Simultaneous functional synthesis of mechanisms with mechanical efficiency and cost

The functional synthesis of mechanisms is involved in the problem solving process to finding functional chains of mechanisms in conceptual design, which has an essential effect on the product innovation. However, existing approaches for functional synthesis of mechanisms are either inextensible to achieve functional chains of complex mechanisms or prone to a loss of optimal solutions under the consideration of mechanical efficiency and cost. This paper is devoted to a systematic dynamic programming-based methodology for constrained functional synthesis of mechanisms with the consideration of mechanical efficiency and cost. After a general functional representation model based on the motional element pair is proposed, an exhaustive dynamic programming functional synthesis algorithm of two motional elements pair is then proposed to produce functional chain solutions with consideration of mechanical efficiency and cost. The functional synthesis of new devices for jacking up system of an offshore platform is given as an example, which demonstrates that the methodology is obviously helpful to produce valuable functional chains of mechanism solutions with consideration of mechanical efficiency and cost.