Integrating models and simulations of continuous dynamic system behavior into SysML

Contemporary systems engineering problems are becoming increasingly complex as they are handled by geographically distributed design teams, constrained by the objectives of multiple stakeholders, and inundated by large quantities of design information. According to the principles of model-based systems engineering (MBSE), engineers can effectively manage increasing complexity by replacing document-centric design methods with computerized, model-based approaches. In this thesis, modeling constructs from SysML and Modelica are integrated to improve support for MBSE. The Object Management Group has recently developed the Systems Modeling Language (OMG SysML ) to provide a comprehensive set constructs for modeling many common aspects of systems engineering problems (e.g. system requirements, structures, functions). Complementing these SysML constructs, the Modelica language has emerged as a standard for modeling the continuous dynamics (CD) of systems in terms of hybrid discrete- event and differential algebraic equation systems. The integration of SysML and Modelica is explored from three different perspectives: the definition of CD models in SysML; the use of graph transformations to automate the transformation of SysML CD models into Modelica models; and the integration of CD models and other SysML models (e.g. structural, requirements) through the depiction of simulation experiments and engineering analyses. Throughout the thesis, example models of a car suspension and a hydraulically-powered excavator are used for demonstration. The core result of this work is the provision of modeling abilities that do not exist independently in SysML or Modelica. These abilities allow systems engineers to prescribe necessary system analyses and relate them to stakeholder concerns and other system aspects. Moreover, this work provides a basis for model integration which can be generalized and re-specialized for integrating other modeling formalisms into SysML.M.S.Committee Chair: Chris Paredis; Committee Member: Dirk Schaefer; Committee Member: Russell Pea

An XML representation of DAE systems obtained fromcontinuous-time Modelica models

This contribution outlines an XML format for representation of differential-algebraic equations (DAE) models obtained from continuous time Modelica models and possibly also from other equation-based modeling languages. The purpose is to offer a standardized model exchange format which is based on the DAE formalism and which is neutral with respect to model usage. Many usages of models go beyond what can be obtained from an execution interface offering evaluation of the model equations for simulation purposes. Several such usages arise in the area of control engineering, where dynamic optimization, Linear Fractional Transformations (LFTs), derivation of robotic controllers, model order reduction, and real time code generation are some examples. The choice of XML is motivated by its de facto standard status and the availability of free and efficient tools. Also, the XSLT language enables a convenient specification of the transformation of the XML model representation into other formats

An XML representation of DAE systems obtained from continuous-time Modelica models

This contribution outlines an XML format for representation of differential-algebraic equations (DAE) models obtained from continuous time Modelica models and possibly also from other equation-based modeling languages. The purpose is to offer a standardized model exchange format which is based on the DAE formalism and which is neutral with respect to model usage. Many usages of models go beyond what can be obtained from an execution interface offering evaluation of the model equations for simulation purposes. Several such usages arise in the area of control engineering, where dynamic optimization, Linear Fractional Transformations (LFTs), derivation of robotic controllers, model order reduction, and real time code generation are some examples. The choice of XML is motivated by its de facto standard status and the availability of free and efficient tools. Also, the XSLT language enables a convenient specification of the transformation of the XML model representation into other formats

EOOLT 2007 – Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Equation-Based Object-Oriented Languages and Tools

Computer aided modeling and simulation of complex systems, using components from multiple application domains, such as electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, control, etc., have in recent years witness0065d a significant growth of interest. In the last decade, novel equation-based object-oriented (EOO) modeling languages, (e.g. Mode- lica, gPROMS, and VHDL-AMS) based on acausal modeling using equations have appeared. Using such languages, it has become possible to model complex systems covering multiple application domains at a high level of abstraction through reusable model components. The interest in EOO languages and tools is rapidly growing in the industry because of their increasing importance in modeling, simulation, and specification of complex systems. There exist several different EOO language communities today that grew out of different application areas (multi-body system dynamics, electronic circuit simula- tion, chemical process engineering). The members of these disparate communities rarely talk to each other in spite of the similarities of their modeling and simulation needs. The EOOLT workshop series aims at bringing these different communities together to discuss their common needs and goals as well as the algorithms and tools that best support them. Despite the short deadlines and the fact that this is a new not very established workshop series, there was a good response to the call-for-papers. Thirteen papers and one presentation were accepted to the workshop program. All papers were subject to reviews by the program committee, and are present in these electronic proceedings. The workshop program started with a welcome and introduction to the area of equa- tion-based object-oriented languages, followed by paper presentations and discussion sessions after presentations of each set of related papers. On behalf of the program committee, the Program Chairmen would like to thank all those who submitted papers to EOOLT'2007. Special thanks go to David Broman who created the web page and helped with organization of the workshop. Many thanks to the program committee for reviewing the papers. EOOLT'2007 was hosted by the Technical University of Berlin, in conjunction with the ECOOP'2007 conference

Integration of CasADi and JModelica.org

This paper presents the integration of two open source softwares: CasADi, which is a framework for efficient evaluation of expressions and their derivatives, and the Modelica-based platform JModelica.org. The integration of the tools is based on an XML format for exchange of DAE models. The JModelica.org platform supports export of model in this XML format, whereas CasADi supports import of models expressed in this format. Furthermore, we have carried out comparisons with ACADO, which is a multiple shooting package for solving optimal control problems. CasADi, in turn, has been interfaced with ACADO Toolkit, enabling users to define optimal control problems using Modelica and Optimica specifications, and use solve using direct multiple shooting. In addition, a collocation algorithm targeted at solving large- scale DAE constrained dynamic optimization problems has been implemented. This implementation explores CasADi’s Python and IPOPT interfaces, which offers a convenient, yet highly efficient environment for development of optimization algorithms. The algorithms are evaluated using industrially relevant benchmark problems

Multidomain Simulation Model for Analysis of Geometric Variation and Productivity in Multi-Stage Assembly Systems

Nowadays, the new era of industry 4.0 is forcing manufacturers to develop models and methods for managing the geometric variation of a final product in complex manufacturing environments, such as multistage manufacturing systems. The stream of variation model has been successfully applied to manage product geometric variation in these systems, but there is a lack of research studying its application together with the material and order flow in the system. In this work, which is focused on the production quality paradigm in a model-based system engineering context, a digital prototype is proposed to integrate productivity and part quality based on the stream of variation analysis in multistage assembly systems. The prototype was modelled and simulated with OpenModelica tool exploiting the Modelica language capabilities for multidomain simulations and its synergy with SysML. A case study is presented to validate the potential applicability of the approach. The proposed model and the results show a promising potential for future developments aligned with the production quality paradigm

NeuralFMU: presenting a workflow for integrating hybrid neuralODEs into real-world applications

The term NeuralODE describes the structural combination of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and a numerical solver for Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE), the former acts as the right-hand side of the ODE to be solved. This concept was further extended by a black-box model in the form of a Functional Mock-up Unit (FMU) to obtain a subclass of NeuralODEs, named NeuralFMUs. The resulting structure features the advantages of the first-principle and data-driven modeling approaches in one single simulation model: a higher prediction accuracy compared to conventional First-Principle Models (FPMs) and also a lower training effort compared to purely data-driven models. We present an intuitive workflow to set up and use NeuralFMUs, enabling the encapsulation and reuse of existing conventional models exported from common modeling tools. Moreover, we exemplify this concept by deploying a NeuralFMU for a consumption simulation based on a Vehicle Longitudinal Dynamics Model (VLDM), which is a typical use case in the automotive industry. Related challenges that are often neglected in scientific use cases, such as real measurements (e.g., noise), an unknown system state or high-frequency discontinuities, are handled in this contribution. To build a hybrid model with a higher prediction quality than the original FPM, we briefly highlight two open-source libraries: FMI.jl, which allows for the import of FMUs into the Julia programming language, as well as the library FMIFlux.jl, which enables the integration of FMUs into neural network topologies to obtain a NeuralFMU

Using domain specific languages to capture design knowledge for model-based systems engineering

Design synthesis is a fundamental engineering task that involves the creation of structure from a desired functional specification; it involves both creating a system topology as well as sizing the system's components. Although the use of computer tools is common throughout the design process, design synthesis is often a task left to the designer. At the synthesis stage of the design process, designers have an extensive choice of design alternatives that need to be considered and evaluated. Designers can benefit from computational synthesis methods in the creative phase of the design process. Recent increases in computational power allow automated synthesis methods for rapidly generating a large number of design solutions. Combining an automated synthesis method with an evaluation framework allows for a more thorough exploration of the design space as well as for a reduction of the time and cost needed to design a system. To facilitate computational synthesis, knowledge about feasible system configurations must be captured. Since it is difficult to capture such synthesis knowledge about any possible system, a design domain must be chosen. In this thesis, the design domain is hydraulic systems. In this thesis, Model-Driven Software Development concepts are leveraged to create a framework to automate the synthesis of hydraulic systems will be presented and demonstrated. This includes the presentation of a domain specific language to describe the function and structure of hydraulic systems as well as a framework for synthesizing hydraulic systems using graph grammars to generate system topologies. Also, a method using graph grammars for generating analysis models from the described structural system representations is presented. This approach fits in the context of Model-Based Systems Engineering where a variety of formal models are used to represent knowledge about a system. It uses the Systems Modeling Language developed by The Object Management Group (OMG SysML™) as a unifying language for model definition.M.S.Committee Chair: Paredis, Chris; Committee Member: McGinnis, Leon; Committee Member: Schaefer, Dir