COMODE · COnceptual MOdelling DEsign: experimentation and implementation of a new conceptual design method
FP6 — Marie Curie Actions (Human Resources and Mobility)
- Duration
- 2005-11-01 → 2007-10-31
- EU contribution
- €173,731
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- EIF
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Results in brief
Final Activity Report Summary - COMODE (Conceptual modelling design: experimentation and implementation of a new conceptual design method)
The COMODE project fundamental aim was to pursue the development of an original design framework based on topologic principles and dimensional analysis theory. Consequently, the three fundamental objectives of the COMODE project were consisting of doing an extensive experimentation process, a compilation and selection of appropriate quantitative data, an implementation of the developed methodology in the form of a computer program. All these objectives have been processed according to the time table. The extensive experimentation process has been done first. The collection of practical case has also been completed during the first year. The experimental phase with young designers has been implemented using students has study group. The results have demonstrated that the approach was very useful in order to summarise and compact complex design problems. A prototype software based on the CES4 software from Granta Design has been developed and applied to the selection of a new technology used for providing electricity to a new type of vehicle. The project has resulted in 19 publications (2 accepted journal publication, 1 submitted journal publication, 1 article in a collective book and 15 articles in international conferences with reading comities and publications in proceedings). We have one pending patent and prototype software that we expect to commercialise in the future. The project has also provided for the trainee the ability to co-supervise two PhD theses (Tanja Saarelainen and François Christophe), three master theses and four bachelor theses. Several research agreements have been signed linked with the COMODE project during the two years (Tsukuba University, Ilmenau University, Ecole Centrale Nantes, Ecole Centrale Paris). The COMODE project is actually followed by two other research projects of three years financed by the Helsinki University of Technology and by Finnish Academy of Sciences. Eric Coatanéa has applied on a professorship in our laboratory and has been selected for the job by the selection board of HUT. At the moment industrial contact are developed and the technology developed during the project has raised interest of companies such as Peugeot-Citroën and Bosch.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Many researches in the field of engineering indicate that an important part of the cost of a product is being committed during the design phase and more specifically during the early stage of the design process. Decisions made at the conceptual design stag e have important influence on factors such as cost, performance, reliability, safety and environmental impact of a product. For these reasons, companies and researchers have already put more emphasis on the conceptual design process. Many methodologies and guidelines have been developed in order to assist the different phases of the conceptual design process. Those methods remain unsatisfactory on the scientific point of view because of their poor degree of measurability and repeatability when having to dea l with the evaluation, the comparison of the different concepts of solutions, and the degree in which they meet the initial list of requirements. The conceptual design activity is lacking from a unified framework being able to treat the multidisciplinary a nd interdisciplinary aspects of design. Based on this analysis the candidate has developed during his PhD a coherent conceptual design methodology able to model the life cycle design process, to compare, to rank and to evaluate concepts of solutions quant itatively and qualitatively. Its scientific background is coming from General Design Theory and dimensional analysis theory. This method has been successfully tested in automation problems. A complete scientific procedure requires a more extensive experime ntation process with case studies coming from various fields of engineering. In addition, the methodology needs to be implemented in a computer program and to be coupled with a quantitative database in order to use its entire potential. The variety of the industrial contacts gathered by the host institution, the laboratory of Machine Design at HUT and the professional skills of its staff will be helpful in supporting the candidate's objectives.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY · ESPOOCoordinatorFinland
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union