Constraint-Based Design of Optimal Transport Elements

Abstract

A large aircraft contains thousands of transport elements, such as tubes, ducts, and wires. Their shape is subject to many constraints, some extrinsic (e.g., obstacle clearance) and others intrinsic (e.g., legal bend angles). A key problem is to design a feasible route that is optimal (e.g., as short as possible). We present an algorithm specialized for metal tubing that allows the user to sketch a route using constraint objects. The user arranges the constraint objects and the system fills in an optimal tube. Trade-offs can be explored rapidly, in terms of quantities of direct engineering interest. This effectively automates a tedious manual design process, saving time and money and producing superior designs. The algorithm has been implemented and tested in a production environment.