Modern Engineering Design and Optimization

Engineering Design, in its modern form, is undergoing a transformation from "a process leading to producing a product" to "a product in itself that should be optimally designed". Due to advances in technology, products have become more complex and advanced, requiring the formation of new design methods and concepts, high performance analysis tools and more powerful optimization/modification algorithms. Computational Intelligence (CI) techniques are used to develop models, algorithms and software that are, in some sense, intelligent. These techniques now are becoming essential for modern engineering design. Development of high performance multi-objective optimisation algorithms, design decision support systems, design automation tools and methods and carrying out large-scale multidisciplinary and integrated designs are some of the applications of CI techniques in modern engineering design.

The MEDO group current research covers the following areas:

• Reliability driven design and design under uncertainties
• Design decision support systems for integrated and multi-disciplinary design problems
• Multi-objective Optimization
• High performance analysis tools
• Life cycle modelling at conceptual design

Among the researchers working in this area are Dr Alireza Maheri, Dr John Tan and Dr Wai Ming Cheung .

Recent Publications

Maheri A, "A Finite Element Suite for Deformation Analysis of Composite Aeroelastic Structures Subjected to Operational Aerodynamic Loading", Proc. IMechE-C, Journal of Mechanical Science, Available online Nov 2011.

Maheri A, Isikveren AT, "Design of a Single DOF Kinematic Chain Using Hybrid GA-Pattern Search and Sequential GA", Proc. IMechE-C, Journal of Mechanical Science, Available online Oct 2011.

Richardson TS, Beaverstock CS, Isikveren AT, Maheri A, Badcock K & Da Ronch, A, "Analysis of the Boeing 747-100 Using CEASIOM",　Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 47(8), pp 660-673, 2011

Safari D, Maheri MR, Maheri A, "Optimum Design of Steel Frames Using a Multiple-Deme GA with Improved Reproduction Operators", Constructional Steel Research, 67 (8), pp 1232-1243, 2011

Maheri A, Daadbin A, "High Performance Finite Element Analysis of Composite Aeroelastic Structures", High Performance Structures and Materials V, Editors de Wilde WP and Brebbia CA, WIT Press, pp 15-26, 2010. (Invited Paper)

Cheung WM, Newnes, LB, Mileham, AR, Marsh, R, Lanham, JD, Data Modelling and Optimization in Cost Estimation for Innovative Low Volume Product Development, the 7th International Conference on Manufacturing Research, the University of Warwick, UK, pp 143-147, 6-8 September 2009.

Maheri A, Isikveren, AT, A Parallel Genetic Algorithm for Optimal Synthesis of a Morphing Aerofoil, in Proceedings of the First International Conference on Parallel, Distributed and Grid Computing for Engineering, B.H.V. Topping , P. Ivanyi, (Editors), Civil-Comp Press, Stirlingshire, UK, Paper 9, 2009.

Cheung WM, Schaefer, D, Product Lifecycle Management: State-of-the-art and Future Perspectives, In: M.M. Cruz-Cunha (Eds), Enterprise Information Systems for Business Integration in SMEs: Technological, Organizational and Social Dimensions, (Advances in Information Management book series), Edited By: Maria Manuela Cruz-Cunha, Polytechnic Institute of Cavado and Ave, Portugal, Pages: 396, 2009.

Beaverstock CS, Richardson TS, Isikveren AT, Maheri A, "Complete Flight Control System Integration and Optimisation from a Conceptual Design Phase", 27th International Congress of the Aeronautical Sciences, Nice, France, 2010.

Beaverstock CS, Maheri A, Richardson, T, Isikveren, AT, Integrated Hardware and Software Optimization of Conceptual Flight Control System Development, Aircraft Design and Development Symposium, Kanata, Ontario, 5-8 May 2009.

Beaverstock CS, Maheri A, Richardson TS, Lowenberg MH, Isikveren AT, Methods for Conceptual Flight Control System Design, Proceedings of the 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Orlando, Florida, USA, AIAA paper 1620, 2009.

Maheri A, Isikveren, AT, Design of Wind Turbine Passive Smart Blades, European Wind Energy Conference, Marseille, France, 16-19 March 2009.

Cheung WM, Mileham, AR, Newnes, LB, Marsh, R, Lanham, JD, An Extended-Enterprise Digital Data Library for Through-Life Cost Estimation in Innovative Product Development, Proceedings of the 6th CIRP-Sponsored International Conference on Digital Enterprise Technology, pp 349-360, 2009.

Cheung WM, Newnes, LB, Mileham, AR, Marsh, R, Lanham, JD, Through Life Costing in Defence Electronic Systems: An Integrated Data-driven Multi-level Approach, the Proceedings of the 38th International Conference in Computer and Industrial Engineering, CIE2008, Beijing, China, 3, pp 2119-2128, 31st October-2nd November 2008.

Newnes, LB, Mileham, AR, Cheung, WM, Marsh, R, Lanham, JD, Ebrahimzadeh Saravi, M, Bradbery, RW, Predicting the Whole-Life Cost of a Product at the Conceptual Design Stage, Journal of Engineering Design, 19 (12), pp99-112, 2008.

Maheri A, Isikveren, AT, Variable-State Design Parameters in Design of Aero-Structures Made of Intrinsically Smart Materials, High Performance Structures and Materials IV, Editors de Wilde WP and Brebbia CA, WIT Press, pp 421-430, 2008.

Maheri A, Isikveren, AT, Facilitating Meta-design Techniques for Multi-disciplinary Conceptual design, Adaptive Computing in Design and Manufacture, Bristol, UK, 2008.

Maheri A, Noroozi, S, Vinney, J, Application of combined analytical/FEA coupled-aero-structure simulation in design of wind turbine adaptive blades, Renewable Energy, 32(12), pp 2011-2018, 2007.

Maheri A, Noroozi, S, Vinney, J, Decoupled design of wind turbine adaptive blades, Renewable Energy, 32(10), pp 1753-1767, 2007.

Maheri A, Noroozi, S, Vinney, J, Combined Analytical/FEA-based Coupled-Aero-Structure Simulation of Wind Turbines with Bend-Twist Adaptive Blades, Renewable Energy, 32 (6), pp 916-930, 2007.

Maheri A, Noroozi, S, Toomer, C, Vinney, J, Efficient meshing of a wind turbine blade using force adaptive mesh sizing functions, Renewable Energy, 32 (1), pp 95-104, 2007.

Maheri A, Maheri MR, Optimum Geometry Design of Plane Trusses Supporting Distributed Loads Using Genetic Algorithms, in Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on the Application of Artificial Intelligence to Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, B.H.V. Topping, (Editor), Civil-Comp Press, Stirlingshire, UK, Paper 10, 2007.

Cheung WM, Newnes, LB, Mileham, AR, Marsh, R, Lanham, JD, A Study of Life Cycle Costing in the Perspectives of Research and Commercial Applications in the 21st Century, the Proceedings of the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, IDETC/CIE 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, September 4-7, 2007.

Maheri A, Noroozi, S, Toomer, C, Vinney, J, WTAB a Computer Program for Predicting the Performance of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines with Adaptive Blades, Renewable Energy, 31(11), pp 1673-1685, 2006.

Tan JK, Specification of Design Margins: A probabilistic Multiple Criteria Approach, Proceedings of the Advanced Engineering Design Conference, paper 071, Prague, Czech Republic, 11 - 14th June 2006.