Automated Multi-Level Dynamic System Topology Design Synthesis
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Freelance Software Developer, 4261 TL Wijk en Aalborg, The Netherlands
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Punch Powertrain, 5653 LD Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Software Engineering and Technology Group, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Control Systems Technology Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vehicles 2020, 2(4), 603-624; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vehicles2040035
Received: 4 November 2020 / Revised: 23 November 2020 / Accepted: 24 November 2020 / Published: 28 November 2020
Designing new mechatronic systems for vehicle applications is a complex and time-consuming process. The increasing computational power allows us to generate automatically novel and new mechatronic discrete-topology concepts in an efficient manner. Using state-of-the-art computational design synthesis techniques assures that the complete search space, given a finite set of system elements, is processed to find all feasible topologies. The topology generation is done by converting the design synthesis problem into a constraint satisfaction problem. Accordingly, this mathematical problem is solved by assigning the presence of components and connections to variables, whereby a set of mathematical constraints need to be satisfied. These constraints capture, in essence, formalized engineering knowledge. After solving this problem, the results are post-processed to discard redundant topologies due to isomorphism. In this paper, a newly developed software application with automated constraint generation is presented that facilitates the topology generation with multiple system levels in a loop. The scalability of the problem and the different levels of expressiveness are analyzed, and the influence of the abstraction level choice on the search space is discussed. Finally, a relevant mechatronic design study from the automotive engineering field is discussed concerning the topology synthesis of alternative electro-hydraulic actuation systems being part of new continuously variable transmission topologies, thus showing its applicability.
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Keywords:
generative engineering; computational design synthesis; constraint programming; discrete topology design; mechatronic systems; mechanical engineering; continuously variable transmissions; vehicle technology
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MDPI and ACS Style
Kort, A.-J.; Wijkniet, J.; Serebrenik, A.; Hofman, T. Automated Multi-Level Dynamic System Topology Design Synthesis. Vehicles 2020, 2, 603-624. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vehicles2040035
AMA Style
Kort A-J, Wijkniet J, Serebrenik A, Hofman T. Automated Multi-Level Dynamic System Topology Design Synthesis. Vehicles. 2020; 2(4):603-624. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vehicles2040035
Chicago/Turabian StyleKort, Aart-Jan; Wijkniet, Jan; Serebrenik, Alexander; Hofman, Theo. 2020. "Automated Multi-Level Dynamic System Topology Design Synthesis" Vehicles 2, no. 4: 603-624. https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/vehicles2040035
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