Operationalizing digital twins through model-based systems engineering methods
Author
Bickford, Jason
Van Bossuyt, Douglas L.
Beery, Paul
Pollman, Anthony
Date
2020Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
In recent years there has been increased demand for readiness and availability metrics
across many industries and especially in national defense to enable data-driven decision making at all levels of planning, maintenance, and operations, and in leveraging
integrated models that inform stakeholders of current operational system health and
performance metrics. The digital twin (DT) has been identified as a promising approach
for deploying these models to fielded systems although several challenges exist in wide
adoption and implementation. Two challenges examined in this article are that the
nature of DT development is a system-specific endeavor, and the development is usually an additional effort that begins after initial system fielding. A fundamental challenge with DT development, which sets it apart from traditional models, is the DT itself
is treated as a separate system, and therefore the physical asset/DT construct becomes
a system-of-systems problem. This article explores how objectives in DT development
align with those of model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and how the MBSE process can answer questions necessary to define the DT. The key benefits to the approach
are leveraging work already being performed during system synthesis and DT development is pushed earlier in a system’s lifecycle. This article contributes to the definition
and development processes for DTs by proposing a DT development model and path, a
method for scoping and defining requirements for a DT, and an approach to integrate
DT and system development. An example case study of a Naval unmanned system is
presented to illustrate the contributions.
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sys.21559
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. As such, it is in the public domain, and under the provisions of Title 17, United States Code, Section 105, it may not be copyrighted.Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Achieving Better Buying Power for Mobile Open Architecture Software Systems through Diverse Acquisition Scenarios
Scacchi, Walt; Alspaugh, Thomas A. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2017-05); UCI-AM-17-041This research seeks to identify, track, and analyze software component costs and cost reduction opportunities within diverse acquisition life cycle scenarios for open architecture systems accommodating Web-based and mobile ... -
Model-Based System Integration (MBSI) – Key Attributes of MBSE from the System Integrator’s Perspective
Montgomery, Paul R. (2013);Many system developments fail at the integration and qualification (I&Q) phases in the development and acquisition cycle. How can we, as Systems Engineers (SE), navigate the uncertainty and risk of system development to ... -
Acquisition and Development Programs through the Lens of System Complexity
Pugliese, Antonio; Enos, James; Nilchiani, Roshanak (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2018-04-30); SYM-AM-18-165The approach of the Department of Defense (DoD) to acquisition programs is strongly based on systems engineering. DoD Directive 5000.01 calls for "the application of a systems engineering approach that optimizes total ...