actual processes carried out by designers in synthesizing multiple state devices. The main objectives of this thesis, therefore, are as follows: (1) understand the multiple state device design synthesis process carried out by designers, and (2) develop methods for supporting synthesis of multiple state mechanical devices to enhance the number of solution alternatives generated. Empirical studies are conducted to understand how designers currently carry out multiple state design tasks. Ten designers are given a multiple state design task and asked to generate as many solutions as possible. The designers are asked to think aloud while carrying out their synthesis processes. All these synthesis processes are video recorded, and analyzed to identify what activities are involved in the multiple state design synthesis, what the inputs are to each activity, and what the outcomes are from each activity. It has been found from these studies that design fixation is quite common, and the majority of the designers pursued developing a single solution to the given design task. A generic descriptive model of the multiple state mechanical device design synthesis process, explaining how this is carried by the designers, is developed. Based on this model, a prescriptive model of multiple state design synthesis process, explaining how the multiple state synthesis process should be carried by designers in order to develop a large solution space, is also developed. The prescriptive support, for synthesizing a large solution space for a given multiple state design task, has been evaluated. Eight engineering designers participated in the evaluation procedure, where each designer had to synthesize solutions for two, given multiple state design tasks. Results indicate that use of the prescriptive support, even without the power of a computational implementation, may have been beneficial in helping designers develop feasible solutions in a greater number of cases in a more efficient manner (that is, by considering fewer solution proposals and in similar amounts of time). All the designers who participated in this exercise gave a positive feedback regarding the prescriptive support. However, in none of the design sessions did the designers develop more than one feasible solution. This, along with various other comments from designers, indicates that a faster and more proactive support – implemented on computer – might be more useful in supporting the tasks. The various aspects for a potential computer support are discussed.

The design of manufacturing systems in hazardous environments is complex, requiring interdisciplinary knowledge to determine which components and operators (human or robotic) are feasible. When conceptualizing designs, some options may be overlooked or unknowingly infeasible due to the design engineers' lack of knowledge in a particular field or ineffective communication of requirements between disciplines. To alleviate many of these design issues, we develop a computational design tool to automate the synthesis of conceptual manufacturing system designs and optimization of preliminary layouts. To generate workcell concepts for manufacturing processes, we create a knowledge-based system (KBS) that performs functional modeling using a common language, a generic component database, and a rule set. The KBS produces high-level task plans for specific manufacturing processes and allocates needed material handling tasks between compatible human and/or robotic labor. We develop an extended pattern search (EPS) algorithm to optimize system layouts based on worker dose and cycle time minimization using the functions and sequencing of generated task plans. The KBS and EPS algorithm were applied to the design of glovebox processing systems at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Our computational design tool successfully generates design concepts with varied task allocation and processing sub-tasks and layouts with favorable manipulation workspaces. This work establishes a framework for automated conceptual design while providing designers with a beneficial tool for designing manufacturing systems in an interdisciplinary and highly constrained domain.
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We have developed a systematic procedure for a limited class of chemical processes that includes control problems at the early stage of a flow sheet development. The procedure decomposes the control problem into a set of sub-problems. For the economic evaluations it is assumed that the raw-material and the recycle costs dominate the process economics, and therefore the variables which affect the input-output and the recycle material and energy flows are considered as the optimization variables (process-flow optimizations). The results obtained from this procedure will be helpful in the following areas: (1) Identifying potentially inoperable flow sheets due to the presence of trace component impurities in the feed streams or produced in the reactor, (2) Estimating the economically justified modifications (both in the flow sheet structure and the sizes of process units) to the optimum base-case design, (3) Generating alternative sets of process-flow, control structures (a set of controlled and manipulated variables, along with their pairing, that can drive the input-output and the recycle flows to their desired steady-states), (4) Estimating the magnitude of the overshoot of the manipulated variables during the transients, and changing the structure of the flow sheet, the equipment sizes, or the structure of the steady-state control structure to accommodate disturbances in an optimum way. Based on the process economics and the relative gain analysis, the optimum control structure is synthesized that would minimize the total operating cost in the face of disturbances. The optimum values of the sizes of the constrained unit designs (which restrict the process-flow optimization in the face of disturbances), and the optimum values of the process variables (i.e., the design variables and the process flows) are determined by solving a two-stage optimization problem. A method for developing approximate, dynamic models for the process flows for continuous chemical plants with recycle streams is described. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

Decreasing fossil fuel reserves and environmental concerns necessitate a shift toward biofuels. However, the chemistry of many biomass to fuel conversion pathways remains to be thoroughly studied. The future of biorefineries thus depends on developing new pathways while optimizing existing ones. Here, potential chemicals are added to create a superstructure, then an algorithm is run to enumerate every feasible reaction stoichiometry through a mixed integer linear program (MILP). An optimal chemical reaction pathway, taking into account thermodynamic, safety, and economic constraints is then found through reaction network flux analysis (RNFA). The RNFA is first formulated as a linear programming problem (LP) and later recast as an MILP in order to solve multiple alternate optima through integer cuts. A graphical method is also developed in order to show a shortcut method based on thermodynamics as opposed to the reaction stoichiometry enumeration and RNFA methods. A hypothetical case study, based on the conversion of woody biomass to liquid fuels, is presented at the end of the work along with a more detailed look at the glucose and xylose to 2-mthyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF) biofuel production pathway.

This research investigates and proposes methods to be used for the automation of the conceptual design phases of variational mechanisms. It employs the concept of feature-based modeling approaches. A method is proposed for integrating the dimensional synthesis, mechanical design and CAD generation phases with minimal designer intervention. Extended feature definitions are used in this research to create a smooth data transfer platform between different engineering tools and applications. This paper also introduces another method by which a set of dimensional data collected from a family of existing products is used to predict possible solutions for a new design. This method, based on artificial neural networks for training and solution generation, is used with optimization algorithms for the dimensional synthesis of mechanisms. An excavator arm mechanism is used as a case study to demonstrate these methods. The design of this mechanism is carried out based on its digging mode configurations.
Engineering Design

Conceptual design is an early stage in the design process, in which functional requirements of a design problem are transformed into solution concepts for satisfying the requirements. It is regarded as a crucial step in design, because decisions made in this stage will strongly affect all the subsequent stages of the design process. Research evidence suggests that inspiration is useful for exploration and discovery of new solution spaces, and exploration of a wide variety of concepts increases the chances of developing more novel, and hence more creative solutions. There are various approaches to providing inspiration, e.g., creativity techniques such as trigger word technique, biomimetics such as Idea-Inspire, and computational synthesis approaches such as compositional synthesis. Computational synthesis tools are used for automated generation of concepts, which can be offered to the designer as triggers for inspiring ideation. The advantage of using solutions from computational synthesis as triggers are the following: the solutions can be produced in a relatively unbiased manner, allowing a variety of directions to be explored, and the solutions are exhaustive within the constraints of the databases or rules used, allowing a multitude of possibilities to be offered. However, computational synthesis has been traditionally used for automating solution generation, rather than creating triggers for designers’ ideation. Notwithstanding their potential for inspiring ideation, current computational synthesis approaches rarely focused on this task. One exception is FuncSION, a compositional synthesis tool, which can automatically synthesize solution concepts for mechanical devices, where a set of input and output characteristics i.e. functional requirements are provided by the user and the computer generates solutions by combining building blocks from a library to satisfy the requirements; these solutions are then used as stimuli for ideation by designers. The focus of this thesis is on evaluating and improving the effectiveness of computational synthesis in triggering ideation during conceptual design, in terms of improving the fluency and variety of the concept space produced. FuncSION has been used as the example synthesis approach on which the work has been focused. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of FuncSION in terms of fluency and variety, a method for assessing variety of a concept space is proposed, and a tool for supporting the assessment process has been developed. However, compositional synthesis research has always assumed that the building blocks are given, and has confined its focus on the process of combining the building blocks. It has not been investigated as to how such building blocks can be automatically identified. If new building blocks can be automatically identified, the resulting change in the library of building blocks would have a substantial effect on the outcomes of compositional synthesis, i.e. the triggers that can be offered to the designers for ideation, with a resulting effect on the concepts generated by the designers. Therefore, in this thesis, an automated method for building blocks synthesis has been proposed, and has been implemented as a computational tool.

Conceptual design is an early stage in the design process, in which functional requirements of a design problem are transformed into solution concepts for satisfying the requirements. It is regarded as a crucial step in design, because decisions made in this stage will strongly affect all the subsequent stages of the design process. Research evidence suggests that inspiration is useful for exploration and discovery of new solution spaces, and exploration of a wide variety of concepts increases the chances of developing more novel, and hence more creative solutions. There are various approaches to providing inspiration, e.g., creativity techniques such as trigger word technique, biomimetics such as Idea-Inspire, and computational synthesis approaches such as compositional synthesis. Computational synthesis tools are used for automated generation of concepts, which can be offered to the designer as triggers for inspiring ideation. The advantage of using solutions from computational synthesis as triggers are the following: the solutions can be produced in a relatively unbiased manner, allowing a variety of directions to be explored, and the solutions are exhaustive within the constraints of the databases or rules used, allowing a multitude of possibilities to be offered. However, computational synthesis has been traditionally used for automating solution generation, rather than creating triggers for designers’ ideation. Notwithstanding their potential for inspiring ideation, current computational synthesis approaches rarely focused on this task. One exception is FuncSION, a compositional synthesis tool, which can automatically synthesize solution concepts for mechanical devices, where a set of input and output characteristics i.e. functional requirements are provided by the user and the computer generates solutions by combining building blocks from a library to satisfy the requirements; these solutions are then used as stimuli for ideation by designers. The focus of this thesis is on evaluating and improving the effectiveness of computational synthesis in triggering ideation during conceptual design, in terms of improving the fluency and variety of the concept space produced. FuncSION has been used as the example synthesis approach on which the work has been focused. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of FuncSION in terms of fluency and variety, a method for assessing variety of a concept space is proposed, and a tool for supporting the assessment process has been developed. However, compositional synthesis research has always assumed that the building blocks are given, and has confined its focus on the process of combining the building blocks. It has not been investigated as to how such building blocks can be automatically identified. If new building blocks can be automatically identified, the resulting change in the library of building blocks would have a substantial effect on the outcomes of compositional synthesis, i.e. the triggers that can be offered to the designers for ideation, with a resulting effect on the concepts generated by the designers. Therefore, in this thesis, an automated method for building blocks synthesis has been proposed, and has been implemented as a computational tool.