Case Combination for Conceptual Design

EADOCS (expert assisted design of composite structures) is a multi-level conceptual design system, in which case-based reasoning is applied to quantify a qualitative prototype solution. Design specifications and targets for case-based retrieval comprise functional requirements, preferred and prototype solutions. Specified design problems cannot be decomposed into tractable subproblems for the retrieval and integration of subsolutions. Case adaptation requires extensive numerical design analysis, heuristic modification and optimisation. Combination of case parts is often necessary to solve multiple functional requirements more efficiently. Case merging can strongly improve the starting points and reduce design analysis for heuristic modification and numerical optimisation for case revision. In EADOCS, combination of interdependent components is possible under certain conditions on the solution. This paper addresses the approach, approximations and conditions to reuse interdependent case parts.