A Multidimensional Design Framework and Its Implementation in an Engineering Design Environment

This paper describes a multidimensional design framework that distinguishes in an explicit way the role that control and opera tion play in the generation of the behavior of the device as a whole. This multidimensional framework that represents physical, behavioral, and operational aspects of the plant is intended to provide the means for consistency along the life-cycles of the enterprise, plant and prod uct, as well as, clear interactions between the plant structure and its associated behaviors. The design environment based on such frame work is being developed to support the increasing fidelity of the models that dictate the behavior associated to each piece of equipment, combined behaviors, inheritance of actions and interoperable life-cycle activity performers.