Systems Engineering

Systems Engineering and Analysis

Benjamin S Blanchard & Wolter J Fabrycky
Design from a systems perspective
A system is an assembly or combination of elements or
parts forming a complex or unitary whole.
(Power system, transportation system ..)

A system is a set of interrelated components functioning
together to achieve some common objective or purpose.
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Elements of a system
Black Box Recorders/Dataloggers
Consist Building:
Car Identification,
Numbering &
Orientation
EP Braking
Seat Reservation Displays
Destination Displays
Public Address
Doors
Engine Controls,
Traction
Maintenance
Automation
Refrigeration
Wayside Systems
Lighting
GPS Location
Signaling
Monitoring &
Diagnostics
HVAC
Dispatch &
Emergency
Communications with
Control Center
Auxiliary Power
Elements of System
Components (operating parts of system)

Attributes (properties of the components and
of the system as a whole)

Relationships (link between components so
that components operate effectively together)
System and subsystems
A system is made up of components
Many components are broken down into
smaller components
There is a hierarchical level of components
The lower levels are called subsystems
Eg Air transport system
Aircraft, control tower, terminals subsystems
Equipment, people, software - components

Classification of systems
Natural systems
High degree of order equilibrium (seasons, the
food chain....
No dead ends, no waste, only continual
recirculation and regeneration
Human-made systems

Classification of systems
Human-made systems
These are recent systems
Can impact natural systems negatively eg
global warming

Engineered systems
Human made systems
Designed to meet some functional purpose or
objective
Operate over a life cycle (identification of
need phase out and disposal)
Design momentum is increased in recent
times
Require a combination of resources (facilities,
equipment, materials, people, money...)
Engineered systems
Composed of subsystems and related
components
Form part of a hierarchy
Are embedded into the natural world

Product Life Cycle
Conceptual-
Preliminary
Design
Detailed
Design &
Development
Production
and/or
Construction
Product use,
Phase-out
and Disposal
ACQUISITION PHASE UTILISATION PHASE
Life cycles of the system.
Product Life Cycle
The four concurrent life cycles progress in
parallel
This is the basis of concurrent engineering
Life cycle design responds simultaneously to
customer needs and life cycle outcomes



Technological activities and
interactions within the system life-
cycle process.
System process activities and
interactions over the life cycle.
System Design Considerations
Two key considerations:
Customer requirements
Design criteria (derived from key design
considerations)
Some system design
considerations.
Development of Design Criteria
Design-dependent parameters (DDPs)
Parameters that the design must conform to
(weight, reliability, design life, etc...)
Technical performance measures (TPM)
Measures to which the design must perform
technically (availability, efficiency, range and
accuracy, speed....)


A hierarchy of system design
considerations.
Design Consideration Hierarchy
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Economic Factors
(Life cycle cost)
Technical Factors
(System effectiveness)
Third Order Economic Considerations
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Research &
Development Cost
Production Cost
Operation/utilisation
cost
Maintenance &
support cost
Retirement &
disposal cost
Third Order Technical Considerations
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Performance
Operational availability
Reliability/Dependability
Producibility
Supportability
Disposability
Fourth Order Economic
Considerations
Research cost
Design cost
Data cost
Contractor cost
Manufacturing cost
Test & evaluation cost
Operating cost
Maintenance cost

Fourth Order Technical Considerations

Size, weight, and shape
Speed of performance
Reliability
Maintainability
Ergonomics
Safety
Flexibility (adaptability)
Pollutability
Fifth Order Considerations
Technical Factors
Accessibility
Aesthetics
Controls and displays
Energy consumption
Interchangeability
Inventory levels
Shelf life/ storage
Transportability
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics
Conceptual Design Phase
Identification of Need
System Feasibility Analysis
System Requirements Analysis
System Specification
Preliminary System Design
Advance System
Planning
Research
Technology
Development &
Application
Systems Requirements Analysis
Operational requirements
Maintenance and support requirements
Technical performance measures (TPMs)
Functional analysis and allocation (system
level)
Analysis, synthesis and evaluation
Operational Requirements
Operational distribution or deployment
# of sites and geographic distribution!
Mission profile or scenario
What functions must it perform?
Performance & related parameters
throughput, power output, size, weight
Utilisation requirements
duty cycle, up time, down time
Effectiveness requirements
availability, reliability, failure rate
Operational life cycle (horizon)
Spares inventory control
Environment
temperature, shock and vibration, noise, humidity, terrain
Maintenance and support requirements
Levels of maintenance
type of maintenance and facility location
Repair policies
design may be non-repairable, partially repairable or fully repairable
Organisational responsibilities
customer, supplier, a third party or a combination
Logistic support elements
spares, test & support equipment, training etc
Effectiveness requirements
availability of spares, test equipment reliability, level of
training
Environment
temperature, shock and vibration, noise, humidity, terrain

Technical Performance Measures (TPM)
These lead to the desired characteristics that
should be incorporated into the design design
criteria


TPM Metric Benchmark Weighting
Velocity
(km/h)
1000 (min) 850 32
Availability
(operational)
95% 90% 45
Size (m) 30 m long
18 m wide
12 m high
20 m long
25 m wide
12 m high
13
Weight (kg) 500 kg 580 kg 10
Functional Analysis and Allocation
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Detailed Design
Criteria
Resource
Requirements
Functional Allocation
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Lower Level Function
Subsystem 1
Lower level function
Subsystem 2
Lower level Function
Subsystem 3
Functional Allocation
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Power System
Control system
Cooling System
Fault Indication
System
Synthesis, Analysis and Evaluation
Define problem
Identify measures (TPMs & DDPs)
Select appropriate evaluation techniques
Develop model to facilitate evaluation process
Acquire input data
Evaluate each of the candidates
Perform a sensitivity analysis
Identify potential areas of risk
Make a recommendation
Trade off analysis leads into synthesis
Synthesis is design
System Specification
This is the single most important engineering
design document.
Defines system functional baseline
Feasibility analysis
Operational requirements
Top level functional analysis
Identifies critical TPMs and DDPs
System Specification
System specification leads into one or more
subordinate specifications:
Development specification pertains to
research, design & development
Product specification pertains to inventory that
can be procured off the shelf
Process specification pertains to services that
are performed on any component of the system
Material specification pertains to raw material,
mixtures or semi-fabricated materials that are
used in the fabrication of a product