How TED Invents Cycles: Case Studies

TED is a program that “invents” conceptual schematics of optimized thermal systems. TED is based on the view that innovative design can be modeled as a search process and uses elements of the search algorithms that originated in the field of Artificial Intelligence. The search is guided by a special form of exergetic analysis. The theory behind the TED is discussed in details elsewhere. This paper gives only a brief overview of the methodology embodied in TED and then concentrates on a detailed discussion of two cases that provide illustrations of TED’s reasoning process. In the first case TED is given a task of designing an open system with several streams entering and leaving it at different temperature and pressure levels. TED invents a less than obvious system that involves integrated refrigeration, power production, and heating. The second case concerns liquefaction systems. We show how TED invents several cycles that are reminiscent of well-known and respected Claude and Linde Dual-pressure cycles.