Fuzzy Methodology for Taxonomy and Knowledge Base Design

This paper summarizes the research results dealing with washer and nut taxonomy and knowledge base design, making the use of fuzzy methodology. In particular, the theory of fuzzy membership functions, similarity matrices, and the operation of fuzzy inference play important roles.A realistic set of 25 washers and nuts are employed to conduct extensive experiments and simulations.The investigation includes a complete demonstration of engineering design. The results obtained from this feasibility study are very encouraging indeed because they represent the lower bound with respect to performance, namely correctrecognition rate, of what fuzzy methodology can do. This lower bound shows high recognition rate even with noisy input patterns, robustness in terms of noise tolerance, and simplicity in hardware implementation. Possible future works are suggested in the conclusion.

A FORMAL REPRESENTATION FOR FEATURE-BASED DESIGN

Feature based design has been regarded as a promising approach for CAD/CAM integration.This paper aims to establish a domain independent representation formalism for feature based design in three aspects: formal representation,design process model and design algorithm.The implementing scheme and formal description of feature taxonomy,feature operator,feature model validation and feature transformation are given in the paper.The feature based design process model suited for either sequencial or concurrent engineering is proposed and its application to product structural design and process plan design is presented. Some general design algorithms for developing feature based design system are also addressed.The proposed scheme provides a formal methodology elementary for feature based design system development and operation in a structural way.

Landscape Design Elements in Rehabilitation Environment Founded on Evidence-based Design

The concept and development history of rehabilitation environment were summarized in this study,principles and techniques of applying evidence-based design in the design of rehabilitation environment were analyzed,classification and functions of landscape elements in rehabilitation environment were particularly discussed.

An evaluation of force-based design vs.direct displacement-based design of jointed precast post-tensioned wall systems

The unique features of jointed post-tensioned wall systems, which include minimum structural damage and re-centering capability when subjected to earthquake lateral loads, are the result of using unbonded post-tensioning to attach the walls to the foundation, along with employing energy dissipating shear connectors between the walls. Using acceptance criteria defined in terms of inter-story drift, residual drift, and floor acceleration, this study presents a multiplelevel performance-based seismic evaluation of two five-story unbonded post-tensioned jointed precast wall systems. The design and analysis of these two wall systems, established as the direct displacement-based and force-based solutions for a prototype building used in the PREcast Seismic Structural Systems （PRESSS） program, were performed at 60% scale so that the analysis model could be validated using the PRESSS test data. Both buildings satisfied the performance criteria at four levels of earthquake motions although the design base shear of the direct displacement-based jointed wall system was 50% of that demanded by the force-based design method. The study also investigated the feasibility of controlling the maximum transient inter-story drift in a jointed wall system by increasing the number of energy dissipating shear connectors between the walls but without significantly affecting its re-centering capability.

A Study on Task-based Language Teaching Syllabus Design

Task-based teaching syllabus becomes more and more popular in modern English teaching. It is widely used in the English teaching from junior to senior high school and even to collage and university education. This paper is mainly studies the relevant research on task-based teaching syllabus and offers some tips on task-based syllabus design.

Strain-based design for buried pipelines subjected to landslides

Landslides are one of the key problems for stability analysis of pipelines in the western region of China where the geological conditions are extremely complicated. In order to offer a theoretical basis for the pipe-soil interaction, the general finite element program ABAQUS is used to analyze the distribution of pipe strain caused by landslide through which the pipeline passes. In this paper the Ramberg-Osgood constitutive equation is used to study the strain-based mechanical characteristics of pipelines. Different calculation schemas are designed by considering the change of spatial relationship between pipeline and landslide, and the change of D/t, diameter-thickness ratio of pipeline. The results indicate that the pipeline is primarily subjected to tension stress when the landslide crosses the pipeline perpendicularly, the pipe strain is a maximum along the central axis of the landslide, and reverse bending occurs on pipeline at both edges of the landslide. The pipeline is primarily subjected to friction force caused by the downward movement of the landslide, and the friction force is relatively small when the landslide is parallel to the pipeline. The pipe strain is in proportional to D/t, and this means decreasing D/t can help to improve security of pipelines subjected to the landslide.

Reliable Space Pursuing for Reliability-based Design Optimization with Black-box Performance Functions

Reliability-based design optimization （RBDO） is intrinsically a double-loop procedure since it involves an overall optimization and an iterative reliability assessment at each search point. Due to the double-loop procedure, the computational expense of RBDO is normally very high. Current RBDO research focuses on problems with explicitly expressed performance functions and readily available gradients. This paper addresses a more challenging type of RBDO problem in which the performance functions are computation intensive. These computation intensive functions are often considered as a ＂black-box＂ and their gradients are not available or not reliable. On the basis of the reliable design space （RDS） concept proposed earlier by the authors, this paper proposes a Reliable Space Pursuing （RSP） approach, in which RDS is first identified and then gradually refined while optimization is performed. It fundamentally avoids the nested optimization and probabilistic assessment loop. Three well known RBDO problems from the literature are used for testing and demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed RSP method.

Reliability Based Design Optimization of Aero-Engine Spindle Ball Bearings

Aero-engine spindle ball bearings work in harsh conditions which are affected by relatively complex stresses. One of the key factors which affects bearing performance is its structure. In this paper,we used reliability based design optimization method to solve the structure design problem of aero-engine spindle ball bearings.Compared with the optimization design method, the value of equivalent dynamic load using reliability optimization design method was the least by MATLAB simulation. Also the design solutions show that the optimized structure possesses higher reliability than the original solution.

ELT Materials Design of a Speaking Unit based on Needs Analysis

In this article,the authors design a speaking unit based on needs analysis following Hutchinson and Waters'(1987) model.First,the rationale in designing this unit is introduced,which involves the teaching approach adopted and relevant theories in organizing the materials.Then,the teaching plan of this speaking unit is provided and some activities are designed to create an authentic and optimal situation for students to practice their speaking skill.

Reliability-based multidisciplinary design optimization using incremental shifting vector strategy and its application in electronic product design

Use of multidisciplinary analysis in reliabilitybased design optimization(RBDO) results in the emergence of the important method of reliability-based multidisciplinary design optimization(RBMDO). To enhance the efficiency and convergence of the overall solution process,a decoupling algorithm for RBMDO is proposed herein.Firstly, to decouple the multidisciplinary analysis using the individual disciplinary feasible(IDF) approach, the RBMDO is converted into a conventional form of RBDO. Secondly,the incremental shifting vector(ISV) strategy is adopted to decouple the nested optimization of RBDO into a sequential iteration process composed of design optimization and reliability analysis, thereby improving the efficiency significantly. Finally, the proposed RBMDO method is applied to the design of two actual electronic products: an aerial camera and a car pad. For these two applications, two RBMDO models are created, each containing several finite element models(FEMs) and relatively strong coupling between the involved disciplines. The computational results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

RELIABILITY-BASED DESIGN OF COMPOSITES UNDER THE MIXED UNCERTAINTIES AND THE OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHM

This paper proposed a reliability design model for composite materials under the mixture of random and interval variables. Together with the inverse reliability analysis technique, the sequential single-loop optimization method is applied to the reliability-based design of composites. In the sequential single-loop optimization, the optimization and the reliability analysis are decoupled to improve the computational efficiency. As shown in examples, the minimum weight problems under the constraint of structural reliability are solved for laminated composites. The Particle Swarm Optimization （PSO） algorithm is utilized to search for the optimal solutions. The design results indicate that, under the mixture of random and interval variables, the method that combines the sequential single-loop optimization and the PSO algorithm can deal effectively with the reliability-based design of composites.

A Custom Manipulator for Dental Implantation Through Model-Based Design

This paper presents a Model-Based Design(MBD)approach for the design and control of a customized manipulator intended for drilling and position-ing of dental implants accurately with minimal human intervention.While performing an intra-oral surgery for a prolonged duration within a limited oral cavity,the tremor of dentist's hand is inevitable.As a result,wielding the drilling tool and inserting the dental implants safely in accurate position and orientation is highly challenging even for experienced dentists.Therefore,we introduce a customized manipulator that is designed ergonomically by taking in to account the dental chair specifications and anthropomorphic data such that it can be readily mounted onto the existing dental chair.The manipulator can be used to drill holes for dental inserts and position them with improved accuracy and safety.Further-more,a thorough multi-body motion analysis of the manipulator was carried out by creating a virtual prototype of the manipulator and simulating its controlled movements in various scenarios.The overall design was prepared and validated in simulation using Solid works,MATLAB and Simulink through Model Based Design(MBD)approach.The motion simulation results indicate that the manipulator could be built as a prototype readily.

Application of consequence-based design criteria in regions of moderate seismicity

Current design criteria and prineiples of earthquake engineering design are reviewed,including safety factors, probabilistic approach,and two-level and muhi-level functional design ideas.The modern multi-functional idea is discussed in greater details.When designing a structure,its resistance to and the intensity of the earthquake action are considered. The consequence of failure of the structure is considered only through a rough and empirical factor of importance,ranging usually from 1.0 to 1.5.This paper suggests a method of'consequence-based design,'which considers the consequences of malfunctioning instead of simply an importance factor.The main argument for this method is that damage to a structure located in different types of societies may have very different consequences,which are depeudant on its value and usefulness to the society and the seismicity in the region.

Peak displacement patterns for the performance-based seismic design of steel eccentrically braced frames

Performance-based seismic design(PBSD) aims to assess structures at different damage states. Since damage can be directly associated to displacements, seismic design with consideration of displacement seems to be logical. In this study, simple formulae to estimate the peak floor displacement patterns of eccentrically braced frames(EBFs) at different performance levels subjected to earthquake ground motions are proposed. These formulae are applicable in a PBSD and especially in direct displacement-based design(DDBD). Parametric study is conducted on a group of 30 EBFs under a set of 15 far field and near field accelerograms which they scaled to different amplitudes to adapt various performance levels. The results of thousands of nonlinear dynamic analyses of EBFs have been post-processed by nonlinear regression analysis in order to recognize the major parameters that influence the peak displacement pattern of these frames. Results show that suggested displacement patterns have relatively good agreement with those acquired by an exact nonlinear dynamic analysis.

Reliability-based design in rock engineering: Application of Bayesian regression methods to rock strength data

Reliability-based design (RBD) is being adopted by geotechnical design codes worldwide, and it is therefore necessary that rock engineering practice evolves to embrace RBD. This paper examines the Hoek-Brown (H-B) strength criterion within the RBD framework, and presents three distinct analyses using a Bayesian approach. Firstly, a compilation of intact compressive strength test data for six rock types is used to examine uncertainty and variability in the estimated H-B parameters m and σc, and corresponding predicted axial strength. The results suggest that within- and between-rock type variabilities are so large that these parameters need to be determined from rock testing campaigns, rather than reference values being used. The second analysis uses an extensive set of compressive and tensile (both direct and indirect) strength data for a granodiorite, together with a new Bayesian regression model, to develop joint probability distributions of m and σc suitable for use in RBD. This analysis also shows how compressive and indirect tensile strength data may be robustly used to fit an H-B criterion. The third analysis uses the granodiorite data to investigate the important matter of developing characteristic strength criteria. Using definitions from Eurocode 7, a formal Bayesian interpretation of characteristic strength is proposed and used to analyse strength data to generate a characteristic criterion. These criteria are presented in terms of characteristic parameters mk and σck, the values of which are shown to depend on the testing regime used to obtain the strength data. The paper confirms that careful use of appropriate Bayesian statistical analysis allows the H-B criterion to be brought within the framework of RBD. It also reveals that testing guidelines such as the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM) suggested methods will require modification in order to support RBD. Importantly, the need to fully understand the implications of uncertainty in nonlinear strength criteria is identified.

CASE-BASED CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

The current method of case-based design (CBD) can be well practiced forconfiguration design in which design experience knowledge is involved. However, since the designcase is confined to a certain application domain, it is difficult for CBD to be applied toconceptual design process that develops concepts to meet design specifications. Firstly, a functionfactor description space is erected to provide an exhibition room for all functions of design cases.Next, the approach for identifying the space state of function factor in description space isproposed, including the determination of the similarities between function factors of design case.And then a general object-oriented representation for design case is presented by bringing the classof function and in-out flow into the current case representation. Finally, a living example forelectro-pet design that illustrates the implementation of the method for case-based conceptualdesign based on distributed design case repositories is described.

Structure-based design,synthesis of novel inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis FabH as potential anti-tuberculosis agents

Mycobacterium tuberculosis FabH, an essential enzyme in mycolic acids biosynthetic pathway, is an attractive target for novel anti-tuberculosis agents. Structure-based design, synthesis of novel inhibitors of mtFabH was reported in this paper. A novel scaffold structure was designed, and 12 candidate compounds that displayed favorable binding with the active site were identified and synthesized. 2009 Song Li. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

NEW APPROACH FOR RELIABILITY-BASED DESIGN OPTIMIZATION:MINIMUM ERROR POINT

Conventional reliability-based design optimization （RBDO） requires to use the most probable point （MPP） method for a probabilistic analysis of the reliability constraints. A new approach is presented, called as the minimum error point （MEP） method or the MEP based method, for reliability-based design optimization, whose idea is to minimize the error produced by approximating performance functions. The MEP based method uses the first order Taylor＇s expansion at MEP instead of MPP. Examples demonstrate that the MEP based design optimization can ensure product reliability at the required level, which is very imperative for many important engineering systems. The MEP based reliability design optimization method is feasible and is considered as an alternative for solving reliability design optimization problems. The MEP based method is more robust than the commonly used MPP based method for some irregular performance functions.

A new methodology for energy-based seismic design of steel moment frames

A procedure is proposed whereby input and hysteretic energy spectra developed for single-degree-of-freedom （SDOF） systems are applied to multi-degree-of-freedom （MDOF） steel moment resisting frames. The proposed procedure is verified using four frames, viz., frame with three-, five-, seven- and nine-stories, each of which is subjected to the fault- normal and fault-parallel components of three actual earthquakes. A very good estimate for the three- and five-story frames, and a reasonably acceptable estimate for the seven-, and nine-story frames, have been obtained. A method for distributing the hysteretic energy over the frame height is also proposed. This distribution scheme allows for the determination of the energy demand component of a proposed energy-based seismic design （EBSD） procedure for each story. To address the capacity component of EBSD, a story-wise optimization design procedure is developed by utilizing the energy dissipating capacity from plastic hinge formation/rotation for these moment frames. The proposed EBSD procedure is demonstrated in the design of a three-story one-bay steel moment frame.

Metamodel-based Global Optimization Using Fuzzy Clustering for Design Space Reduction

High fidelity analysis are utilized in modern engineering design optimization problems which involve expensive black-box models.For computation-intensive engineering design problems,efficient global optimization methods must be developed to relieve the computational burden.A new metamodel-based global optimization method using fuzzy clustering for design space reduction(MGO-FCR) is presented.The uniformly distributed initial sample points are generated by Latin hypercube design to construct the radial basis function metamodel,whose accuracy is improved with increasing number of sample points gradually.Fuzzy c-mean method and Gath-Geva clustering method are applied to divide the design space into several small interesting cluster spaces for low and high dimensional problems respectively.Modeling efficiency and accuracy are directly related to the design space,so unconcerned spaces are eliminated by the proposed reduction principle and two pseudo reduction algorithms.The reduction principle is developed to determine whether the current design space should be reduced and which space is eliminated.The first pseudo reduction algorithm improves the speed of clustering,while the second pseudo reduction algorithm ensures the design space to be reduced.Through several numerical benchmark functions,comparative studies with adaptive response surface method,approximated unimodal region elimination method and mode-pursuing sampling are carried out.The optimization results reveal that this method captures the real global optimum for all the numerical benchmark functions.And the number of function evaluations show that the efficiency of this method is favorable especially for high dimensional problems.Based on this global design optimization method,a design optimization of a lifting surface in high speed flow is carried out and this method saves about 10 h compared with genetic algorithms.This method possesses favorable performance on efficiency,robustness and capability of global convergence and gives a new optimization strategy for engineering design optimization problems involving expensive black box models.