Additional Research Projects:
Automotive and Mechanical Design, Optimization

Current Research   |   Doctoral Research   |   Past Research

Aircraft Product Family Design — Fall 2004-Fall 2006

Collaboration with Prof. Ilan Kroo's Aircraft Aerodynamics and Design Group, Stanford University. Extension of the use of decomposition-based methods for the design of product families. Additional comparison of analytical target cascading and collaborative optimization. Related publication can be found here.

Investigation of IDF and Other SAND Techniques — Winter 2004-Winter 2006

The individual disciplinary feasible (IDF) formulation for multidisciplinary design optimization possesses some interesting and previously unexplored properties that enable it to find superior system optimization solutions to traditional methods. Other simulataneous analysis and design (SAND) techniques appear to share these properties. Related publication can be found here.

Hybrid Electric Vehicle Optimization with ATC — Winter 2005-Winter 2006

Collaboration with General Motors. Industrial scale application of analytical target cascading to the design of hybrid electric vehicles. Rigorous investigation of techniques to handle function-valued targets in target cascading. Publication on derivative work regarding function-valued targets can be found here.

Engineering Analysis Instruction for Climbers — Winter 2006

Collaboration with Todd Vogel, owner of Sierra Mountain Center (Bishop, CA), and Smee Anwar and Curtis Franklin, undergraduate students at the University of Michigan. Climbers construct sophisticated safety systems during ascent, and are in effect engineering system designers. This project aimed at providing fundamental engineering instruction to climbers in order to improve their ability to construct safe and efficient safety systems.

Aircraft Design Partitioned by Flight Regime — Winter 2005

First application of analytical target cascading to aircraft design. Subproblems were formed using partitioning by flight regime. This project was an extension of an MS thesis completed by David Walsh. Relevant publication can be found here.

Comparison of Analytical Target Cascading and Collaborative Optimization — Winter 2005

Analytical target cascading and collaborative optimization are two methods for optimal system design. Although both were developed independently and with different motivations, their mathematical formulations appear similar. This project establlished the distinctions between these methods, and highlighted the strengths of each. Marc Zawislak (Boeing) and Brian Roth (Stanford) contributed to this project. Relevant publications can be found here and here.

Parameterization of High Fidelity Vehicle Models — Fall 2004

Collaboration with Bryon Sohns, University of Michigan doctoral student (Automated Modeling Laboratory). Demonstrated the use of optimization and response surface methods to identify parameters for a high fidelity HUMMWV vehicle dynamics model. Related publication can be found here, and class project report can be found here.

Design Under Uncertainty of FMTV Hybrid Truck — Winter 2004

Performed extensive optimization studies on the design of the FMTV hydraulic hybrid truck for the U.S. Army. Results were used in the 2004 Automotive Research Center case study. Related publication can be found here. (Acknowledged as contributor, not co-author)

Hyrbrid Electric Vehicle Optimization — Winter 2004

(Class Project) Optimized Toyota Prius design for fuel economy and economic considerations, subject to acceleration, top speed, handling, and ride constraints. Considered how powertrain component sizing and configuration impacted vehicle dynamics. Utilized ADVISOR, CarSim, and vehicle packaging models.

Predictive Optimization — Fall 2003

National Science Foundation fellowship proposal. Proposed the use of terrain data to update power management strategies for hybrid electric vehicles in real time. Summary of proposal can be found here.

Compliant Suspension Topology Optimization — Fall 2003

(Class Project) Development of a method to design a compliant rear suspension for mountain bikes. Employed the use of custom finite element analysis code and genetic algorithms. Documentation and software can be found here.

Modeling of Interference Fits — Spring 2003

Development of a model for interference fits used to predict required assembly temperatures.

Fatigue Life of Damaged Bicycle Spokes — Spring 2003

(Class Project) Development of a predictive model for the fatigue life of bicycle spokes. Involved both experimental and numerical techniques.

Steering and Suspension Modeling — Fall 2002

Development of kinematic steering and suspension models used to design vehicles with minimal bump steer and near-ideal Ackerman geometry.

Powertrain Modeling — Fall 2002

Development of vehicle powertrain models to aid the evaluation of various vehicle configurations and designs.

FEA Development — Summer 2001

(Class Project) Development of 2-D finite element code and application to redesign of passive wedging chocks used in rock climbing.

Carabiner Manufacturing — Spring 2001

(Class Project) Collaboration with Bill Reiman, Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. Analysis of carabiner manufacturing processes and proposed improvements. Involved SEM and EDS analysis.

Climbing Equipment Survey — Fall 2000

(Class Project) Survey of the development of climbing equipment. Report written for a college writing class can be found here.