Distributed object-oriented discrete event simulation

This paper presents criteria for an \u27ideal\u27 simulation language, compares four traditional simulation languages to this ideal and concludes that an object-oriented approach to simulation comes closer to the ideal than the traditional procedural approach. It also examines how the object-oriented approach can be very beneficial for distributing a simulation problem among several machines. A distributed object-oriented package is described and a manufacturing example written and explained using this package

Toward the development and implementation of object-oriented extensions for discrete-event simulation in a strongly-typed procedural language

The primary emphasis of this research is computer simulation. Computer simulations are used to model and analyze systems. To date, computer simulations have almost exclusively been written in procedural, strongly-typed languages such as FORTRAN or Pascal;Recent advancements in simulation research suggest an object-oriented approach to simulation languages may provide key benefits in computer simulation. The goal of this research is to combine the advantages of a simulation language written in a procedural, strongly-typed language with the benefits available through the object-oriented programming paradigm;This research presents a review of the methods of computer simulation. A significant portion of this research is devoted to a description of the development of the object-oriented simulation software in a strongly-typed, procedural language;The software developed in this research is capable of simulating systems with multiple servers and queues. Arrival and service distributions may be selected from the uniform, exponential, and normal family of distributions. Resource usage is not supported in the simulation program

Integrated knowledge-based hierarchical modelling of manufacturing organizations

The objective of this thesis is to research into an integrated knowledge-based simulation method, which combines the capability of knowledge based simulation and a structured analysis method, for the design and analysis of complex and hierarchical manufacturing organizations. This means manufacturing organizations analysed according to this methodology can manage the tactical and operational planning as well as the direct operation of shop floor. [Continues.

Enhancing discrete event modelling by interfacing expert systems and simulation models.

This thesis investigates the representation of operational decision makers within simulation modelling. Artificial Intelligence concepts, such as expert systems focus on the problem of representing, in high-level code, complex real-world decision making problems. The author therefore proposes that the use of expert system technology may provide an improved means of representing operational decision tasks and that as a consequence, apriori possibilities may exist in the context of model experimentation based on alternative operational policies. The thesis further investigates the nature of operational decision making and the potential need to represent within a model, inter-dependencies between decision makers. A prototype system called ESSIM is developed which comprises of two interlinked components, a discrete event simulation module and expert system module. The benefits of the proposed approach are then assessed by comparing the functionally of ESSIM with conventional modelling techniques. The comparison is carried out by developing three alternative models of an automated container port, one of these using ESSIM. Experiments were then devised and executed which seek to draw conclusions on the thesis proposal