A model-based rams estimation methodology for innovative aircraft on-board systems supporting mdo applications

The reduction of aircraft operating costs is one of the most important objectives addressed by aeronautical manufactures and research centers in the last decades. In order to reach this objective, one of the current ways is to develop innovative on-board system architectures, which can bring to lower fuel and maintenance costs. The development and optimization of these new aircraft on-board systems can be addressed through a Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) approach, which involves different disciplines. One relevant discipline in this MDO problem is Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS), which allows the assessment of the reliability and safety of aircraft systems. Indeed the development of innovative systems cannot comply with only performance requirements, but also with reliability and safety constraints. Therefore, the RAMS discipline plays an important role in the development of innovative on-board systems. In the last years, different RAMS models and methods have been defined, considering both conventional and innovative architectures. However, most of them rely on a document-based approach, which makes difficult and time consuming the use of information gained through their analysis to improve system architectures. On the contrary, a model-based approach would make easier and more accessible the study of systems reliability and safety, as explained in several studies. Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is an emerging approach that is mainly used for the design of complex systems. However, only a few studies propose this approach for the evaluation of system safety and reliability. The aim of this paper is therefore to propose a MBSE approach for model-based RAMS evaluations. The paper demonstrates that RAMS models can be developed to quickly and more effectively assess the reliability and safety of conventional and innovative on-board system architectures. In addition, further activities for the integration of the model-based RAMS methodology within MDO processes are described in the paper

Maintainability and evolvability of control software in machine and plant manufacturing -- An industrial survey

Automated Production Systems (aPS) have lifetimes of up to 30-50 years, throughout which the desired products change ever more frequently. This requires flexible, reusable control software that can be easily maintained and evolved. To evaluate selected criteria that are especially relevant for maturity in software maintainability and evolvability of aPS, the approach SWMAT4aPS+ builds on a questionnaire with 52 questions. The three main research questions cover updates of software modules and success factors for both cross-disciplinary development as well as reusable models. This paper presents the evaluation results of 68 companies from machine and plant manufacturing (MPM). Companies providing automation devices and/or engineering tools will be able to identify challenges their customers in MPM face. Validity is ensured through feedback of the participating companies and an analysis of the statistical unambiguousness of the results. From a software or systems engineering point of view, almost all criteria are fulfilled below expectations

Functional modelling of complex multi‑disciplinary systems using the enhanced sequence diagram

YesThis paper introduces an Enhanced Sequence Diagram (ESD) as the basis for a structured framework for the functional analysis of complex multidisciplinary systems. The ESD extends the conventional sequence diagrams (SD) by introducing a rigorous functional flow-based modelling schemata to provide an enhanced basis for model-based functional requirements and architecture analysis in the early systems design stages. The proposed ESD heuristics include the representation of transactional and transformative functions required to deliver the use case sequence, and fork and join nodes to facilitate analysis of combining and bifurcating operations on flows. A case study of a personal mobility device is used to illustrate the deployment of the ESD methodology in relation to three common product development scenarios: (i) reverse engineering, (ii) the introduction of a specific technology to an existent system; and (iii) the introduction of a new feature as user-centric innovation for an existing system, at a logical design level, without reference to any solution. The case study analysis provides further insights into the effectiveness of the ESD to support function modelling and functional requirements capture, and architecture development. The significance of this paper is that it establishes a rigorous ESD-based functional analysis methodology to guide the practitioner with its deployment, facilitating its impact to both the engineering design and systems engineering communities, as well as the design practice in the industry

Functional modelling of complex multi‑disciplinary systems using the enhanced sequence diagram

YesThis paper introduces an Enhanced Sequence Diagram (ESD) as the basis for a structured framework for the functional analysis of complex multidisciplinary systems. The ESD extends the conventional sequence diagrams (SD) by introducing a rigorous functional flow-based modelling schemata to provide an enhanced basis for model-based functional requirements and architecture analysis in the early systems design stages. The proposed ESD heuristics include the representation of transactional and transformative functions required to deliver the use case sequence, and fork and join nodes to facilitate analysis of combining and bifurcating operations on flows. A case study of a personal mobility device is used to illustrate the deployment of the ESD methodology in relation to three common product development scenarios: (i) reverse engineering, (ii) the introduction of a specific technology to an existent system; and (iii) the introduction of a new feature as user-centric innovation for an existing system, at a logical design level, without reference to any solution. The case study analysis provides further insights into the effectiveness of the ESD to support function modelling and functional requirements capture, and architecture development. The significance of this paper is that it establishes a rigorous ESD-based functional analysis methodology to guide the practitioner with its deployment, facilitating its impact to both the engineering design and systems engineering communities, as well as the design practice in the industry

Software Systems Engineering for Cyber Physical Production Systems

This project solves the problem of easy adaption and usage of CPPS by small scale industries, With this project it has been tried to develop a methodology of requirement engineering for CPPS system and finally the whole system. We have developed the approach right from requirement engineering to mapping into IEC61499 function blocks and then to deployment to a physical devices. This work can be a good foundation and support for scientific communities or industialist to easily implement requirement engineering of a small scale systems for CPPS and thus build a 21st century production system with this and reap its enormous benefits.Cyber physical production systems are the future of production systems not only in europe but in the entire world. It brings with itself huge benefits and popularly attributes to Industry 4.0 also. These are automated systems where physical systems are monitored and controlled by computer based algorithms in real time. Traditional systems have certain disadvantages and are limited in terms of hours of operation as it is governed by manpowers and the type of products that can be produced without making much changes in the production configuration and the speed of production of products. In europe, a lot of research is going on, particularly in germany and in the United states too for upgrading major physical systems and manufacturing systems. Some examples of such systems are smart factory, smart grid, autonomous automobile systems, automatic pilot avionics, robotics systems etc. The main goal of this thesis is to define a set of methodologies for easing the process of implementation of the CPPS(cyber physical production systems) system on small and medium industries so that the adoption rate for such industries can be high. There is no methodology yet particularly for CPPS systems for small and medium industries, although we have methodologies in place for large industries. In order to do so, first study was done for challenges in developing a requirement engineering process in section 3 and how it is different from a typical software system. An approach has been developed based on existing information available on large systems and CPPS and some software engineering frameworks like MODAF and TOGAF. A proposal for the process and some diagrams and tools has been made in section 4. To validate the proposed approach we have taken a synthetic test case of a pizza production system and implemented all the approaches to transform it into a cyber physical production system right from requirement and UML diagrams to the final function block approach. With this set of approaches,there is now a basis for software development methodology for small and medium industries particularly. With these approaches the adoption rate can be really high for such industries bringing out traditional industries more to the 21st century forefront