CAD-Based Design Optimization of Four-Bar Mechanisms: An Emergency Ventilator Case Study
The design optimization of mechanisms is promising as it results in more energy-efficient machines without compromising performance. However, machine builders do not apply state-of-the-art methods, as these algorithms require case-specific theoretical analysis. Moreover, the design synthesis approac...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Designs |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2411-9660/7/2/38 |
| _version_ | 1797605806779138048 |
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| author | Abdelmajid Ben Yahya Nick Van Oosterwyck Ferre Knaepkens Simon Houwen Stijn Herregodts Jan Herregodts Bart Vanwalleghem Annie Cuyt Stijn Derammelaere |
| author_facet | Abdelmajid Ben Yahya Nick Van Oosterwyck Ferre Knaepkens Simon Houwen Stijn Herregodts Jan Herregodts Bart Vanwalleghem Annie Cuyt Stijn Derammelaere |
| author_sort | Abdelmajid Ben Yahya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The design optimization of mechanisms is promising as it results in more energy-efficient machines without compromising performance. However, machine builders do not apply state-of-the-art methods, as these algorithms require case-specific theoretical analysis. Moreover, the design synthesis approaches in the literature predominantly utilize heuristic optimizers, leading to suboptimal local minima. This paper introduces a widely applicable workflow, guaranteeing the global optimum. The constraints describing the feasible region of the possible designs are essential to find the global optimum. Therefore, kinematic analysis of the point-to-point planar four-bar mechanism is discussed. Within the feasible design space, objective value samples were generated through the CAD multi-body software. These motion simulations determine the required torque to fulfill the movement for a combination of design parameters. This replaces the cumbersome analytic derivation of the torque. This paper introduces sparse interpolation techniques to avoid brute force sampling of the design space. The advantage of this approach is that it is easily scalable to more design parameters, as the interpolation method minimizes the number of necessary samples. This paper explains the mathematical background of our developed interpolation approach. However, a step-by-step procedure is introduced to allow the employment of the interpolation technique by machine designers without the necessity to understand the underlying mathematics. Finally, the mathematical expression, obtained from the interpolation, enables applying global optimizers. In a case study of an emergency ventilator mechanism with three design parameters, 1870 CAD motion simulations allowed reducing the RMS torque of the mechanism by 67%. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:06:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aeead349cf0343aa99b922adf3cefe79 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2411-9660 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:06:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Designs |
| spelling | doaj.art-aeead349cf0343aa99b922adf3cefe792023-11-17T18:53:48ZengMDPI AGDesigns2411-96602023-03-01723810.3390/designs7020038CAD-Based Design Optimization of Four-Bar Mechanisms: An Emergency Ventilator Case StudyAbdelmajid Ben Yahya0Nick Van Oosterwyck1Ferre Knaepkens2Simon Houwen3Stijn Herregodts4Jan Herregodts5Bart Vanwalleghem6Annie Cuyt7Stijn Derammelaere8Department of Electromechanics, Cosys-Lab, University of Antwerp, 2020 Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Electromechanics, Cosys-Lab, University of Antwerp, 2020 Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Antwerp, 2020 Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Electrical Energy, Metals, Mechanical Constructions and Systems, Ghent University Campus Kortrijk, 8500 Kortrijk, BelgiumDepartment of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, BelgiumDepartment of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, BelgiumDepartment of Electrical Energy, Metals, Mechanical Constructions and Systems, Ghent University Campus Kortrijk, 8500 Kortrijk, BelgiumDepartment of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Antwerp, 2020 Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Electromechanics, Cosys-Lab, University of Antwerp, 2020 Antwerp, BelgiumThe design optimization of mechanisms is promising as it results in more energy-efficient machines without compromising performance. However, machine builders do not apply state-of-the-art methods, as these algorithms require case-specific theoretical analysis. Moreover, the design synthesis approaches in the literature predominantly utilize heuristic optimizers, leading to suboptimal local minima. This paper introduces a widely applicable workflow, guaranteeing the global optimum. The constraints describing the feasible region of the possible designs are essential to find the global optimum. Therefore, kinematic analysis of the point-to-point planar four-bar mechanism is discussed. Within the feasible design space, objective value samples were generated through the CAD multi-body software. These motion simulations determine the required torque to fulfill the movement for a combination of design parameters. This replaces the cumbersome analytic derivation of the torque. This paper introduces sparse interpolation techniques to avoid brute force sampling of the design space. The advantage of this approach is that it is easily scalable to more design parameters, as the interpolation method minimizes the number of necessary samples. This paper explains the mathematical background of our developed interpolation approach. However, a step-by-step procedure is introduced to allow the employment of the interpolation technique by machine designers without the necessity to understand the underlying mathematics. Finally, the mathematical expression, obtained from the interpolation, enables applying global optimizers. In a case study of an emergency ventilator mechanism with three design parameters, 1870 CAD motion simulations allowed reducing the RMS torque of the mechanism by 67%.https://www.mdpi.com/2411-9660/7/2/38dimensional synthesisfour-bar linkageoptimizationmechanical systemsmotion control |
| spellingShingle | Abdelmajid Ben Yahya Nick Van Oosterwyck Ferre Knaepkens Simon Houwen Stijn Herregodts Jan Herregodts Bart Vanwalleghem Annie Cuyt Stijn Derammelaere CAD-Based Design Optimization of Four-Bar Mechanisms: An Emergency Ventilator Case Study Designs dimensional synthesis four-bar linkage optimization mechanical systems motion control |
| title | CAD-Based Design Optimization of Four-Bar Mechanisms: An Emergency Ventilator Case Study |
| title_full | CAD-Based Design Optimization of Four-Bar Mechanisms: An Emergency Ventilator Case Study |
| title_fullStr | CAD-Based Design Optimization of Four-Bar Mechanisms: An Emergency Ventilator Case Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | CAD-Based Design Optimization of Four-Bar Mechanisms: An Emergency Ventilator Case Study |
| title_short | CAD-Based Design Optimization of Four-Bar Mechanisms: An Emergency Ventilator Case Study |
| title_sort | cad based design optimization of four bar mechanisms an emergency ventilator case study |
| topic | dimensional synthesis four-bar linkage optimization mechanical systems motion control |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2411-9660/7/2/38 |
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