Model-Based Systems Engineering Approach to Design a Human Settlement to Better Serve Displaced People

The challenge of transitioning from temporary humanitarian settlements to more sustainable human settlements is due to a significant increase in the number of forcibly displaced people over recent decades, difficulties in providing social services that meet the required standards, and the prolongation of emergencies. Despite this challenging context, short-term considerations continue to guide their planning and management rather than more integrated, longer-term perspectives, thus preventing viable, sustainable development. Over the years, the design of humanitarian settlements has not been adapted to local contexts and perspectives, nor to the dynamics of urbanization and population growth and data. In addition, the current approach to temporary settlement harms the environment and can strain limited resources. Inefficient land use and ad hoc development models have compounded difficulties and generated new challenges. As a result, living conditions in settlements have deteriorated over the last few decades and continue to pose new challenges. The stakes are such that major shortcomings have emerged along the way, leading to disruption, budget overruns in a context marked by a steady decline in funding. However, some attempts have been made to shift towards more sustainable approaches, but these have mainly focused on vague, sector-oriented themes, failing to consider systematic and integration views. This study is a contribution in addressing these shortcomings by designing a model-driving solution, emphasizing an integrated system conceptualized as a system of systems. This paper proposes a new methodology for designing an integrated and sustainable human settlement model, based on Model-Based Systems Engineering and a Systems Modeling Language to provide valuable insights toward sustainable solutions for displaced populations aligning with the United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

Composite armor philosophy(CAP):Holistic design methodology of multi-layered composite protection systems for armored vehicles

A philosophy for the design of novel,lightweight,multi-layered armor,referred to as Composite Armor Philosophy(CAP),which can adapt to the passive protection of light-,medium-,and heavy-armored vehicles,is presented in this study.CAP can serve as a guiding principle to assist designers in comprehending the distinct roles fulfilled by each component.The CAP proposal comprises four functional layers,organized in a suggested hierarchy of materials.Particularly notable is the inclusion of a ceramic-composite principle,representing an advanced and innovative solution in the field of armor design.This paper showcases real-world defense industry applications,offering case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of this advanced approach.CAP represents a significant milestone in the history of passive protection,marking an evolutionary leap in the field.This philosophical approach provides designers with a powerful toolset with which to enhance the protection capabilities of military vehicles,making them more resilient and better equipped to meet the challenges of modern warfare.

On the model-based networked control for singularly perturbed systems

In this paper, the control of a two-time-scale plant, where the sensor is connected to a linear controller/ actuator via a network is addressed. The slow and fast systems of singularly perturbed systems are used to produce an estimate of the plant state behavior between transmission times, by which one can reduce the usage of the network. The approximate solutions of the whole systems are derived and it is shown that the whole systems via the network control are generally asymptotically stable as long as their slow and fast systems are both stable. These results are also extended to the case of network delay.

Model-based design method of two-axis four-actuator fast steering mirror system

This work was focused on the model-based design method of two-axis four-actuator(TAFA) fast steering mirror system(FSM), in order to improve the design efficiency. The structure and operation principle commonality of normal TAFA FSM were investigated. Based on the structure and the commonality, the conditions of single-axis idea, high-frequency resonance and coupling were modeled gradually. Combining these models, a holonomic system model was established to reflect and predict the performance of TAFA FSM. A model-based design method was proposed based on the holonomic system model. The design flow and design concept of the method were described. In accordance with the method, a TAFA FSM was designed. Simulations and experiments of the FSM were done, and the results of them were compared. The compared results indicate that the holonomic system model can well reflect and predict the performance of TAFA FSM. The bandwidth of TAFA FSM is more than 250 Hz; adjust time is less than 15 ms;overshoot is less than 8%; position accuracy is better than 10 μrad; the FSM prototype can satisfy the requirements.

Reliability Design for Impact Vibration of Hydraulic Pressure Pipeline Systems

The research of reliability design for impact vibration of hydraulic pressure pipeline systems is still in the primary stage,and the research of quantitative reliability of hydraulic components and system is still incomplete.On the condition of having obtained the numerical characteristics of basic random parameters,several techniques and methods including the probability statistical theory,hydraulic technique and stochastic perturbation method are employed to carry out the reliability design for impact vibration of the hydraulic pressure system.Considering the instantaneous pressure pulse of hydraulic impact in pipeline,the reliability analysis model of hydraulic pipeline system is established,and the reliability-based optimization design method is presented.The proposed method can reflect the inherent reliability of hydraulic pipe system exactly,and the desired result is obtained.The reliability design of hydraulic pipeline system is achieved by computer programs and the reliability design information of hydraulic pipeline system is obtained.This research proposes a reliability design method,which can solve the problem of the reliability-based optimization design for the hydraulic pressure system with impact vibration practically and effectively,and enhance the quantitative research on the reliability design of hydraulic pipeline system.The proposed method has generality for the reliability optimization design of hydraulic pipeline system.

Design of Retarded Fractional Delay Differential Systems Using the Method of Inequalities

Methods based on numerical optimization are useful and effective in the design of control systems. This paper describes the design of retarded fractional delay differential systems （RFDDSs） by the method of inequalities, in which the design problem is formulated so that it is suitable for solution by numerical methods. Zakian＇s original formulation, which was first proposed in connection with rational systems, is extended to the case of RFDDSs. In making the use of this formulation possible for RFDDSs, the associated stability problems are resolved by using the stability test and the numerical algorithm for computing the abscissa of stability recently developed by the authors. During the design process, the time responses are obtained by a known method for the numerical inversion of Laplace transforms. Two numerical examples are given, where fractional controllers are designed for a time-delay and a heat-conduction plants.

Robust H_∞ Controller Design for Uncertain Neutral Systems via Dynamic Observer Based Output Feedback

In this paper, the dynamic observer-based controller design for a class of neutral systems with H∞ control is considered. An observer-based output feedback is derived for systems with polytopic parameter uncertainties. This controller assures delay-dependent stabilization and H∞ norm bound attenuation from the disturbance input to the controlled output. Numerical examples are provided for illustration and comparison of the proposed conditions.

Parameterized design of nonlinear feedback controllers for servo positioning systems

To achieve fast, smooth and accurate set point tracking in servo positioning systems, a parameterized design of nonlinear feedback controllers is presented, based on a so-called composite nonlinear feedback （CNF） control technique. The controller designed here consists of a linear feedback part and a nonlinear part. The linear part is responsible for stability and fast response of the closed-loop system. The nonlinear part serves to increase the damping ratio of closed-loop poles as the controlled output approaches the target reference. The CNF control brings together the good points of both the small and the large damping ratio cases, by continuously scheduling the damping ratio of the dominant closed-loop poles and thus has the capability for superior transient performance, i.e. a fast output response with low overshoot. In the presence of constant disturbances, an integral action is included so as to remove the static bias. An explicitly parameterized controller is derived for servo positioning systems characterized by second-order model. Practical application in a micro hard disk drive servo system is then presented, together with some discussion of the rationale and characteristics of such design. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of this control design methodology.

Reliability and sensitivity analysis of loop-designed security and stability control system in interconnected power systems

Security and stability control system(SSCS)in power systems involves collecting information and sending the decision from/to control stations at different layers;the tree structure of the SSCS requires more levels.Failure of a station or channel can cause all the execution stations(EXs)to be out of control.The randomness of the controllable capacity of the EXs increases the difficulty of the reliability evaluation of the SSCS.In this study,the loop designed SSCS and reliability analysis are examined for the interconnected systems.The uncertainty analysis of the controllable capacity based on the evidence theory for the SSCS is proposed.The bidirectional and loop channels are introduced to reduce the layers and stations of the existing SSCS with tree configuration.The reliability evaluation and sensitivity analysis are proposed to quantify the controllability and vulnerable components for the SSCS in different configurations.By aiming at the randomness of the controllable capacity of the EXs,the uncertainty analysis of the controllable capacity of the SSCS based on the evidence theory is proposed to quantify the probability of the SSCS for balancing the active power deficiency of the grid.

Controller design of uncertain nonlinear systems based on T-S fuzzy model

A robust control for uncertain nonlinear systems based on T-S fuzzy model is discussed in this paper. First, a T-S fuzzy system is adopted to model the uncertain nonlinear systems. Then, for the system with input variables adopting standard fuzzy partitions, the efficient maximal overlapped-rules group （EMORG） is presented, and a new sufficient condition to check the stability of T-S fuzzy system with uncertainty is derived, which is expressed in terms of Linear Matrix Inequalities. The derived stability condition, which only requires a local common positive definite matrix in each EMORG, can reduce the conservatism and difficulty in existing stability conditions. Finally, a simulation example shows the proposed approach is effective.

Asynchronous Observer Design for Switched Linear Systems: A Tube-Based Approach

This paper proposes a tube-based method for the asynchronous observation problem of discrete-time switched linear systems in the presence of amplitude-bounded disturbances.Sufficient stability conditions of the nominal observer error system under mode-dependent persistent dwell-time(MPDT)switching are first established. Taking the disturbances into account, a novel asynchronous MPDT robust positive invariant(RPI) set and an asynchronous MPDT generalized RPI(GRPI)set are determined for the difference system between the nominal and disturbed observer error systems. Further, the global uniform asymptotical stability of the observer error system is established in the sense of converging to the asynchronous MPDT GRPI set, i.e., the cross section of the tube of the observer error system. Finally, the proposed results are validated on a space robot manipulator example.

A Study on Optimizing the Double-Spine Type Flow Path Design for the Overhead Transportation System Using Tabu Search Algorithm

Optimizing Flow Path Design(FPD)is a popular research area in transportation system design,but its application to Overhead Transportation Systems(OTSs)has been limited.This study focuses on optimizing a double-spine flow path design for OTSs with 10 stations by minimizing the total travel distance for both loaded and empty flows.We employ transportation methods,specifically the North-West Corner and Stepping-Stone methods,to determine empty vehicle travel flows.Additionally,the Tabu Search(TS)algorithm is applied to branch the 10 stations into two main layout branches.The results obtained from our proposed method demonstrate a reduction in the objective function value compared to the initial feasible solution.Furthermore,we explore howchanges in the parameters of the TS algorithm affect the optimal result.We validate the feasibility of our approach by comparing it with relevant literature and conducting additional tests on layouts with 20 and 30 stations.

Book Announcement of L. Celentano, Robust Tracking Controllers Design with Generic References for Continuous and Discrete Uncertain Linear SISO Systems, LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, 2012

In this book new results on controller design techniques for the tracking of generic reference inputs are presented. They allow the design of a controller for an uncertain process, either continuous or discrete-time, without zeros, and with measurable state. The controller guarantees that the control system is Type 1 and has the desired constant gain and poles or that the control system tracks, with a specified maximum error and with a specified maximum time constant, a generic reference with bounded derivative (variation in the discrete-time case), also in the presence of a generic disturbance with bounded derivative (variation). In addition, it is considered the case in which the reference is known a priori. The utility and the efficiency of the proposed methods are illustrated with attractive and significant examples of motion control and temperature control. This book is useful for the design of control systems, especially for manufacturing systems, that are versatile, fast, precise and robust.

DESIGN OF RECONFIGURABLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS WITH STRONGLY COUPLED NATURE

Today＇s manufacturing cnvironmem forces manufacturing companies to make as many product variations as possible at affordable costs within a short time. Mass customisation is one of most important technologies for companies to achieve their objectives. Efforts to mass customisation should be made on two aspects： （1） To modularize products and make them as less differences as possible; （2） To design manufacturing resources and make them provide as many processes variations as possible. This paper reports our recent work on aspect （2）, i.e. how to design a reconfignrable manufacturing system （RMS） so that it can be competent to accomplish various processes optimally; Reconfignrable robot system （RRS） is taken as an example. RMS design involves architecture design and configuration design, and configuration design is further divided in design analysis and design synthesis. Axiomatic design theory （ADT） is applied to architecture design, the features and issues of RRS configuration design are discussed, automatic modelling method is developed for design analysis, and concurrent design methodology is presented for design synthesis.

Formulation of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems containing monoacyl phosphatidylcholine and Kolliphor^(■) RH40 using experimental design

The development of self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems(SNEDDS) to enhance the oral bioavailability of lipophilic drugs is usually based on traditional one-factor-at-a-time approaches. These approaches may be inadequate to analyse the effect of each excipient and their potential interactions on the emulsion droplet size formed when dispersing the SNEDDS in an aqueous environment. The current study investigates the emulsion droplet sizes formed from SNEDDS containing different levels of the natural surfactant monoacyl phosphatidylcholine to reduce the concentration of the synthetic surfactant polyoxyl 40 hydrogenated castor oil(Kolliphor ~? RH40). Monoacyl phosphatidylcholine was used in the form of Lipoid S LPC 80(LPC, containing approximately 80% monoacyl phosphatidylcholine, 13% phosphatidylcholine and 4% concomitant components). The investigated SNEDDS comprised of long-chain or medium-chain glycerides(40% to 75%), Kolliphor ~? RH40(5% to 55%), LPC(0 to 40%) and ethanol(0 to 10%). D-optimal design, multiple linear regression, and partial least square regression were used to screen different SNEDDS within the investigated excipient ranges and to analyse the effect of each excipient on the resulting droplet size of the dispersed SNEDDS measured by dynamic light scattering. All investigated formulations formed nano-emulsions with droplet sizes from about 20 to 200 nm. The use of mediumchain glycerides was more likely to result in smaller and more monodisperse droplet sizes compared to the use of long-chain glycerides. Kolliphor~? RH40 exhibited the most significant effect on reducing the emulsion droplet sizes. Increasing LPC concentration increased the emulsion droplet sizes, possibly because of the reduction of Kolliphor~? RH40 concentration. A higher concentration of ethanol resulted in an insignificant reduction of the emulsion droplet size. The study provides different ternary diagrams of SNEDDS containing LPC and Kolliphor ~? RH40 as a reference for formulation developers.

A Systems Approach to Assessing Sustainability Capacity in Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement in Turkana County, Kenya

Refugee settlements face several challenges in transitioning from a temporary planning approach to more sustainable settlements. This is mainly due to an increase in the number of forcibly displaced people over the last few decades, and the difficulties of sustainably providing social services that meet the required standards. The development of refugee settlements assumed that forcibly displaced people would return to their places or countries of origin. Unfortunately, displacement situations are prolonged indefinitely, forcing these people to spend most of their lives in conditions that are often deplorable and substandard, and therefore unsustainable. In most cases, the establishment of refugee settlements is triggered by an emergency caused by an influx of forcibly displaced people, who need to be accommodated urgently and provided with some form of international assistance and protection. This leaves little or no time for proper planning for long-term development as required. In addition, the current approach to temporary settlement harms the environment and can strain limited resources with ad hoc development models that have exacerbated difficulties. As a result, living conditions in refugee settlements have deteriorated over the last few decades and continue to pose challenges as to how best to design, plan, and sustain settlements over time. To contribute to addressing these challenges, this study proposes a new methodology supported by Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and a Systems Modeling Language (SysML) to develop a typical sustainable human settlement system model, which has functionally and operationally executed using a Systems Engineering (SE) approach. To assess the sustainability capacity of the proposed system, this work applies a matrix of crossed impact multiplication through a case study by conducting a system capacity interdependence analysis (SCIA) using the MICMAC methodology (Cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification) to assess the interdependency that exist between the sub-systems categories to deliver services at the system level. The sustainability analysis results based on capacity variables influence and dependency models shows that development activities in the settlement are unstable and, therefore, unsustainable since there is no apparent difference between the influential and dependent data used for the assessment. These results illustrate that an integrated system could improve human settlements’ sustainability and that capacity building in service delivery is beneficial and necessary.

Robust Multiobjective and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Electrical Drive Systems

Design and optimization of electrical drive systems often involve simultaneous consideration of multiple objectives that usually contradict to each other and multiple disciplines that normally coupled to each other.This paper aims to present efficient system-level multiobjective optimization methods for the multidisciplinary design optimization of electrical drive systems.From the perspective of quality control,deterministic and robust approaches will be investigated for the development of the optimization models for the proposed methods.Meanwhile,two approximation methods,Kriging model and Taylor expansion are employed to decrease the computation/simulation cost.To illustrate the advantages of the proposed methods,a drive system with a permanent magnet synchronous motor driven by a field oriented control system is investigated.Deterministic and robust Pareto optimal solutions are presented and compared in terms of several steady-state and dynamic performances(like average torque and speed overshoot)of the drive system.The robust multiobjective optimization method can produce optimal Pareto solutions with high manufacturing quality for the drive system.

Fundamental Options for Designing Transmission Systems Supplying Metropolitan Centers

Transgression networks in metropolitan centers need to supply a large quantity of power in a reliable manner to vital loads that are located within. A transmission network supplying such an important area must have a high standard of reliability. Therefore, those transmission systems require a special form of redundancy in order to prevent sustained outages after severe contingencies such as multiple faults. This paper outlines different forms of redundancy, and the fundamental options for designing a metropolitan network based on different forms of redundancy are illustrated. Relative merits and drawbacks of network designs based on each form of redundancy are also shown.

Study on Independent Supervision Function of Design Assurance System

The effective operation of a design assurance system cannot be achieved without the effective performance of the independent supervision function.As one of the core functions of the design assurance system,the purpose of the independent supervision function is to ensure that the system operates within the scope of procedures and manuals.At present,the function of independent supervision is a difficult and confusing issue for various original equipment manufacturers as well as suppliers,and there is an urgent requirement to put forward relevant requirements and form relevant methods.Based on the above mentioned objective,the basic requirements of the independent supervision function of design assurance system were studied,the problems and deficiencies in the organization,staffing,and methods existing in the current independent supervision function were analyzed,the improvement suggestions and measures for the performance of the independent supervision function from the aspects of the organization,staffing,procedures,and suppliers were put forward.The present work and conclusions provide guidance and direction for the effective operation of the design assurance system.

Study on the System Design of Multiple Expert Systems Integrated Decision Support System

There has been an increasing interest in integrating decision support systems (DSS) and expert systems (ES) to provide decision makers a more accessible, productive and domain-independent information and computing environment. This paper is aimed at designing a multiple expert systems integrated decision support system (MESIDSS) to enhance decision makers' ability in more complex cases. The basic framework, management system of multiple ESs, and functions of MESIDSS are presented. The applications of MESIDSS in large-scale decision making processes are discussed from the following aspects of problem decomposing, dynamic combination of multiple ESs, link of multiple bases and decision coordinating. Finally, a summary and some ideas for the future are presented.