C H A P T E R

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Introduction to Design Optimization

U p o n c o m p l e t i o n o f t h i s c h a p t e r, y o u w i l l b e a b l e t o
• Describe the overall process of designing • Distinguish between optimum design and
systems optimal control problems
• Distinguish between engineering design and • Understand the notations used for
engineering analysis activities operations with vectors, matrices, and
• Distinguish between the conventional functions and their derivatives
design process and the optimum design
process

Engineering consists of a number of well-established activities, including analysis,

design, fabrication, sales, research, and development of systems. The subject of this text—
the design of systems—is a major field in the engineering profession. The process of design-
ing and fabricating systems has been developed over centuries. The existence of many
complex systems, such as buildings, bridges, highways, automobiles, airplanes, space vehi-
cles, and others, is an excellent testimonial to its long history. However, the evolution of
such systems has been slow and the entire process is both time-consuming and costly,
requiring substantial human and material resources. Therefore, the procedure has been to
design, fabricate, and use a system regardless of whether it is the best one. Improved sys-
tems have been designed only after a substantial investment has been recovered.
The preceding discussion indicates that several systems can usually accomplish the
same task, and that some systems are better than others. For example, the purpose of a
bridge is to provide continuity in traffic from one side of the river to the other side.
Several types of bridges can serve this purpose. However, to analyze and design all possi-
bilities can be time-consuming and costly. Usually one type is selected based on some pre-
liminary analyses and is designed in detail.
The design of a system can be formulated as problems of optimization in which a perfor-
mance measure is optimized while all other requirements are satisfied. Many numerical
methods of optimization have been developed and used to design better systems. This text

Introduction to Optimum Design 1 © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2 1. INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN OPTIMIZATION

describes the basic concepts of optimization and numerical methods for the design of engi-
neering systems. Design process, rather than optimization theory, is emphasized. Various
theorems are stated as results without rigorous proofs; however, their implications from
an engineering point of view are discussed.
Any problem in which certain parameters need to be determined to satisfy constraints
can be formulated as one optimization problem. Once this has been done, the concepts
and methods described in this text can be used to solve it. For this reason, the optimization
techniques are quite general, having a wide range of applicability in diverse fields. It is
impossible to discuss every application of optimization concepts and techniques in this
introductory text. However, using simple applications, we discuss concepts, fundamental
principles, and basic techniques that are used in numerous applications. The student
should understand them without becoming bogged down with the notation, terminology,
and details of the particular area of application.

1.1 THE DESIGN PROCESS

How Do I Begin to Design a System?
The design of many engineering systems can be a complex process. Assumptions
must be made to develop realistic models that can be subjected to mathematical analysis
by the available methods, and the models must be verified by experiments. Many possi-
bilities and factors must be considered during problem formulation. Economic considera-
tions play an important role in designing cost-effective systems. To complete the design
of an engineering system, designers from different fields of engineering usually must
cooperate. For example, the design of a high-rise building involves designers from archi-
tectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and environmental engineering as well as con-
struction management experts. Design of a passenger car requires cooperation among
structural, mechanical, automotive, electrical, chemical, hydraulics design, and human
factors engineers. Thus, in an interdisciplinary environment considerable interaction is
needed among various design teams to complete the project. For most applications the
entire design project must be broken down into several subproblems, which are then
treated somewhat independently. Each of the subproblems can be posed as a problem of
optimum design.
The design of a system begins with the analysis of various options. Subsystems and
their components are identified, designed, and tested. This process results in a set of draw-
ings, calculations, and reports by which the system can be fabricated. We use a systems
engineering model to describe the design process. Although a complete discussion of this
subject is beyond the scope of this text, some basic concepts are discussed using a simple
block diagram.
Design is an iterative process. Iterative implies analyzing several trial designs one after
another until an acceptable design is obtained. It is important to understand the concept of
trial design. In the design process, the designer estimates a trial design of the system based
on experience, intuition, or some simple mathematical analyses. The trial design is then
analyzed to determine if it is acceptable. If it is, the design process is terminated. In the
optimization process, the trial design is analyzed to determine if it is the best. Depending

I. THE BASIC CONCEPTS

 1.1 THE DESIGN PROCESS 3

1 2 3 4 5
System Preliminary Detailed Prototype System Final
System specification design design system testing design
needs and fabrication
objectives

FIGURE 1.1 System evolution model.

on the specifications, “best” can have different connotations for different systems. In gen-
eral, it implies that a system is cost-effective, efficient, reliable, and durable. The basic con-
cepts are described in this text to aid the engineer in designing systems at the minimum
cost and in the shortest amount of time.
The design process should be well organized. To discuss it, we consider a system evolu-
tion model, shown in Figure 1.1, where the process begins with the identification of a need
that may be conceived by engineers or non-engineers. The five steps of the model in the
figure are described in the following paragraphs.
The first step in the evolutionary process is to precisely define the specifications for the
system. Considerable interaction between the engineer and the sponsor of the project is
usually necessary to quantify the system specifications.
The second step in the process is to develop a preliminary design of the system. Various
system concepts are studied. Since this must be done in a relatively short time, simplified
models are used at this stage. Various subsystems are identified and their preliminary
designs estimated. Decisions made at this stage generally influence the system’s final
appearance and performance. At the end of the preliminary design phase, a few promising
concepts that need further analysis are identified.
The third step in the process is a detailed design for all subsystems using the iterative pro-
cess described earlier. To evaluate various possibilities, this must be done for all previ-
ously identified promising concepts. The design parameters for the subsystems must be
identified. The system performance requirements must be identified and satisfied. The
subsystems must be designed to maximize system worth or to minimize a measure of the
cost. Systematic optimization methods described in this text aid the designer in accelerat-
ing the detailed design process. At the end of the process, a description of the system is
available in the form of reports and drawings.
The fourth and fifth steps shown in Figure 1.1 may or may not be necessary for all sys-
tems. They involve fabrication of a prototype system and testing, and are necessary when
the system must be mass-produced or when human lives are involved. These steps may
appear to be the final ones in the design process, but they are not because the system may
not perform according to specifications during the testing phase. Therefore, the specifica-
tions may have to be modified or other concepts may have to be studied. In fact, this re-
examination may be necessary at any point during the design process. It is for this reason
that feedback loops are placed at every stage of the system evolution process, as shown in

I. THE BASIC CONCEPTS