Discrete Event Logistics Systems (DELS) are a class of dynamic systems that are defined by the transformation of discrete flows through a network of interconnected subsystems. The DELS domain includes systems such as supply chains, manufacturing systems, transportation networks, warehouses, and health care delivery systems. Advancements in computer integrated manufacturing and intelligent devices have spurred a revolution in manufacturing. These smart manufacturing systems utilize technical interoperability and plant-wide integration at the device-level to drive production agility and efficiency. Extending these successes to enterprise-wide integration and decision-making will require the definitions of control and device to be extended and supported at the operations management and the business planning levels as well. In the future, smart operational control mechanisms must not only integrate real-time data from system operations, but also formulate and solve a wide variety of optimization analyses quickly and efficiently and then translate the results into executable commands. However in contemporary DELS practice, these optimization analyses, and analyses in general, are often purpose-built to answer specific questions, with an implicit system model and many possible analysis implementations depending on the question, the instance data, and the solver. Also because of the semantic gap between operations research analysis models such as job-shop scheduling algorithms and IT-based models such as MES, there is little integration between control analysis methods and control execution tools. Automated and cost-effective access to multiple analyses from a single conceptual model of the target system would broaden the usage and implementation of analysis-based decision support and system optimization. The fundamental contribution of this dissertation is concerned with interoperability and bridging the gap between operations research analysis models and practical applications of the results. This dissertation closes this gap by constructing a standard domain-specific language, standard problem definitions, and a standard analysis methodology to answer the control questions and execute the prescribed control actions. The domain specific language meets a broader requirement for facilitating interoperability for DELS, including system integration, plug-and-play analysis methods and tools, and system design methodologies. The domain-specific language formalizes a recurring product, process, resource, and facility description of the DELS domain. It provides a common language to discuss our systems, including the questions that we want to ask about our systems, the problems that we need to solve in order to answer those questions, and the mechanisms to deploy the solution. A canonical set of control questions defines the comprehensive functional specification of all the decision-making mechanisms that a controller needs to be able to provide; i.e. a model of analysis models or a metamodel of operational control. These questions refine the interoperability mechanism between system and analysis models by mapping classes of control analysis models to implementation and execution mechanisms in the system model. A standard representation of each class of control problems is only a partial solution to fully addressing operational control. The final contribution of this dissertation constructs a round-trip analysis methodology that completes the bridge between operations research analysis models and deployable control mechanisms. This contribution formalizes an analysis pathway, from formulating an analysis model to executing a control action, that is grounded in a more fundamental insight into how analysis methods are executed to support operational control decision-making.

En dépit de ses treize diagrammes, le langage UML (Unified Modeling Language) normalisé par l'OMG (Object Management Group) n'offre aucune facilité particulière pour appréhender convenablement la phase de traitement des exigences qui démarre le cycle de développement d'un système temps réel. La normalisation de SysML et des diagrammes d'exigences ouvre des perspectives qui ne sauraient faire oublier le manque de support méthodologique dont souffrent UML et SysML. Fort de ce constat, les travaux exposés dans ce mémoire contribuent au développement d'un volet " méthodologie " pour des profils UML temps réel qui couvrent les phases amont (traitement des d'exigences - analyse - conception) du cycle de développement des systèmes temps réel et distribués en donnant une place prépondérante à la vérification formelle des exigences temporelles. La méthodologie proposée est instanciée sur le profil TURTLE (Timed UML and RT-LOTOS Environment). Les exigences non-fonctionnelles temporelles sont décrites au moyen de diagrammes d'exigences SysML étendus par un langage visuel de type " chronogrammes " (TRDD = Timing Requirement Description Diagram). La formulation d'exigences temporelles sert de point de départ à la génération automatique d'observateurs dédiés à la vérification de ces exigences. Décrites par des méta-modèles UML et des définitions formelles, les contributions présentées dans ce mémoire ont vocation à être utilisées hors du périmètre de TURTLE. L'approche proposée a été appliquée à la vérification de protocoles de communication de groupes sécurisée (projet RNRT-SAFECAST).

The implementation of a low carbon electricity system within the GB requires a significant change to the generation mix with an increasing role for renewable generation. Much of this generation will be intermittent. To date system balancing has largely relied on predicting demand and ensuring provision. With substantial intermittency, continuation of this paradigm necessitates significant investment in peaking plant and/or storage. However, some of this investment can be avoided by harnessing the flexibility inherent in many electrical loads. Despite the attractiveness of such services, we do not see their large-scale implementation. The aim of this thesis is to consider why. A historical analysis reveals that both nationalisation and subsequent privatisation provide precedents for significant structural change as the integration of large-scale flexible demand might require. The need for political will is identified as a crucial enabling factor. Without an ideological driver, however, a perception of economic and/or technological risk can preclude the implementation of supportive policy. This perception is addressed through demonstration. An effective demonstration must show the ability to aggregate many small loads in a coordinated manner. A genetic algorithm that provides this core dispatch and optimisation capability is presented. This algorithm is shown to be effective in aggregating many small loads to provide a net effect that can be used as a balancing service and to do so in an optimal way considering both cost and reliability. Having demonstrated feasibility appropriate incentives must be created. An initial outline for a framework based on SysML is presented that can be used to identify where structural barriers to implementation are present to aid the design of appropriate policy incentives.

In this study, an approach is proposed to model and simulate the systems engineering process of design projects. One of the main aims is to model the systems engineering process, treating the process itself as a complex system. A conceptual model is developed as a result of a two-phase survey conducted with systems engineers. The conceptual model includes two levels of activity networks. Each first level systems engineering activity has its own network of second level activities. The model is then implemented in object oriented modeling language, namely SysML, using block definition diagrams and activity diagrams. Another aim is to generate a discrete event simulation model of the process for performance evaluation. For this purpose the SysML model is transformed to an Arena model using an Excel interface and VBA codes. Three deterministic and three stochastic cases are created to represent systems engineering process alternatives, which originate from the same conceptual model but possess different activity durations, resource availabilities and resource requirements. The scale of the project and the effect of uncertainty in activity durations are also considered. The proposed approach is applied to each of these six cases, developing the SysML models, transforming them to Arena models, and running the simulations. Project duration and resource utilization results are reported for these cases.

This thesis gives different views on the modeling and simulation of physical systems, especially together with embedded systems, forming mechatronic systems. The main considered application domain is automotive. One motivation behind the work is to find suitable representations of physical systems to be used in an architectural description language for automotive embedded systems, EAST-ADL2, which is implemented as a UML2 profile, and uses concepts from both UML and SysML. As a part of the thesis, several languages and tools are investigated, including bond graphs, MATLAB/Simulink, Ptolemy II, Modelica, MATLAB/Simscape and SysML. For SysML, the modeling of continuous-time systems and how it relates to MATLAB/Simulink and Modelica is evaluated. A case study of an electric power assisted steering is modeled to show the differences, the similarities and the usage of the above mentioned languages and tools. To be able to classify the tools and languages, five realization levels were developed: Physical modeling models Constraint models Continuous causal models Discretized models Discretized models with solver and platform implementation By using these realization levels, models, tools and modeling languages can be classified, and transformations between them can be set up and analyzed. As a result, a method to describe the simulation behavior of a MATLAB/Simulink model has been developed using SysML activity diagrams as an approach to achieve integrated system models. Another result is an evaluation of the parametric diagrams of SysML for continuous-time modeling, which shows that they do not enable “physical modeling”, i.e. modeling the topology of the system and getting the underlying equations out of this topology. By including physical ports and physical connectors to SysML internal block diagrams, this could be solved. The comparison also shows many similarities between the languages. The results led to a more detailed investigation on conjugate variables, such as force and velocity, and electric current and voltage, and how these are treated in various languages. The thesis also includes two industrial case studies: one of a twin-screw compressor, and one of a simulation environment for automotive fuel-cell systems. Conclusions are drawn from these models, referring to the realization levels. / QC 20100810

MDE techniques are more and more used in praxis. However, there is currently a lack of detailed reports about how different MDE techniques are integrated into the development and combined with each other. To learn more about such MDE settings, we performed a descriptive and exploratory field study with SAP, which is a worldwide operating company with around 50.000 employees and builds enterprise software applications. This technical report describes insights we got during this study. For example, we identified that MDE settings are subject to evolution. Finally, this report outlines directions for future research to provide practical advises for the application of MDE settings. / Techniken der modellgetriebenen Entwicklung (MDE) werden mehr und mehr in der Praxis eingesetzt. Dabei gibt es wenige detaillierte Berichte darüber wie unterschiedliche MDE-Techniken kombiniert und in die Entwicklung integriert werden. Die vorliegende beschreibende Feldstudie dient dem Zweck, in SAP genutzte MDE-Ansätze detailliert zu beschreiben. SAP ist ein weltweit operierendes Unternehmen, hat ca. 50 000 Mitarbeiter und stellt Softwarelösungen für Firmen her. Der vorliegende technische Bericht beschreibt die Einblicke die wir in dieser Studie erhalten haben. Dazu gehört die Einsicht, dass MDE Ansätze einer Evolution unterliegen. Schließlich umreißt dieser Bericht mögliche Richtungen für zukünftige Forschung um praktische Ratschläge für die Gestaltung von MDE Ansätzen geben zu können.

Electronic waste has become a growing concern in the world among governments, businesses, and consumers. These concerns are well founded as electronics waste presents economic, social, and environmental challenges. Economically, discarding electronic waste into landfills represents inefficient use of valuable materials and energy resources. Socially, improperly recycled electronic waste that takes place in third world countries with poor labor standards represents a moral dilemma for developed countries. Environmentally, electronic waste is a threat to all living organisms as it contains proportionally high levels of poisonous and toxic materials. To deal with these growing challenges a strong response needs to be made by all the stakeholders in the life-cycle of electronic devices. However, despite the apparent need, compared to the rapid increases in electronic technology that make it faster, more available, and more affordable, the technology to process electronic waste has not kept pace. This fact alone points to the inadequate funding, attention, and research that has been invested in the problem. Though it also points to an opportunity; the opportunity to build an efficient system to deal with the problem using what is already known about the lifecycle of electronic devices. Therefore, the goal of this work is to create a modeling tool to help stakeholders in the lifecycle of electronic devices understand the consequences of their choices as they affect the use of material and energy resources. To focus the research, LCD computer monitors are chosen as a case study. LCD computer monitors provide a level of sophistication high enough to be interesting in terms of the stakeholders involved, yet simple enough to provide a reasonable scope for this research that is still accessible to the layman As a corollary to this modeling effort, the relatively new systems modeling language SysML and ParaMagic, a program that integrates analysis modeling capability into SysML, will be evaluated. SysML was designed with Model Based Systems Engineering principles in mind thus it seems that it is a natural fit to the problem domain. Furthermore, testing SysML will provide insight into the advantages and disadvantages of the new language. The findings with respect to LCD computer monitors show that increasing the number of end of life options and the amount of monitors flowing into those options could result in substantial network wide material and energy savings. The findings with respect to SysML and ParaMagic are mixed. Although SysML provides tremendous modeling freedom, this freedom can result in increased upfront costs for developing executable models. Similarly, ParaMagic was found to be an effective tool for creating small executable models, but as the size of models increase its effectiveness tends to zero.

This thesis proposes a framework to design and analyze sustainability within complex urban transportation systems. Urban transit systems have large variability in temporal and spatial resolution, and are common in lifecycle analyses and sustainability studies. Unlike analyses with smaller scope or broader resolution, these systems are composed of numerous interacting layers, each intricate enough to be a complete system on its own. In addition, detailed interaction with the system environment is often not accounted for in lifecycle studies, despite its strong potential effects on the problem domain. To manage such complexity, this thesis suggests a methodology that focuses on integrating existing modeling constructs in a transparent manner, and capturing structural and functional relationships for efficient model reuse. The Systems Modeling Language (OMG SysML ) is used to formally implement the modeling framework. To demonstrate the method, it is applied to a large scale multi-modal transportation network. Analysis of key network parameters such as emissions output, well-to-wheel energy use, and system capacity are presented in a case study of the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Results of the case study highlight several areas that differ from more traditional lifecycle analysis research. External influences such as regional electricity generation are found to have extremely large effects on environmental impact of a regional mobility system. The model is used to evaluate various future scenarios and finds that existing policy measures for curbing energy use and emissions are insufficient for reducing impact in a growing urban region.

À l'heure actuelle et depuis plusieurs années, les nouveaux systèmes développés par les industriels ne cessent de se complexifier, de faire intervenir toujours plus de technologies différentes et cela, pour maximiser la rentabilité, améliorer les fonctionnalités, voire proposer de nouveaux services. L'approche d'ingénierie système à base de modèles (ISBM) adresse particulièrement ces problématiques et est de plus en plus plébiscitée par les industriels. Pour autant, l'ISBM ne permet pas d'assurer la sûreté de fonctionnement (SdF) de nos systèmes modernes. C'est pourquoi ces travaux visent à assurer la cohésion de l'ISBM avec les études de SdF ainsi que sa valorisation pour ces études. Le langage de modélisation SysML est choisi pour réifier l'ensemble des résultats des activités d'ingénierie système sous la forme d'un modèle système. Ce modèle système est ensuite manipulé par les processus de la méthodologie MéDISIS, définie dans la thèse, afin de faciliter les études de SdF. La thèse aborde notamment la génération d'AMDEC fonctionnelle et l'application de la méthodologie FIDES pour l'évaluation de fiabilité, avec l'aide de bases de données pérénisant les informations dysfonctionnelles. Les principes précédents sont aussi appliqués à un projet industriel conséquent : le projet LEA qui consiste à la réalisation d'un prototype de véhicule hypersonique. La thèse met l'accent sur l'étude de SdF des composants de type COTS qui sont courant au sein du projet LEA.

This study is focused on grafical modeling of embedded systems using dialects of UML. It provides a brief description of existing profiles. Furthemore it deals with modeling frameworks for the Eclipse platform and describes an implementation of such modeling tool as a part of project Lissom.