Representing Complex Analogues Using a Function Model to Support Conceptual Design

Abstract

Analogical design has been a long-standing approach to solve engineering design problems. However, it is still unclear as to how analogues should be presented to engineering design in order to maximize the utility of these. The utility is minimal when analogues are complex and belong to other domain (e.g., biology). Prior work includes the use of a function model called SAPPhIRE to represent over 800 biological and engineered systems. SAPPhIRE stands for the entities: States, Actions, Parts, Phenomena, Inputs, oRgans, and Effects that together represent the functionality of a system at various levels of abstraction. In this paper, we combine instances of SAPPhIRE model for representing complex systems (also from the biological domain). We use an electric buzzer to illustrate and compare the efficacy of this model in explaining complex systems with that of a well-known model from literature. The use of multiple-instance SAPPhIRE model instances seems to provide a more comprehensive explanation of a complex system, which includes elements of description that are not present in other models, providing an indication as to which elements might have been missing from a given description. The proposed model is implemented in a web-based tool called Idea-Inspire 4.0, a brief introduction of which is also provided.

Modeling and structuring design rationale to enable knowledge reuse

“…The literature on FR does not provide evidence using examples that the model could be used for decomposing objects. The latest developments on the SAPPhIRE model indicate that it can facilitate the decomposition of complex systems …”

“…Such a model should include the exhaustive set of design variables and their options; these allow verification of the system's structure, behavior, and performance to directly assess its value . (p227) Complexity, as characterized by the number of variables and relationships, pose a challenge to propose a model of safety assessment . (p462)…”

“…In general, there is an exponential relationship between a number of components and the number of states attained by these . (p463) A model that concerns safety for the whole system must allow decomposition of the whole into smaller wholes . Model‐based methods use hierarchical abstraction layers such as functional, structural, and behavioral models to simplify the system under study .…”