Ken Pierce’s research while affiliated with University of Newcastle Australia and other places

Simulation is a vital tool for understanding rail traction energy consumption. Simulating such energy consumption requires an understanding of the interactions between timetable, infrastructure, and driver behavior to be encapsulated within a multi-train system model. This is critical to simulating systemic interactions that affect energy consumption on a rail network. However, building and executing such a system simulation is challenging because of diverse models, stakeholders, and knowledge, as well as a lack of tools to support flexible and scalable simulation. This paper presents a demonstration of co-simulation—an approach originating in the automotive industry and now being used in other sectors—that enables a system model to be assessed for different configurations of timetable, rolling stock, infrastructure, and driver behavior. This paper describes the co-simulation approach before outlining the development process that allowed three research institutes, each with diverse models, to collaborate and deliver an integrated, holistic modeling approach. The results of this work are presented and discussed, both in terms of the quantified outputs and findings for energy consumption, and the lessons learned through collaborative co-simulation. Future avenues to build on this work are identified.

This volume contains the papers presented at the 22nd International Overture Workshop, held on the 10th of September 2024. This event was the latest in a series of workshops around the Vienna Development Method (VDM), the open-source project Overture, and related tools and formalisms. VDM is one of the longest established formal methods for systems development. A lively community of researchers and practitioners has grown up in academia and industry has grown around the modelling languages (VDM-SL, VDM++, VDM-RT, CML) and tools (VDMTools, Overture, Crescendo, Symphony, the INTO-CPS chain, and ViennaTalk). Together, these provide a platform for work on modelling and analysis technology that includes static and dynamic analysis, test generation, execution support, and model checking. This workshop provided updates on the emerging technology of VDM/Overture, including collaboration infrastructure, collaborative modelling and co-simulation for Cyber-Physical Systems.

Pioneering work in model-oriented specification showed that properties of software could be confirmed or refuted from the early stages of development and be verifiably preserved through design to implementation. As verification technology has evolved, research and innovation have had to balance the insight generated by hand-crafted proof with the benefits of automation. In this paper, we describe QuickCheck, an ‘as-you-specify’ checker for proof obligations in the Vienna Development Method (VDM) Specification Language. Using a classical example of model-oriented specification in VDM, we demonstrate the value of such automated checking of basic proof obligations as a precursor to full machine-assisted proof using the Isabelle theorem prover.

We outline the technical processes defined in the systems engineering standard ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288, considering how each of them plays out when engineering a system enabled by a Digital Twin (DT).We consider how these processes, and the teams working on them, might be tailored to the challenges of engineering DTs, including the roles and competencies needed. A DT-enabled tempeh incubator system is used as a running example.

This volume contains the papers presented at the 20th International Overture Workshop, which was held in an hybrid format: online and physically at Aarhus, Denmark on 05th July 2022. This event was the latest in a series of workshops around the Vienna Development Method (VDM), the open-source project Overture, and related tools and formalisms. VDM is one of the longest established formal methods for systems development. A lively community of researchers and practitioners has grown up in academia and industry around the modelling languages (VDM-SL, VDM++, VDM-RT, CML) and tools (VDMTools, Overture, VDM VSCode extension, Crescendo, Symphony, the INTO-CPS chain, and ViennaTalk). Together, these provide a platform for work on modelling and analysis technology that includes static and dynamic analysis, test generation, execution support, and model checking. This workshop provided updates on the emerging technology of VDM/Overture, including collaboration infrastructure, collaborative modelling and co-simulation for Cyber-Physical Systems.

This volume contains the papers presented at the 19th International Overture Workshop, which was held in an hybrid format: online and physically at Aarhus, Denmark on 22th October 2021. This event was the latest in a series of workshops around the Vienna Development Method (VDM), the open-source project Overture, and related tools and formalisms. VDM is one of the longest established formal methods for systems development. A lively community of researchers and practitioners has grown up in academia and industry around the modelling languages (VDM-SL, VDM++, VDM-RT, CML) and tools (VDMTools, Overture, VDM VSCode extension, Crescendo, Symphony, the INTO-CPS chain, and ViennaTalk). Together, these provide a platform for work on modelling and analysis technology that includes static and dynamic analysis, test generation, execution support, and model checking. This workshop provided updates on the emerging technology of VDM/Overture, including collaboration infrastructure, collaborative modelling and co-simulation for Cyber-Physical Systems.

Simulation is an important tool to support rail decarbonisation but can be challenging due to heterogeneous models, simulation tools and skill sets, and concerns around intellectual property. Multi-modelling, a proven methodology in sectors such as aerospace and automotive, uses Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) and co-simulation to potentially overcome these problems. This paper presents a feasibility study of multi-modelling for rail decarbonisation, using a combination of audit of current state of the art, technical implementation and stakeholder consultation. The audit showed that while current uptake of FMI in rail is low, there is potential to repurpose models from pre-existing tools and apply them within multi-modelling. The technical feasibility assessment demonstrated how multi-modelling could generate flexible simulation outputs to identify decarbonisation systems effects both for urban and mainline rail, including rapid integration of pre-existing MATLAB Simulink models. Work with industry stakeholders identified use cases where multi-modelling would benefit rail decarbonisation, as well as barriers and enablers to adoption. Overall, the study demonstrates the feasibility and considerations for multi-modelling to support rail decarbonisation efforts, and the future developments necessary for wider rollout.