Systematic design space exploration using a template-based ontological method

The realization of complex engineered systems using models that are typically incomplete, inaccurate and not of equal fidelity requires the understanding and prediction of process behavior in design. This necessitates the need for extending designer's abilities in making design decisions that are robust, flexible and modifiable particularly in the early stages of design. To address this requirement, we propose in this paper, an ontology for design space exploration and a template-based ontological method that supports systematic design space exploration ensuring the determination of the right combination of design information that meets the different goals and requirements set for a process chain. Using the proposed method, a designer is able to (1) systematically adjust the design space in due time to manage the risks of errors accumulating and propagating during the design of different stages of the process chain, (2) improve the ability to communicate and understand the interactions between design information in the process chain. We achieve the said through (1) procedure for design space exploration is identified to determine the sequence of activities needed for the systematic exploration of design space under uncertainty; (2) the decision-based design information flow is archived using the design space exploration process template and represented by utilizing frame-based ontology to facilitate the management of re-usable information. We demonstrate the efficacy of this template-based ontological method for design space exploration by carrying out the design of a multi-stage hot rod rolling system in steel manufacturing process chain.