November 7, 2016: Invited Speaker Seminar: Dimensional Analysis Conceptual Design (DACM) Framework: An Approach Supporting Modelling and Simulation of Systems at Early Development Stage Using a Network Based Approach

Dr. Eric Coatanéa
Tampere University of Technology

Friday, November 7, 2016 at 3:00 pm
Room EV003.309

Abstract

The Dimensional Analysis Conceptual Modeling (DACM) framework presents an approach intended for the modelling, simulation and specification of Reusable Modeling Primitives (RMPs) building on Dimensional Analysis (DA), Bond/Causal Graph (BCG), and Design Structure Matrix/Complexity Management (DSM) formal methods.  The RMP-based specification paradigm underlying the DACM Framework promotes rigorous technical specificity and interdependencies of model functionalities which is conducive to effective and efficient model cataloging, discovery, validation, reengineering, and reuse. The DACM framework is a holistic approach supporting the early design phases. The DACM framework logics are captured and enabled in software, providing user-friendly interfaces that support and direct systems engineering conjoint problem-space and solution-space analyses.

The DACM framework can also be used as an innovation approach. The presentation is intended to present the basis of the DACM framework and to exemplify the framework using several case studies highlighting the different facets of the approach.

The benefits of the DACM Framework to the designing, modeling and simulation communities include the following: 1) Specification of simulation models in compact DSM matrix; 2) A sound technical basis for the communities to validate model specifications; 3) Generation of RMPs that enable effective, efficient, and meaningful cataloging, discovery, validation, composability, specification of conceptual models across abstraction (e.g., aggregation) levels, and reuse; 4) Improved management of the simulation process in general based in RMP configuration management where supplementary simulations or experiments are needed to complete the knowledge about the system; 5) Effective framework for the management of intellectual property ownership claims and data rights license provisions; 6) Expeditious production of high-level conceptual models instrumental for analysis of alternatives; 7) Early identification of conflicts in system design solution.

Biography

My research interests are including design and manufacturing activities, system thinking and system engineering. More specifically the research focus is given to the early design phases. The objective is to develop a new category of computer support tools for those phases,  integrating multiple requirements such as the need to use weakly defined information, the need to simulate as soon as possible and the need to integrate later requirements such as the manufacturing requirements. The methods that we are using to investigate this research domain are including system thinking, system engineering, graph and network theory, natural language processing and computational linguistic.