Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Discrete Event Simulation”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8

Automatic programming of simulation models

The concepts of software engineering were used to improve the simulation modeling environment. Emphasis was placed on the application of an element of rapid prototyping, or automatic programming, to assist the modeler define the problem specification. Then, once the problem specification has been defined, an automatic code generator is used to write the simulation code. The following two domains were selected for evaluating the concepts of software engineering for discrete event simulation: manufacturing domain and a spacecraft countdown network sequence. The specific tasks were to: (1) define the software requirements for a graphical user interface to the Automatic Manufacturing Programming System (AMPS) system; (2) develop a graphical user interface for AMPS; and (3) compare the AMPS graphical interface with the AMPS interactive user interface.

Schroer, Bernard J.↗

Advanced ISDN satellite designs and experiments

The research performed by GTE Government Systems and the University of Colorado in support of the NASA Satellite Communications Applications Research (SCAR) Program is summarized. Two levels of research were undertaken. The first dealt with providing interim services Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) satellite (ISIS) capabilities that accented basic rate ISDN with a ground control similar to that of the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS). The ISIS Network Model development represents satellite systems like the ACTS orbiting switch. The ultimate aim is to move these ACTS ground control functions on-board the next generation of ISDN communications satellite to provide full-service ISDN satellite (FSIS) capabilities. The technical and operational parameters for the advanced ISDN communications satellite design are obtainable from the simulation of ISIS and FSIS engineering software models of the major subsystems of the ISDN communications satellite architecture. Discrete event simulation experiments would generate data for analysis against NASA SCAR performance measure and the data obtained from the ISDN satellite terminal adapter hardware (ISTA) experiments, also developed in the program. The Basic and Option 1 phases of the program are also described and include the following: literature search, traffic mode, network model, scenario specifications, performance measures definitions, hardware experiment design, hardware experiment development, simulator design, and simulator development.

Pepin, Gerard R.↗

Knowledge-based simulation for aerospace systems

Knowledge-based techniques, which offer many features that are desirable in the simulation and development of aerospace vehicle operations, exhibit many similarities to traditional simulation packages. The eventual solution of these systems' current symbolic processing/numeric processing interface problem will lead to continuous and discrete-event simulation capabilities in a single language, such as TS-PROLOG. Qualitative, totally-symbolic simulation methods are noted to possess several intrinsic characteristics that are especially revelatory of the system being simulated, and capable of insuring that all possible behaviors are considered.

Will, Ralph W.↗

Solving complex maintenance planning optimization problems using stochastic simulation and multi-criteria fuzzy decision making

One of the most important factors in the operations of many cooperations today is to maximize profit and one important tool to that effect is the optimization of maintenance activities. Maintenance activities is at the largest level divided into two major areas, corrective maintenance (CM) and preventive maintenance (PM). When optimizing maintenance activities, by a maintenance plan or policy, we seek to find the best activities to perform at each point in time, be it PM or CM. We explore the use of stochastic simulation, genetic algorithms and other tools for solving complex maintenance planning optimization problems in terms of a suggested framework model based on discrete event simulation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Tutorial: Parallel simulation on supercomputers

This tutorial introduces typical hardware and software characteristics of extant and emerging supercomputing platforms, and presents issues and solutions in executing large-scale parallel discrete-event simulation scenarios on such high performance computing systems. Covered topics include synchronization, model organization, example applications, and observed performance from illustrative large-scale runs.

Perumalla, Kalyan S.↗

Improving Project Management with Simulation and Completion Distribution Functions

Despite the critical importance of project completion timeliness, management practices in place today remain inadequate for addressing the persistent problem of project completion tardiness. A major culprit in late projects is uncertainty, which most, if not all, projects are inherently subject to. This uncertainty resides in the estimates for activity durations, the occurrence of unplanned and unforeseen events, and the availability of critical resources. In response to this problem, this research developed a comprehensive simulation based methodology for conducting quantitative project completion time risk analysis. It is called the Project Assessment by Simulation Technique (PAST). This new tool enables project stakeholders to visualize uncertainty or risk, i.e. the likelihood of their project completing late and the magnitude of the lateness, by providing them with a completion time distribution function of their projects. Discrete event simulation is used within PAST to determine the completion distribution function for the project of interest. The simulation is populated with both deterministic and stochastic elements. The deterministic inputs include planned project activities, precedence requirements, and resource requirements. The stochastic inputs include activity duration growth distributions, probabilities for events that can impact the project, and other dynamic constraints that may be placed upon project activities and milestones. These stochastic inputs are based upon past data from similar projects. The time for an entity to complete the simulation network, subject to both the deterministic and stochastic factors, represents the time to complete the project. Repeating the simulation hundreds or thousands of times allows one to create the project completion distribution function. The Project Assessment by Simulation Technique was demonstrated to be effective for the on-going NASA project to assemble the International Space Station. Approximately $500 million per month is being spent on this project, which is scheduled to complete by 2010. NASA project stakeholders participated in determining and managing completion distribution functions produced from PAST. The first result was that project stakeholders improved project completion risk awareness. Secondly, using PAST, mitigation options were analyzed to improve project completion performance and reduce total project cost.

Cates, Grant R.↗

High Fidelity Simulations of Large-Scale Wireless Networks (Plus-Up)

Sandia has built a strong reputation in scalable network simulation and emulation for cyber security studies to protect our nation’s critical information infrastructures. Georgia Tech has preeminent reputation in academia for excellence in scalable discrete event simulations, with strong emphasis on simulating cyber networks. Many of the experts in this field, such as Dr. Richard Fujimoto, Dr. George Riley, and Dr. Chris Carothers, have strong affiliations with Georgia Tech. The collaborative relationship that we intend to immediately pursue is in high fidelity simulations of practical large-scale wireless networks using ns-3 simulator via Dr. George Riley. This project will have mutual benefits in bolstering both institutions’ expertise and reputation in the field of scalable simulation for cyber-security studies. This project promises to address high fidelity simulations of large-scale wireless networks. This proposed collaboration is directly in line with Georgia Tech’s goals for developing and expanding the Communications Systems Center, the Georgia Tech Broadband Institute, and Georgia Tech Information Security Center along with its yearly Emerging Cyber Threats Report. At Sandia, this work benefits the defense systems and assessment area with promise for large-scale assessment of cyber security needs and vulnerabilities of our nation’s critical cyber infrastructures exposed to wireless communications.

Onunkwo, Uzoma↗

Improving the Performance of the Extreme-scale Simulator

Investigating the performance of parallel applications at scale on future high-performance computing (HPC) architectures and the performance impact of different architecture choices is an important component of HPC hardware/software co-design. The Extreme-scale Simulator (xSim) is a simulation-based toolkit for investigating the performance of parallel applications at scale. xSim scales to millions of simulated Message Passing Interface (MPI) processes. The overhead introduced by a simulation tool is an important performance and productivity aspect. This paper documents two improvements to xSim: (1) a new deadlock resolution protocol to reduce the parallel discrete event simulation management overhead and (2) a new simulated MPI message matching algorithm to reduce the oversubscription management overhead. The results clearly show a significant performance improvement, such as by reducing the simulation overhead for running the NAS Parallel Benchmark suite inside the simulator from 1,020\% to 238% for the conjugate gradient (CG) benchmark and from 102% to 0% for the embarrassingly parallel (EP) and benchmark, as well as, from 37,511% to 13,808% for CG and from 3,332% to 204% for EP with accurate process failure simulation.

Engelmann, Christian↗

APOLLO: a facility-scale differentiable virtual accelerator for Fermilab

As the design complexity of modern accelerators grows, there is more interest in using advanced simulations that have fast execution time or yield additional insights like gradients. The FAST/IOTA facility has been working on implementing and experimentally validating an end-to-end digital twin that is both fast and gradient-aware, allowing for rapid prototyping of new software and experiments with minimal beam time costs. Our framework integrates physics and ML codes for linac and ring simulation through a set of generic interfaces between surrogate and physics-based sections. To reproduce device inputs and outputs, system state is exposed as a deterministic discrete event simulator. Because Fermilab is undergoing control system transition, both EPICS and ACNET frontends are supported. Recently, we have begun transitioning to a new community lattice standard, PALS, as well as developing standardized infrastructure for data ingest and normalization to prepare for model calibration during FAST proton injector commissioning. We discuss implementation details as well as challenges, and future plans to extend modelling to main complex proton accelerators like PIPII and Booster.

Kuklev, Nikita [Fermilab]↗

Novel Results Visualization for Dynamic PSA and New Modeling Features in EMRALD

The Event Modeling Risk Assessment Linked Diagram (EMRALD) tool, developed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), was designed to simplify the creation of dynamic models and support various research projects. One of the primary goals of EMRALD was to provide visual methods for modeling. EMRALD consists of two main components: a web-based user interface for model development and a solve engine for running model simulations. Over time, it has evolved to meet the diverse needs of its users. Initially, EMRALD's results were simple text outputs with final key state percentages and uncertainty bounds. However, because EMRALD utilizes a three-phase discrete event simulation and tracks the paths of each simulation run leading to a key state, there is significant potential to analyze large sets of path results data, including state paths, events, and timing. Visualizing this data meaningfully posed a challenge. To address this, a novel time-based Sankey diagram was developed. EMRALD exports results data in a format that can be opened in this Sankey viewer, allowing users to visualize paths, occurrences, events, and probability data for the entire simulation run in a single diagram. Moreover, when EMRALD was first created, there were limited tools capable of meeting its graphical requirements, many of which are no longer supported. In 2024, a new web-based interface was developed using modern graphing tools, enabling additional modeling features. This paper discusses the new dynamic PSA results visualization capability and the enhanced modeling tools available in EMRALD.

97 - MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Expert systems and simulation models; Proceedings of the Seminar, Tucson, AZ, November 18, 19, 1985

The seminar presents papers on modeling and simulation methodology, artificial intelligence and expert systems, environments for simulation/expert system development, and methodology for simulation/expert system development. Particular attention is given to simulation modeling concepts and their representation, modular hierarchical model specification, knowledge representation, and rule-based diagnostic expert system development. Other topics include the combination of symbolic and discrete event simulation, real time inferencing, and the management of large knowledge-based simulation projects.

Source record↗

Virtual Simulation of Spent Nuclear Fuel Repackaging Facility Design Concepts - 19479

This paper presents recent implementation of virtual simulation of SNF repackaging facility operation. The development was based on recent wet and dry facility design concepts. The development involved creating equipment and facility models and implementation of discrete event simulation of large-scale facility-level operation. Lastly, it presented how a hardware-in-the-loop simulation is possible and that a good amount of accuracy was retained from virtual simulation to hardware simulation for the tested configuration. It is expected that this type of simulation will act as a proof of concept for system engineers and help them make more informed decisions when considering potential solutions for SNF handling and disposal. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Knowledge-based simulation using object-oriented programming

Simulations have become a powerful mechanism for understanding and modeling complex phenomena. Their results have had substantial impact on a broad range of decisions in the military, government, and industry. Because of this, new techniques are continually being explored and developed to make them even more useful, understandable, extendable, and efficient. One such area of research is the application of the knowledge-based methods of artificial intelligence (AI) to the computer simulation field. The goal of knowledge-based simulation is to facilitate building simulations of greatly increased power and comprehensibility by making use of deeper knowledge about the behavior of the simulated world. One technique for representing and manipulating knowledge that has been enhanced by the AI community is object-oriented programming. Using this technique, the entities of a discrete-event simulation can be viewed as objects in an object-oriented formulation. Knowledge can be factual (i.e., attributes of an entity) or behavioral (i.e., how the entity is to behave in certain circumstances). Rome Laboratory's Advanced Simulation Environment (RASE) was developed as a research vehicle to provide an enhanced simulation development environment for building more intelligent, interactive, flexible, and realistic simulations. This capability will support current and future battle management research and provide a test of the object-oriented paradigm for use in large scale military applications.

Sidoran, Karen M.↗

Testbed Environment for Space Situational Awareness: The world’s most accurate simulation of space debris and orbital object tracking

The Testbed Environment for Space Situational Awareness (TESSA) is a modeling and simulation environment designed for efficient exploration of scenarios involving satellites and space debris and their detection by both ground and space-based radars and optical sensors. TESSA is a Parallelized Discrete Event Simulator optimized for deployment on a large cluster of high-performance computers running Linux. TESSA includes capabilities for predicting the future location of a satellite using the satellite’s current location and velocity, determining an object’s orbit from sensor data, finding new orbital objects, predicting close approaches, determining the probability of collisions, modeling radar and optical and dynamic sensors, and modeling the generation of debris. TESSA also includes a scalable visualization environment implemented as a post-processor on workstation-class platforms.

42 ENGINEERING↗

CONFIG: Qualitative simulation tool for analyzing behavior of engineering devices

To design failure management expert systems, engineers mentally analyze the effects of failures and procedures as they propagate through device configurations. CONFIG is a generic device modeling tool for use in discrete event simulation, to support such analyses. CONFIG permits graphical modeling of device configurations and qualitative specification of local operating modes of device components. Computation requirements are reduced by focussing the level of component description on operating modes and failure modes, and specifying qualitative ranges of variables relative to mode transition boundaries. Simulation processing occurs only when modes change or variables cross qualitative boundaries. Device models are built graphically, using components from libraries. Components are connected at ports by graphical relations that define data flow. The core of a component model is its state transition diagram, which specifies modes of operation and transitions among them.

Malin, Jane T.↗

CONFIG: Integrated engineering of systems and their operation

This article discusses CONFIG 3, a prototype software tool that supports integrated conceptual design evaluation from early in the product life cycle, by supporting isolated or integrated modeling, simulation, and analysis of the function, structure, behavior, failures and operations of system designs. Integration and reuse of models is supported in an object-oriented environment providing capabilities for graph analysis and discrete event simulation. CONFIG supports integration among diverse modeling approaches (component view, configuration or flow path view, and procedure view) and diverse simulation and analysis approaches. CONFIG is designed to support integrated engineering in diverse design domains, including mechanical and electro-mechanical systems, distributed computer systems, and chemical processing and transport systems.

Malin, Jane T.↗

Computer-aided operations engineering with integrated models of systems and operations

CONFIG 3 is a prototype software tool that supports integrated conceptual design evaluation from early in the product life cycle, by supporting isolated or integrated modeling, simulation, and analysis of the function, structure, behavior, failures and operation of system designs. Integration and reuse of models is supported in an object-oriented environment providing capabilities for graph analysis and discrete event simulation. Integration is supported among diverse modeling approaches (component view, configuration or flow path view, and procedure view) and diverse simulation and analysis approaches. Support is provided for integrated engineering in diverse design domains, including mechanical and electro-mechanical systems, distributed computer systems, and chemical processing and transport systems. CONFIG supports abstracted qualitative and symbolic modeling, for early conceptual design. System models are component structure models with operating modes, with embedded time-related behavior models. CONFIG supports failure modeling and modeling of state or configuration changes that result in dynamic changes in dependencies among components. Operations and procedure models are activity structure models that interact with system models. CONFIG is designed to support evaluation of system operability, diagnosability and fault tolerance, and analysis of the development of system effects of problems over time, including faults, failures, and procedural or environmental difficulties.

Malin, Jane T.↗

Exploring the Use of Computer Simulations in Unraveling Research and Development Governance Problems

Understanding Research and Development (R&D) enterprise relationships and processes at a governance level is not a simple task, but valuable decision-making insight and evaluation capabilities can be gained from their exploration through computer simulations. This paper discusses current Modeling and Simulation (M&S) methods, addressing their applicability to R&D enterprise governance. Specifically, the authors analyze advantages and disadvantages of the four methodologies used most often by M&S practitioners: System Dynamics (SO), Discrete Event Simulation (DES), Agent Based Modeling (ABM), and formal Analytic Methods (AM) for modeling systems at the governance level. Moreover, the paper describes nesting models using a multi-method approach. Guidance is provided to those seeking to employ modeling techniques in an R&D enterprise for the purposes of understanding enterprise governance. Further, an example is modeled and explored for potential insight. The paper concludes with recommendations regarding opportunities for concentration of future work in modeling and simulating R&D governance relationships and processes.

Balaban, Mariusz A.↗