Introduction to

Optimum Design
Cheng-Liang Chen
PSE
LABORATORY
Department of Chemical Engineering
National TAIWAN University
Chen CL 1
Introduction to Design
Several systems can usually accomplish the same task,
and some are better than others
Any problem in which certain parameters need to be
determined to satisfy constraints can be formulated as
an optimum design problem
The design of systems can be formulated as problems
of optimization where a measure of performance is to
be optimized while satisfying all the constraints
Chen CL 2
Iterative Design Process
Chen CL 3
Conventional Design Process
Chen CL 4
Optimum Design Process
Chen CL 5
Conventional Design Process
vs Optimum Design Process
Conventional Design:
An objective function measuring system performance is not
identied
Trend information is not calculated to make design decisions for
improving systems
Most decisions are made based on designers experience and
intuition
Optimum Design:
Optimum design process forces designer to identify explicitly
a set of design variables, a cost function to be minimized
(a performance function to be optimized), and the constraint
functions for the system
( proper mathematical formulation of design problem)
Using trend information to make decisions
Aided by the designers interaction
Chen CL 6
Basic Terminology and Notation
US-British SI Units
Chen CL 7
Chen CL 8
Chen CL 9
Basic Terminology and Notation
Sets and Points
A point or vector in n-dimensional space
x =
_

_
x
1
x
2
.
.
.
x
n
_

_
=
_
x
1
x
2
x
n
_
T
(x
1
, x
2
, , x
n
)
Chen CL 10
Geometrical representation for the set
S =
_
x = (x
1
, x
2
) | (x
1
4)
2
+ (x
2
4)
2
9
_
Note: (0, 0) S, (3, 3) S
Chen CL 11
Basic Terminology and Notation
Notation for Constraints
The set S denes points within and on the circle of
radius 3 centered at (4, 4)
S =
_
x = (x
1
, x
2
) | (x
1
4)
2
+ (x
2
4)
2
9
_
Chen CL 12
Basic Terminology and Notation
Norm/Length of A Vector
(x y) = x
T
y =
n

i=1
x
i
y
i
||x|| =

x x =

x
T
x =

_
n

i=1
x
2
i
x y = ||x||||y|| cos
y = Ax =
n

i=1
a
(i)
x
i
y
i
=
n

j=1
a
ij
x
j
x
T
Ax = (x Ax) =
n

i=1
x
i
_
_
n

j=1
a
ij
x
j
_
_
=
n

i=1
n

j=1
a
ij
x
i
x
j
Chen CL 13
Basic Terminology and Notation
Functions
f(x) = f(x
1
, x
2
, , x
n
)
g
i
(x) = g
i
(x
1
, x
2
, , x
n
)
g(x) =
_
g
1
(x) g
2
(x) g
m
(x)
_
T
Chen CL 14
Basic Terminology and Notation
Continuous and Discontinuous Functions
A function f(x) of n variables is called continuous at a point x

if
for any > 0, there is a > 0 such that |f(x) f(x

)| <
whenever ||x x

|| <