Engineering design processes are not always single stream processes. There are times, especially in complex workflows, when the process execution needs to be modified (branched) based on the results of upstream events.
Month: September 2015
Using Semi-Independent Variables to Generate More Feasible Designs and Improve Search Process
Sometimes we intend for a set of design variables to be independent, but then realize that these variables need to satisfy a given relationship. How can a variable be both independent and dependent at the same time? We call these semi-independent variables.
Let’s illustrate this concept with two separate examples.
In our first example, the goal is to optimize the thickness of each layer in a three-layer laminated composite plate, as shown below. The thickness of the ith layer is ti. But the total thickness of the laminated plate must remain equal to a specified value T, so we have three design variables: t1, t2, t3 and a required relationship:
t1 + t2 + t3 = T (1)
Figure 1. A three-layer laminated composite plate