Representation of functional micro-knowledge cell (FMKC) for conceptual design

The conceptual design process of a complex product concerns multidisciplinary design knowledge. This paper presents an approach of consistent knowledge representation for conceptual design. Firstly, the concept of functional micro-knowledge cell (FMKC) is presented, and the knowledge representation approach of FMKC is proposed. In the function layer, the functional ontology is used to provide a rich vocabulary. By constructing the mapping relationships between the function and structure layer, a systematic knowledge representation scheme is obtained. Secondly, the functional knowledge decomposition theory is proposed to unify the resolution of knowledge representation. Finally, the FMKC is applied to a hydraulic cylinder, which demonstrates the possibility in representing the multidisciplinary knowledge for conceptual design with a unified systematic representation scheme. In addition, the FMKC can be used in knowledge fusion and design reuse for our further study.