Integrated Optimization for Automated Design of Dynamic Systems

Abstract

This paper introduces research leading to a computer-aided design tool in which engineering designers can test various concepts in an environment equipped to automatically model the dynamics and then optimize the specified components to best meet the specifications of the design problem. The input to the system is a graph of components where the components' design variables are to be determined by a subsequent optimization process. Design goals are often as clearly defined as possible prior to any design effort, which suggests that the objective function can be automatically generated if a system dynamics model is available and the transformation from the system model to objective function can be automated. In this research, automated objective function derivation is demonstrated through automated bond graph modeling and model transformation according to the goals defined by designers. A component (or sub-system) repository is being developed to store not only the component dynamics models, but also various information including typical component design constraints and physical constitutive laws. The paper discusses a systematic approach to automatically prepare a mechatronic design problem for optimization, which can decode and encode proper genotypes of intended design variables, which account for the existing of design constraints and physical constitutive laws. An example of a weighing machine design is used to showcase the approach.