On Model-Based Systems Engineering for Design, Management, and Governance of Protective Systems

PresentationProtective systems failure can be catastrophic, and originates in management failure. These systems rely on a document-based approach, which involves handling disjointed artifacts that are expensive to maintain and may become inconsistent and obsolete. We propose a framework for managing process safety that pioneers the modeling of protective systems according to the tenors of model-based systems engineering (MBSE). The framework embeds management and governance, and harmonizes regulations and inconsistent industry guidelines. Potential users include enterprises and regulators in the chemical process safety industry and the energy sector. The framework starts the development of more sophisticated standards to prevent catastrophic protective systems failures

On Developing and Validating Dynamic Systems: Simulation Engineering.

Dynamic systems, where the behaviour is the dominant characteristic, pose engineering challenges that are often neglected in model-based software engineering. However, supporting simulation development from design models is important in demonstrating that a simulator and simulation experiments are fit for their intended purpose. In engineering agent-based simulations, observable system behaviour is built up from the behaviour of low-level components; such simulations are used as research tools in (for instance) biological systems research. We have found that domain experts can validate diagrammatic models of behaviour and accompanying text, but we need model-based software development, and ideally automatable model transformation, to maintain fitness for purpose into code and experimentation. We present an exploration of behavioural model transformation, devising and applying manual transformation guidelines to an existing, published Java Mason simulator, created using the CoSMoS approach and UML-style state diagrams. We succeed in recreating part of the class structure of the code, but also expose many issues to be overcome, in terms of what needs to be modelled to enable transformation, and how and when design decisions are taken and documented. We also identify the need to generate the creation of low-level simulation, visualisation, and data capture mechanisms, and a means to design and encode simulation experimentation

Rapid manufacture of integrated self-powered sensing systems using additive manufacturing for critical structure health monitoring

In this project, the feasibility of rapid manufacturing of integrated corrosion monitoring sensing systems within critical engineering structural components using advanced AM technologies has been demonstrated with an exemplar model structure of crevice corrosion monitoring with integrated carbon-based electrochemical sensors. Corrosion performance of all five different materials model crevice former structures built using different AM technologies have been investigated for the first time in a 3.5% NaCl test solution, and the tests results provide the guidelines for the selection of appropriate AM technologies for rapid manufacturing engineering structures in corrosive environment applications. The model crevice corrosion monitoring structure and the rapid manufacturing approaches achieved in this project also provide proof of the concept for design and rapid manufacturing of functionalised engineering components with self-powered embedded structural health monitoring devices

Model Style Guidelines for Embedded Code Generation

International audienceEmbedded systems are increasingly being developed using models. These models may have started with the system engineer or algorithm developer as an executable specification or algorithm description. However, these models also now serve as the entry point for software engineering, thanks to automatic embedded code generation. As a result, software engineers want to take advantage of these same models, adding constraints on system behavior; describing characteristics that are needed for implementation, such as fixed-point details; or linking components in the design to relevant parts of requirements and specification documents. This paper describes model style guidelines for automatically generating fixed-point and floating-point code for embedded systems. The guidelines are based on best practices and techniques derived from actual industry examples in aerospace and automotive companies worldwide

Modeling forward base camps as complex adaptive sociotechnical systems

Work for this thesis focuses on managing complexity within complex adaptive sociotechnical systems by using model based systems engineering and virtual engineering tools. The hypothesis of the work is that integrated virtual models can be used to increase the understanding of these complex adaptive sociotechnical systems, resulting in a reduction in the perceived complexity. This was tested by the use of a two factor survey given to experts of a system (the customer and members of the model design team) and to a target user-group. This group received a demonstration and had hands on experience with a preliminary model of the same system. Results of the survey show that new system designers using an integrated virtual modeling tool view the system as less complex than experts involved with designing the same system without using a tool. Further data is required to support this conclusion, and a plan for gathering more data is described. The application of this method to an emergency response system is then discussed to show how it can be applied to other complex sociotechnical systems and guidelines for applying this methodology are proposed

SMART-M3 v.0.9: A semantic event processing engine supporting information level interoperability in ambient intelligence

This tutorial is addressed to all students in Electronic Engineering and Information Engineering at the Scuola di Ingegneria e Architettura of the University of Bologna attending the following courses: Laboratory of Interoperability of Embedded Systems, "Calcolatori Elettronici M" and "Attività Progettuale di Calcolatori Elettronici M". This tutorial includes the guidelines to build distributed applications where clients may interact with physical space. Inter-client interaction occurs through a semantic event processing engine. Information interoperability is based on a shared knowledge representation model named ontology. This tutorial is focused on client design and on the SPARQL primitives that provide the means for client-event processing engine interaction

A model based safety architecture framework for Dutch high speed train lines

This paper presents a model-based safety architecture framework (MBSAF) for capturing and sharing architectural knowledge of safety cases of safetycritical systems of systems (SoS). Whilst architecture frameworks in the systems engineering domain consider safety often as dependent attribute, this study focusses specifically on sharing architectural knowledge of safety cases between stakeholders and managing safety in systems development. For this purpose, we adapt the A3 architecture overview (A3AO) tool. The application is shown though the case study of Dutch high speed train lines and shows how to derive requirements from various stakeholders by carrying out iterative validations of the A3AOs. The implemented technique consists of systems modeling language-based (SysML) diagrams. Outcomes of the assessment lead to guidelines for two A3AOs. This results in increasing and effective interaction between stakeholders, more overview for managing safety complexity, more insight into finding required safety information, and therefore; an increasing efficiency in safety engineerin