Optimal Design

In a global market, competitive advantage lies not only on the mastering of existing processes and methodologies, but most of all on the ability to pursue different avenues, with an increased value. Concurrently, protecting the environment and conserving resources, while encouraging economic progress and keeping in mind the need for sustainability are major factors. Design and process engineering problems are frequently of an ill-defined nature, demanding for the analysis and evaluation of complex alternative solutions, in which environmental, economic, and functional performance criteria interact in a complex net of influences, with an emergent behavior. Cost modelling, life-cycle analysis and CAE tools will be combined in this course. The student will analyze the necessary trade-offs and be able to navigate the design space when cost, sustainability and performance become conflicting goals, as they often are.

Number of credits: 12