A New Collaboration Design Method Based on

A New Collaboration Design Method Based onDependency in Electrical DomainXinyin WangDepartment of Economics and Management, Shanghai University of Electrical Power,Shanghai, P.R. China shwangxy@Quansheng ShiDepartment of Economics and Management, Shanghai University of Electrical Power,Shanghai, P.R. China shiqs@Huaiyu WangDepartment of Information Technologies,Baoding University, Hebei, P.R. China why9866@Shaohua ZhangShanghai Development Center of Computer SoftwareTechnologies, Shanghai, P.R. China zsh@Abstract —Th i s paper proposes a new collaborat i ve des i gn method, wh i ch i s developed from the study of dependenc i es between the parameters of each part of apparatus, and can be devoted to solve the problems of collaborative product design of mult i ple doma i ns between several commun i t i es based on computer networks, and be applied to the design process such as electri cal appli cati on and mechani cal product etc. Thi s paper covers the emerg ng ssues and the pers stent requ rement of collaborat i ve product des i gn i n electr i cal i ndustry, and then elaborates the foundation ideas and formal definition systems of dependency, and the corresponding architecture.Keywords-Collaboration Design; Dependency; Electrical DomainsI. I NTRODUCTIONIn the fields of engineering design and engineering management, the utilization of a computer has become one of the symbols for measuring the quality of engineering design. Generally speaking, the boilers and the grid structures are always complicated in electrical power system, and the cross-checking exists among different specialty as well. And therefore, it is easy to find that the traditional design method is less efficient, ex parte, and potentially dangerous so that a minor error in design might lead to a severe disaster. Nevertheless, a sophisticated design can result in economic and social benefits through utilizing the modern design equipment, which is to be illustrated in detail as follows.The two- and three-dimensional design drafts of one boiler are shown respectively in figure 1. As a matter of fact, the actual parameters and data information are much more complex than those in this figure. Especially to meet the demand of energy-saving and environment-friendly and efficiency-improving, the power plant and grid techniques should be upgraded more rapidly. Thus there are some more rigid requirements for electrical power engineering design as follows:1. High reliability. With the enhancement of power and voltage grade the project reliability is urgently required. A single-point design will probably lead to a severe consequence.2. Electrical power design is a process that needs the efforts of a team through repeated decisions, conflicts and sedimentation. As it is technical-intensive, a perfect cooperation among specialists in different disciplines is a wise choice.Figure 1. 2D and 3D Boiler design3. In general, modern electrical power projects are usually conducted by more than one design institution; and with the increasingly intense competition, the time limit for a project is usually rigidly restricted.In conclusion, there are more rigid requirements for the design of modern electrical power projects in terms of exhibition, management and collaboration, thus the design decision of geometry, physics and working process should beThis work in this paper is supported by Leading Academic Discipline Project of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission under Grant No.J51302.978-1-4244-6763-1/10/$26.00 ©2010 IEEEProceedings of the 2010 14th International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Designexhibited, communicated and decided through visual means. In this situation, it is more significant and urgent to join our efforts to plan electrical power projects.The following section gives way to review major achievements in C SC W fields ever before. The models and methods of dependencies will be discussed in the third part. The fourth section will cover the architectural system. And the last part will contribute to a summary of this applicable method and its prospect.II.RELATED RESEARCHInternationally, it has been a long time to start the research concerning collaboration application, which can be categorized as the collision resolving in terms of work space, time, task and role: the sources [1], [2], [3] lay emphasis on the mediation of work space with multiple user by the lock system; while the sources [4] and [5] attach importance to the synchronism in operation; and [6], [7], [8] focus on the collaboration work from the view of roles and processes.Most collaboration patterns are mostly dedicated to eliminating conflicts in terms of time, space, and task, which, to a large extent, have facilitated the development of this field. But generally speaking, the theories of the past and relevant system used to focus on the operating results instead of the intentions of the designers. Why there is such a problem is that the experts concerned used to focus on the formation of a mediating system that could be applied in various fields, but one will find it difficult to trace the specific intentions of the designers via this kind of method, from which a contradiction is solicited.So far as the collaborative design based on mutual constraints is concerned, one can follow the steps as [9], [10], [11]. The relevant expertise has to be used in the process of design and thus to help the designers consider the key rules from different domains and subsystems. This paper aims to study collaboration from the elements and their dependency instead of constraint itself, and stress the design objectives based on the constraints and the calculation sequence of its parameters.The above-mentioned traditional core methods, which can be universally practiced in various applications such as office, C AD, etc., are to be suggested. The users themselves are encouraged to illustrate the business constraints through their dependency in the factual design process. Only in this way can the system not only trace the intention of the user, but adapt to all kinds of the applicable design devices. The subtle difference lies in the definition of the conflictions from the purpose of design strategies instead of the operating results of terminal users. From this standpoint of collaboration theory, the system can better remove the conflict and maintain the consistency and dynamic qualities.A hypothesis is elaborated that so long as users follow the dependency principles, the design from users will be reasonable and feasible. So, the design conflict from process is not substantial. The following parts will be based on this hypothesis.III.DEPENDENCY MODELDef i n i t i on 1 (Elements, Attr i bute, Package) An Element can be defined as e::=<I,A>, where I: the identifier; A: the Attribute set of Element, which can be quoted as e.A1, e.A2, …, e.A n . Package can be regarded as the subset of E, which is the corpora of Element, can be quoted as P1, P2,… , P n . If e i contains P j , it can be denoted as e i ęP j .Def i n i t i on 2 (Constra i nts, Elementary Dependency,Self Dependency, Package Dependency, Predecessor, Successor) C onstraints, which can be denoted as S, is thenumerical relation should be satisfied between the attributes ofelements according to design rules. If S x is the C onstraintbetween e i.A m and e j.A n, furthermore, the value of e i.A m isdetermined by that of e j.A n, then the relation is called Elementary Dependency, denoted as e i.A mĝe j.A n, where e j.A nis the Predecessor of e i.A m, and e i.A m is the Successor of e j.A n. If i=j and m n, then it is called Self Dependency, if e ięP s and e ięP r, there is Package Dependency between P s and P r.Rule 1: Dependency satisfies transmission rules.Def i n i t i on 3 (Dependency Graph, Dependency Closure) Dependency Graph can be defined as G::=(E,D), where E:the corpora of Element, D: the corpora of Dependency. The closure of all elements who depend on e i directly or indirectly is called the dependency Closure of e i .Rule 2: The corpora of Element of E compose directiongraph.Definition 4 (Package consistency, Global consistency) If all the elements met dependency Graph G, then it satisfies Global C onsistency; suppose all the dependency Graph included by P-P i is G x , and all the elements in P i accords with G-G x , it is said that P i satisfies Package Consistency.Rule 3: If E is the final product met the designrequirement, the E can meet the Global Consistency.Definition 5 ( Event, User) The Event can be defined as o (e i, R x, T l), in which R x refers to the User, the corpora of User can be denoted as R, T l refers to abstract operation, includes creating ,deleting, modifying and browsing.Defi ni ti on 6 (Package Colli si on, Global Colli si on) IfEvent o t on Package P i deviates the dependency d x on P i , it’ssaid o t cause Package C ollision; if o t deviates S-S x , it’s saidthat o t cause Global Collision.Rule 4: If event o t does not cause Package Collision, thenit meet the requirement of Package C ollision, if o t does notcause Global Collision, then it meet the requirement of Globalcollision.Rule 5: Once E meets the requirement of Globalconsistency, if new event o t will not cause Package Collision,then o t will not cause Global collision.Def i n i t i on 7 (Collaborat i on Des i gn) CollaborationDesign is the evolutionary process of E influenced by Eventset U by user set R.Rule 6: During the process of collaboration design,efficient design can be maintained by detecting the collisioncaused by new event o t, and reducing collision constantly.Based on the model concept and principle mentionedabove, this article tries to describe a new collaboration designbased on deducing dependency, including conflict testing,conflict reducing and developing design strategies.First of all, in the process of design, by tracing back to thevery initial design via the dependency link, we can test thevalidity of the operation and monitor conflicts. When a conflictis identified, there are two methods to relieve this conflict: oneis to remove or weaken minor dependency and the other to revise the initial design along with the dependency. During themodern system, dependency within same packages should be strengthened, while those between PAC KAGES should be weakened, which requires dependency simplifying process. A feasible method is to define the dependency between PAC KAGES. A well-designed interface can reduce thedependency link between different PACKAGES. In the process of design, we always have to select different patterns, which require a reasonable decision. To make it specific, we need to assess the importance of attributes, elements and packages by separately calculating the number of dependency links of each item.Restriction of some elements can be defined automatically with definition methods, that is, it is automatically triggered when a users performs normal operations, hence it generates only moderate extra work flow during the design process.This method brings several advantages to the design process. Firstly for assignment planning, it can arrange time priority sequence according to dependency links, also decide at what timing and to what extent for different roles to get involved according to the dependency between the attributes of elements. Secondly, dependencies are advantageous in accumulating knowledge of decision-making in the design process, in inspiring innovations, in strengthening designers’ memories regarding restriction items, even directly forming a design KBS. Last but not the least, a dynamic and comprehensive adjustment of decision-making in the design process can be conducted through compelling adaptation of the very frontier of the dependency link.Figure 2. Dependency DiagramIn the following part, a case will be presented to illustrate the dependency in the collaborative design, where a boiler with the cycle contact of four corner burner is supposed to be developed. The objectives include the main part of the boiler: the body of hearth, the top of hearth, the furnace, furnace arch, burner, and relative elements such as fuel, cycle contact of the burner, etc. The relative parameter of these elements is listed as follows:Fuel (mc): fuel calorific value Q y dw, fuel kind (M), energy consumption (B);Hearth (bs): center (c), width h lt, depth (R), hearth dimensions (V l), cross section area (A l), dimensions calorific intensity (q v);Hearth top (tb): depth (l), depth (h);Furnace arch (ca): height (l), top oblique angle (ha), bottom oblique angle (la);Furnace hopper (lb): oblique angle (a), top entrance (hl), bottom entrance (ll);Hypothetical circle of contact (ic): diameter (d j), origin (c);Real circle of contact (rc): diameter (d s), origin (c);Sipping nozzle of burner (bm): mount (n), altitude (h), width (l);Figure 3. Boiler BodyFigure 4. Top ViewThere are strong design constraints between the parameters such as:V l =B Q ar,net /q v; h lt=[V l-(V ld+V hd)]/A l ; the angle of furnace hopper is below 50° and its bottom entrance is dependent on V l , with a value between 0.6~1.4m; the height of furnace arch is one third of the depth of hearth; the diameter of hypothetic circle of contact d j = (0.05~0.12)A l; the total altitude of sipping nozzle of burner h r is 4 or 6 times of the width of b r, the size from the center of burner to the hypothetic circle of contact l j = 9.438(h r/b r)0.583 * b r /2.In the process of design, we should lay out the most critical design decision according to some constraints and the requirements of engineering such as the power of a boiler, and then we can decide the priorities of parameters according to the counting sequence as well as the related expressions and formula discussed previously. For example, firstly we can determine the volume of a boiler by its power and main fuel, then the width and depth according to the rate between them and the supposed figure, then the size of furnace arch andfurnace hopper, etc. We mainly take turns from exterior to inner, from critical parameters to minor ones.Figure 5. Dependency Diagram in Boiler DesignIn figure 5, a dependency diagram between parameters, reflected as a directed one, can be developed according to theircounting sequence. The diagram includes elements and parameters, of which the elements represent the part, and the parameters hold the qualities of geometry and energy. Due to the stabilization of counting sequence of parameters, the dependency diagram is relatively stable, that’s why the knowledge of domain can usually be deposited. In thecollaborative design, the dependencies can be developed eitherby the user according to common domain rules or by the nearneighbors automatically. If it should be modified, the user can trace the influence to other user according to the dependencylinks.In conclusion, the dependency can effectively promote the collaboration design. It can notify and restrict the modification of user, can provide automatic mechanisms and tools to detect the collisions, can determine the importance of design by analyzing the dependencies, and can help gain experience for the subsequent design.IV. ARCHITECTURAL SYSTEMMVC model, adopted in most modern program designs, has been proven to be a very effectively systematic mode. In most cases, this model can redefine and reduce a big problem into minor segments, each separately focusing on different issues. As a result, it clarifies the systematic functions, and enforces the reuse of components. In order to apply a general resolution to in a collaboration design based on the MVC model, we should further reduce ‘C ontrol’ to divided parts, that is, application control, abstraction control and collaboration control, which should be independent to any specific application. ‘Peer’ is intended to handle most collaboration work, while ‘C lient’ works on the task to display application design. The interface in between is abstract data operations (such as add, delete, revise and check). Routing traffics are handled solely by ‘C ommunication’ layer. For the sake of better consistence, ‘Model’ is not stored in ‘C lient’ but replicated among all distribute ‘Peers’ to secure an acceptable responding rate.Figure 6. Layered ArchitectureIn order to provide better support to multi-collaboration and interaction in remote distance with lower communication traffic, this article optimizes the architecture of the systems that give supports to collaboration design. As shown in the graphic below, the bold lines represent communication routes based on intranet or internet, the thin lines represent the communication routes of high speed LAN, and icons of hexagon and circle respectively represent ‘Client’ and ‘Peer’ – computer nodes in the collaboration design network. This architectural system is to concern the responsibilities of collaboration work on Peer nodes. Due to the high speed of communication in LAN, the collisions between operations can be easily discovered and resolved, so the mode of Client-Servercomputing is adopted. On the other hand, with the highpossibilities of delay on the WAN, the mode of P2P distribution is adopted to collaborate with each other and resolve collisions. In this way, the system can enforce the consistence and reduce the communication traffic. Figure 7. System ArchitectureV. CONCLUSIONSThe essential theory elaborated in this paper is, to encourage the users themselves to elaborate the business design constraints by examining the dependency under concrete circumstance. On the basis of these strategies, the algorithms can easily be found out the reason why the users always conflict with one another by means of design intentions. It will be favorable to accumulating experience and precipitating knowledge for engineers through the design process; it will be outstanding and illustrating seriously for the most crucial design decision; it will be benefit for the mission-executing and role-planning.The further work concerning this topic will cover a full examination of the model for conflict solution, utilities-automatic method of design constraints, formal method of dependency reduced, etc.R EFERENCES[1]Liyin Xue, Kang Zhang, Chengzheng Sun: Conflict Control Locking inDistributed Cooperative Graphics Editors. WISE, pp. 401-408, 2000 [2]Richard E. 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