Formal modeling of system properties for simulation-based verification of requirements: Lessons learned

Requirement analysis, modeling and verification are an important part of the development process. There is a strong need for integrating these aspects into a formalized model-driven development process, together with a dedicated methodology as well as effective tool-chains. In this context, the paper presents a Modelica-based implementation of an approach for the formal modeling of system properties and the simulation-based verification of requirements. The tool-chain and the workflow adopted are described. The solution is applied to evaluate different design variants of a trailing-edge high-lift system. Two ways to feed the requirements model are explored: in an early phase, data series are used to evaluate the requirements themselves; then a co-simulation of the requirements model with the 3D-model of the system is used to evaluate and identify what design variants best meet the system requirements. Furthermore, the lessons learned from the experimentation, pros and cons, what needs to be solved about the approach, and the steps that it currently misses are discussed.