Chapter 3 Conceptual System Design April 2012

Aims of this Lecture To explain what we mean by “conceptual design” To discuss process of conceptual design process To identify methodologies may be applied 2

Design Process Customer needs a solution to a problem Properly functioning system Requirement analysis System Design (Conceptual Design + Preliminary Design) Detailed design and test System integration and product test

Conceptual System Design -- “Sets the Stage” State the problem Identify the need Conduct advanced system planning & feasibility analysis Define program requirements Develop operational requirements Propose a maintenance & support concept Identify and prioritize technical performance measures Conduct a system-level functional analysis Perform a systems analysis Develop system specification Conduct a conceptual design review

The first step is understanding the problem... Starts with recognizing that there is a broadly defined need or “want” Perform a needs analysis to turn this broad statement into specific system-level requirements.

Needs analysis … growing science & engineering needs: what functions must be performed to meet the needs? Which are primary and which are secondary? What must be accomplished to meet the need? When must this be accomplished? Where? How often and w/ what frequency?

Needs analysis … growing science & engineering needs: This is a team effort, including the customer and also the ultimate user of the system The result is a broad statement of the requirements of the system NOTE: you’re concerned here with the “WHATs” and not the “HOWs”

Advanced System Planning What does the program need to do to bring the system into being? Key outputs (see figure 3.1, pg. 57) Program Management Plan (PMP) necessary guidance for all program activities Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) requirements for implementing the systems engineering program concurrent with system specification System specification (Type A) forms the basis for all lower level specifications high level

Your turn … As a group, review the documents provided in class and answer the following: What is the purpose of the PMP? What are the key features of this PMP? What is the purpose of the SEMP? What are the key features of this SEMP?

System Feasibility Analysis What to determine system feasibility?

System Operational Requirements What type and quantities of equipment, software, personnel, facilities, etc. requirements are anticipated? How is the system to be used, and for how long? What is the anticipated environment at each operational site (user location)? How is the system to be supported, by whom, & for how long?

Defining the Operational Concept (CONOPS) Example: Vertical Takeoff & Land Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) (See examples in handout.)

ConOps Purpose Articulate VTUAV themes and highlight contributions that it brings to 21st Century naval operations Compressed target kill chain Precision targeting data to support GPS & laser guided munitions coupled with real time damage assessments Contribute to and receive from the “common relevant operational picture” (CROP) Better/improved situational awareness (SA) at all command levels Reliable over the horizon (OTH) command and control This ConOps highlights contributions that VTUAV brings to 21st Century naval operations. The ConOps uses plausible scenarios to help illustrate: VTUAVs value-added while conducting precision targeting and Battle Damage Assessment; VTUAV contributions to the common relevant operational picture (CROP); and potential employment concepts that enable reliable over the horizon (OTH) command and control.

Step 1: Mission definition Primary, secondary, and alternative missions What? and How? Scenarios, operational profiles may be used Identify dynamic characteristics Include maintenance & support definition

Step 2: Performance & physical parameters Defines the operating characteristics size weight range capacity etc. How do these performance parameters relate to the mission scenarios?

Step 3: Operational deployment/distribution What’s going where? How much? When? Again, include maintenance & support Example: see figure 3.3, pg. 61, figure 3.5, pg. 63

Step 4: Operational life cycle How long will the system be in operation? What is the total inventory profile throughout? Who will be operating the system & for how long? Examples: figure 3.7, page 65, figure 3.9, page 66

Step 5: Utilization requirements How will this be used by the operator in the field? Anticipated usage hours of operation percentage of total capacity operational cycles per month facility loading Consider elements of the system as well as total system usage

Step 6: Effectiveness factors How will you determine that the system is efficient or effective? Specified as figures-of-merit (FOMs) operational availability mean time between maintenance (MTBM) failure rate (λ) operator skill levels & task accomplishment requirements etc. How are these related to the mission scenarios?

Step 7: Environment What will the system be subjected to during operational use, and for how long? temperature humidity airborne, ground, or shipboard arctic or tropics mountainous or flat desktop or handheld etc. Include all transportation, handling, & storage