Abstract

A significant challenge in the design of multidisciplinary systems (e.g., airplanes, robots, cell phones) is to predict the effects of design decisions at the time these decisions are being made early in the design process. These predictions are used to choose among design options and to validate design decisions. System behavioral models, which predict a system's response to stimulus, provide an analytical method for evaluating a system's behavior. Because multidisciplinary systems contain many different types of components that have diverse interactions, system behavioral models are difficult to develop early in system design and are challenging to maintain as designs are refined. This research develops methods to create, verify, and maintain multidisciplinary system models developed from models that are already part of system design. First, this research introduces a system model formulation that enables virtually any existing engineering model to become part of a large, trusted population of component models from which system behavioral models can be developed. Second, it creates a new algorithm to efficiently quantify the feasible domain over which the system model can be used. Finally, it quantifies system model accuracy early in system design before system measurements are available so that system models can be used to validate system design decisions. The results of this research are enabling system designers to evaluate the effects of design decisions early in system design, improving the predictability of the system design process, and enabling exploration of system designs that differ greatly from existing solutions.

Degree

PhD

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Mechanical Engineering

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/