1. Chapter 3 Conceptual System Design
April 2012

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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?

7. 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”

8. 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

9. 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?

10. System Feasibility Analysis
What to determine system feasibility?

11. 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?

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

13. 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.

14. 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

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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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?

20. 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