Design Optimization

PE 5022

By: Abebaw Mekonnen (M.Tech)

DU, Production Engineering Dept.
Mechanical Design Section

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 Chapter One Introduction To Design
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:
• Describe the overall process of designing systems
• Distinguish between engineering design and engineering analysis
activity
• Distinguish between the conventional design process and
optimum design process
• Distinguish between the optimum design and optimal control
problems
• Understand the notations used for operations with vectors,
matrices, and functions

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 Introduction
 Optimization is derived from the Latin word
“optimus”, the best.
Thus optimization focuses on
● “Making things better”
● “Generating more profit”
● “Determining the best”
● “Do more with less ”
 The determination of values for design variables
which is minimize (maximize) the objective,
while satisfying all constraints
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Optimization is defined as a mathematical process of
obtaining the set of conditions to produce the maximum
or the minimum value of a function.

 It is ideal to obtain the perfect solution to a design

situation.

 Usually all of us must always work within the

constraints of the time and funds available, we can
only hope for the best solution possible.

 Optimization is simply a technique that aids in

decision making but does not replace sound judgment and
technical know‐how
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 The Design Process
 The design of many engineering systems can be a
How do complex process.
I  The design of a system begins by analyzing various
begin to options. Subsystems and their components are
identified, designed, and tested.
design a
 This process results in a set of drawings,
system? calculations, and reports by which the system can
be fabricated.
We shall use a systems engineering model to
describe the design process. some basic concepts
will be discussed using a simple block diagram.

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 Design is an iterative process.
 The designer’s experience, intuition, and
ingenuity(creativity) are required in the design of
systems in most fields of engineering (aerospace,
automotive, civil, chemical, industrial, electrical,
mechanical, hydraulic, and transportation).
Examples ….

 Iterative implies analyzing several trial designs one

after another until an acceptable design is obtained.
In the design process, the designer estimates a
trial design of the system based on experience,
intuition, or some mathematical analysis.
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A system evolution model.

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 Engineering Design vs. Engineering Analysis

Can I design without analysis?

 The analysis problem is concerned with determining
the behavior of an existing system or a trial system
being designed for a given task.
 Determination of the behavior of the system implies
calculation of its response under specified inputs.
 Analysis capability must be available in the design
process, the sizes of various parts and their
configurations are given for the analysis problem, i.e.,
the design of the system is known.
 On the other hand, the design process calculates the
sizes and shapes of various parts of the system to meet
performance requirements. The design of a system is a
trial and error procedure.
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 Conventional vs. Optimum Design
Process
It is a challenge for engineers to design
efficient and cost-effective systems without
compromising the integrity of the system.
 The conventional design process depends on
the designer’s intuition, experience, and skill.
 The main advantage in the conventional design
process is that the designer’s experience and
intuition can be used in making conceptual
changes in the system or to make additional
specifications in the procedure.
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 Disadvantages of conventional
design process:
◦ treatment of complex constraints (such
as limits on vibration frequencies) as
well as inputs (for example, when the
structure is subjected to a variety of
loading conditions).
◦ can lead to uneconomical designs and
can involve a lot of calendar time
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 The optimum design process forces the
designer to identify explicitly a set of design
variables, an objective function to be
optimized, and the constraint functions for
the system.
 This rigorous formulation of the design problem
helps the designer gain a better understanding
of the problem.
 Proper mathematical formulation procedure
of the design problem is a key to good
solutions.
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Conventional design process.

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Optimum design process.

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Optimum Design vs. Optimal Control

 Optimal control problems can be transformed

into optimum design problems
 The optimal control problem consists of finding
feedback controllers for a system to produce the
desired output.
 The system has active elements that sense
fluctuations in the output. System controls are
automatically adjusted to correct the situation
and optimize a measure of performance.
 Control problems are usually dynamic in nature.
 Example, Automotive speed control using fuel

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 Optimization in the design process
Is there any one aircraft which is the fastest,
most efficient, quietest, most inexpensive?

“You can
only make
one thing
best at a
time.”

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 Optimization popularity (Increasingly
popular):

 Increasing availability of numerical modeling

techniques
 Increasing availability of cheap computer power
 Increased competition, global markets
 Better and more powerful optimization techniques
 Increasingly expensive production processes
(trial‐and‐error approach too expensive)
 More engineers having optimization knowledge

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Optimization pitfalls!

 Proper problem formulation critical!

 Choosing the right algorithm for a given
problem
 Many algorithms contain lots of control
parameters
 Optimization tends to exploit weaknesses in
models
 Optimization can result in very sensitive
designs
 Some problems are simply too hard / large /
expensive

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 What can be achieved by
optimization?
Engineering design is to create artifacts to perform
desired functions under given constraints
 Common goals for engineering design
 Functionality
 Better performance: More efficient or effective ways to
execute tasks
 Multiple functions Capabilities to execute two or more
tasks simultaneously
 Value
 Higher perceived value: More features with less price
 Lower total cost: Same or better ownership and
sustainability with lower cost

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 Basic Terminology and Notation
Design variables:
 Parameters whose numerical values are to be
determined to achieve the optimum design.
 They include such values such as; size or weight,
or the number of teeth in a gear, coils in a spring,
or tubes in a heat exchanger, or etc.
 Design parameters represent any number of
variables that may be required to quantify or
completely describe an engineering system.
 The number of variables depends upon the type
of design involved. As this number increases, so
does the complexity of the solution to the design
problems?
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Constraints:
 Numerical values of identified conditions that must
be satisfied to achieve a feasible solution to a given
problem.
 External constraints:
 Uncontrolled restrictions or specifications imposed
on a system by an outside agency.
 Ex.: Laws and regulations set by governmental
agencies, allowable materials for house construction
 Internal constraints:
 Restrictions imposed by the designer with a keen
understanding of the physical system.
 Ex.: Fundamental laws of conservation of mass,
momentum, and energy

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Design space:
 The total region or domain defined by
the design variables in the objective
functions–Usually limited by constraints•
 The use of constraints is especially
important in restricting the region where
optimal values of the design variables can
be searched.

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Rn -n‐dimensional Euclidean (real) space
x -column vector of variables, a point in Rn
x=[x1,x2,…..,xn]T
f(x), f -objective function
x* -local optimizer
f(x*) -optimum function value
gj(x), gj - jth inequality constraint function
g(x) -vector of inequality constraint
hj(x), hj - jth equality constraint function
h(x) -vector of equality constraint function
C1 -set of continuous differentiable functions
C2 -set of continuous and twice differentiable
continuous functions

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The optimum vector x that solves the formerly defined
problem is denoted by x* with the corresponding
optimum function value f(x*).

 If no constraints are specified, the problem is called

an unconstrained minimization problem

 Other names of Mathematical Optimization

- Mathematical programming
- Numerical optimization

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Mathematical optimization is the process of
1. Formulation and
2.The solution of a constrained optimization problem of the
general mathematical form is:
Minimize f(x), where: x =[x1,x2,…,xn]T Є R
subject to constraints:
gj(x) ≤ 0, j=1,2, … , m
hj(x) = 0, j=1, 2, …. ,r
Where f(x), gj(x) and hj(x) are scalar functions of the real column
vector

- The continuous components of xi of x =[x1,x2,…, xn]T are called

the (design) variables
- f(x) is the objective function,
- gj(x) denotes inequality constraints, and
- hj(x) the equality constraint function
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Objective and Constraint functions
- The values of the functions f(x), gj(x), hj(x) at any point
x= [x1,x2,…, xn]T gj(x), may in practice be obtained in
different ways
i). From analytically known formula, e.g., f(x)= x12 +2x22+Sin
x3
ii). As the outcome of some complicated computational
process e.g., g1(x) = a(x) –amax, where a(x) is the stress,
computed by means of a finite element analysis, at some
point in structure, the design of which is specified by x;
or
iii). From measurement taken of a physical process, e.g.,
h1(x)= T(x)‐To, where T(x) is the temperature measured at
some specified point in a reactor, and x is the vector of
operational settings.
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 Basics
Design variables: variables with which the design
problem is parameterized:
X= (x1, x2,...,xn)

Objective function: quantity that is to be

minimized (maximized)
Usually denoted by: f (x)
( “cost function”)

Constraint: condition that has to be satisfied

Inequality constraint: g(x) ≤ 0

Equality constraint: h(x) = 0

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