APPLYING VIRTUAL ENGINEERING TO MODEL-BASED SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Abstract

SysML is a popular tool for capturing and presenting information about a system through models, but integration with domain specific engineering analysis tools and visualizing the results remain two of the biggest challenges for this model-based systems engineering tool. This paper describes a method to integrate models developed using SysML with virtual engineering software to create an executable, interactive, and user centered platform for engineering systems, providing full traceability between the domain specific analysis tools and the overall systems architecture model. The framework combines the benefits offered by model-based systems engineering and virtual engineering for full system design. Visualization tools available in virtual engineering software make it possible to examine three-dimensional rendering of the systems corresponding to particular architectural views. In addition, by sharing the system parametric information between the SysML model and the virtual engineering model, this methodology enables evaluations that go beyond simple numerical analysis and allow for detailed engineering design tools to be coupled with systems engineering information management techniques. This paper applies the methodology to a biotech fermentor as a simple case study and proof of concept, and provides a discussion of how the method can be used to create a specific view of subsystems within full scale complex systems. By creating these customized views of how the system components perform and interact, it is possible to leverage the detailed engineering information into the decision-making process for case studies and review evaluations.