Computer Experiments for Concurrent Engineering

Objective

The introduction of Concurrent Enginnering has led not
only to reduced time to market but also to an integrated
approach to product and process development This last
aspect has a strong potential for achieving more
performant design solutions through an optimization
process that takes into account all product relevant
aspects. However. presently, this possibility is not
fully exploited owing to the lack of tools that allow to
tackle, at the same time, multiple design aspects leading
to globally optimal solutions. The main objective of
this project is the development of a general purpose tool
and methodology that allows to achieve multiobjective
optimization through the use of numerical simulation
codes.
The key idea of the project is to design, implement and
test a system which replaces two or more simulation codes
(simulators) by FAST EMULATORS (mathematical functions)
which mimic behaviour of the simulators but run hundreds
or thousands of times faster, and to adjoin to these a
suitably designed MULTI OBJECTIVE OPTIMISER.
The emulators will be based on a methodology based on the
Design and Analysis of Computer Experiments which has
already proved highly successful in the electronic field
and preliminary studies show that this can be ported to
other domains. The main components are:

Design and Analysis of computer experiments for fitting
the emulators to the simulators
Multi objective optimiser using the latest algorithms,
including global optimisation
Graphics and analysis module for interface with the
designer
Connectors to cope with diverse input/output and data
structures for different simulators.

It is expected that design lead times in a multiobjective
environment will be reduced by up to 20%.

The project will be tested both during design and
validation on real case studies which are typical of the
kind of complex design areas where the software will be
used and are also relevant from the point of view of
safety and environmental impact.

The Consortium comprises the research centre of FIAT
(CRF), an aeronautic company (SNECMA), a software company
(INTRASOFT) and research/academic partners (University of
Warwick, CNRS and Politécnico). They have already had
close collaboration precisely in the relevant area of
computer and industrial experiments, optimisation and
computer aided design.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › software

Programme(s)

• FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998

Topic(s)

• 0302 - Transports

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT S.C.P.A.

Address

Strada Torino 50
10043 Orbassano
Italy

Participants (5)

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE

France

Address

250,route Des Lucioles 2000, Bètiment Euclides
06410 Biot

Intrasoft SA

Greece

Address

2,adrianou Street
11525 Athens

POLITECNICO DI TORINO

Italy

Address

Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24
10129 Torino

Société Nationale d'Etudes et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation

France

Address

Centre De Villaroche Moissy Cramayel
77550 Moissy-cramayel

University of Warwick

United Kingdom

Address

Gibbet Hill Road Warwick Science Park
CV4 7AL Coventry