A collaborative platform for integrating and optimising Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis requests

A Virtual Integration Platform (VIP) is described which provides support for the integration of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis tools into an environment that supports the use of these tools in a distributed collaborative manner. The VIP has evolved through previous EU research conducted within the VRShips-ROPAX 2000 (VRShips) project and the current version discussed here was developed predominantly within the VIRTUE project but also within the SAFEDOR project. The VIP is described with respect to the support it provides to designers and analysts in coordinating and optimising CFD analysis requests. Two case studies are provided that illustrate the application of the VIP within HSVA: the use of a panel code for the evaluation of geometry variations in order to improve propeller efficiency; and, the use of a dedicated maritime RANS code (FreSCo) to improve the wake distribution for the VIRTUE tanker. A discussion is included detailing the background, application and results from the use of the VIP within these two case studies as well as how the platform was of benefit during the development and a consideration of how it can benefit HSVA in the future

Integration of system design and production processes in robust mechatronic product architectures development: Extended M-FBFP framework

Složenost mehatroničkih proizvoda, kao što su sustavi klima komora, dovodi do ogromnih poteškoća u sagledavanju gdje su glavne neučinkovitosti u procesu. Dakle, vrlo je teško odlučiti koja će poboljšanja imati najznačajniji utjecaj na tvrtku ili za određeni projekt. Mehatronički proizvodi se odlikuju visokim stupnjem interdisciplinarnosti i složenosti u tehničkom sustavu i pripadajućem razvojnom procesu. Ovdje nam kao glavni izazov predstavlja kako se nositi s visokom složenošću i raznolikošću međuovisnosti u takvim proizvodima. Stoga je ovdje predstavljeno okruženje za integraciju modeliranja mehatroničkih proizvoda i proizvodnih procesa - prošireno M-FBFP okruženje. Ono nam nudi različite nezavisne poglede na cijeli proizvod kako bi se poboljšala njegova arhitektura. Kao rezultat predloženog okruženja, analize rizika u podsustavima kroz domenu komponenata i u procesima kroz domenu tehničkih procesa postaje moguća, te putem dobivenih povratnih informacija mogu se raditi izmjene u arhitekturi proizvoda. Da bi se testirala valjanost predloženog okruženja, ovdje je predstavljen primjer s klima komorom s regeneracijom topline.The complexity of mechatronic products, such as climate chamber subsystems, results in enormous difficulties in understanding where the main design process inefficiencies are. It is therefore extremely difficult to determine which improvements will have the most significant impact on a company or on a specific project. Mechatronic products are characterized by a high level of interdisciplinarity and complexity in the technical system and the relevant development processes. The main challenge in this respect is how to deal with the high complexity of and a variety of interdependencies in such products. We are therefore presenting a framework for integrated mechatronic product and process modelling - extended M-FBFP framework. This framework provides different independent perspectives of the overall product to improve their architecture. As a result of the proposed framework, risk analysis through subsystems in the components domain and through processes in the technical processes domain is enabled and it is now possible to provide feedback on product architecture. To obtain optimally robust product architectures from available alternative solutions, an evaluation analysis was performed across all stages, including the initialization and subsequent refinements with several evaluation criteria: complexity, interdependency and process duration. To test the validity of the proposed framework, we are presenting a case study involving a climate chamber with heat regeneration

Aircraft systems architecting: a functional-logical domain perspective

Presented is a novel framework for early systems architecture design. The framework defines data structures and algorithms that enable the systems architect to operate interactively and simultaneously in both the functional and logical domains. A prototype software tool, called AirCADia Architect, was implemented, which allowed the framework to be evaluated by practicing aircraft systems architects. The evaluation confirmed that, on the whole, the approach enables the architects to effectively express their creative ideas when synthesizing new architectures while still retaining control over the process

Multi Domain Design: Integration and Reuse

Design of mechatronic systems is becoming increasingly complex. Companies must continuously reduce time-to-market while increasing the quality, diversity, and functionality of their products. As a result, more and more specialists from various domains are needed to develop such products. To reduce time-to-market, many companies look to reducing the time it takes to design a product. Many focus on the reuse of design objects, leading to libraries of templates and standard components to speed up their design process. However, these reusable design objects are developed and maintained in the specialists’ domains, resulting in communication and integration issues between these domains. This paper discusses these issues and proposes a combined approach for model reuse, design integration, and communication between the designers, design tools, and models involved. A case study at a multi-national company successfully demonstrated that the approach leads to a faster and more consistent design process

Design core competence diagnosis : A case from the automotive industry.

International audience1990's have been marked by significant changes both in the strategic management field, with the development of competence-based management and the use of the concept of valuecreating network, and in the design management field, with the diffusion of matrix-based tools that help to manage the interdependencies between three domains of design projects: product, process, and organization. Few researchers have helped to link these two fields. However, design managers need to use these fields closely together in order to enhance the firm's sustainable competitiveness. Indeed specialists of engineering management have already underlined that design organizations are responsible for the development of lines of products that have to satisfy distinctive stakeholders' requirements. Thus, design organizations strongly contribute to the firm's core competence. In this paper, we outline a method for diagnosing design core competence. We intend to couple strategic management concepts and design management concepts to represent and evaluate design core competence in relation to the product, process, and organizational architectures. The proposed method aims to highlight crucial design organizations, which should require particular managerial attention. The method has been researched and constructed in collaboration with a car design office, and applied in the case of a new robotized gearbox design

Robust product architecture development combining matrix-based approaches and function-based failure propagation method: M-FBFP framework

Ovaj rad predlaže okruženje M-FBFP sa ciljem da se pomogne konstruktorima prilikom rešavanja problema sa rizikom, koji se pojavljuje u arhitekturi proizvoda, te sa efektima pri radu u neizvesnim radnim uslovima. Predloženo okruženje predstavlja kombinaciju matrično baziranih pristupa (QFD i MDM) i FBFP metode. QFD pristup je integrisani skup alata za prikupljanje zahteva korisnika, inženjerskih karakteristika, koje zadovoljavaju te zahteve, te ostalih veza između inženjerskih karakteristika, dok se MDM pristup primenjuje za modeliranje struktura i zavisnosti između domena, te unutar samih njih. FBFP metoda se primenjuje na funkcionalnom nivou, te nam daje potencijalnu informaciju o nedostatku ili grešci u samim funkcijama proizvoda i njegovim podsistemima tokom faze projektovanja. Kao rezultat ovog okruženja, moguće je sprovesti analizu rizika u podsistemima proizvoda i samim tim dobiti povratnu informaciju, da li je nešto u predloženoj arhitekturi potrebno dodati ili promeniti. U okviru ovog rada prikazan je primer klima-komore sa regeneracijom toplote, čime je prikazan princip rada predloženog okruženja.This paper proposes an M-FBFP framework with the objective to help designers tackle the problem of risk emerging from product architecture and the effects of uncertain operating conditions. The proposed framework combines matrix approaches (QFD and MDM) and the FBFP method. The QFD is an integrated set of tools for recording user requirements, engineering characteristics that satisfy these requirements, and any tradeoffs that might be necessary between the engineering characteristics, while the MDM is applied to model structural arrangements and dependencies between the domains and within themselves. The FBFP method, on the other hand, is applied at the functional level, provides potential failure information based on product functions during conceptual design in product subsystems. As a result of the proposed framework, risk analysis of subsystems becomes possible and feedback on product architecture could be provided. To test validity of the proposed approach, here is presented a case study with climate chamber with heat regeneration