Modeling Method of Military Aircraft Support

Process Based SysML

Lin Ma
School of Reliability and Systems Engineering
Beihang University
Beijing, China
lightoloud560@163.com

Lei Li
School of Reliability and Systems Engineering
Beihang University
Beijing, China
lilei0392@sina.com

Qingwei Yang
School of Reliability and Systems Engineering
Beihang University
Beijing, China
Yangqingwei198723@163.com

Naichao Wang
School of Reliability and Systems Engineering
Beihang University
Beijing, China
Tian_jia_zhuang@sina.com

structure, mandate and scope of use features, but also needs to

consider the use and maintenance of the environment, the
number and configuration of support resources, and features of
human, material, information and management of support
system. The maintenance support process of Military aircraft is
a complex and dynamic process of interaction. Using
simulation model to accurately express this process is the main
aspect of studying the maintenance support simulation of
aircraft.

AbstractSysML (Systems Modeling Language) is a new kind of

Systems Modeling Language for Systems Engineering
application. Military Aircraft Support System is a complicated
system. Aiming at the insufficiency of modeling its support
process, this paper attempts to build the model of support
process by using SysML. Analyses support requirement of
Military Aircraft by SysML Requirement Diagram Based on the
Three-dimensional structure of Organization, Resources and
Functions, analyses the static and dynamic characteristics of
support process by Structure Diagram and Behavior Diagram of
SysML. In the end, validate the model using the simulation
software. The result has been given, which could provide
references for researching maintenance support and optimizing
resource configuration of military aircraft.

SysML (Systems Modeling Language) is a general-purpose

modeling language for systems engineering applications. It
was proposed by International Council on Systems
Engineerings (INCOSE) and Object Management Group.
SysML reuses a subset of UML2.0 and provides additional
extensions needed to address the requirements in the UML for
SE RFP. SysML supports the specification, analysis, design,
and verification and validation of a broad range of complex
systems.

Keywords-support process; SysML; modeling; simulation

I.

INTRODUCTION

Currently not many study methods on the maintenance

support process of military aircraft exist. The very few ones
that exist are methods based on UML, methods on block
diagram, methods of CPM/PERT, Petru net and activity-based
method of random network, and so on[3]. But all of these
approaches are not specific to system engineering, and
particularly lock of capacity in the system requirements
described, again using mathematical formulas and symbols
lead to poor practicability. The modeling method based on
SysML makes up for these shortcomings. Analyses support
requirement, static and dynamic characteristics by SysML
diagrams. This approach can provide strong support on
research of maintenance support process of military aircraft.

Using simulation technologies for support of military

aircraft is the best way to take support research. It can fully
consider the potential problems, accurately reflect the
characteristic system, saving research time and costs. Study
support process of military aircraft generally requires one to go
through operational, maintenance, supply, training support and
other aspects. For the complex nature of aircraft itself, to
maintain it is critical and maintenance support seems
particularly important.
Maintenance support of military aircraft is a series of
technical and management activities and some necessary
resources to ensure the effective implementation of these
activities. The activities are in order to maintain and restore
good technical condition, to ensure the correct operation of the
aircraft can be used to maximize the performance of its
operations[1]. As complex high- tech equipment, maintenance
support process of military aircraft has its own characteristics.
The process not only needs to consider the aircraft type,

978-1-61284-666-8/11$26.00

2011 IEEE

1247

II.

OVERVIEW OF MODELING BASED SYSML

Content of SysML are syntax of SysML and diagram of

SysML. There are eleven diagrams included in AyaML
diagram. They are behavior diagram, requirement diagram,
structure diagram, activity diagram, sequence diagram, state
machine diagram, uses case diagram, block definition diagram,
internal block diagram, package diagram and parametric
diagram. Most of these diagrams are modified and reused
from UML2.0. The relationship between SysML and UML
2.0 is shown in Figure 1.

Top-down, moderate size. Using this principle when

to analyze requirements, structure, and behaviors of
the system.

Event-based interaction. Interactions and linkages

between components of system are conducted by sent
and received events between them. The behaviors of
system are also reflected by linkages between these
components.

III.

REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS OF MANTENANCE SUPPORT

PROCESS OF MILITARY AIRCRAFT

Maintenance support process of military aircraft is

supported by maintenance support system of military aircraft.
Then analyze requirements of the support process can through
maintenance support system. The maintenance support system
of military aircraft can be divided into three subsystems:

Figure1. SysMl Diagram Taxonomy

A. Requirement Diagram and parametric Diagram

Maintenance and Detection System, the main task of

the system is to complete maintenance and detection
for the aircraft;

Spare parts Support System, the main task of the

system is to complete spare support for the aircraft;

Logistic Support System, the main task of the system

is to complete life, transportation and technical
support when the material is in maintained.

All the message of the three subsystems is controlled by

one system called information management system. In order
to comprehensively study requirements of maintenance
support system, the maintenance support system can be
researched through requirement of structure, function and
resources of the three subsystems. Figure 2 shows the
maintenance support requirements based on SysML
Requirement.

Using the new SysML diagramRequirement diagram can

describe relationships between subsystems or components or
system components and other modeling elements (such as
system functionality or performance). In Requirement diagram
of SysML, class requirement can be used to describe
requirement of system component or performance of system.,
derive can be used to show one requirement can be
produced or exported by another requirement, using
satisfy, s one requirement can be achieved by other model
elements, using verifyone requirement can be verified by
test cases, at last, rationalecan be used to show elements
of the basic principles notes, to illustrate principles or reasons
of modeling decisions(such as analysis or design decisions).
Then it can completely describe requirements of system.
As a new SysML diagram, parametric diagram defines a
set of system attributes and the relationship between them.
Parameter relationship illustrates how changes in the value of a
property affect others, and the relationship has no directions.
The analysis model and reliability model together form that
parametric model. It can support trade-off analysis and
evaluate alterative solutions.
B. Modeling principles Based SysML
SysML is a modeling language, not a modeling process
and method, or an independent tool, but any process or method
can use it to model the system. All the diagrams of SysML
provide many graphical representations for description and
analysis of the system. They can be combined to analyze and
construct a system. Three principles should be followed while
using SysML to take system engineering modeling:
z

Figure2.Maintenance support requirement diagram based on

SysML

Demand-driven. System modeling is a series of

description to solute some requirements (function
activity or performances should be reach) based on
systems requirement.

1248

IV.

STATIC ANALYSIS OF MAINTENANCE SUPPORT PROCESS

OF MILITARY AIRCRAFT BASED SYSML

To analyze static features of the military maintenance

support system is to analyze the static structure of the system.
That is to study object of the system, whose properties,
methods, status, and relationships between them should be
analyzed.

 
 


 




 

 







The systems structure can be blocked by principle of

block. The block can be used to represent subsystem of system,
system components (such as hardware, software, data, humans
or equipment), or entire flowing through the system. The
system components which represented by Block can be used in
other place of the system or other systems. This supports the
concept of reusable model. The characteristics to describe
block can be divided into three categories: structure, behavior,
constraint; that is properties, operations and constraints of the
model. The composition of maintenance support process of
military aircraft is defined and described by block definition
diagram in Figure 3.

 



  

 



  









  


  









    



  


 

Figure4. Maintenance support internal block diagram based

on SysML
The internal block diagram of maintenance support process
shown in Figure 4 is on the basis of Figure 3 to further analyze
internal structure of maintenance support system. This figure
shows relationship between the major components inside the
system through the whole maintenance process. In Figure 4,
the solid rectangle is combination to maintenance support
system, dotted rectangle is aggregation.
Figure3. Maintenance support block definition diagram
based on SysML

V.

DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF MAINTENANCE SUPPORT

PROCESS OF MILITARY AIRCRAFT BASED SYSML

The dynamic analysis to maintenance support process of

military aircraft is based on Activity diagram and Sequence
diagram of SysML to detailed description of work activity of
maintenance support process of military aircraft. The activity
diagrams emphasize the implementation of the whole process
which involves the function, input & output, and functions
sequence and coordination to be completed. The sequence
diagrams emphasize the implementation of the whole process
which involves interaction between components of support
system and time sequence of message passing. In Figure 5 and
Figure 6 through the activity diagram and sequence diagram,
it describes the dynamic behavior of maintenance support
process.

In Figure 3, the blocks are elements of the system, the

relationship between blocks are composition of relations or
parts relations. The connections in the figure show relations
between blocks, solid diamond plus solid arrow shows that the
relationship is a combination; hollow diamond plus solid arrow
suggests that the relationship is an aggregation. Combination
shows that the relationship between blocks is fully belonging,
they cant exist independently, but aggregation shows blocks
between each other are partly belonging. Internal block
diagram of maintenance support process is shown in Figure4.

1249

Figure6. Maintenance support sequence diagram based on

SysML
Figure5. Maintenance support activity diagram based on
SysML

In the figure above, it analyzes the whole maintenance

support process of military aircraft based on Sequence
Diagram of SysML. There are two axes in the figure, the
horizontal axis represents the system components involved in
the support process, and the vertical axis represents time. The
vertical dashed line is called lifeline, which represents life
cycle of the component which exist in interaction with others.
There are eight time periods that compose the whole
maintenance support process of military aircraft shown in the
figure. Each time period corresponds to the right place of
support, each support place corresponds to the right support
activity.

In the figure above, using activity diagram of SysML

described the whole maintenance support process. When the
military aircraft which needed to repair coming to the external
field, it should send application of maintenance and diction to
the information management system. Then it stays out of the
field waiting for deploy. When the information management
system receives the application message, it directs the
inspection department, the maintenance department and the
relevant technical staff to do the preparation of aircraft
maintenance. The military aircraft is first to be taken for fault
localization and isolation activities at Detection site, then it is
transported to Maintenance site. The aircraft will be taken for
fault ruling out and fault parts replacement there. But the
maintenance site need apply spares from Spare Site, when the
spares are transported to maintenance site, the replacement
activity goes on. When maintenance is completed, the aircraft
should be taken for detection again at detection site. If any
problems take place, the maintenance work will take it again,
or the aircraft will be transported out of the maintenance site.

VI.

SIMULATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION MODEL

The advantages of SysML are that the message of

requirement, structure, behavior and constraints of the system
or activity can be clearly expressed. The message can also be
conveniently stored and future inquired. The same model can
be taken simulation development for users of different
simulation tools. But until now there is little technical support
model of SysML operation, so the SysML model should be
converted into executable model.
The simulation of maintenance support process of military
aircraft can be achieved through system simulation software
such as Anylogic or Arena. The key point is to convert the
SysML models to those simulation models. This paper will
give a method of conversion from SysML to Arena simulation
model.
Modeling components of SysML are requirement
component, structure component, behavior component and
related parametric constraint. The basic modeling components
of Arena simulation model are data block and flow chart
block. The data blocks are used to describe systems
components and their attributes in the process. And they can
also be used to create a variety of variables and expressions of
the simulation model for auxiliary logic control and correction.
The flow chart blocks will be used to take a detailed
description of dynamic process. The key point of conversion
rule is to establish correspondence between elements between
the two models. The simulation model should determine the

1250

simulated target first, then use data blocks of Arena to define

system structure and attributes which are described in SysML
model, at last use flow charts of Arena to define control flows
in behavior diagrams.

[2]

SOARES M S, VRANCKEN J. Model- driven user requirements

specification using SysML. Journal of Software, 2008,3 (6):57-68.

[3]

Tang Xueqin, Xu Zongchang, Huang Shufeng, Chen Yanfei. Aircraft

Maintenacne Support Process Simulation Based on OpenBlock .
AVIATION MAINTENANCE & ENGINEERING. 2009,4,pp.42-44.

[4]

Wang Yanlei, Chen Chunliang, Han Xin feng, Wang Sen. Modeling
and Simulation of aircraft maintenance support process based on
HTCPN . Computer Engineering and Applications. 2007,
43(29),pp,235-238..

[5]

Jin Chun, Li Xue. SysML-based modeling and simulation for

stockyard operation system in shipyard. Application Reasearch of
Computers. 2010,27(10),pp, 3779-3782.
Fang Shaoqiang, WeiKe, Chen Weipeng, Zhao Shanghong, Li Yongjun.
UML Modeling Based on ARENA and Ite Application in Flight
Support Process.Journal of System Simulation. 2008,20(11),pp,30203027.

VII. CONCLUSION
The paper gives an overview of the new system
engineering language of SysML. The requirement of
maintenance support process was described by SysML.
Through the process the maintenance support system involved
were given static and dynamic description by internal block
diagram, block definition diagram, activity diagram and
sequence diagram of SysML. At last the paper gave a
principle of using ARENA to achieve simulation of SysML
models. But the applications will be studied in the future to be
verified. The models have good scalability; can be used for indepth study of maintenance support process, and can also be
used as parts of high levels of military aircraft system
simulation.

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

REFERENCES
[1]

Wang kai, Zhang Hengxi, Wang Zhuojian. Study of Aircraft

Maintenance and Support Simulation Based on UML . Journal of
System Simulation. 2006, pp. 1347-1349.

Shi Lei, Liu Jia, Zhao Xiaoming, Pan Pingjun. Modeling for
Equipment Maintenance and Safeguard Simulation . Armament
Automation. 2007,26(6),pp,21-22.
Fang Shaoqiang, Wei Ke, Chen Weipeng, Zhao ShaoHong, Shi Lei.
Modeling and Simulation of Vehhicle Schedule in Flight Supporting
Process . JOURNAL OF AIR FORCE ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY(NATURAL SCIENCE EDITION). 2008,9(1),pp, 18-21.
Liu Xichun, Wang Qiang, Li Qun, Wang Weiping. Simulation for the
Operation and Logistic Process of Replaceable Units on Plane Fleet.
Computer Simulation. 2006, 23(4),pp, 26-29.

[10] Shang Bolin, Zhang Hengxi, Liu Xiaodong. Object-Oriented

Simulation on Aircrfts Follow-on Spares Provision and Support
System. Systems Engineering and Electronics. 2001,23(7),pp,38-51..

1251