System and method for designing simulant composition

A system for identifying a simulant, the system comprising:

• one or more databases containing subject compositions and ingredients information,
• wherein each subject composition is associated with one or more metrics having target values, and each ingredient is associated with one or more metrics and having an ingredient value;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to:
• identify for evaluation one or more metrics based on a subject composition selected from a listing of subject compositions from the one or more databases as a selected subject composition, the one or more metrics including at least one of physical or chemical properties;
• determine proportions of each of at least three ingredients selected from a listing of ingredients for the simulant from the one or more databases, by optimizing a quadratic function based on one or more metrics of the simulant;
• render a three-dimensional (3D) plot that depicts the one or more metrics and a target point specified by the target values of the selected subject composition, the 3D plot having data points that are selectable and movable to produce a new 3D plot representing modified metrics of the simulant;
• when the target point specified by the target values of the selected subject composition is contained within a convex set defined by the at least three ingredients, then output the determined proportions of each of the at least three ingredients;
• and
• when the target point specified by the target values of the selected subject composition is not contained within a convex set defined by the at least three ingredients, identify alternative ingredients and/or alternative proportions for one or more of the at least three ingredients that more closely conform to the target values of the subject composition as represented by an adjusted convex set, which is adjusted by selecting and moving the data points of the 3D plot to modify the metrics of the at least three ingredients of the simulant to produce the new 3D plot, the alternative ingredients and/or alternative proportions representing the at least three ingredients that are modified to more closely conform to the target values of the subject composition, and determine proportions of each of the at least three ingredients that are modified to more closely conform to the target values of the subject composition by optimizing the quadratic function based on one or more metrics of the at least three ingredients of the simulant that are modified to more closely conform to the target values of the subject composition.

A method for identifying a simulant, the method comprising:

• identifying for evaluation one or more metrics based on a subject composition selected from a listing of subject compositions each being associated with one or more metrics having target values, as a selected subject composition, the one or more metrics including at least one of physical or chemical properties;
• determining proportions of each of at least three ingredients selected from a listing of simulant ingredients for the simulant, each simulant ingredient of the listing of simulant ingredients being associated with one or more metrics and having an ingredient value, by optimizing a quadratic function based on the one or more metrics of the at least three ingredients of the simulant;
• rendering a three-dimensional (3D) plot that depicts the one or more metrics and a target point specified by the target values of the selected subject composition, the 3D plot having data points that are selectable and movable to produce a new 3D plot representing modified metrics of the at least three ingredients of the simulant;
• when the target point specified by the target values of the selected subject composition is contained within a convex set defined by the at least three ingredients, outputting the determined proportions of each of the at least three ingredients;
• and
• when the target point specified by the target values of the selected subject composition is not contained within a convex set defined by the at least three ingredients, identifying alternative ingredients and/or alternative proportions for one or more of at least three ingredients that are modified to more closely conform to the target values of the subject composition as represented by an adjusted convex set, which is adjusted by selecting and moving the data points of the 3D plot to modify the metrics of the at least three ingredients of the simulant to produce the new 3D plot, the alternative ingredients and/or alternative proportions representing the at least three ingredients that are modified to more closely conform to the target values of the subject composition, and determining proportions of each of the at least three ingredients by optimizing the quadratic function based on the one or more metrics of the at least three ingredients of the simulant that are modified to more closely conform to the target values of the subject composition.