Gregory Frenklach
gregoryf@avx.co.il
The Technical Effects Classification.
First of all lets define what is an effect in the wide sense of this word.
Under "effect" we will understand the transformation which is characterized by its input, output and conditions, under which the input is transformed into the output.
Inputè |
|
è Output |
If we speak about technical effects then we have taken as inputs and outputs the different kinds of energy or substances which are transformed under certain conditions.
Based on the above definition, the technical effects are classified as follows::
I. According to the object to be transformed.
1. Energy (field);
For example: mechanical, acoustic, thermal, chemical, electromagnetic etc.
2. Substance;
For example: solid, liquid, gas, mixture etc.
II. According to kind of the object transformation.
1. Qualitative changing;
For example: transformation of solid into liquid or magnetic force into mechanical force, etc. The "aggregate state changing" effect transforms a solid into a liquid or a solid into a liquid; the Seebeck effect transforms a temperature gradient into a voltage; the Faraday effect transforms mechanical motion of a permanent magnet in a loop of wire into a current in the wire.
2. Quantitative changing;
For example:
In order to search for the proper effect based on the input and output, two tables have to be built. The first has to use as key energy inputs / outputs and the second -- substances inputs-outputs. The effect are looked with help of these tables.
Note: ->0 inputs and ->0 outputs have to be taken into account. (Editors note: ->0 means "negative" in the authors notation)
For example:
For energy transformations table: acoustic input and ->0 output - the possible effects are foam or acoustic wave in anti-phase or ->0 input and thermal output - the possible effects are phase transitions or thermal radiation of the heated body.
For substance transformations table: gas input and ->0 output - the possible effect are absorption or ->0 input and gas output - the possible effect is gas hydrates.
Such a classification is well-known and described in the TRIZ literature (mainly in Russian) and it is used in order to search for the fit technical effect.
The Technical Effect Description.
Every effect, in addition to its usual description, also has to be described at least on five levels of tasks:
(Such an approach is partly described in G. S. Altshullers book "To find the Idea").
For example: for changing of the aggregate state by using the thermal energy we have to add:
Very often in order to solve an inventive problem we need to link into chain the number of effects. Then we have to check compatibility of inputs and outputs for every effect in order to build the chain of the effects. Thats inputs / outputs of any effect have to be described:
The work with such a classification can be the following:
1. If the problem is a function performance:
Define type of the function:
a) changing of the functions object;
b) measurement/indication of the functions object;
If a) - find proper effect(s) according to type of the output energy or substance with help of the energy or substance transformations table.
If b) determine the effect the process to be measured is based on.
For example: we need to indicate the time point of boiling -- so the process to be measured is boiling. Thus we have to find the effect the boiling is based on
2. If the problem is elimination of an UDE:
Define kind of the UDE (UDE = undesirable effect):
a) low efficiency of the function performing;
b) a harmful factor;
If a) - find the effect the function is based on.
For example: what is the effect the function of the vibrato-transporter (if theUDE is low efficiency of this function performance) is based on?
If b) - find the effect the harmful factor is based on.
For example: what is the effect the under-water wing surface destroying (if the UDE is destroying of the surface of the under-water wing) is based on?
If effects are described as suggested above - the right determination of the effect = the solutions recommendation.
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