Decision Making
Morphological Analysis
• Morphological analysis is used to identify the design options
• Pioneered by Fritz Zwicky in the 1960’s
• Purpose is to identify possible new combinations for a system
• Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Functionally decompose the existing system  major components
For each function, list all the possible options
Organize into a Morphological matrix
Examine the matrix for possible new permutations
Morphological Matrix: Case Study (Pen)
• Characteristic or function: all the possible components or functions of
the product
• Characteristic Alternative: all the possible ways the characteristic may
be defined
• Product Alternative: a set of one alternative for each characteristic
Morphological Analysis: Case Study (Aircraft)
Morphological Matrix: Case Study (Aircraft)
MATERIAL LDG HLD
TAIL
WING
ENGINE
CONFIG Parameter
Propulsion Type
Number of Engine
Engine wrt CG
Engine Installation
Engine Location
Number of Wings
Wing AR
Wing Taper
Wing Sweep
Wing Vertical Location
Tail or Canard
Tail Type
Flap Type
Slat Type
Landing Gear Type
Material
Alternative 1
Alternative 2
Alternative 3
Alternative 4
Alternative 5
MATERIAL LDG HLD
TAIL
WING
ENGINE
Morphological Matrix: Case Study (Aircraft)
CONFIG Parameter
Alternative 1
Alternative 2
Alternative 3
Propulsion Type
Number of Engine
Engine wrt CG
Engine Installation
Engine Location
Number of Wings
Wing AR
Wing Taper
Wing Sweep
Wing Vertical Location
Tail or Canard
Tail Type
Flap Type
Slat Type
Turbojet
Single
Pusher
Fixed
Above Wing
Monoplane
Low AR
Tapered
No Sweep
High Wing
Tail
Conventional
Plain
Dropped LE
Landing Gear Type
Tricycle
Tail Dragger
Quadricycle
Material
Full Metal
Full Composite
Hybrid
Alternative 4
Alternative 5
Turbofan
Turboprop
Piston
Rocket
Twin
Tri
Quad
Tractor
Tilt
Under Wing
Above Fuselage Inside Fuselage Beside Fuselage
Biplane
Triplane
Mid AR
High AR
Rectangular
Fixed Sweep
Variable Sweep
Mid Wing
Low Wing
Canard
Three-surfaces
T-shape
H-shape
V-shape
Cruciform
Split
Single Slotted
Double Slotted
No Flap
Upper Surface LE Lower Surface LE
No Slat
Multi-bogey
MATERIAL LDG HLD
TAIL
WING
ENGINE
Morphological Matrix: Case Study (Aircraft)
CONFIG Parameter
Alternative 1
Alternative 2
Alternative 3
Propulsion Type
Number of Engine
Engine wrt CG
Engine Installation
Engine Location
Number of Wings
Wing AR
Wing Taper
Wing Sweep
Wing Vertical Location
Tail or Canard
Tail Type
Flap Type
Slat Type
Turbojet
Single
Pusher
Fixed
Above Wing
Monoplane
Low AR
Tapered
No Sweep
High Wing
Tail
Conventional
Plain
Dropped LE
Landing Gear Type
Tricycle
Tail Dragger
Quadricycle
Material
Full Metal
Full Composite
Hybrid
Alternative 4
Alternative 5
Turbofan
Turboprop
Piston
Rocket
Twin
Tri
Quad
Tractor
Tilt
Under Wing
Above Fuselage Inside Fuselage Beside Fuselage
Biplane
Triplane
Mid AR
High AR
Rectangular
Fixed Sweep
Variable Sweep
Mid Wing
Low Wing
Canard
Three-surfaces
T-shape
H-shape
V-shape
Cruciform
Split
Single Slotted
Double Slotted
No Flap
Upper Surface LE Lower Surface LE
No Slat
Multi-bogey
Candidate Aircraft
Pugh Selection Method
• A qualitative decision making method
• A procedure to carry out concept formulation and evaluation in a
progressive and disciplined manner
• Method involves qualitative comparison of each alternative to a
reference or datum alternative, criterion by criterion
• Based on the alternatives identified in the Morphological Matrix
• Very simple and requires the least amount of information
• Does not inherently account for subjectivity
Pugh Selection Procedure
1. Identify evaluation criteria
2. Establish datum point qualitatively
3. Evaluate the options one-by-one
•
•
•
•
•
+3 implies “the option is strongly more favorable than the datum”
+1 implies “the option is slightly more favorable than the datum”
-1 implies “the option is slightly less favorable than the datum”
-3 implies “the option is strongly less favorable than the datum”
0 implies “the option is more or less the same as datum”
Case Study: Pugh Selection
• Currently, you’re going to your work by a motorbike
• There is also possibility to use the following public transportation
means
• Taxi
• Air Taxi
• High Speed Train
• You can also use:
• Your car
• Your bicycle
• You want to decide which transportation vehicle you should use to
get to work
Case Study: Pugh Selection
1. Identify evaluation criteria
2. Establish datum point qualitatively
3. Evaluate the options one-by-one