Input variable expansion : a formal innovative design generation technique

Abstract: "Input Variable Expansion, IVE, is a new domain independent formal methodology for creating innovative designs. These designs arebased on a known design which is cast as an optimization problem described by its first principle equations. IVE performs design space expansion by replicating the topology of the initial design, assigning independent properties to each region and distributing a selected input to the newly created regions. Optimization information is employed in the selection of the distributed input. The resulting design is optimized, using symbolic optimization techniques when possible. In more complex and industrially relevant problems where symbolic methods are more difficult, numerical methods are used to optimize the resulting designs.Trends over generations of designs are observed and the limiting designs are induced. The innovated designs may exhibit either an improved objective or a feasible design space replacing an infeasible one. IVE is a complemenatry [sic] expansion technique to Dimensional VariableExpansion, DVE, developed by Cagan and Agogino (1991a). Together, IVE and DVE initiate a library of design space expansion techniques which, in some cases, eliminate the need for prepostulated super-structures for finding the optimal solution. IVE is demonstrated in applications to the innovative designs of a catalyst bed, a set of columns under axial load and a chemical reactor network."