The System Concept And Its Application To Engineering

Systems engineering is a mandatory approach in some industries, and is gaining wider acceptance for complex projects in general. However, under the imperative of delivering these projects on time and within budget, the focus has been mainly on the management aspects, with less attention to improving the core engineering activity – design. This book addresses the application of the system concept to design in several ways: by developing a deeper understanding of the system concept, by defining design and its characteristics within the process of engineering, and by applying the system concept to the early stage of design, where it has the greatest impact. A central theme of the book is that the purpose of engineering is to be useful in meeting the needs of society, and that therefore the ultimate measure of the benefit of applying the system concept should be the extent to which it advances the achievement of that purpose. Consequently, any consistent, top-down development of the functionality required of a solution to the problem of meeting a defined need must proceed from such a measure, and it is agued that a generalised form of Return on Investment is an appropriate measure. A theoretical framework for the development of functionality based on this measure and utilising the system concept is presented, together with some examples and practical guidelines.

This translation brings a landmark systems engineering (SE) book to English-speaking audiences for the first time since its original publication in 1972. For decades the SE concept championed by this book has helped engineers solve a wide variety of issues by emphasizing a top-down approach. Moving from the general to the specific, this SE concept has situated itself as uniquely appealing to both highly trained experts and anybody managing a complex project. Until now, this SE concept has only been available to German speakers. By shedding the overtly technical approach adopted by many other SE methods, this book can be used as a problem-solving guide in a great variety of disciplines, engineering and otherwise. By segmenting the book into separate parts that build upon each other, the SE concept’s accessibility is reinforced. The basic principles of SE, problem solving, and systems design are helpfully introduced in the first three parts. Once the fundamentals are presented, specific case studies are covered in the fourth part to display potential applications. Then part five offers further suggestions on how to effectively practice SE principles; for example, it not only points out frequent stumbling blocks, but also the specific points at which they may appear. In the final part, a wealth of different methods and tools, such as optimization techniques, are given to help maximize the potential use of this SE concept. Engineers and engineering students from all disciplines will find this book extremely helpful in solving complex problems. Because of its practicable lessons in problem-solving, any professional facing a complex project will also find much to learn from this volume.

For the last century, the automotive industry has been dominated by internal combustion engines. Their flexibility of application, driving range, performance and sporty characteristics has resulted in several generations of this technology and has formed generations of engineers. But that is not the end of the story. Stricter legislation and increased environmental awareness have resulted in the development of new powertrain technologies in addition and parallel to the highly optimized internal combustion engine. Hybrid powertrains systems, pure battery electric systems and fuel cell systems, in conjunction with a diverse range of applications, have increased the spectrum of powertrain technologies. Furthermore, automated driving together with intelligent and highly connected systems are changing the way to get from A to B. Not only is the interaction of all these new technologies challenging, but also several different disciplines have to collaborate intensively in order for new powertrain systems to be successfully developed. These new technologies and the resulting challenges lead to an increase in system complexity. Approaches such as systems engineering are necessary to manage this complexity. To show how systems engineering manages the increasing complexity of modern powertrain systems, by providing processes, methods, organizational aspects and tools, this book has been structured into five parts. Starting with Challenges for Powertrain Development, which describes automotive-related challenges at different levels of the system hierarchy and from different point of views. The book then continues with the core part, Systems Engineering, in which all the basics of systems engineering, model-based systems engineering, and their related processes, methods, tools, and organizational matters are described. A special focus is placed on important standards and the human factor. The third part, Automotive Powertrain Systems Engineering Approach, puts the fundamentals of systems engineering into practice by adding the automotive context. This part focuses on system development and also considers the interactions to hardware and software development. Several approaches and methods are presented based on systems engineering philosophy. Part four, Powertrain Development Case Studies, adds the practical point of view by providing a range of case studies on powertrain system level and on powertrain element level and discusses the development of hybrid powertrain, internal combustion engines, e-drives, transmissions, batteries and fuel cell systems. Two case studies on a vehicle level are also presented. The final part, Outlook, considers the development of systems engineering itself with particular focus on information communication technologies. Even though this book covers systems engineering from an automotive perspective, many of the challenges, fundamental principles, conclusions and outlooks can be applied to other domains too. Therefore, this book is not only relevant for automotive engineers and students, but also for specialists in scientific and industrial positions in other domains and anyone who has to cope with the challenge of successfully developing complex systems with a large number of collaborating disciplines.

Systems Engineering Guidebook: A Process for Developing Systems and Products is intended to provide readers with a guide to understanding and becoming familiar with the systems engineering process, its application, and its value to the successful implementation of systems development projects. The book describes the systems engineering process as a multidisciplinary effort. The process is defined in terms of specific tasks to be accomplished, with great emphasis placed on defining the problem that is being addressed prior to designing the solution.

This book presents a comprehensive and unifying theory to promote the under standing of technical systems. Such a theory is useful as a foundation for a ratio nal approach to the engineering design process, as a background to engineering education, and other applications. The term "technical system" is used to represent all types of man-made artifacts, including technical products and processes. The technical system is therefore the subject (in the grammatical sense of the word) of the collection of activities which are performed by engineers within the processes of engineering design, including generating, retrieving, processing and transmitting of information about products. It is also the subject of various tasks in the production process, including work preparation and production planning, and in many economic considerations, company-internal and societal. In this way, the Theory of Technical Systems is a contribution to science, as in terpreted in the wider, Germanic sense of a "co-ordinated and codified body of knowledge". It brings together the various viewpoints of engineers, scientists, economists, ergonomists, managers, users, sociologists, etc., and shows where and how they influence the forms of engineering products. It also explains the influ ences that a product exerts on its environment. This Theory of Technical Systems should thus interest design engineers, and en gineers involved in production, management, sales, etc. In an interdisciplinary ap plication of value analysis, the Theory of Technical Systems should provide answers to many questions raised in this field.

The first edition of this unique interdisciplinary guide has become the foundational systems engineering textbook for colleges and universities worldwide. It has helped countless readers learn to think like systems engineers, giving them the knowledge, skills, and leadership qualities they need to be successful professionals. Now, colleagues of the original authors have upgraded and expanded the book to address the significant advances in this rapidly changing field. An outgrowth of the Johns Hopkins University Master of Science Program in Engineering, Systems Engineering: Principles and Practice provides an educationally sound, entry-level approach to the subject, describing tools and techniques essential for the development of complex systems. Exhaustively classroom tested, the text continues the tradition of utilizing models to assist in grasping abstract concepts, emphasizing application and practice. This Second Edition features: Expanded topics on advanced systems engineering concepts beyond the traditional systems engineering areas and the post-development stage Updated DOD and commercial standards, architectures, and processes New models and frameworks for traditional structured analysis and object-oriented analysis techniques Improved discussions on requirements, systems management, functional analysis, analysis of alternatives, decision making and support, and operational analysis Supplemental material on the concept of the system boundary Modern software engineering techniques, principles, and concepts Further exploration of the system engineer's career to guide prospective professionals Updated problems and references The Second Edition continues to serve as a graduate-level textbook for courses introducing the field and practice of systems engineering. This very readable book is also an excellent resource for engineers, scientists, and project managers involved with systems engineering, as well as a useful textbook for short courses offered through industry seminars.

Praise for the first edition: "This excellent text will be useful to every system engineer (SE) regardless of the domain. It covers ALL relevant SE material and does so in a very clear, methodical fashion. The breadth and depth of the author's presentation of SE principles and practices is outstanding." —Philip Allen This textbook presents a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to System Engineering analysis, design, and development via an integrated set of concepts, principles, practices, and methodologies. The methods presented in this text apply to any type of human system -- small, medium, and large organizational systems and system development projects delivering engineered systems or services across multiple business sectors such as medical, transportation, financial, educational, governmental, aerospace and defense, utilities, political, and charity, among others. Provides a common focal point for “bridging the gap” between and unifying System Users, System Acquirers, multi-discipline System Engineering, and Project, Functional, and Executive Management education, knowledge, and decision-making for developing systems, products, or services Each chapter provides definitions of key terms, guiding principles, examples, author’s notes, real-world examples, and exercises, which highlight and reinforce key SE&D concepts and practices Addresses concepts employed in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Model-Driven Design (MDD), Unified Modeling Language (UMLTM) / Systems Modeling Language (SysMLTM), and Agile/Spiral/V-Model Development such as user needs, stories, and use cases analysis; specification development; system architecture development; User-Centric System Design (UCSD); interface definition & control; system integration & test; and Verification & Validation (V&V) Highlights/introduces a new 21st Century Systems Engineering & Development (SE&D) paradigm that is easy to understand and implement. Provides practices that are critical staging points for technical decision making such as Technical Strategy Development; Life Cycle requirements; Phases, Modes, & States; SE Process; Requirements Derivation; System Architecture Development, User-Centric System Design (UCSD); Engineering Standards, Coordinate Systems, and Conventions; et al. Thoroughly illustrated, with end-of-chapter exercises and numerous case studies and examples, Systems Engineering Analysis, Design, and Development, Second Edition is a primary textbook for multi-discipline, engineering, system analysis, and project management undergraduate/graduate level students and a valuable reference for professionals.

Since the introduction of system signatures in Francisco Samaniego’s 1985 paper, the properties of this technical concept have been examined, tested and proven in a wide variety of systems applications. Based on the practical and research success in building reliability into systems with system signatures, this is the first book treatment of the approach. Its purpose is to provide guidance on how reliability problems might be structured, modeled and solved.