Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is an emerging approach to systems engineering that focuses on using precise behavioral, abstract physical, parametric, and requirements models to communicate information about complex systems between stakeholders. This paper is a case study of using a MBSE approach to the development of ECLS and TCS subsystems within the context of a larger space vehicle application. The focus areas are in requirements decomposition and linking to architecture, interface definition, functional behavior definition and allocation of behaviors to hardware and software, and product breakdown structure definition. The paper develops integrated examples that illustrate these concepts within ECLS and TCS equipment and software including air revitalization system equipment for temperature control, humidity control, and ventilation, TCS thermal loop equipment, and TCS radiators. Adoption of MBSE has many benefits including improved communication, management of complexity, uncovering defects and misalignments, and efficiency of accessing important information. These benefits are realized when the development team actively uses the model, and the paper focuses on successes and areas for improvement in driving model use between systems team, design team, test team, and specialty SMEs. The paper focuses on the early stages of development, to build a model with a good foundation to support the entire systems engineering life cycle.
David Carney (Sun,) studied this question.