Systems Engineering
Aerospace systems are complex hierarchies of products and services with an underlying infrastructure of information systems and logistic support. By definition they are geographically distributed and are intended to provide point-to-point transportation at high speed. Achieving the right mix of products and services to satisfy a diverse set of business drivers is now a major challenge for operational management and design optimisation, set against a backdrop of safety, availability, adaptability and interoperability. The dominant trends in recent years have been the move towards digital design definition, the revolution in embedded computing, the creation of global information networks and the widespread deployment of software-controlled systems. Future trends are likely to be dominated by “climate change”, “open skies” and “autonomous operation”. Generally, given the huge investment that is required in aerospace systems, there are a strong motivation to adopt a holistic approach to design and to employ predictive modelling and simulation.
In this context, the University of Manchester Aerospace Research Institute (UMARI) has identified four areas that form the core of its research in systems engineering:
- Creation and Evolution of Complex Systems
- Integrated Control, Measurement and Diagnostics
- Systems Integration and Operational Autonomy
- Collaborative Design and Virtual Engineering
These interests flow from well-established research groups in the School of Computer Science, the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the School of Informatics, the School of Mathematics, the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering and the Manchester Business School.
Creation and Evolution of Complex Systems
Research Area 1
Objective: To provide methodologies and processes for the development of complex systems, from initial requirements through to initial deployment and thence operational support and enhancement for the entire system lifetime. Key Elements:
- Through-Lifecycle Management
- Models of Architectures, Configurations, Capabilities and Costs
- Modular Design, Qualification and Upgrade
- Strategies for Functional Enhancement and Technology Refresh
- Strategies for Health Management, Prognostics and Repair
- Immortality versus Disposal
Integrated Control, Measurement and Diagnostics
Research Area 2
Objective: To provide an integrated approach to embedded systems for control and monitoring, as well as diagnostic assessment and performance optimisation. Key Elements:
- Analysis of Integrated Dynamics
- Adaptive Control
- System Measurement and Identification
- Fault Detection and Control-Loop Monitoring
- Safety-Critical Control
- Whole-System Diagnostic
Systems Integration and Operational Autonomy
Research Area 3
Objective: To provide a comprehensive understanding of integrated systems in the context of autonomous operation, with particular focus on UAV applications. Key Elements:
- Techniques for Functional Interfacing and Integration
- UAVs and Associated Systems
- (Mission Planning and Information Networks
- Machine Reasoning and Autonomous Decision-Making
- Collaborative Behaviour of Autonomous UAV Swarms
- Certification of Autonomous Systems
Collaborative Design and Virtual Engineering
Research Area 4
Objective: To provide an infrastructure for the development of complex systems, based on product models and simulations, that can be shared between geographically dispersed/mobile engineering teams. Key Elements:
- Open System Architectures with Framework Services
- Mobile Computing, User Interaction and Data Synchronisation
- CAD/CAE Integration and Data Exchange Standardisation
- Multi-System/Multi-Physics Modelling and Simulation
- Human Factors and System Synthesis and Optimisation
Postgraduate Study
- MSc Advanced Control and Systems Engineering
- MSc Management of Projects
- MSc Management of Science, technology and Innovation
- MSc Advanced Computer Science
- MSc Information System Engineering
- MSc Aerospace Systems (to be confirmed)
Postgraduate Research
Individual research opportunities leading to a PhD degree are available in all schools that participate in the UMARI Systems Engineering theme.
Academic Staff
| Name | Research Areas |
|---|---|
| Dr T Briekin | Control Systems (FULL) |
| Professor D Broomhead | Mathematics - Non-linear Dynamical Systems/ Complex Systems |
| Professor D Bree | Computer Science - AI – Machine Learning Methods for both single and multi agent systems / Natural Language Engineering |
| Dr M Brown | Control Systems |
| Dr Z Ding | Control Systems (ASSO) |
| Dr D Diston | Engineering - Communications: interoperability, quality-of-service, bandwidth management, Large scale system integration, The control of complexity in systems, Systems engineering (FULL) |
| Dr L Freeman | Computer Science, Parallel numerical applications |
| Dr Rupert Ford | Computer Science - Parallel Applications (ASSOC) |
| Professor P Glendinning | Mathematics - Non-linear Dynamical Systems/ Complex Systems |
| Professor John Gurd | Computer Science - Parallel computer architecture (ASSOC) |
| Dr WP Heath | Control Systems |
| Professor I Horrocks | Information Management – Software agent methods |
| Dr Andrew Howes | Informatics - Interactive Systems Design (ASSOC) |
| Dr A Lanzon | Control Systems - Nonlinear Control Systems, Adaptive Control, Control Applications, Dsiturbance Rejection, Output Regulation |
| Dr B Lennox | Control Systems - Feedback control, systems biology, bio-inspired engineering systems, optimization, numerical linear algebra, aerospace control, robot control, automation, mechatronics |
| Dr O Marjanovic | Control Systems - Feedback control, systems biology, bio-inspired engineering systems, optimization, numerical linear algebra, aerospace control, robot control, automation, mechatronics |
| Professor L Macaulay | Information Systems |
| Professor G Peskir | Mathematics - Statistics - Single and multi-agent stochastic processes, Statistical inference, Stochastic networks |
| Dr Graham Riley | Methods, techniques and tools to support application development for massively parallel high performance computers. High Performance Computers (ASSOC) |
| Professor Alistair Sutcliffe | Informatics - Interactive Systems Design (ASSOC) |
| Professor H Wang | Control Systems - Process Control (FULL) |
Contact
Dr Dominic Diston
Email: systems@manchester.ac.uk
