scholarly journals Functional modelling of complex multi-disciplinary systems using the enhanced sequence diagram

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-448
Author(s):  
Unal Yildirim ◽  
Felician Campean
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
Sequence Diagram ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Sequence Diagrams ◽  
Personal Mobility ◽  
Development Scenarios ◽  
Function Modelling

Abstract This 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.

Organizational Requirements and the Introduction of Information Technology in Courtrooms: A Case Study

1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Poulson ◽  
Neil Waddell
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
Technical Solution ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Requirements Definition ◽  
It Systems ◽  
Equal Importance ◽  
Technical Solutions ◽  
Organizational Requirements

Traditional methods of systems design have tended to concentrate on capturing functional requirements and from them develop a system that will provide users with a technical solution to a problem they may have. However, there is a growing understanding, with historical origins in sociotechnical systems theory, that technical solutions alone, regardless of how well designed, may not succeed fully unless there is a concomitant understanding of the organization into which the technical solution is to be introduced. Organizational requirements, therefore, should become considerations of equal importance to systems designers. The ESPRIT Project ORDIT (organizational requirements definition for information technology) has developed a methodology which identifies and operationalizes organizational requirements for IT systems. This paper presents a case study in which the ORDIT concepts are applied to the process of introducing an IT system into a courtroom.

Functional Analysis Diagrams With the Representation of Movement Transitions

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Szu-Hung Lee ◽  
Pingfei Jiang ◽  
Peter R. N. Childs ◽  
Keith Gilroy
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Design Structure ◽  
Machine Elements ◽  
Physical Elements ◽  
Types Of Information

A study on utilising a graphical interface to represent movement transmission within products has been conducted to support a creative conceptual design process that separates the consideration of functional requirements and motion requirements. In engineering design, many representations of product structure have been proposed to assist in understanding how a design is constituted. However, most of these representations demonstrate only functions and are not able to demonstrate design structure. Functional Analysis Diagrams (FAD) provides a solution for this. An FAD shows not only functions but also physical elements by the network of blocks and arrows and thus it is capable of demonstrating various types of information and the design scheme. This characteristic gives FADs an advantage for designers to combine different types of information including useful and harmful interactions to gain an overview of the design task. This study focuses on using circles instead of arrows to represent movement attributes of mechanisms and machine elements in a Kinematic Functional Analysis Diagram (KFAD) and explores methods of utilising it in mechanical design. A commercial case study of medical equipment design conducted with the assistance of KFADs and a component database, mechanism and machine elements taxonomy (MMET), is described to illustrate the process. The design outcome shows that it is feasible to follow the proposed conceptual design process. With the help of KFADs and the machine elements taxonomy to enable consideration of movements, diverse considerations and design solutions are possible.

A Case Study: A Systems Approach for 20ksi Equipment Qualification

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
James B. Raney ◽  
Gregg Walz ◽  
Dennis Kaminski
Keyword(s):  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Engineering Systems ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Industry Standards ◽  
Mode Of Operation ◽  
Operational Modes ◽  
Equipment Qualification

Abstract Beginning in August 2013, Anadarko Petroleum formed the “20A Project Initiative” for qualifying 20 ksi equipment for a Deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GoM) development. This paper will cover the systems approach used for the qualification (verification, validation and quality) of a system of components, including sub-assemblies and assemblies that are required for a 20 ksi development. The systems approach begins with the framework and management of this framework inside the overall development process. The systems approach categorizes each component by mode of operation (many pieces of equipment are used in multiple operational modes). These modes of operation are Drilling, Completions, Production and Intervention, and are the engineering systems used to manage the qualification of over 200 components to industry standards and U.S. government requirements. The functional requirements for each component are defined and vendors selected. Each component is then stewarded through a project-management process for design, verification, validation and quality. This process culminates with the integration of these components back into a system that can be qualified for use in an HPHT environment. This paper addresses the submittal to regulatory authority for approval to use the newly developed and qualified 20 ksi equipment for a deepwater GoM development. This project ends in 2019. This six-year development journey presented challenges and achieved breakthrough technologies for the industry. This journey, its organizational approach using systems engineering techniques and integration processes are presented.

2nd-CAD: A Tool for Conceptual Systems Design in Electromechanical Domain

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noe Vargas-Hernandez ◽  
Jami J. Shah
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
Behavior Modeling ◽  
Functional Design ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Conceptual Systems ◽  
Electric Engineering ◽  
Component Selection

This paper presents a framework and information model for the development of SECOND-CAD (Systems Engineering CONceptual Design-CAD), or 2nd-CAD, a Computer Aided Conceptual Design (CACD) tool for Electromechanical Systems. The conceptual design tasks supported include functional design, behavior modeling, and component selection from standard industrial supply catalogs for mechanical, fluid, and electric engineering domains. 2nd-CAD is composed of three entity catalogs the designer uses to create three interconnected structures for function, behavior, and component. The logical model behind 2nd-CAD is one of the major contributions of this research. It allows the user to define entities based on popular taxonomies; this eases data exchange with other tools. When constructing structures, only technically feasible relationships are permitted and if an element in a structure is modified, the change is propagated throughout the structure. It reuses the entities’ information content to create new structures and since the three structures are interconnected, changes can be traced for design validation. 2nd-CAD’s functional requirements, logical design, and physical implementation are discussed in this paper.

Designing Representative Model Worlds to Study Socio-Technical Phenomena: A Case Study of Communication Patterns in Engineering Systems Design

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashish M. Chaudhari ◽  
Erica L. Gralla ◽  
Zoe Szajnfarber ◽  
Paul T. Grogan ◽  
Jitesh H. Panchal
Keyword(s):  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Real World ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
Communication Patterns ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Representative Model ◽  
Model World

Abstract The engineering of complex systems, such as aircraft and spacecraft, involves large number of individuals within multiple organizations spanning multiple years. Since it is challenging to perform empirical studies directly on real organizations at scale, some researchers in systems engineering and design have begun relying on abstracted model worlds that aim to be representative of the reference socio-technical system, but only preserve some aspects of it. However, there is a lack of corresponding knowledge on how to design representative model worlds for socio-technical research. Our objective is to create such knowledge through a reflective case study of the development of a model world. This “inner” study examines how two factors influence interdisciplinary communication during a concurrent design process. The reference real world system is a mission design laboratory (MDL) at NASA, and the model world is a simplified engine design problem in an undergraduate classroom environment. Our analysis focuses on the thought process followed, the key model world design decisions made, and a critical assessment of the extent to which communication phenomena in the model world (engine experiment) are representative of the real world (NASA’s MDL). We find that the engine experiment preserves some but not all of the communication patterns of interest, and we present case-specific lessons learned for achieving and increasing representativeness in this type of study. More generally, we find that representativeness depends not on matching subjects, tasks, and context separately, but rather on the behavior that emerges from the interplay of these three dimensions.

A functional analysis of resistance of plant communities to disturbance: a case study of Beijing nature reserves

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-162
Author(s):  
Wang Guohong ◽  
Wang Xiaoping ◽  
Zhang Weikang ◽  
Li He ◽  
Du Lianhai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Analysis ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Nature Reserves

MH-53J/M Pave Low III/IV Systems Engineering. Case Study

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Albery ◽  
Raymond L. Robb ◽  
Lee Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Systems Engineering

scholarly journals On systematically building a controlled natural language for functional requirements

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro Veizaga ◽  
Mauricio Alferez ◽  
Damiano Torre ◽  
Mehrdad Sabetzadeh ◽  
Lionel Briand
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Natural Language ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Industrial Case Study ◽  
Requirements Specifications ◽  
Financial Domain

AbstractNatural language (NL) is pervasive in software requirements specifications (SRSs). However, despite its popularity and widespread use, NL is highly prone to quality issues such as vagueness, ambiguity, and incompleteness. Controlled natural languages (CNLs) have been proposed as a way to prevent quality problems in requirements documents, while maintaining the flexibility to write and communicate requirements in an intuitive and universally understood manner. In collaboration with an industrial partner from the financial domain, we systematically develop and evaluate a CNL, named Rimay, intended at helping analysts write functional requirements. We rely on Grounded Theory for building Rimay and follow well-known guidelines for conducting and reporting industrial case study research. Our main contributions are: (1) a qualitative methodology to systematically define a CNL for functional requirements; this methodology is intended to be general for use across information-system domains, (2) a CNL grammar to represent functional requirements; this grammar is derived from our experience in the financial domain, but should be applicable, possibly with adaptations, to other information-system domains, and (3) an empirical evaluation of our CNL (Rimay) through an industrial case study. Our contributions draw on 15 representative SRSs, collectively containing 3215 NL requirements statements from the financial domain. Our evaluation shows that Rimay is expressive enough to capture, on average, 88% (405 out of 460) of the NL requirements statements in four previously unseen SRSs from the financial domain.

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