Proven Breakthrough Methodologies
Achieving energy independence has often been described as something equivalent to the Apollo project. Something that will require extraordinary effort and the cooperation of a large segment of the technical and business communities. The Leap Cad Project is based on building a framework of mathematically abstracted papers of the leading emerging energy experts and then applying proven breakthrough strategies. Let’s examine some proven breakthrough strategies.
Data Mining: Assimilation into a Common Framework
Mine and digest the information. Make the information useful. Put it into a common repository. Make the mathematical abstraction easily accessible for synergistic combinations or applications to new areas.
Higher Level Abstraction Methods: Physical Process Factorization
For lack of known name, I’ll refer to the procedure I used to solve my semiconductor problem as “Physical Process Factorization”. The idea is to identify factors that describe known processes from some given physical model. Then novel situations can be modeled by appropriately combining the known factors.
Merge Economic, Environmental, and Social Cost/Benefit Calculation Models
Provide the capability to do Economic, Environmental, and Social Cost/Benefit modeling up-front.
The Delphi Method – Distilling Knowledge from Experts
The objective of most Delphi applications is the reliable and creative exploration of ideas or the production of suitable information for decision making. The Delphi Method is based on a structured process for collecting and distilling knowledge from a group of experts by means of a series of questionnaires interspersed with controlled opinion feedback (Adler and Ziglio, 1996). The Delphi method has been widely used to generate forecasts in technology, education, and other fields (Cornish, 1977). The core element for the LCC is the abstraction of this expert knowledge (tables of conclusions, graphs, or mathematical models) into standard math tools.
General Morphological Analysis
http://www.swemorph.com/ma.html
Essentially, general morphological analysis (MA) is a method for identifying and investigating the total set of possible relationships or "configurations" contained in a given problem complex. One of the first applications of MA was by Fritz Zwicky to study alternative forms of energy conversion for new propulsive systems.
TRIZ - The theory of inventor's problem solving
http://www.triz40.com/
Simplified_TRIZ_New_Problem_Solving_Applications_for_Engineers_Manufacturing_Professional
To develop a method for inventing, one must scan a large number of inventions, identify the contradictions underlying them, and formulate the principle used by the inventor for their removal.
General Analytical techniques
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis
Project risk assessment – Probability impact grids
Pareto analysis
Ishikawa fish analysis
IDEO Design Thinking
Tech Box
Analogical Reasoning
The most common creative process is analogical reasoning--the transfer of an idea from one context to a new one. Perhaps 80 percent of creative ideas are rooted in analogical reasoning, and examples abound in every field of human creativity.
Attribute Listing
Attribute listing is a specific idea-finding technique (one that could even be used while brainstorming). You identify the key characteristics, or attributes, of the product or process in question. Then you think up ways to change, modify, or improve each attribute (in design engineering this is called the substitution method). Almost anyone can "disassemble" a product into its attributes and then think of modifications for most of them. For example, a can of soda has these attributes: size, shape, color, color pattern, decorative theme, material, possible uses after modification, other audiences for the product if modified. Can you invent alterations for each of these attributes? Fran Stryker supplied himself with plots for Lone Ranger radio and television episodes for a couple of decades by modifying these characteristics: characters, goals, obstacles, and outcomes.
New Strategies
This particular application of PBS, with regard to developing new technologies or solving development problems in this new framework, offers a new area of research and development.
A collaborative network of physical analysis, abstraction, cataloging, and breakthrough strategies. .
