Commonality Analysis Using Clustering Methods

The application of commonality in a system represents an attempt to reduce costs by reducing the number of unique components. A formal method for conducting commonality analysis has not been established. This paper characterizes commonality analysis as a partitioning problem for which the solution may be approximated by the application of clustering methods. A clustering algorithm is developed and applied to a commonality analysis of Space Station water tanks. The success in applying a clustering method in this problem indicates a significant potential for application of clustering methods to commonality analysis.