Early Design Exploration of Aerospace Systems Using Assume-Guarantee Contracts

TL;DR

This paper introduces a compositional method using assume-guarantee contracts for early modeling and analysis of complex aerospace systems, enabling efficient exploration and verification during the design phase.

Contribution

It presents a novel approach combining assume-guarantee contracts with algebraic operations for early system analysis in aerospace engineering.

Findings

Applied to spacecraft rendezvous mission design

Analyzed thermal management system of aircraft prototype

Demonstrated agile early analysis capability

Abstract

We present a compositional approach to early modeling and analysis of complex aerospace systems based on assume-guarantee contracts. Components in a system are abstracted into assume-guarantee specifications. Performing algebraic contract operations with Pacti allows us to relate local component specifications to that of the system. Applications to two aerospace case studies (the design of spacecraft to satisfy a rendezvous mission and the design of the thermal management system of a prototypical aircraft) show that this methodology provides engineers with an agile, early analysis and exploration process.