Constraint-based conceptual design and automated sensitivity analysis for airship concept studies

A core aspect of systems engineering is the system design based on coupling and sensitivity analyses of submodules which are combined together. If the submodule properties are presented as equations, i.e. as constraints between the module design parameters in symbolic form, knowledge processing techniques by means of graph theoretic methods provide a powerful means for the automatic derivation of the solution path of the conceptual system design equations. The automatic derivation of the solution path simplifies the study of the couplings between system design parameters and helps to automate the desired sensitivity analysis. The integration of constraint-based processing techniques into the conceptual design phase represents therefore a major step towards a useful support tool for systems engineering. An airship concept case study will be used to demonstrate the strategic advantages and the inherent flexibility for conceptual systems design and analysis which can be achieved with such generic constraint processing techniques. Based on the so-called relevance list of the design variables, the approach is even applicable in design cases, where an explicit mathematical model of the constraints is not yet available or analytically known. Furthermore, some theoretical and practical problems associated with the derivation of an automated sensitivity analysis of a conceptual airship are also discussed.