Towards an Integrated Conceptual Design Evaluation of Mechatronic Systems: The SysDICE Approach

National audienceMechatronic systems play a significant role in different types of industry, especially in trans- portation, aerospace, automotive and manufacturing. Although their multidisciplinary nature provides enormous functionalities, it is still one of the substantial challenges which frequently impede their design process. Notably, the conceptual design phase aggregates various engi- neering disciplines, project and business management fields, where different methods, modeling languages and software tools are applied. Therefore, an integrated environment is required to intimately engage the different domains together. This paper outlines a model-based research approach for an integrated conceptual design evaluation of mechatronic systems using SysML. Particularly, the state of the art is highlighted, most important challenges, remaining problems in this field and a novel solution is proposed, named SysDICE, combining model based system engineering and artificial intelligence techniques to support for achieving efficient design

Concurrent, Integrated and Multicriteria Design Support for Mechatronic Systems

RÉSUMÉ Les systèmes mécatroniques sont une combinaison coopérative de composantes mécaniques, électroniques, de contrôle et logiciels. Dans les dernières décennies, Ils ont trouvé diverses applications dans l'industrie et la vie quotidienne. En raison de leur aspect multi-physique, du nombre élevé de leurs composantes et des interconnexions dynamiques entre les différents domaines impliqués dans leur fonctionnement, les dispositifs mécatroniques sont souvent considérés comme hautement complexes ce qui rend la tâche de les concevoir très difficile pour les ingénieurs. Cette complexité inhérente a attiré l’attention de la communauté de recherche en conception, en particulier dans le but d’atteindre une conception optimale des systèmes multi-domaines. Ainsi, cette thèse, représente une recherche originale sur le développement d'un paradigme de conception systématique, intégrée et multi-objectifs pour remplacer l'approche de conception séquentielle traditionnelle qui tend à traiter les différents domaines de la mécatronique séparément. Dans le but d'augmenter l'efficacité, la fiabilité, la facilité de contrôle et sa flexibilité, tout en réduisant la complexité et le coût effectif, ainsi que l'intégration systèmes, cette thèse présente de nouvelles approches pour la conception concurrente et optimale des systèmes mécatroniques aux stades de design conceptuel et détaillé. Les modèles mathématiques et les fondements qui soutiennent cette pensée sont présentés dans cette thèse. Les contributions des travaux de recherche de ce doctorat ont commencé par l'introduction d'un vecteur d'indices appelé le profile mécatronique multicritère (PMM) utilisé pour l'évaluation des concepts lors de la conception des systèmes mécatroniques. Les intégrales floues non linéaires de la théorie de décisions multicritères sont utilisées pour agréger les critères de conception et pour gérer les interactions possibles entre elles. Ensuite, une méthodologie de conception conceptuelle systématique est proposée et formulée. Le soutien à l'intégration d'outils d’aide à la décision multicritère dans le processus de conception est un autre objectif de cette thèse où un certain nombre de cadres de travail sont proposés pour aider les ingénieurs concepteurs à évaluer l’importance de certains critères et des paramètres d'interaction. Ces cadres de travail ne s'appliquent pas uniquement l'évaluation de la conception et de la conception optimales, mais aussi à la détermination des possibles façons d'améliorer les concepts développés. Des méthodes basées sur l’exploitation de données ainsi que des algorithmes d'optimisation sémantique sont utilisées pour identifier les paramètres flous avec le peu d’information disponibles sur les différents choix de concepts et les préférences des concepteurs.----------ABSTRACT Mechatronic systems are a combination of cooperative mechanical, electronics, control and software components. They have found vast applications in industry and everyday life during past decades. Due to their multi-physical aspect, the high number of their components, and the dynamic inter-connections between the different domains involved, mechatronic devices are often considered to be highly complex which makes the design task very tedious and non-trivial. This inherent complexity, has attracted a great deal of attention in the research community, particularly in the context of optimal design of multi-domain systems. To this end, the present thesis represents an original investigation into the development of a systematic, integrated and multi-objective design paradigm to replace the traditional sequential design approach that tends to deal with the different domains separately. With the aim of increasing efficiency, reliability, controllability and flexibility, while reducing complexity and effective cost, and finally facilitating system integration, this thesis presents new approaches towards concurrent and optimal design of mechatronic systems in conceptual and detailed design stages. The mathematical models and foundations which support this thinking are presented in the thesis. The contributions of our research work start with introducing an index vector called Mechatronic Multi-criteria Profile (MMP) used for concept evaluation in design of mechatronic systems. Nonlinear fuzzy integrals from multicriteria decision theory are utilized to aggregate design criteria and for handling possible interactions among them. Then, a systematic conceptual design methodology is proposed and formulated. Supporting the incorporation of multicriteria decision making tools into the design process, is another focus of this work where a number of frameworks are proposed to help the designers with assessment of criteria importance and interaction parameters. These frameworks are not only applicable in optimal design and design evaluation procedures, but also for determining possible ways for design improvements. Both data-driven methods as well as semantic-based optimization algorithms are used to identify the fuzzy parameters with limited available information about the design alternatives and designer preferences. Moreover, a fuzzy-based multi-objective approach has been undertaken for proposing and formulating a detailed design methodology. A unified performance evaluation index is introduced by the means of Choquet integrals and then optimized using a constrained particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm

A Comprehensive Review of Digital Twin -- Part 1: Modeling and Twinning Enabling Technologies

As an emerging technology in the era of Industry 4.0, digital twin is gaining unprecedented attention because of its promise to further optimize process design, quality control, health monitoring, decision and policy making, and more, by comprehensively modeling the physical world as a group of interconnected digital models. In a two-part series of papers, we examine the fundamental role of different modeling techniques, twinning enabling technologies, and uncertainty quantification and optimization methods commonly used in digital twins. This first paper presents a thorough literature review of digital twin trends across many disciplines currently pursuing this area of research. Then, digital twin modeling and twinning enabling technologies are further analyzed by classifying them into two main categories: physical-to-virtual, and virtual-to-physical, based on the direction in which data flows. Finally, this paper provides perspectives on the trajectory of digital twin technology over the next decade, and introduces a few emerging areas of research which will likely be of great use in future digital twin research. In part two of this review, the role of uncertainty quantification and optimization are discussed, a battery digital twin is demonstrated, and more perspectives on the future of digital twin are shared

Model-Based Engineering of Collaborative Embedded Systems

This Open Access book presents the results of the "Collaborative Embedded Systems" (CrESt) project, aimed at adapting and complementing the methodology underlying modeling techniques developed to cope with the challenges of the dynamic structures of collaborative embedded systems (CESs) based on the SPES development methodology. In order to manage the high complexity of the individual systems and the dynamically formed interaction structures at runtime, advanced and powerful development methods are required that extend the current state of the art in the development of embedded systems and cyber-physical systems. The methodological contributions of the project support the effective and efficient development of CESs in dynamic and uncertain contexts, with special emphasis on the reliability and variability of individual systems and the creation of networks of such systems at runtime. The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and the case studies are therefore selected from areas that are highly relevant for Germany’s economy (automotive, industrial production, power generation, and robotics). It also supports the digitalization of complex and transformable industrial plants in the context of the German government's "Industry 4.0" initiative, and the project results provide a solid foundation for implementing the German government's high-tech strategy "Innovations for Germany" in the coming years

Smart Energy Management for Smart Grids

This book is a contribution from the authors, to share solutions for a better and sustainable power grid. Renewable energy, smart grid security and smart energy management are the main topics discussed in this book

Safety and Reliability - Safe Societies in a Changing World

The contributions cover a wide range of methodologies and application areas for safety and reliability that contribute to safe societies in a changing world. These methodologies and applications include: - foundations of risk and reliability assessment and management - mathematical methods in reliability and safety - risk assessment - risk management - system reliability - uncertainty analysis - digitalization and big data - prognostics and system health management - occupational safety - accident and incident modeling - maintenance modeling and applications - simulation for safety and reliability analysis - dynamic risk and barrier management - organizational factors and safety culture - human factors and human reliability - resilience engineering - structural reliability - natural hazards - security - economic analysis in risk managemen

Advances in Manufacturing Technology XXVII: Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Manufacturing Research (ICMR2013)

ICMR2013 was organised by Cranfield University on the 19-20 September 2013. The conference focuses on any aspects of product development, manufacturing technology, manufacturing systems, information systems and digital technologies. It provides an excellent avenue for researchers to present state-of-the-art multidisciplinary manufacturing research and exchange ideas. In addition to the four keynote speeches from Airbus and Rolls-Royce and three invited presentations, there are 108 papers in these proceedings. These papers are split into 24 technical sessions. The International Conference on Manufacturing Research is a major event for academics and industrialists engaged in manufacturing research. Held annually in the UK since the late 1970s, the conference is renowned as a friendly and inclusive environment that brings together a broad community of researchers who share a common goal; developing and managing the technologies and operations that are key to sustaining the success of manufacturing businesses. For over two decades, ICMR has been the main manufacturing research conference organised in the UK, successfully bringing researchers, academics and industrialists together to share their knowledge and experiences. Initiated a National Conference by the Consortium of UK University Manufacturing Engineering Heads (COMEH), it became an International Conference in 2003. COMEH is an independent body established in 1978. Its main aim is to promote manufacturing engineering education, training and research. To achieve this, the Consortium maintains a close liaison with government bodies concerned with the training and continuing development of professional engineers, while responding to the appropriate consultative and discussion documents and other initiatives. COMEH is represented on the Engineering Professor’s council (EPC) and it organises and supports national manufacturing engineering education research conferences and symposia

A Novel Data-Driven Fault Tree Methodology for Fault Diagnosis and Prognosis

RÉSUMÉ : La thèse développe une nouvelle méthodologie de diagnostic et de pronostic de défauts dans un système complexe, nommée Interpretable logic tree analysis (ILTA), qui combine les techniques d’extraction de connaissances à partir des bases de données « knowledge discovery in database (KDD) » et l’analyse d’arbre de défaut « fault tree analysis (FTA) ». La méthodologie capitalise les avantages des deux techniques pour appréhender la problématique de diagnostic et de pronostic de défauts. Bien que les arbres de défauts offrent des modèles interprétables pour déterminer les causes possibles à l’origine d’un défaut, leur utilisation pour le diagnostic de défauts dans un système industriel est limitée, en raison de la nécessité de faire appel à des connaissances expertes pour décrire les relations de cause-à-effet entre les processus internes du système. Cependant, il sera intéressant d’exploiter la puissance d’analyse des arbres de défaut mais construit à partir des connaissances explicites et non biaisées extraites directement des bases de données sur la causalité des fautes. Par conséquent, la méthodologie ILTA fonctionne de manière analogue à la logique du modèle d'analyse d'arbre de défaut (FTA) mais avec une implication minimale des experts. Cette approche de modélisation doit rejoindre la logique des experts pour représenter la structure hiérarchique des défauts dans un système complexe. La méthodologie ILTA est appliquée à la gestion des risques de défaillance en fournissant deux modèles d'arborescence avancés interprétables à plusieurs niveaux (MILTA) et au cours du temps (ITCA). Le modèle MILTA est conçu pour accomplir la tâche de diagnostic de défaillance dans les systèmes complexes. Il est capable de décomposer un défaut complexe et de modéliser graphiquement sa structure de causalité dans un arbre à plusieurs niveaux. Par conséquent, un expert est en mesure de visualiser l’influence des relations hiérarchiques de cause à effet menant à la défaillance principale. De plus, quantifier ces causes en attribuant des probabilités aide à comprendre leur contribution dans l’occurrence de la défaillance du système. Le modèle ITCA est conçu pour réaliser la tâche de pronostic de défaillance dans les systèmes complexes. Basé sur une répartition des données au cours du temps, le modèle ITCA capture l’effet du vieillissement du système à travers de l’évolution de la structure de causalité des fautes. Ainsi, il décrit les changements de causalité résultant de la détérioration et du vieillissement au cours de la vie du système.----------ABSTRACT : The thesis develops a new methodology for diagnosis and prognosis of faults in a complex system, called Interpretable logic tree analysis (ILTA), which combines knowledge extraction techniques from knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) and the fault tree analysis (FTA). The methodology combined the advantages of the both techniques for understanding the problem of diagnosis and prognosis of faults. Although fault trees provide interpretable models for determining the possible causes of a fault, its use for fault diagnosis in an industrial system is limited, due to the need for expert knowledge to describe cause-and-effect relationships between internal system processes. However, it will be interesting to exploit the analytical power of fault trees but built from explicit and unbiased knowledge extracted directly from databases on the causality of faults. Therefore, the ILTA methodology works analogously to the logic of the fault tree analysis model (FTA) but with minimal involvement of experts. This modeling approach joins the logic of experts to represent the hierarchical structure of faults in a complex system. The ILTA methodology is applied to failure risk management by providing two interpretable advanced logic models: a multi-level tree (MILTA) and a multilevel tree over time (ITCA). The MILTA model is designed to accomplish the task of diagnosing failure in complex systems. It is able to decompose a complex defect and graphically model its causal structure in a tree on several levels. As a result, an expert is able to visualize the influence of hierarchical cause and effect relationships leading to the main failure. In addition, quantifying these causes by assigning probabilities helps to understand their contribution to the occurrence of system failure. The second model is a logical tree interpretable in time (ITCA), designed to perform the task of prognosis of failure in complex systems. Based on a distribution of data over time, the ITCA model captures the effect of the aging of the system through the evolution of the fault causation structure. Thus, it describes the causal changes resulting from deterioration and aging over the life of the system

Manipulador aéreo con brazos antropomórficos de articulaciones flexibles

[Resumen] Este artículo presenta el primer robot manipulador aéreo con dos brazos antropomórficos diseñado para aplicarse en tareas de inspección y mantenimiento en entornos industriales de difícil acceso para operarios humanos. El robot consiste en una plataforma aérea multirrotor equipada con dos brazos antropomórficos ultraligeros, así como el sistema de control integrado de la plataforma y los brazos. Una de las principales características del manipulador es la flexibilidad mecánica proporcionada en todas las articulaciones, lo que aumenta la seguridad en las interacciones físicas con el entorno y la protección del propio robot. Para ello se ha introducido un compacto y simple mecanismo de transmisión por muelle entre el eje del servo y el enlace de salida. La estructura en aluminio de los brazos ha sido cuidadosamente diseñada de forma que los actuadores estén aislados frente a cargas radiales y axiales que los puedan dañar. El manipulador desarrollado ha sido validado a través de experimentos en base fija y en pruebas de vuelo en exteriores.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; DPI2014-5983-C2-1-