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MECH 350Engineering Design I
University of VictoriaDept. of Mechanical Engineering
Lecture 5: Problem Definition & Basic Project Planning
Testing/Evaluation-Evaluate Performance-Are Objectives Met?-Iterate Process Steps 2 - 7 as needed
Problem Definition-Problem Statement-Information Gathering-Design Objectives(quantifiable/measurable)
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For complex systems, the need and problem statements alone may be insufficient to formulate the design problem.
For such complex systems, we can a tool/method called ‘Functional Analysis’ to identify and describe the intended functions. This helps to better formulate a complex design problem.
A functional block diagram can be created to represent the system. Note: this is not an ‘organizational chart’ but rather a ‘function/process flow chart’.
Example #1 of Functional Block Diagram:Power Plant (Generate Steam Block)
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Problem Description:Water collects inside boats below the waterline, due to various sources. This water must be pumped out in order to maintain the buoyancy of the boat. In some cases, boats may not have electric power on board, and hence some type of non-electric mechanism must be developed to pump the water out of the boat.
Need Statement: ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Bilge Water Removal System:Functional Block Diagram (Capture and Convert Energy)
Useful Energy
Capture and Convert Energy
Collect Energy
Energy Type ? Transform
Energy
Mechanical Energy? Store or
Transfer Energy
Each Function Block, Sub-Function Block, etc... can be expanded.Note, Input and Output prior block remain unchanged. If you need to add Input/Output arrows, you must change higher level diagram.
Testing/Evaluation-Evaluate Performance-Are Objectives Met?-Iterate Process Steps 2 - 7 as needed
Problem Definition-Problem Statement-Information Gathering-Design Objectives(quantifiable/measurable)
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The Benefits of Planning:Communicating with clients and co-workersAllocating resourcesBenchmarking to measure progress
Planning Challenges:A common question: “How am I supposed to know how long will this take and how much will this cost? I have never done this before!”_________________________________________________________________________________
At the most ‘simple level’, a basic project plan should include:List of tasks needed to complete the projectEstimate of the duration of each taskSequential ordering of those tasks based on their logical relationships to each other.Cost estimates for each taskPersonnel assignments for each task.
Regarding the lecture on “Teamwork”, please review the document: “Coping with Hitchhikers and Couch Potatoes on Teams”, which is posted on the MECH 350 course web-site.