K. English

Development of multiple cycle coupling suspension in the optimization of complex systems

Abstract.The design of complex engineering systems requires an initial decomposition of the system into subsystems. These systems are linked together by couplings, which represent output data transference from one subsystem to another. Because complex engineering systems can have hundreds or thousands of such couplings, the optimization of these systems is often quite difficult, if not impossible. To reduce the optimization time, it becomes important that a system designer have the ability to select couplings that have little effect on the solution accuracy, and temporarily remove them. Previous coupling strength analysis methods have not related the effect of a coupling’s removal for multiple cycles to solution accuracy. The method presented here identifies weak couplings based on their relationship to the objective function and constraints in the overall system optimization problem. The couplings are then suspended for multiple cycles of the multidisciplinary design optimization process. Discussion of the application of this new method follows, as well as implementation on a decomposed analytical problem. The method significantly reduces the number of subsystem analyses required to optimize the decomposed problem by suspending couplings for multiple design cycles. As a result of the system reduction, considerable computational saving are made without introducing significant error into the results of the optimization. The trade-offs between computational savings and solution accuracy are also shown and discussed.

Experiential learning in vehicle dynamics education via motion simulation and interactive gaming

Creating active, student-centered learning situations in postsecondary education is an ongoing challenge for engineering educators. Contemporary students familiar with visually engaging and fast-paced games can find traditional classroom methods of lecture and guided laboratory experiments limiting. This paper presents a methodology that incorporates driving simulation, motion simulation, and educational practices into an engaging, gaming-inspired simulation framework for a vehicle dynamics curriculum. The approach is designed to promote active student participation in authentic engineering experiences that enhance learning about road vehicle dynamics. The paper presents the student use of physical simulation and large-scale visualization to discover the impact that design decisions have on vehicle design using a gaming interface. The approach is evaluated using two experiments incorporated into a sequence of two upper level mechanical engineering courses.

Impacting Designer Creativity Through IT-Enabled Concept Generation

One of the innovations fundamental mechanisms, designer creativity, is both unsupported by rigorous information-technology-enabled tools and uncharacterized as a scientific phenomenon. In this paper, we present VISUALIZEIT-a project seeking to identify a scientific basis and develop the supporting cyberinfrastructure needed to facilitate, evaluate, and disseminate information-technology-enabled innovation methodologies that augment designer creativity. This particular research paper describes a method of synthesizing concept representations through the development and expansion of platforms focused on computational concept generation, clustering of design concepts, a repository of archived design knowledge, and an information integration and representation interface. We also present the initial results from implementing VISUALIZEIT using two populations of students.

Development of multiple cycle coupling suspension in complex system optimization

The design of complex engineering systems requires an initial decomposition of the system into subsystems. Couplings link these systems together, by transferring output data from one subsystem to the input of another. Because complex engineering systems can have hundreds or thousands of such couplings, the optimization of these systems is often quite lengthy. To reduce the optimization time, it becomes important that a system designer have the ability to select couplings that have little effect on the solution accuracy, to temporarily remove them. Previous coupling strength analysis methods have not analytically related the effect of a couplings removal for multiple cycles to solution accuracy. The method presented in this paper locates weak couplings based on their analytical relationship to the objective function and constraints in the overall optimization problem. Discussion of the application of this new method follows, as well as implementation on a decomposed analytical problem. The method significantly reduces the number of subsystem analyses required to optimize the decomposed problem by suspending couplings for multiple design cycles.

Visual Dependency Structure Matrix for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Tradeoff Studies

The design of complex products, such as automobiles and aircraft, necessitates modeling of the physics within numerous participating disciplines that are inherently linked through the transference of critical data. The resulting complexity makes it essentially impossible for designers or design teams, regardless of the number of participants or expertise of the participants, to intuitively understand the interdependencies of the disciplinary analyses and tasks. Recent methods and tools being developed in the field of multidisciplinary design optimization provide a means of representing these inherent couplings, as well as a way in which tradeoffs between accuracy and efficiency may be explored. It is with this in mind that the visual dependency structure matrix has been developed in this work. The visual dependency structure matrix is a web-based framework, coupled with underlying cost and error models, that enables designers to explore the possibility of eliminating or suspending couplings interactively, before or during a complex analysis run.The paper presents the visual dependency structure matrix framework and shows how the visual dependency structure matrix can be used as a mechanism for designers to cut computational costs during the design process without sacrificing the desired accuracy of the system level process.

Engaging high school women in engineering design using Cyberinfrastructure

Without a doubt, the current generation of secondary school students is very familiar with information technology. Text messaging, e-mail, and social networking websites are a normal means of communication. There is also increasing recognition of the need for diversification the engineering workforce and increasing the number of graduating engineers in the United States. This has created an opportunity to leverage leading edge Cyberinfrastructure in an outreach program targeting secondary school students. This paper demonstrates the implementation of a targeted outreach program that engages high school students in engineering design over a two-week period using state-of-the-art digital design repositories and motion simulation equipment.Copyright

DATA TRANSMISSION IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY DESIGN OPTIMIZATION USING A PLATFORM-INDEPENDENT DATA STRUCTURE

The design, analysis, and optimization of complex systems, including aircraft, microchips, and chemical plants, is increasingly being performed using widely distributed design groups. The optimization of such complex systems requires that these design groups actively share their data in an effort to develop a better design. Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) has developed a wide variety of tools and techniques to assist in the analysis and optimization of these highly complex systems. This work focuses on the development of an XML-based and generic data architecture that could be applied to MDO problems by combining optimization data and analysis data into a platform-independent format. This format can be used as a foundation for development of distributed MDO tools by governing the data exchange between disciplinary analysis tools, optimizers, and user interfaces. The architecture is implemented using sample MDO problems ranging from existing test cases and simulated larger scale optimization problems. The use of the data in multiple independently developed MDO applications is also demonstrated. The data structure presented demonstrates the potential benefi t of a future extensible and platform-independent data-passing model for use in MDO systems.

Exploring Automatically Generated Design Concepts Using Cyberinfrastructure

Our society has witnessed major growth and innovation in technology. However, one of innovation’s fundamental aspects, designer creativity, is still largely unsupported by information technology (IT) tools. This paper establishes a bridge between efforts to use cyberinfrastructure to generate design alternatives and a designer’s ability to explore and evaluate concepts. The research presented provides a method of synthesizing a web-based representation of a product concept using information from a digital design repository, an automatic concept generator, and results from a clustering analysis. A visualization interface is developed to provide designers with multiple representations of product concepts. The development of this approach establishes a computing infrastructure to support an investigation into the effect of information technology on designer creativity and provides a foundation for the development of further support technology. The architecture is implemented and the result is illustrated with an example in order to show the capabilities of the approach.Copyright

Web-based Visualization Environment for Decision-Making in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization

* Research Assistant, Student Member. † Deputy Director, New York State Center for Engineering Design and Industrial Innovation, Member. ‡ Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Associate Fellow AIAA. § Associate Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering ¶ Research Assistant ABSTRACT The analysis and optimization of most engineering and manufacturing systems such as automobiles, aircrafts etc. experience interactions amongst various components of the full system. These interactions are increasingly being handled using distributed design groups. Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) has evolved to assist designers from different disciplines in steering a product or process design towards its optimum. Visualization is increasingly being used in MDO to improve the product design by assisting the designers in their decision-making. Visualization provides a means through which a designer can interact more intuitively with their specific design problem. A barrier to sharing visual models amongst designers from different disciplines is the use of different computing platforms to accomplish their tasks. Since the design groups are often separated geographically, a web-based design environment that allows collaboration amongst designers on different platforms is preferred.

Productive Communication in an Afterschool Engineering Club with Girls Who are English Language Learners

ABSTRACT This article the learning of girls who were in a co-ed after school engineering club related to the project: Designing Vital Engineering and Literacy Practices for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math for Elementary Teachers and Children (DeVELOP STEM ETC). While few girls grow up to become engineers in the US, recently more attention has focused on practices that engage girls in order to grow interest in engineering and engineering careers. In this article, we follow three eight and nine-year-old girls (3rd graders). We illustrate how key features of the Engineering Design Process intersect with a multimodal model of Productive Communication to help the girls enact identities as girls and as engineers as they design and build a bridge. We argue that to enact the Next Generation Science Standards, particularly those related to engineering, engineering and STEM educators must attend to the disciplinary literacies and communicative modes of girls and other under-represented minorities. This is also particularly important for learners who are still new to learning English and who may benefit from multimodal interactions and diverse opportunities to learn.