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Avraam Seredinski
Consultant - TRIZ Specialist
Poitiers - France
seredinski@libertysurf.fr
Abstract
Enumeration of all the sub-systems in the 9-screen
presentation (system operator) combined with the use of Altshuller's laws of
evolution simplifies the method for predicting the technology and operation of
future systems.
Keywords: TRIZ, system operator, laws, evolution, prediction,
function, sub-system, super-system
In the TRIZ literature, where the system operator is
mentioned, its diagram is presented in form of 9 screens. Each level (system,
super-system and sub-system) contains 3 screens (in the past, in present, and in
the future), as shown in Fig.1:
Figure 1
Such presentation is simplified. Really, the minimal number
of subsystems composing any system must be not less than two. Otherwise, a
system effect may not appear. The same reasoning concerns a super-system
composed by at least two systems. Usually, the number of components in any level
is much greater.
One of the types of problems where "9-screens diagram" can be
helpful is an attempt to predict the future of a system. Of course, the general
instrument for this kind of problem is Altshuller's laws of evolution. But the
system operator can help to specify some components as well.
This possibility is "declared" everywhere in the TRIZ
literature where the system operator is mentioned. However, the sequence of
actions to be accomplished is not explained. There are no standing rules whose
realisation permit to achieve the goal. Each user must be guided by his/her own
experience and intuition.
The purpose of present article is to fill this lacuna.
Starting point: there is a system for which all the
sub-systems are known, both in the past and in the present. Each sub-system in
the past delivered some useful function (U.F.). The total sum of these UF's
formed a main useful function (M.U.F.) of the system in the past. Evidently, the
system in the present is a "new generation" of the previous system. This means,
that its M.U.F. remains the same as in the past, but the components are not the
same.
We can analyse the UF's of all the sub-systems in the past
from a common point of view: do these functions exist in the present system?
Independently of the number of sub-systems in the past, they can be separated in
two groups. The first - those whose functions continue to exist in the present
sub-systems, the second - those whose functions disappeared during the
transition from the past to present.
Note a principally important feature that here we have to
deal with a traditional coupling in TRIZ: object + its function, although
9-screen diagram contains only the objects.
Then we examine all the UF's of the present sub-systems:
-
Which of them still exist from the past?
-
Did they change?
-
What material elements (sub-systems) deliver now these
functions?
-
What new sub-systems appeared?
-
What new functions do they perform?
-
Why did these new functions appear?
The next step is to put the same multitude of questions to
the future sub-systems. Of particular importance is the forecast of new
functions. Here, Altshuller's law of increasing of degree of ideality provides
guidance. As the future system will be closer to the ideal, the "bad" features
will decrease even disappear, whereas the "good" features will grow and the new
positive functions can appear. Evidently, the functions are to be realised by
the material elements - subsystems. Thus, one can find a set of sub-systems
which will compose a new system in the future (the arrow changes its direction
as shown in Fig.2).
Figure 2
Consider an example: a light source for local illumination.
At present, it is a filament electrical lamp; in the past it was a kerosene lamp
(Fig.3).
The past sub-systems and their functions:
-
Kerosene (oil). Its useful function is to provide the
system with energy. Here the source is presented as liquid inside the system.
In the TRIZ terminology, pursuant to Altshuller's law of System Completeness,
its role is an "Engine"
-
The wick. Its function is to transport the liquid
("Transmission" according to the same law) into a zone of combustion.
-
Vessel: the function - to hold the inflammable liquid.
-
Flame: plasma in the upper end of the wick, a zone of
transformation of the chemical (potential) energy to visual light, or
electro-magnetic field, a "Working Unit".
-
Regulator ("Control Unit"), which changes the size of the
combustion zone and thus the rate of kerosene transportation; and,
consequently, the light intensity.
-
Lamp-chimney delivers three functions:
- creates the air flux to support burning;
- protects the flame against the wind that can blow out the flame;
- guards the user from the burn with the flame. This function is badly
accomplished because the user can burn oneself with the same lamp-chimney.
Figure 3. The Kerosene Lantern and the Electric Light Bulb
Analogous examination of the modern system. Its sub-systems:
-
Conductors transport the electric current to the filament.
-
Filament transforms it into the light.
-
Regulator/switch "controls" the system.
-
The bulb protects the filament against the destruction.
Now we can compare two sets of sub-systems and their
functions.
The principal change is that the hot filament replaces the
flame. It is an evident illustration of Altshuller's law "Non-homogeneous
development of the parts of a system". This law notes that it is a "Working
Unit", which changes more quickly than other parts of a system.
The second peculiarity is that is no energy source in the
present system. In according with a "Law of Transition to a Supersystem", the
electric network is the super-system in respect to our system (we don't consider
here the torches or “flashlights” with batteries inside). Using electricity
instead of kerosene is using a "Field instead of a material object". Thus, we
see here the illustrations of the laws of evolution.
The function of transmitting the energy is conserved. Now the
conductors perform this function.
The filament now implements energy transformation that was
executed by the end of the wick and the flame. This line "supply - bring -
transform" the energy is the main line and one has to analyse how all the stages
of this chain were accomplished in the past and how they are accomplished now.
In order to predict the future of our system, we have to
address Altshuller’s law of "Increasing the Degree of System Ideality" (growth
of useful functions and reduction of harmful ones).
Now, some sub-systems, which existed in the past,
disappeared. The annoying smells, lamp-black, absorption of oxygen, the
necessity to prepare and to add the combustible disappeared with the kerosene
together. The necessity of the vessel ceased to exist as well.
The conductor, which "replaced" the wick, has a shortcoming:
the losses of energy because of electric resistance. The bulb of glass protects
the filament well against the destruction, but protects the user as badly as the
lamp-chimney. Thus the defect is conserved.
Finally, the most important sub-system, the filament,
transforms only some part of the incoming energy to the light. A considerable
amount of energy is dissipated in form of heat.
This short analysis makes it possible to outline the
directions of future evolution of a system under consideration.
As the source of energy has already moved to the
super-system, the next step is to move the nearest sub-system there also, that
is, the conductors. But, if the conductors are not present inside of our system,
that means that the energy transmission is realised without the wire (from
without or from within). Clearly, the efficiency of transforming input energy to
light will be much higher in this case.
Electrical energy is not the only possibility.
Electromagnetic energy is always around. We can predict its accumulation (for
example, in form of a light by day) and its emanation in the dark time.
At last, the law of transition to super-system makes it
possible to predict that the whole system will pass to a new super-system and
will be presented as light-emitting elements of the furniture, rooms or
architectural constructions.
Bibliography
-
Altshuller G., To Find an Idea. Edition "Nauka", 1991 (in
Russian).
-
Salamatov Y., TRIZ: The Right Solution at the Right Time.
Published by Insytec, 1999.
- Seredinski A., A Complementary Possibility of the 9-Screen Diagram. TRIZ
Future 2001,
World Conference, Bath, UK, 7-9 November 2001.
About the author:
Avraam Seredinski, Ph.D., is a TRIZ specialist certified by MATRIZ
(International TRIZ Association), Certificate #2. He is the first who
implemented TRIZ in France, and the Chairman of the Scientific and Technical
Committee of the Association TRIZ-France. Dr. Seredinski is an independent
consultant. He works for the French firms as a Problem Solver and for the
Engineering Schools as a TRIZ Professor.
E-mail :
seredinski@libertysurf.fr
Tel./Fax : +33 (0) 549 58 16 07
