Fault Model Design tools - fmdtools version 2

About this technology

Overview

Fmdtools is a Python toolkit for simulating the dynamic effects of hazardous scenarios in complex engineered systems and analyzing the associated resilience of the system. To support early design work, fmdtools uses a high-level representation of the system which can evolve as the concept increases in fidelity. This high-level representation additionally enables the iterative support of early design hazard analysis, along with an iterative design process that can explore and systematically compare the resilience of a wide range of designs. There are three main components of the fmdtools package: (1) Model definition constructs which enable systematic early specification of the high level structure and behaviors of a system with concise syntax. (2) Simulation methods which enable the quantification of system performance and propagation of hazards over a wide range of operational scenarios over a wide range of model types. (3) Analysis methods for quantifying resilience and summarizing and visualizing behaviors and properties of interest. Put together, these components comprise a design, simulation, and analysis environment which can be used consider the resilience of a system of interest in the design process. The 2.0 version of fmdtools brings the following new features:(1)Modelling constructs which enable the representation of complex engineered systems, including human operators, environmental dynamics, systems-of-systems interactions, communications and distributed situation awareness. (2)The development of flexible modelling, simulation, and analysis constructs which enable the simulation of hazards at an individual function/component level and at the system level for the purpose of unit and integration tests/analyses.(3)Ability to modify and search model parameters and states (before and within the simulation) which may increase system resilience or drive the system to failure.