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Assignment 1

This document outlines the assignments for a class on multidisciplinary system design optimization. It includes individual and group assignments. For the individual assignment, students are asked to analyze and model an engineering system, describe its components and couplings, and perform optimization problems using software. The group assignment involves proposing and modeling a multidisciplinary design problem, identifying its variables and constraints, and developing module couplings and a block diagram for multidisciplinary analysis and optimization.

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113 views

Assignment 1

This document outlines the assignments for a class on multidisciplinary system design optimization. It includes individual and group assignments. For the individual assignment, students are asked to analyze and model an engineering system, describe its components and couplings, and perform optimization problems using software. The group assignment involves proposing and modeling a multidisciplinary design problem, identifying its variables and constraints, and developing module couplings and a block diagram for multidisciplinary analysis and optimization.

Uploaded by

Boba
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

MEEN 683-600/700 Multidisciplinary System Design Optimization


(MSADO)
Spring 2021

Assignment 1
You are expected to solve Part (a) individually and Part (b) in your project team. Each person
must submit their own Part (a) but you should submit Part (b) as a group. Please indicate the
name(s) of your teammate(s).

Topics: Multidisciplinary analysis, problem formulation, modeling and simulation, system decom-
position

Part (a)
Motivation

Summarize in 5-10 sentences why you decided to take this class. What do you expect to learn?
How does this knowledge fit in with your career or research plans?

Chapter 1 — Principles of Optimal Design

In Sections 1.1 and 1.2 of Principles of Optimal Design (POD), the authors discuss hierarchical
levels in system definition and hierarchical system decomposition. To answer the questions below,
consider one of the following engineering systems: a wind turbine power system, a cable stayed
bridge, a plug-in hybrid electric car, or a submarine.

(P1) Describe the system boundary that you would choose in setting up a model for your system.
What are the inputs and outputs that cross this boundary and characterize your system?

(P2) Propose a component decomposition for your system (use a similar level of detail to that
shown in Fig. 1.10).

(P3) Propose an aspect decomposition for your system (use a similar level of detail to that shown
in Fig. 1.12).
Unconstrained Optimization/Math Review and Getting Coding

(P4) Use software of your choosing (usually Matlab or Python) and create a contour plot and a
surface plot (3D) of the function below. Describe the features of the function (based on your plots)
in words. Note regarding the plotting tasks: This is meant to get you working with some code.
I recommend searching the internet for assistance with whatever software you choose regarding
surface and contour plots. There are plenty of examples out there and being capable of figuring out
on your own how to do this (and tasks like these) is an important aspect of learning and self-study.
Learning by example from online resources you have found when coding is often much faster than
any tutorial. That being said, I can help with either Matlab or Python if you’ve tried on your own
and are still totally lost.

f (x) = (x2 − x1 )4 + 8x1 x2 − x1 + x2 + 3, −1 ≤ x1 , x2 ≤ 1

(P5) Compute the gradient and the Hessian of the function. Determine the nature of any stationary
points (maximum, minimum, saddle) and compare this with your discussion from P4.

(P6) Redo the P4 contour plot but with the following constraint added. Discuss any impact this
constraint may have on the stationary points you found for the unconstrained problem.

g(x) = x14 − 2x2 x12 + x22 + x12 − 2x1 ≥ 0.

(P7) Redo the P4 contour plot but with the following constraint added (and remove the constraint
from P6). Discuss any impact this constraint may have on the stationary points you found for the
unconstrained problem.
g(x) = x2 − x1 + 0.5 ≥ 0.

Part (b)
(b1)
Pick a multidisciplinary system to analyze. You may choose a system aligned with your own re-
search (preferred option) for which you have disciplinary models available. If you do not have such
a system or models in mind/available, consider something that interests you and then search the
internet for potential available computational models. In many cases there are plenty of example
codes that can help build a nice project.

For the multidisciplinary design problem that your team has chosen, write a short (∼ 1-2 pages)
project proposal. You should address the following:
• Include a formal problem statement.
• Identify design variables, parameters, inequality constraints, equality constraints, bounds
and objectives.
• What you hope to achieve by the end of the semester with regards to your project
• What your current status is on the project and what you see as potential difficulties.
Assemble all your design variables, parameters, constraints, and objectives into a “master” table,
showing, if applicable, in the columns the symbol, description, upper and lower bound, nominal
initial value and unit of measurement.

Note: It is fine if this is a new problem and you are not yet sure what all the relevant variables
are, this problem will evolve over the course of the semester. A draft is perfectly acceptable at this
point. However, you will need a model and simulation capability early in the semester (A2).

(b2) Coupling and the N 2 Diagram


For the problem that you have chosen identify the modules (see guidelines from Lecture 3), and
identify the inputs and outputs for each module. For simplicity, limit the number of modules to
below eight (8) at this point.

Place the modules on the main diagonal of an N 2 -matrix, initially in a random order. Identify
feedforward and feedback paths by using the identifiers for each variable from the “master” table
you assembled in (b1).

Rearrange the N 2 -matrix to minimize the number of feedback loops.

(b3) Block diagram


Sketch a block diagram that shows how the modules from (b2) work together and how you would
wrap a trade space exploration tool or optimizer around your simulation model. You don’t actually
have to implement this (yet).

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