Engineering Design GE121 Finding Answers to the Problem Part VI

1. Engineering DesignGE121Finding Answers to the ProblemPart VI Lecture 13A

2. Quiz 4 / Project Milestones • Expect Quiz 4 at any time • Up to, but NOT including Lecture 7 • Project Milestone • By the end of this week you should have generated 4 alternatives that meet all constraints (3 or 4 if there are only 3 members in your group)

3. Prototypes, Models & Proofs of Concept • Important in evaluating / extending designs • Some important terms include: • Prototypes • Original models on which something is patterned • Usually full scale versions of a new design • Usually tested in the environment in which they must perform (example – airplane) • Models • Miniature representations of something (including possibly a computer model) • They represent the end design, but may not scale exactly to it

4. Prototypes, Models & Proofs of Concept (continued) • Proof of Concept • Use of a Prototype, Model or other representation to demonstrate that a design concept can be made to work in the intended fashion • Proof of Concept often comes in seemingly modest terms, and need not capture the full set of demands of a working version of the design

5. Models & Prototypes are NOT the Same Thing • A Prototype is the first of a kind • Tested in Real environment • Example - Real plane, flown in airspace • A Model is a representation of the thing • Tested in Controlled environment • Example - Model flown in wind tunnel

6. When Do We Build a Prototype? • Cost and scale are among the key factors in deciding between models and prototypes • Airplanes versus Tall buildings • Airplanes – Commonly prototyped • Chance of catastrophic failure of a purely paper design is still quite high • Many copies of it will be made • Tall Buildings – Rarely if ever prototyped • Still potential for failure, but very rare • Typically only one copy will be built • If Prototype is cheap & easy, good idea to build

7. Testing Prototypes, Models & Concepts • Testing of designed systems usually involves Proof of Concept testing • Proof of Concept example • Alexander Graham Bell – summons assistant in Lab to prove concept of telephone • Proof of Concept • Requires Skill and Judgment in determining what to test and how to test it • In many cases, a simple relatively inexpensive test may be used to prove the initial concept • In others a complex mockup is required

8. Managing Generation/Selection of Design Alternatives • Useful to remember that the generation and evaluation of alternatives includes many tasks and demands • Also useful for the team to review some of its earlier work during these activities, including those shown in the following sections

9. Task Management • Team should review the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and the Linear Responsibility Chart (LRC), to determine if any new tasks have emerged • Of particular interest are tasks related to Testing and Proof of Concept work

10. Scheduling • Team should update schedule during this phase • Probably several times • As team learns that some activities require more or less time than originally expected

11. Budgeting • Team should revisit budget • Insure that necessary resources are available to complete testing and evaluation of alternatives

12. Monitoring Progress • Should be done at each meeting! • How team is performing relative to the plan • What adjustments are required