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Research Interests
Professor Westerberg retired as of June,
2004. He is no longer carrying out an active research
program. However, with a team of volunteers from throughout the
world, Prof. Westerberg currently works on further developing the
ASCEND modeling environment ( home
page and wiki ).
Brief descriptions of the last three research projects on which he
worked before retirement are as follows:
Professor Westerberg, with PhD student Lifei Cheng
(co-directed with E. Subrahmanian), created a simulation/ optimization/
design/ operation capability for stochastic models that describe the
long-term future behavior of a process. This work showed how to
formulate a problem with multiple objectives so it can be properly
decomposed using a dynamic programming based algorithm. It also
demonstrated, with a small problem, the very significant impact on
solutions one will find that trade off present worth and risk.
PhD student John Siirola (co directed with Steinar
Hauan) demonstrated the synergy of using many types of collaborating
agents to solve complex single and multi-objective optimization
problems. This work demonstrated that the approach truly
parallelizes - using 100 computers solved problems, such as designing a
chip-based chemical separator, 100 times faster than using one
computer. Collaborating diverse agents solved problems seven to
eight times faster still, while including multiple formulations
enhanced performance by another factor of two to three.
Work in the n-dim group has developed information
modeling environments
and LIRE' . These systems
support collaboration, history-keeping, design environment evolution,
and event-handling for distributed teams of engineers carrying complex
work processes such as design.
Representative Publications
Siirola, J.D., S. Hauan and A.W.
Westerberg, "Toward Agents-Based Process Systems Engineering:Proposed
Agent Framework," Comp. Chem. Engng., 27(12), 1801-1811 (2003).
Subrahmanian, E., A.W. Westerberg, S.
Talukdar, J. Garrett, A. Jacobson, C. Paredis, C. Amon, P.M. Herder, A.
Turk, "Integrating Social Aspects and Group Work Aspects in Engineering
Design Education," International Journal of Engineering Education,
19(1) (2003) .
Westerberg, A.W., "Unsolved Problems
in Process/Product Systems Engineering," Proc. Ohio State
University Chemical Engineering Centennial Symposium, April 24 and 25
(2003).
Westerberg, A.W., "A Retrospective on
Design and Process Synthesis," Comp. chem.. Engng, 28, 447-458 (2004).
Cheng, L., E. Subrahmanian, and A.W.
Westerberg, "Multiobjective Decision Processes under Uncertainty:
Applications, Problem Formulations, and Solution Strategies," Ind. Eng.
Chem. Res., 44, 2405-2415 (2005).
Davis , J.G., E. Subrahmanian, and
A.W. Westerberg, "The 'Global' and the 'Local' in Knowledge
Management," J. Knowledge Management, Special Issue on Technology,
9(1), 101-112 (2005).
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