Discrete-time dynamic modeling for software and services composition as an extension of the Markov chain approach

Discrete Time Markov Chains (DTMCs) and Continuous Time Markov Chains (CTMCs) are often used to model various types of phenomena, such as, for example, the behavior of software products. In that case, Markov chains are widely used to describe possible time-varying behavior of “self-adaptive” software systems, where the transition from one state to another represents alternative choices at the software code level, taken according to a certain probability distribution. From a control-theoretical standpoint, some of these probabilities can be interpreted as control signals and others can just be observed. However, the translation between a DTMC or CTMC model and a corresponding first principle model, that can be used to design a control system is not immediate. This paper investigates a possible solution for translating a CTMC model into a dynamic system, with focus on the control of computing systems components. Notice that DTMC models can be translated as well, providing additional information

Generalized small-signal modelling of dual active bridge DC/DC converter

this paper presents a novel generalised approach of the small-signal modelling of dual active bridge (DAB) DC/DC converter. The adopted analysis is based on a per-unit fundamental frequency representation of the DAB. The outcome of the proposed modelling approach is a small signal, linearised, state-space DAB model; which is considered as a main building block for future control applications. The developed small signal DAB model includes all possible degrees of freedom affecting the performance of the DAB; this includes the voltage conversion ratio to allow the study of all DAB operation modes (i.e.: unity-gain and buck/boost modes.). Furthermore, since triple phase shift control (TPS) is used in this development work, the proposed model incorporates phase shift in addition to duty ratios. This feature allows for bridge voltage regulation, which is essential for efficient DAB operation in the case of buck/boost operation. Another key achievement is that the proposed small signal modelling methodology can be applied to any bidirectional DC-DC converter regardless of ratings, parameter values and number of ports. Extensive simulation is carried out to verify the proposed analysis

Validation of movement over a belt conveyor drum

This paper presents the use of new modern methods for the research of movement of material on a belt conveyor. One of the innovative methods is Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), which was used to scan and assess the two-dimensional vector field of speed of particles on the belt conveyor. Outputs from PIV were compared to simulations of the same transport process. These simulations were performed using the Discrete Element Method (DEM). Four transport speeds of material were assessed for a real and simulative belt conveyor model. Software tracking of particle movement was used to determine and compare the trajectories of paths of particles leaving the belt conveyor drum. Validation of the DEM simulation of material movement over a belt conveyor drum using PIV provided acceptable results in the area of particle speed fields. Comparison of the particle path trajectory corresponds to the preliminary hypothesis which leads to calibration of the DEM simulation. The results and assessment of this paper were created based on validation.Web of Science11212411

Quantitative Verification: Formal Guarantees for Timeliness, Reliability and Performance

Computerised systems appear in almost all aspects of our daily lives, often in safety-critical scenarios such as embedded control systems in cars and aircraft or medical devices such as pacemakers and sensors. We are thus increasingly reliant on these systems working correctly, despite often operating in unpredictable or unreliable environments. Designers of such devices need ways to guarantee that they will operate in a reliable and efficient manner. Quantitative verification is a technique for analysing quantitative aspects of a system's design, such as timeliness, reliability or performance. It applies formal methods, based on a rigorous analysis of a mathematical model of the system, to automatically prove certain precisely specified properties, e.g. ``the airbag will always deploy within 20 milliseconds after a crash'' or ``the probability of both sensors failing simultaneously is less than 0.001''. The ability to formally guarantee quantitative properties of this kind is beneficial across a wide range of application domains. For example, in safety-critical systems, it may be essential to establish credible bounds on the probability with which certain failures or combinations of failures can occur. In embedded control systems, it is often important to comply with strict constraints on timing or resources. More generally, being able to derive guarantees on precisely specified levels of performance or efficiency is a valuable tool in the design of, for example, wireless networking protocols, robotic systems or power management algorithms, to name but a few. This report gives a short introduction to quantitative verification, focusing in particular on a widely used technique called model checking, and its generalisation to the analysis of quantitative aspects of a system such as timing, probabilistic behaviour or resource usage. The intended audience is industrial designers and developers of systems such as those highlighted above who could benefit from the application of quantitative verification,but lack expertise in formal verification or modelling

Determination of stress concentration factors in offshore wind welded structures through a hybrid experimental and numerical approach

Offshore wind turbine (OWT) monopile support structures generally consist of steel cans connected together through circumferential welding joints. One critical factor to evaluate the localised increase in stresses is the stress concentration factor (SCF) which depends on the welding quality. The complex welding profiles in OWT monopiles makes the accurate calculation of SCF quite challenging. In this work, an innovative approach for the calculation of SCFs in offshore welded structures is proposed based on combined 3D (three-dimensional) laser scanning technology (LST) and 3D finite element analysis (FEA). The precise geometry of the welded specimens is captured using 3D LST, and then imported into a finite element software to perform 3D FEA modelling to accurately calculate SCFs. A 2D (two-dimensional) FEA model of a typical offshore welded structure with ideal geometry is also developed in this work. In addition to numerically calculate SCFs, the 2D FEA model is further combined with non-linear RSM (response surface method) to derive analytical equations, expressing SCFs of offshore welded structures in terms of key welding parameters. Both LST-FEA3D and RSM-FEA2D models are applied to calculate SCFs in large-scale S-N fatigue welded specimens. The results indicate that the LST-FEA3D approach is capable of capturing the variation of SCFs along the width of the welded specimens and identifying the critical points where fatigue crack is most likely to initiate; and the RSM-FEA2D is valuable and efficient in deriving analytical parametric equations for SCFs

The safety case and the lessons learned for the reliability and maintainability case

This paper examine the safety case and the lessons learned for the reliability and maintainability case

A comparative reliability analysis of ETCS train radio communications

StoCharts have been proposed as a UML statechart extension for performance and dependability evaluation, and were applied in the context of train radio reliability assessment to show the principal tractability of realistic cases with this approach. In this paper, we extend on this bare feasibility result in two important directions. First, we sketch the cornerstones of a mechanizable translation of StoCharts to MoDeST. The latter is a process algebra-based formalism supported by the Motor/Möbius tool tandem. Second, we exploit this translation for a detailed analysis of the train radio case study

Dynamic state reconciliation and model-based fault detection for chemical processes

In this paper, we present a method for the fault detection based on the residual generation. The main idea is to reconstruct the outputs of the system from the measurements using the extended Kalman filter. The estimations are compared to the values of the reference model and so, deviations are interpreted as possible faults. The reference model is simulated by the dynamic hybrid simulator, PrODHyS. The use of this method is illustrated through an application in the field of chemical processe