Engineering equipment conceptual design methodology: using function units configuration and schemes iterative solution

Abstract

Engineering equipment can efficiently assist humans in completing engineering projects and reduce work intensity. As the difficulty and scope of operations increase, higher requirements are placed on function and integration. In product design, excessive user requirements and design constraints lead to discrete results, difficult to converge. Under multi-functionality and high integration constraints, traditional mapping sub-functions to structures one by one results in overabundant mappings, and discrete, redundant structures after mapping, poorly achieving integration and reducing subsequent iteration efficiency. To address these issues, this paper proposes a conceptual design methodology for engineering equipment with function units configuration and schemes iterative solution. First, the Fuzzy Quality Function Deployment (FQFD) method applies fuzzy theory to requirement-to-function conversion, overcoming ambiguity and subjectivity of user requirements. Second, with the goal of integrated structures, an improved FBS method, i.e. Function-Function Units-Structure (FFUS), aggregates sub-functions after decomposition into function units, and then maps to structures, improving engineering equipment integration. Moreover, the Interactive Genetic Algorithm (IGA) method involves users in an interactive process to generate an optimised design scheme, overcoming blind solution generation. Prototype design and simulation of 8VN1 Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) handing equipment demonstrate that the methodologies are effective in aiding engineering equipment conceptual design.

KEYWORDS:

• Engineering equipment conceptual design
• function units configuration
• iterative optimisation solution
• 8VN1 GIS

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Guangdong Philosophy and Social Science Foundation: [Grant Number GD23XYS087]; Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support Program: [Grant Number 2022ZDZX0040 and  2023YFG0058].