Results for “Process Systems Engineering”

NASA NTRS1972

Methodology for the systems engineering process. Volume 1: System functional activities

Systems engineering is examined in terms of functional activities that are performed in the conduct of a system definition/design, and system development is described in a parametric analysis that combines functions, performance, and design variables. Emphasis is placed on identification of activities performed by design organizations, design specialty groups, as well as a central systems engineering organizational element. Identification of specific roles and responsibilities for doing functions, and monitoring and controlling activities within the system development operation are also emphasized.

Nelson, J. H.↗

NASA NTRS1971

Integrating system safety into the basic systems engineering process

The basic elements of a systems engineering process are given along with a detailed description of what the safety system requires from the systems engineering process. Also discussed is the safety that the system provides to other subfunctions of systems engineering.

John W. Griswold↗

NASA NTRS1989

Dynamic systems-engineering process - The application of concurrent engineering

A system engineering methodology is described which enables users, particulary NASA and DOD, to accommodate changing needs; incorporate emerging technologies; identify, quantify, and manage system risks; manage evolving functional requirements; track the changing environment; and reduce system life-cycle costs. The approach is a concurrent, dynamic one which starts by constructing a performance model defining the required system functions and the interrelationships. A detailed probabilistic risk assessment of the system elements and their interrelationships is performed, and quantitative analysis of the reliability and maintainability of an engineering system allows its different technical and process failure modes to be identified and their probabilities to be computed. Decision makers can choose technical solutions that maximize an objective function and minimize the probability of failure under resource constraints.

Wiskerchen, Michael J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Systems engineering process and organization assessment

The purpose of this report is to briefly summarize the results of an eight week assessment of NASA/MSFC Phase A and Phase B systems engineering processes, methodologies, and activities. Specifically, fourteen inconsistencies or weaknesses were identified and recommendations for corrective action were generated. A 1.5 hour briefing on these results was given in EL51 on 8-11-92; that documentation is available from the author or either NASA Colleague.

Batson, Robert G.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Methodology for the systems engineering process. Volume 2: Technical parameters

A scheme based on starting the logic networks from the development and mission factors that are of primary concern in an aerospace system is described. This approach required identifying the primary states (design, design verification, premission, mission, postmission), identifying the attributes within each state (performance capability, survival, evaluation, operation, etc), and then developing the generic relationships of variables for each branch. To illustrate this concept, a system was used that involved a launch vehicle and payload for an earth orbit mission. Examination showed that this example was sufficient to illustrate the concept. A more complicated mission would follow the same basic approach, but would have more extensive sets of generic trees and more correlation points between branches. It has been shown that in each system state (production, test, and use), a logic could be developed to order and classify the parameters involved in the translation from general requirements to specific requirements for system elements.

Nelson, J. H.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Methodology for the systems engineering process. Volume 3: Operational availability

A detailed description and explanation of the operational availability parameter is presented. The fundamental mathematical basis for operational availability is developed, and its relationship to a system's overall performance effectiveness is illustrated within the context of identifying specific availability requirements. Thus, in attempting to provide a general methodology for treating both hypothetical and existing availability requirements, the concept of an availability state, in conjunction with the more conventional probability-time capability, is investigated. In this respect, emphasis is focused upon a balanced analytical and pragmatic treatment of operational availability within the system design process. For example, several applications of operational availability to typical aerospace systems are presented, encompassing the techniques of Monte Carlo simulation, system performance availability trade-off studies, analytical modeling of specific scenarios, as well as the determination of launch-on-time probabilities. Finally, an extensive bibliography is provided to indicate further levels of depth and detail of the operational availability parameter.

Nelson, J. H.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Process systems engineering enables efficient and sustainable membrane-based critical material separations

This presentation summarizes work completed over the past year for PrOMMiS Task 2.1. The first half of the preseation motivates the need to develop sustainable critical mineral separation technology, and how PSE is particularly well-suited to tackle this problem. The second half of the presentation presents preliminary results for the custom cost model for diafiltration (2.1) using the superstructure flowsheet developed by Carnegie Mellon University. The presentation serves to emphasize the multi-disciplinary and collaborate nature of developing a circular economy of critical minerals and materials.

Dougher, Molly↗

NASA NTRS1984

Optimization in the systems engineering process

The objective is to look at optimization as it applies to the design process at a large aircraft company. The design process at Lockheed-Georgia is described. Some examples of the impact that optimization has had on that process are given, and then some areas that must be considered if optimization is to be successful and supportive in the total design process are indicated. Optimization must continue to be sold and this selling is best done by consistent good performance. For this good performance to occur, the future approaches must be clearly thought out so that the optimization methods solve the problems that actually occur during design. The visibility of the design process must be maintained as further developments are proposed. Careful attention must be given to the management of data in the optimization process, both for technical reasons and for administrative purposes. Finally, to satisfy program needs, provisions must be included to supply data to support program decisions, and to communicate with design processes outside of the optimization process. If designers fail to adequately consider all of these needs, the future acceptance of optimization will be impeded.

Lemmerman, L. A.↗

DOE OSTI2025

CIE Analysis Process for Engineered Systems

"CIE Analysis Process for Engineered Systems" outlines a comprehensive methodology for integrating Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) principles into both new and existing engineered systems. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (DOE CESER), the process aims to achieve cyber-informed decisions by producing functional security requirements for new systems and retrofitting existing systems to mitigate digital risks. The document details a step-by-step approach, including mission and function definition, digital asset awareness, consequence analysis, and mitigation analysis. It emphasizes the importance of documenting mechanical, electrical, programmable, and network components to protect system functions and provides examples and considerations for each step. The ultimate goal is to ensure that engineered systems remain resilient against cyber threats, maintaining safety, performance, and reliability.

42 - ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS1987

Maintainability Program Requirements for Space Systems

This document is established to provide common general requirements for all NASA programs to: design maintainability into all systems where maintenance is a factor in system operation and mission success; and ensure that maintainability characteristics are developed through the systems engineering process. These requirements are not new. Design for ease of maintenance and minimization of repair time have always been fundamental requirements of the systems engineering process. However, new or reusable orbital manned and in-flight maintainable unmanned space systems demand special emphasis on maintainability, and this document has been prepared to meet that need. Maintainability requirements on many NASA programs differ in phasing and task emphasis from requirements promulgated by other Government agencies. This difference is due to the research and development nature of NASA programs where quantities produced are generally small; therefore, the depth of logistics support typical of many programs is generally not warranted. The cost of excessive maintenance is very high due to the logistics problems associated with the space environment. The ability to provide timely maintenance often involves safety considerations for manned space flight applications. This document represents a basic set of requirements that will achieve a design for maintenance. These requirements are directed primarily at manned and unmanned orbital space systems. To be effective, maintainability requirements should be tailored to meet specific NASA program and project needs and constraints. NASA activities shall invoke the requirements of this document consistent with program planning in procurements or on inhouse development efforts.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1974

Modeling and analysis of power processing systems: Feasibility investigation and formulation of a methodology

A review is given of future power processing systems planned for the next 20 years, and the state-of-the-art of power processing design modeling and analysis techniques used to optimize power processing systems. A methodology of modeling and analysis of power processing equipment and systems has been formulated to fulfill future tradeoff studies and optimization requirements. Computer techniques were applied to simulate power processor performance and to optimize the design of power processing equipment. A program plan to systematically develop and apply the tools for power processing systems modeling and analysis is presented so that meaningful results can be obtained each year to aid the power processing system engineer and power processing equipment circuit designers in their conceptual and detail design and analysis tasks.

Biess, J. J.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Standards Roadmapping for Mission Assurance in Commercial Spaceflight

This paper explores the application of established roadmapping approaches in standards planning and roadmap development to support mission assurance objectives. Mission assurance requires proactive planning across multiple domains including technical, schedule, cost, organizational, and policy. The intersection of these domains happens at the enterprise level, and enterprise systems engineering processes can systematically guide mission assurance activities, including development of standards roadmaps. Standards planning and development is a critical contributor to an effective mission assurance strategy, although standards are often developed and adopted reactively. Technology and standards planning is a key Enterprise Process Management activity, as identified by the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge, and technology and standards roadmaps are strategic tools used to enable that process. Technology roadmapping has proven effective in guiding enterprise architecture and concept design, and standards planning supports enterprise requirements definition and management. However, there are limited methodologies to guide such standards planning activities. The application of technology roadmapping principles to standards planning formalizes the process and establishes a repeatable framework for standards development and integration. The framework development described in this paper fills a methodological gap by adapting proven roadmapping techniques to standards planning. Through a comparison of roadmapping methodologies and a case study analysis, this approach outlines a systematic process for anticipating and planning standards needs. In the case of developing a standards integration roadmap for NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA), technology roadmapping principles were adapted to develop a roadmap framework to allow NASA and OSMA to define an agency-wide standards integration plan for commercial and industry safety and mission assurance standards. The outcome highlights key adaptations required for roadmapping in a standards context and describes the process steps to formalize a standards planning activity. The roadmapping framework adapted for standards development and integration enables more strategic, forward-looking standards planning and allows for better alignment between evolving capabilities and mission assurance requirements. Beyond its application to mission assurance, this methodology can be transferred to other domains requiring standards development, providing a systematic approach that integrates systems engineering principles into policy strategy and decision-making processes.

Enterprise Systems Engineering↗

DOE OSTI2025

Process Systems Engineering-Informed Design and Scale-Up of Multi-stage Diafiltration Cascades for Lithium and Cobalt Recovery from Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

These slides present work jointly completed by Tasks in PrOMMiS. The first half of the presentation motivates the importance of critical materials for national security and how the recovery of critical minerals via membrane separations can be more cost effective than currently used technology. The second half of the presentation presents cost-optimal results for the custom cost model for diafiltration using the superstructure flowsheet developed by CMU. These results highlight how PSE can inform process targets (i.e., product purity targets) and suitable design strategies for scaled-up membrane cascades.

critical materials↗

NASA NTRS1969

Engineering aids for the handicapped

Information processing systems engineered to aid highway vehicle and electronic reading device design for handicapped persons

Burr, J. G.↗

DOE OSTI2024

IDAES-PSE 2.7.0 Release

The Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems (IDAES) Integrated Platform is a versatile computational environment offering extensive process systems engineering (PSE) capabilities for optimizing the design and operation of complex, interacting technologies and systems. IDAES enables users to efficiently search vast, complex design spaces to discover the lowest cost solutions while supporting the full process modeling lifecycle, from conceptual design to dynamic optimization and control. The extensible, open platform empowers users to create models of novel processes and rapidly develop custom analyses, workflows, and end-user applications. IDAES-PSE 2.7.0 Release Highlights New features: AutoScaler and CustomScalerBase classes: Such tools are the core of the new scaling framework being implemented in IDAES. Wider adoption of scaling tools among users will result in quicker and more robust model solutions. Scaler for equilibrium reactor and saponification properties: These scaler models are examples to follow for how to use the new scaling tools. ONNX Surrogate support from Optimization & Machine Learning Toolkit (OMLT): ONNX is an open standard format to save and load ML/AI models that is widely supported by all major frameworks. This capability makes it easier for IDAES users to create surrogate models and use them without having to support each framework individually. 1D Membrane Model for CO2 Capture and Utilization: Supports ongoing efforts for modeling and optimizing polymer membrane processes for CO2 capture and conversion into formic acid. StreamScaler unit model: Unrelated to the CustomScalerBase, this unit model allows a stream’s extensive variables to be scaled by a fixed factor. This allows streams being processed by multiple units in parallel to be scaled down to unit scale and scaled back up to process scale. Bug fixes or improvements: Scaling, EoS, Diagnostics tool, Modular Properties, tests & documentation Deprecations: Old Cubic EoS

AS↗

DOE OSTI2025

IDAES-PSE 2.8.0 Release

The Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems (IDAES) Integrated Platform is a versatile computational environment offering extensive process systems engineering (PSE) capabilities for optimizing the design and operation of complex, interacting technologies and systems. IDAES enables users to efficiently search vast, complex design spaces to discover the lowest cost solutions while supporting the full process modeling lifecycle, from conceptual design to dynamic optimization and control. The extensible, open platform empowers users to create models of novel processes and rapidly develop custom analyses, workflows, and end-user applications.

AS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Engineering as Enablers for System Engineering in the Energy Sector

Systems engineering is of utmost importance for the success of high-cost, high-complexity megaprojects, which are common in the energy sector. However, the traditional document-centric systems engineering approach tends to be labor-intensive and time-consuming, which has inhibited its full adoption despite proven metrics on its return on investment. However, with the modern approach of digital engineering and technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the barriers to systems engineering adoption can finally be broken. This paper goes through the systems engineering V-model for lifecycle management and assesses the current state of implementation of digital engineering (especially, mod-el-based systems engineering, digital twins, and digital threads) and AI for each step. It was observed that a combination of digital engineering and AI is being used across different industries to accelerate and optimize systems engineering processes such as concept development, requirements management, architecture definition, system development, verification and validation, operations, and maintenance. Specifically in the energy sector, AI-augmented digital engineering has shown initial potential in accelerated development and deployment, performance optimization, anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and configuration management. However, challenges remain in integrating DE and AI into an end-to-end system lifecycle management ecosystem safely and reliably. Addressing these challenges and continuously developing impactful tools will enable fast, efficient, and high-frequency deployment of power generation capabilities to keep up with the world’s energy demands and build energy security.

42 - ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2025

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Engineering as Enablers for Systems Engineering in the Energy Sector

Systems engineering is of utmost importance for the success of high-cost, high-complexity megaprojects, which are common in the energy sector. However, the traditional document-centric systems engineering approach tends to be labor-intensive and time-consuming, which has inhibited its full adoption despite proven metrics on its return on investment. However, with the modern approach of digital engineering and technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the barriers to systems engineering adoption can finally be broken. This paper goes through the systems engineering V-model for lifecycle management and assesses the current state of implementation of digital engineering (especially, mod-el-based systems engineering, digital twins, and digital threads) and AI for each step. It was observed that a combination of digital engineering and AI is being used across different industries to accelerate and optimize systems engineering processes such as concept development, requirements management, architecture definition, system development, verification and validation, operations, and maintenance. Specifically in the energy sector, AI-augmented digital engineering has shown initial potential in accelerated development and deployment, performance optimization, anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and configuration management. However, challenges remain in integrating DE and AI into an end-to-end system lifecycle management ecosystem safely and reliably. Addressing these challenges and continuously developing impactful tools will enable fast, efficient, and high-frequency deployment of power generation capabilities to keep up with the world?s energy demands and build energy security.

42 - ENGINEERING↗