Digital Thread in Energy, Infrastructure and Environment

Challenges

With urban infrastructure expected to double in the next 35 years, energy and environmental sustainability demand new and better understanding of both natural and man-made systems. The ability to combine engineering models of power generation, water flow, and atmospheric emissions with economic models of energy demand and remediation costs is critical to a disciplined and holistic approach to the challenges facing society. Systems engineering addresses the balance between technology, economics and the environment, including the high priority placed on system resilience to natural and man-made disruptions.

The role of MBSE

The integration of diverse models using SysML parametrics allows trade studies and optimization to be explored under complex interactions. This approach has been applied to watershed management, utilities planning and sustainable manufacturing. One area of extreme promise is urban infrastructure modeling, linking transportation, energy and waste disposal models with economic, social and environmental impact models to provide quantitative planning tools for cities and local governments. In the energy field, MBSE is playing a leading role in designing and simulating Smart Grid systems, as well as the deployment and integration of alternative energy sources.

How Intercax can help

In this field, the ability to model the construction and operation of these systems is frequently as important as their design. By connecting project management tools with design and simulation tools, Syndeia enhances communication and review as the systems are built. The use of powerful visualization and query capabilities across the total system model can help expose vulnerabilities and unexpected behaviors early in system development.

The ability to connect and execute a diverse set of analysis models is key in energy and infrastructure modeling, where technological, economic and environmental factors can all be critical. Our SysML parametric solvers (ParaMagic, Melody, Solvea, ParaSolver) enable advanced mathematical analyses of energy systems.

Intercax has helped train over 4000 new users in MBSE and SysML, with special emphasis on hands-on mastery of modeling and simulation. Organizations new to MBSE can benefit from Intercax’s training, consulting and custom development service in identifying and adopting best practices.

Resources

Intercax has published a Technote on MBSE for the Energy Industry, with SysML models in several formats available for download.

Technote PDF – Application of MBE to Energy Engineering

Presentation Deck: MBSE For the Energy Industry

Blog Posts:

SysML Models: