COMBOS: communicating behavior of systems: incorporating simulations in conceptual system design

Understanding the behavior of a system during its design is currently one of the greatest challenges in systems engineering. These systems, for example interventional X-ray scanners, cars or spacecraft, can operate in many different modes, in a plethora of environments and with various goals. Simply said, the behavior of a system has become increasingly complex. Obtaining insight in what kind of behavior is desired and which behavior should be avoided is an important part of the development process. This is done by employing tools such as models and simulations that are able to characterize the behavior of a system. However, this is only one piece of the puzzle. As tools are used to gain insight in the system’s behavior, the next step is to share and discuss these insights across a large group of stakeholders from multiple disciplines. This is why supporting communication of system behavior in an effective manner is crucial. The research presented in this thesis emphasizes the need for this support, explores how this support can be realized in two real-life case studies, presents the COMBOS method to achieve this consistently and evaluates the COMBOS method through examples and discussion.