Set-based design techniques for the systematic and interactive exploration of complex product evolvability

Abstract

While computational approaches to perform design exploration of product evolvability during conceptual design exist, these are often hindered by a lack of interactive methods and down-selection criteria that can reduce the number of design options when evolvability is considered. This paper presents computational techniques that address these limitations, introducing design filtering techniques that apply set-based design criteria for systematic down-selection of potential designs. In particular, the set-based design criteria of interval dominance, maximality, and E-admissibility were adapted for evolvability exploration studies. Additionally, a novel interactive filtering strategy, called ‘constrain and union’, is proposed to further narrow down the number of design options in an interactive manner. These methods were implemented in a computational tool, AirCADia, enabling rapid and interactive evolvability design space exploration. The use of these techniques is then demonstrated through their application to the evolvability investigation of design options for a future short-to-medium range environmentally friendly civil transport aircraft. Maximality and E-admissibility were shown to be particularly effective in reducing the far-future design space, which could guide the focus of designers on particular far-future technologies. On the other hand, the constrain and union strategy showed promise in filtering out both near- and far-future design options.