May 24, 2015
Design Visualisation Conclusions
An interactive exploration environment for complex
process design
Eric S Fraga
Centre for Process Systems Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
UCL
25 May 2010
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
The problem of design
Process design should be informed by robust optimisation with
con�dence in results to aid in insight generation.
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Cos
t (k$
/yr)
Pressure (atm)
Cost versus Pressure
Di�culties
complex non-linear, non-convex,
discontinuous & noisy models,
combinatorial search space,
small, possibly non-convex, feasible
regions,
ill- or un-de�ned objective function
and constraint equations outside
feasible regions, and
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Visualisation and interaction
Computer based tools for design and optimization are
intended for use by non-experts.
Visual representations critical for ease of use.
Interaction can enable engineer to apply own intuition.
Strategy is to combine data analytics, visualisation, and robust
(hybrid) optimisation.
Applications in energy, water, carbon capture, sustainability,
and control.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Example: Heat integrated design
Task
Identify potential
integrations for given
con�guration.
Enable process
modi�cation for
better integration.
Help engineer identify
design alternatives.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Motivation
Complex interactions which are di�cult to visualise:
0
1
R1 R2 P1 P2 P3 R3 R4 P4 $ Qh Qc
No
rma
lise
d v
alu
es
Design variables and objectives
Motivates need for design speci�c visualisation methods.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Requirements
The visualisation and interaction tool must address the
following issues
represents the underlying designs
indicates relative performance for one or more criteria
is scalable for large design spaces
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Solution: 2-d representation
Features: units represented, designs connected, scalable
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Connectivity
Procedure
discrete sampling of space
generated by �rst stage search
procedure.
connectivity represented by an
acyclic graph
edges connect neighbours based on
similarity.
neighbourhood identi�cation
algorithm is greedy so could be
improved.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Scalability
Example with 1000
design points.
Properties
current design centred.
speci�c unit highlighted.
other designs are smaller the
further away they are.
vertical position depends on
direction of design changes.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Solution: 3-d representation
Features: relative performance of designs indicated
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Interaction: Model-view-control
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Demonstration
Steps
Controller
Initial 3d view
Rotating. . .
Next point . . .
. . . and next . . .
. . . and again . . .
. . . to the best.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Demonstration
Steps
Controller
Initial 3d view
Rotating. . .
Next point . . .
. . . and next . . .
. . . and again . . .
. . . to the best.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Demonstration
Steps
Controller
Initial 3d view
Rotating. . .
Next point . . .
. . . and next . . .
. . . and again . . .
. . . to the best.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Demonstration
Steps
Controller
Initial 3d view
Rotating. . .
Next point . . .
. . . and next . . .
. . . and again . . .
. . . to the best.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Demonstration
Steps
Controller
Initial 3d view
Rotating. . .
Next point . . .
. . . and next . . .
. . . and again . . .
. . . to the best.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Demonstration
Steps
Controller
Initial 3d view
Rotating. . .
Next point . . .
. . . and next . . .
. . . and again . . .
. . . to the best.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Demonstration
Steps
Controller
Initial 3d view
Rotating. . .
Next point . . .
. . . and next . . .
. . . and again . . .
. . . to the best.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Demonstration
Steps
Controller
Initial 3d view
Rotating. . .
Next point . . .
. . . and next . . .
. . . and again . . .
. . . to the best.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
3-d scalability
Steps
Initial 3d view
Rotating . . .
Next point . . .
and rotated.
Next point . . .
and rotated.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
3-d scalability
Steps
Initial 3d view
Rotating . . .
Next point . . .
and rotated.
Next point . . .
and rotated.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
3-d scalability
Steps
Initial 3d view
Rotating . . .
Next point . . .
and rotated.
Next point . . .
and rotated.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
3-d scalability
Steps
Initial 3d view
Rotating . . .
Next point . . .
and rotated.
Next point . . .
and rotated.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
3-d scalability
Steps
Initial 3d view
Rotating . . .
Next point . . .
and rotated.
Next point . . .
and rotated.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
3-d scalability
Steps
Initial 3d view
Rotating . . .
Next point . . .
and rotated.
Next point . . .
and rotated.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
3-d scalability
Steps
Initial 3d view
Rotating . . .
Next point . . .
and rotated.
Next point . . .
and rotated.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
3-d scalability
Steps
Initial 3d view
Rotating . . .
Next point . . .
and rotated.
Next point . . .
and rotated.
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design
Design Visualisation Conclusions
Summary
interactive M-V-C
design exploration
scalable
representation of
alternative designs
targeted design
problem visualisation
www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/�ucecesf/
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An interactive exploration environment for complex process design