Model-based system engineering (MBSE) has transformed how complex systems can be designed, developed and maintained. It offers great benefits when implemented not only for specific projects or teams but also at a larger scale – for example for a complete mission design or at company level – improving efficiency, traceability and collaboration.
But who can usefully use MBSE? While it’s well known that MBSE is being used in the automotive industry and for aircraft design, its principles can be applied to any engineering discipline. Spacecraft design and naval engineering, for example, also take advantage of it.
In this post, we will look at how MBSE is used in different industries, and highlight some of the projects where it has led to concrete benefits.
By Paloma Maestro Redondo, System Engineer and Project Manager
What is the scope of MBSE?
As industries face the challenges of managing increasing complexity and ensuring system reliability, MBSE is a highly valuable methodology for engineering teams across diverse sectors. From aerospace to naval engineering, MBSE provides a structured framework to address multidisciplinary collaboration and data exchanges, improving decision-making and reducing the risk of having to rework all or part of a design at later stages.
In order to decide whether a new or ongoing project could benefit from MBSE, we first need to understand its advantages and its limitations, and then define a clear methodology to ensure it is implemented in a structured way. These are some examples of industries where MBSE is already being used, but its benefits can also be seen in other engineering domains and projects.
MBSE in aircraft development
The aerospace industry relies on MBSE to effectively manage the design of modern aircraft systems, ensuring safety, efficiency and compliance with strict regulations. MBSE is a critical tool for integrating advanced avionics, propulsion systems and safety measures. By creating comprehensive system models, engineers can simulate interactions and identify potential issues at an early stage in the design process.
The manufacturing of new aircraft involves numerous stakeholders, from design to maintenance and operations. MBSE facilitates communication between them and ensures alignment across all phases of the life cycle, supporting traceability of the requirements and the architecture through the complete supply chain.
Airbus, for example, has its own digital transformation programme, known as Digital Design Manufacturing and Services (DDMS), where MBSE plays a critical role in enabling multidisciplinary optimisation. Some of the projects applying MBSE are the development of the A350 XWB aircraft and the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).
MBSE in the space sector
The design of space missions requires close coordination and collaboration between multidisciplinary teams. When other engineering artefacts, such as car parts, fail, they can be repaired, but spacecraft can only be fixed before they are launched. Moreover, unlike vehicles such as cars, which are mass produced, many spacecraft built for a dedicated mission are unique, one-off designs. Nevertheless, technology is constantly evolving, and recent developments in the space sector include designing new projects for in-orbit servicing and the launch of large constellations of multiple identical satellites.
In all these cases, we still need to ensure the design is robust enough to withstand the extreme conditions in space. By using MBSE, we can ensure that the intricate interfaces between components and subsystems are thoroughly analysed and that the system architecture is modelled in such a way that it is fully traceable from the requirements to the design. Additionally, by simulating mission scenarios, MBSE supports the validation of spacecraft performance under various conditions, reducing risks during the later launch and operation phases.
Collaborative MBSE can also benefit other space-related projects. As an example, at the European Space Agency’s Concurrent Design Facility (ESA CDF), engineering teams use models when working on conceptual and feasibility studies, both for making trade-offs efficiently and for managing the different options and design iterations. For some of these studies, as well as for spacecraft design, ESA uses the CDP4-COMET tool, developed by Starion Group, which has the required functionalities to support collaborative engineering.
MBSE in naval engineering
The naval sector uses MBSE to overcome the challenges of designing and managing highly integrated, mission-critical vessels. MBSE enables the creation of virtual models of ships, allowing teams to simulate performance and optimise designs before the construction phase. MBSE can also support the entire life cycle of naval systems, enhancing traceability, reducing maintenance costs and ensuring that vessels meet evolving operational demands.
While MBSE might be more common in other engineering domains, at Starion we have supported its implementation for ship design in several contexts. Examples include the design of military vessels for the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) and other European projects, and setting up the infrastructure required to implement concurrent design and MBSE for the development of luxury yachts and for the dredging industry.
MBSE in the automotive sector
The automotive sector is progressively adopting MBSE as a means of addressing the complexities inherent to modern vehicle design, particularly with the emergence of electric and autonomous vehicles. Developing autonomous vehicles requires seamless integration of software, hardware and sensor systems. MBSE facilitates this by providing a comprehensive view of the interactions and dependencies between these systems.
The transition to electric mobility also brings with it a number of unique challenges, such as battery management and energy optimisation. Using MBSE enables engineering teams to simulate and optimise these systems at an early stage in the design process.
Key benefits of MBSE across domains
While the aerospace, naval and automotive sectors demonstrate the significant potential of MBSE, it offers advantages across all industries where complex systems need to be designed. As highlighted in previous posts in this MBSE series, the main benefits include:
- Improved collaboration: MBSE fosters a shared understanding among multidisciplinary teams, ensuring alignment and reducing miscommunication.
- Enhanced traceability: By linking requirements to design decisions, MBSE ensures that every system component aligns with project objectives.
- Risk mitigation: Virtual prototyping and simulations enabled by MBSE help identify and address potential risks early in the process.
- Streamlined processes: Automated and integrated processes reduce manual effort, improving efficiency and accelerating time to market.
In summary
Shifting from a document-based to a model-based approach can improve system engineering activities in many sectors. MBSE isn’t only applicable to the design of large or complex systems, such as aircraft or satellites, but its benefits are even greater when working in the multidisciplinary contexts typically found in these cases.
MBSE is founded on system engineering, and can be therefore applied throughout the entire life cycle of a system and across the supply chain. From requirements engineering or architecture design to system maintenance and operations, MBSE offers great potential to support teams with the specific challenges of each project phase. The flexibility of the tools, combined with the right amount of rigour provided by the various MBSE methodologies, ensures that MBSE can be applied and tailored to the needs of each project.
If you would like to have additional support to implement MBSE in your projects, and understand which tools will best help you to overcome the challenges typically faced during the early stages, please get in touch with our digital engineering experts.
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