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Session 2225

Teaching Engineering Decision Making Using a Multidisciplinary Design Paradigm

Stephen M. Batill University of Notre Dame

Abstract

The important role of “open-ended” problem solving in engineering systems design is well recognized. Open-ended problems are those posed by situations in which the “knowns” and “unknowns” are not obvious and there are a multitude of solutions and various means to achieve solutions. Introducing engineering students to the concept of open-ended problems is an ongoing challenge. Students are often presented with situations that pose open-ended problems and then not provided with a framework in which a solution can be posed or even a manner in which these problems can be discussed. This paper provides taxonomy for this class of engineering problems that is based upon terms and concepts used in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO). Since MDO is intended to provide a rational basis for design, its terminology is well suited for this application. The paper is intended for both faculty and engineering students as it attempts to describe the concept of an engineering trade study as means to deal with open-ended design problems.

I. Introduction

A fundamental activity in engineering systems design is decision-making. In order to make decisions, engineers are continuously faced with the task of "predicting the future" and doing so under conditions of significant uncertainty. The claim can be made that engineering is composed of two main activities. The first is gathering information; the second is making decisions based upon that information. The central focus of both activities is design, a process by which engineers attempt to address societal needs or exploit economic opportunities.

It is not possible to describe all of the activities associated with this process called design since there is not a well defined path to achieve a "design" just as there is no single "design" for a for a given need. The following briefly defines certain aspects of the open-ended problems often associated with model-based design and presents the concept of the engineering trade study. The following focuses on the design of physical artifacts, but there are relatively few important differences between the design of physical artifacts such as car, a road or an aircraft and the

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Batill, S. M. (2000, June), Teaching Engineering Decision Making Using A Multidisciplinary Design Paradigm Paper presented at 2000 Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri. 10.18260/1-2--8745