Lecture 1

Welcome to AER817:
Systems Engineering

by
Krishna Dev Kumar

(September 07, 2017)

Department of Aerospace Engineering
Ryerson University, Toronto
Department of Aerospace Engineering 1 AER 817: Systems Engineering (Fall 2017)
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 Presentation

Brief Introduction about Instructor

Brief Introduction about Students
Required & Reference Textbooks
Course Objectives
Course Overview
How will we complete the course
Course Evaluation
Systems Engineering Basics
Concluding Remarks

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 Course Instructor

Dr. Krishna Kumar

Ph.D.1998 (IIT Kanpur, India)

Positions:
1998: Scientist C, Defence Research & Development Lab., DRDO, Hyderabad, India
1999-2000: Science and Technology Agency Fellow, National Aerospace Lab., Japan
2001-2003: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellow, Kyushu University, Japan
2003-2005: Assistant Professor, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology,
South Korea
2005-2012.: Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Space Systems,
Ryerson University, Canada
2012-contd: Professor and Canada Research Chair in Space Systems, Ryerson University
Publications:
199 papers (81 peer-reviewed journals, 111 reviewed conference papers); 4 textbooks; 4
US, European and Canadian patents.
(www.ryerson.ca/~kdkumar)
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 Brief Introduction of Students

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 Reference Textbooks

NASA Headquarters, NASA Systems Engineering

Handbook, NASA/SP-20076105, Rev. 1, 2007 (ISBN:
9781780391380).

A list of additional references will be posted on the

Blackboard.

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 Project

Department of Aerospace Engineering 6 AER 817: Systems Engineering (Fall 2017)

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 Project

Department of Aerospace Engineering 7 AER 817: Systems Engineering (Fall 2017)

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 Course Objectives
Design

Communication

Team work

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 Course Objectives
Design. Systems Engineering is a
specialized discipline that grew out of
the need to manage the development of
complex projects. These tools cover
the fundamental design cycle of analysis,
evaluation, and synthesis. In this
course, we will critically discuss many of
these techniques and apply them to our
projects.

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 Course Objectives
Communication. Many systems
engineering practices are effectively tools
for managing complexity between
cooperating teams. In this course we will
refine oral and written technical
communications skills with informal
seminars, formal presentations, and
written reports.

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 Course Objectives
Teamwork. The complex projects
that are addressed by systems
engineering methodologies, necessitate
coordination between many contributors.
This is reflected in the courses group
projects.

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 Course Overview: Lecture

What is Systems Engineering? The systems

approach. Systems Engineering formalisms: N2
diagrams; FFBDs; SBD and variants
(electrical); Design reference missions;
Budgets, TQM; Gant Charts Reviews and gates;
Process models; Certifications

Requirements Engineering. Types of

specifications; Language; CA tools; Functional
allocation; Progressive refinement; Formal
analysis.

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 Course Overview: Lecture
Trade Studies: Qualitative vs. Quantitative;
Performance, utility and cost; Economics and cost
modelling; simulation; optimization; statistical
models; decision theory.
Safety and Reliability: Definitions; safety and
reliability in engineered systems; risk
assessment; hazard analysis; maintenance and
repair

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 Course Overview: Tutorial

Each week the tutorials provide an opportunity to

discuss and debate aspects of systems engineering.

Roughly half of each tutorial will be spent in a

student-led group discussion, the other half will
be devoted to working on the group projects and
discussing examples of material covered during
lectures.

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 Course Overview: Tutorial
The course reading list provides a listing of articles,
and book excerpts covering various aspects of
systems engineering. When possible these
materials offer different viewpoints on the systems
engineering process. The tutorials offer a chance to
discuss this material in depth.
Each student is expected to read and reflect on this
material and come to tutorial sessions prepared to
discuss the weekly topics.
10% of your term grade will be allotted based on
making positive contributions to these discussions.

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 Course Overview: Tutorial
Each student must also take a turn acting as a
facilitator in these discussions. Each week, 2-3
students will lead the tutorial discussion. This
represents the other 5% of your participation mark.
These students must be very familiar with the assigned
readings and are encouraged to find independent
sources of information or contrasting opinions.
Preparing a list of talking points or questions is a
good way to promote discussion.
An hour of the tutorial will be set aside for group
project work. The TAs can assist the groups with their
projects and are available to answer questions
regarding progress and approach.
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 Prerequisite for the Course
Fundamentals of System Design, Dynamics,
Control, and Manufacturing

Software: MATLAB, CATIA, Computer

Programming

AER 606: Component Design and Material

Selection
MTH 410: Probability and Statistics
AER 715: Avionics and Systems
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 How will We complete the Course
Lecture:
Thursday: 8:00 AM 10:00 AM
(KHS251 PT)

Tutorial (Reading):
< TA1 >
Section 1 - Day & Time & Location
< TA2>
Section 2 - Day & Time & Location
< TA3>
Section 3 - Day & Time & Location
< TA4>
Section 4 - Day & Time & Location
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 Lecture Plan

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 Additional Info:
Supplemental announcements and handouts will
be available through the Blackboard web
system at http://courses.ryerson.ca

Interaction between the Instructor and

Students:
TBD

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 Course Evaulation
Course Project:
Proposal 10% (Report) + 2% (Presentation)
Sept. 21, 2017; Sept. 21, 2017
Phase I 5% (Report)
Oct. 11, 2017
Phase II 5% (Report)
Nov. 1, 2017;
Phase III 10% (Report) + 3% (Presentation)
Nov. 28, 2017; Nov. 29, 2017

Tutorial Participation: 10%

In-Class Quiz: 10%
Assignment: 10%
Final Exam: 35%
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 Industry Interaction
Bombardier Aerospace
Messier Dowty Inc.
United Technologies Corporation
Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
COM DEV
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA)
OPTECH
NEPTEC

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 Systems Engineering Basics

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 What is a System?

Simply stated, a system is an

integrated composite of people,
products, and processes that
provide a capability to satisfy a
stated need or objectives.
Hardware

What are examples of a system in the

aerospace industry?
Facilities
Personnel Processes

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24
 Examples of Systems
Space Shuttle Main Engine vs. a collection of parts
Space Shuttle Orbiter with engines and avionics
Space Shuttle Orbiter with solid rocket boosters and
external fuel tank
Space Transportation System (STS) with payload,
launch pad, mission controllers, vehicle assembly
facilities, trainers and simulators, solid rocket booster
rescue ships
System of Systems
STS + International Space Station + TDRSS
communication satellites +

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25
 Systems Thinkers
See the whole picture
See the forest and the trees
View from different perspectives
Look for interdependencies
Understand different models
Think long term
Go wide in thinking about cause
and effect relationships
Think about potential benefits
(opportunities) as well as about
unintended consequences (risks)
Focus on problem solving, not With thanks from: Astronomy Picture of the Day; Apollo 17: Last on the
Moon Credit: Apollo 17, NASA; scanned by Kipp Teague

finding blame (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021212.html)

Systems Thinking Playbook, Sweeney and Meadows; 1995

Ref: http://spacese.spacegrant.org/index.php?page=modules
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 Systems Thinking Hierarchy
Why is it Important?
Never forget that the system
being addressed by one
group of engineers is the
subsystem of another group
and the super-system of yet a
third group.*
* Dennis M. Buede, The Engineering Design of Systems, 2000, John
Wiley & Sons.

As systems engineers we must

consider products above, peer
products, and subordinate products.

Ref: http://spacese.spacegrant.org/index.php?page=modules
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 Example

Ref: NASA Systems Engineering Handbook 2007

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 The Need for Systems
Thinking

Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that

created them. Albert Einstein

Ref: http://spacese.spacegrant.org/index.php?page=modules
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 Aircraft

Department of Aerospace Engineering 30 AER 817: Systems Engineering (Fall 2017)

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 Systems Thinking Why is it
Important?
Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.
Albert Einstein
To comprehend and manage the requirements, and to develop the solution,
we have to understand how it fits into the larger system of which it is a part.

Regulations

Impacts Customers Authorities

System Life Cycle (Disposal)

When our response to opportunities and challenges is fragmented,

the results are often insufficient or short sighted.

Ref: http://spacese.spacegrant.org/index.php?page=modules
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 Interview with NASA Administrator, M. Griffin on
The True Challenge of Project Management
Dr. Griffin continued that systems engineering and project management are opposite
sides of the same coin. To talk about one without the other is flawed. The losses of
Challenger and Columbia, the Hubble Space Telescopes flawed optics, Mars Observer, Mars
Climatology Observer 99, Mars Polar Lander, Genesis - all of these programs issues were
due to failures in program management and systems engineering. They all must be looked at
as learning experiences, to learn as much from them as possible so we can repeat as few of
them as possible.
So how do we teach the big picture concept? If all agree that the ability to operate at the big
picture level is really important, how do we teach it? Dr. Griffin said we can identify the trait,
see it in certain young engineers. If we conclude that it is a skill you cant teach, look for those
who have it and use them. I am reminded of the idea that you can learn to play the piano, but if
you dont have the innate skill it will always be forced, not natural. We need to play to our
strengths and play up others strengths as well. It wasnt so long ago that systems engineering
wasnt even considered a formal discipline. Today, there is a body of knowledge devoted to
systems engineering and program management. They have been formalized and can be
taught. You may not be able to teach how to see the big picture, but you can teach the
tools and skills to people to facilitate seeing it.
Dr. Griffin identified several things that are disquieting or in his words scary with respect to
systems engineering and program management. Sometimes there is a failure to understand
the systems engineering is the final gate of the general ship of engineering. If the lead
systems engineer misses something, odds are that the program manager is not going to catch
it, nor should it be his job to do so. Systems engineering cannot be only a set of tools and
processes for ensuring that all the system interface requirements are met. They are
components of it, but to lose sight of the big picture is a failure of systems engineering.
Systems engineering is about asking the right questions, not so much having the
answers to all the questions. It is about minimizing the unintended consequences of a
design. Ref: http://spacese.spacegrant.org/index.php?page=modules
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 Proposal

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 Plan for Team Formation and
Project Proposal
Team formation in the 1st Tutorial class. Each team
should comprise of 5 to 6 students. Each team should
have one Project Leader.
Each team will submit one proposal in the 2nd
Tutorial class and present it in the Lecture class on
September 21th.
Evaluation of Proposals will be done by Instructor,
TAs and students.
Winning proposals will be announced on Friday
September 22nd.

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 Conclusions

I hope you all will take active part in the

lecture and tutorials.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you

need any help.
(Ext. 4908 or email: kdkumar@ryerson.ca)

My best wishes to you all.

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