CHAIR OF

SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

Abstract

Modern system design increasingly relies on Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). MBSE enables a rigorous, model-centric approach to capturing a system's architecture, requirements, and behavior. As safety is paramount in complex system development, most MBSE tools now provide built-in failure injection mechanisms. However, the specific capabilities, ease of use, and integration with downstream safety analysis techniques vary between these tools. This project proposes to conduct a comparative study of leading MBSE tools to benchmark their capabilities in failure injection and the efficacy of integrating model-derived failure data with established analysis techniques like Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA).

Problem Statement

The integration of failure modeling and analysis mechanisms into MBSE tools has become crucial for safety-critical systems. Nevertheless, a lack of comparative investigations hinders informed decision-making for engineers selecting the optimal tool for their needs. This project addresses this gap.

Research Questions

1. What are the specific failure modeling and injection capabilities provided by leading MBSE tools?
2. How seamless is the integration between failure injection mechanisms within MBSE tools and downstream safety analysis techniques (particularly FTA and FMEA)?
3. What are the qualitative and quantitative performance differences between MBSE tools in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and scalability when conducting failure analysis?

Methodology

1. Tool Selection: Identify and select a representative set of leading MBSE tools with failure injection capabilities.
2. Feature Analysis: Conduct an in-depth analysis of each tool's failure injection mechanisms (supported failure types, modeling paradigms, injection points).
3. Case Study Development: Create representative system design models applicable across the selected tools with provisions for diverse failure injection scenarios.
4. Failure Injection and Analysis: Inject failures in the case study models using each tool's native mechanisms. Export relevant data and integrate it with FTA and FMEA software or methods.
5. Evaluation: Evaluate the tools based on:

• User-friendliness and ease of failure modeling
• Integration effectiveness with FTA and FMEA.
• Performance in terms of analysis speed and accuracy (if possible, validated against real-world failure data or expert-derived fault trees and FMEAs).

Student Opportunities

• Learning about Functional Safety: This project offers an in-depth immersion into the principles of functional safety, safety standards, and their integration into the system design process. The student will gain hands-on experience in utilizing MBSE for safety modeling and analysis.
• Team Collaboration with Scrum-like Processes: The project provides an opportunity to work within a team environment that adopts Agile methodologies like Scrum. This includes participation in sprint planning, daily standups, retrospectives, and the use of project management tools to enhance collaborative workflow.

Expected Outcomes

• A comprehensive comparative study of leading MBSE tools from the perspective of failure injection and analysis.
• Identification of strengths, weaknesses, and best practices in integrating MBSE with safety analysis.
• A set of guidelines for practitioners aiding in MBSE tool selection based on safety assessment requirements.

Significance

This project contributes to the field of model-based safety engineering by offering a systematic evaluation framework for MBSE tools in the domain of failure analysis. It will provide valuable insights to safety engineers and system designers, facilitating an informed selection of the most suitable MBSE tool for their safety-critical projects.