Mapping and change information between structural and behavioural domain – Behaviour prediction framework

Abstract

During product development it is very important to do research in comparing the system functionality throughout its working operation and when unexpected parameters occur. In modelling of the system behaviour, the uncertain effects of the system due to the influence of the changing working environment was also considered here. The observed system was presented with its two models: structure model and behavioural model. The system structure model was represented in matrix notation with a Design Structure Matrix (DSM). The second domain of the system, i.e. its behaviour, was modelled by the Model Predictive Control (MPC) method and by studying the system stability using the second Lyapunov method. The mutual transfer of information between these two domains allows the creation of system variants suitable for working in uncertain situations. By combining the developed environment (Behaviour Prediction Framework) and its algorithm, and using existing computer tools (©LOOMEO and ©MATLAB), the research results were verified. This was done with a case study of an air handling unit used for air treatment in the food industry and clean rooms. While carrying out the simulation of the behaviour of the air conditioning system, the following facts about influential parameters were established. The most influential parameter for the systems stability was the environment temperature from −40 to −25 °C. The reason was that heat transfer coefficient was then very large. In addition, high air flow rate in range from 3.6 to 7.8 m3/s, was had also a great influence on stability. System instability was happened with smaller geometries (the cross-sectional area – height ×weight) of the air handling unit.