Conceptual Modeling for Control of a Physical Engineering Plant: A Case Study

We examine the problem of weaknesses in frameworks of conceptual modeling for handling certain aspects of the system being modeled. We propose the use of a flow-based modeling methodology at the conceptual level. Specifically, and without loss of generality, we develop a conceptual description that can be used for controlling the maintenance of a physical system, and demonstrate it by applying it to an existing electrical power plant system. Recent studies reveal difficulties in finding comprehensive answers for monitoring operations and identifying risks as well as the fact that incomplete information can easily lead to incorrect maintenance. A unified framework for integrated conceptualization is therefore needed. The conceptual modeling approach integrates maintenance operations into a total system comprising humans, physical objects, and information. The proposed model is constructed of (abstract) machines of “things” connected by flows, forming an integrated whole. It represents a man-made, intentionally constructed system and includes technical and human “things” observable in the real world, exemplified by the study case described in this paper. A specification is constructed from a maximum of five basic operations: creation, processing, releasing, transferring, and receiving. Keywords-conceptual model; engineering system; diagrammatic representation; physical plant