System configuration: Concurrent subsystem embodiment and system synthesis

In this paper, we introduce a method for preliminary system configuration. Two steps are typically associated with preliminary system configuration, namely, selecting components that embody subsystems and then synthesizing the subsystems to create the system itself. We show how we can perform these two steps concurrently using a modification of Taguchi's method of robust design. This method is effective in dealing with both discrete and continuous variables simultaneously. We illustrate the method for the preliminary design of a solar powered irrigation system. Our focus in this paper is on explaining our approach rather than on the results per se.