A Novel Approach to Behavior Design for Model Based Systems Engineering Application Using Design Structure Matrix

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is the formalized application of modeling to support various system evolving stages starting from the conceptual design phase to all the life cycle phases that follow. To facilitate in an efficient system behavior design process, in this paper, a Design Structure Matrix (DSM) based approach is developed and illustrated for determining the operational sequence of activities relevant to requirements of the system and in identifying the concurrent activities as well. A triangularization algorithm method is extended especially for application on activity diagrams to determine knowledge activities in an interaction graph to identify groups of activities and arrange them concurrently. The findings through the DSM based approach are validated by a system engineering expert and are implemented to construct the MBSE activity diagram to facilitate an enhanced behavior design of the system. This paper illustrates the use of Design Structure Matrix to facilitate modeling interdependencies between activities and the approach to aggregate the resulted sequential and concurrent activities with the activity diagram, applied to a case study of Execute Hohmann Transfer based on DellSat-77 Satellite System. In addition, the potentials benefits of using a Design Structure Matrix methodology for assisting Model Based Systems Engineering activities for enhanced systems behavior design is portrayed.