Integration of Petri nets and moment generating function approaches for system performance evaluation

This article integrates arbitrary stochastic Petri nets (ASPN) and moment generating function approaches for performance evaluation of discrete event dynamic systems (DEDS). These systems include computer-integrated manufacturing systems, resource-shared distributed systems, and communication networks. ASPN can describe various DEDS in which the time duration for activities may be a random variable of arbitrary distributions. In ASPN models, transitions with firing delays of general distributions are used to model these activities. Using our proposed performance analysis methodology, we first represent a system as an ASPN model, then generate its reachability graph and convert it into a state machine Petri net, derive the transfer functions of interesting performance measures through stepwise reductions, and finally obtain the analysis results. This method makes it possible to obtain analytical solutions of important performance indices. We use a robotic assembly system to illustrate the method. We obtain several important performance measures of a closed-form. Finally, we discuss the limitations of this approach and future research.     

Optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors for automated manufacturing systems

Deadlock avoidance problems are investigated for automated manufacturing systems with flexible routings. Based on the Petri net models of the systems, this paper proposes, for the first time, the concept of perfect maximal resourcetransition circuits and their saturated states. The concept facilities the development of system liveness characterization and deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors. Deadlock is characterized as some perfect maximal resource-transition circuits reach their saturated states. For a large class of manufacturing systems, which do not contain center resources, the optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors are presented. For an general manufacturing system, a method is proposed for reducing the system Petri net model so that the reduced model does not contain center resources and, hence, has optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisor. The controlled reduced Petri net model can then be used as the liveness supervisor of the system.     

Optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors for automated manufacturing systems

Deadlock avoidance problems are investigated for automated manufacturing systems with flexible routings. Based on the Petri net models of the systems, this paper proposes, for the first time, the concept of perfect maximal resource-transition circuits and their saturated states. The concept facilitates the development of system liveness characterization and deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors. Deadlock is characterized as some perfect maximal resource-transition circuits reaching their saturated states. For a large class of manufacturing systems, which do not contain center resources, the optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisors are presented. For a general manufacturing system, a method is proposed for reducing the system Petri net model so that the reduced model does not contain center resources and, hence, has optimal deadlock avoidance Petri net supervisor. The controlled reduced Petri net model can then be used as the liveness supervisor of the system.     

基于平行Petri网的制造系统调度与控制一体化方法

为了消除制造系统调度层与控制层之间的隔阂,实现对生产事件快速灵活响应,本文提出了一种调度与控制一体化的方法.首先,定义了一种新型Petri网模型,即平行Petri网,从而集成地描述了传感器、执行器、任务和资源信息,构建制造系统的信息物理系统模型;其次,提出了一种从平行Petri网到赋时Petri网的抽象简化方法,大规模压缩优化调度所需搜索的状态空间;再次,定义了策略Petri网以描述最优调度策略.最后,给出了平行Petri网与策略Petri网同步执行算法,使得平行Petri网与物理系统同步执行.     

Modeling and control of workstation level information flow in FMS using modified Petri nets

A flexible manufacturing system (FMS) has a traditional structure of three levels: cell, workstation, and equipment. The workstation level plays an important role in the overall performance of the FMS. This paper focuses on modeling and control of the FMS workstation level information flow. In order to have a unified workstation level system structure, front-end interfaces are introduced as a standard communication medium between the workstation level and the equipment level. A detailed information flow analysis is then carried out on the workstation level. For modeling purposes, a modified Petri net is proposed with its increased modeling capability over an ordinary Petri net. It associates data structures with places and programs with transitions. Finally, the modified Petri net is used to model and control the FMS workstation level information flow. The designed control system has been implemented in a real manufacturing factory with satisfactory performance.     

着色Petri网对高性能集群的建模与性能评估

针对形式化建模方法导致的状态空间爆炸问题,提出了一种基于Petri网的高性能集群建模与性能评估方法.首先分析了高性能集群的系统架构,构建了模型的总体结构;然后针对集群系统建立了相应的任务产生子模型和调度子模型,并通过对Petri网进行着色,根据不同种类任务的执行特点设计了相应的任务处理模型.仿真结果表明,利用所建立的模型能够有效评估关键参数对集群性能的影响.     

时间Petri网等效变换的工作流评价

时间性能分析是工作流模型分析和评价的重要方面.首先介绍了业务过程的一般Petri网模型,然后引入时间Petri网建立工作流网的时间约束模型.提出了保持网时间约束特性不变的网变换规则和时间性能计算方法,对工作流网进行化简及时间性能计算,并给出了相应的算法.最后通过一个实例说明本方法的应用过程.     

可重构制造系统的Petr i 网建模和分析方法

提出一种针对可重构制造系统的Petri网建模和分析方法．根据生产流程图可以得出制造系统的基本网模型，扩展基本网模型即可得到系统的Petri网模型．当生产任务发生改变并建立新的生产流程图时，可直接从原来的基本网模型构造出新构形的基本网模型．此外给出了系统重构代价的评价方法．仿真研究验证了该方法的有效性。     

Modeling of emergency response decision-making process using stochastic Petri net: an e-service perspective

In this paper, we address the emergency response decision-making process based on stochastic Petri net from an e-service perspective. The emergency response decision-making process is modeled and designed considering service management. The process is modeled based on stochastic Petri net and a solution methodology is proposed to solve the model. In addition, an isomorphic Markov Chain model and a service performance model are developed for measuring and evaluating the service performance of emergency response decision-making process. Finally, a case study is presented to show the viability of our method.     

Synthesis a Petri net based control model for a FMS cell

Petri nets have been recognised as a high level formal and graphical specification language for modelling, analysis, and control of concurrent asynchronous distributed systems. This paper presents a PN model, synthesised by an extended version of the knitting synthesis technique. This method, as an incremental design approach, establishes the conditions under which the fundamental behavioural properties of the synthesised systems are fulfilled and preserved. That is, the synthesised models are live, bounded, and reversible (cyclic). A Petri net with the aforementioned properties is called a well-behaved Petri net system which is guaranteed to operate in a deadlock-free, stable, and cyclic fashion. Well-behaved Petri net models, synthesised using the proposed method can be compiled into control codes and implemented as real-time controllers for flexible manufacturing systems. The significance of this paper is due to the application of an extended version of knitting synthesis technique to a real life example of a flexible manufacturing system.     

间歇式化工系统的Petri网优化调度与控制方法

为了解决复杂间歇式化工系统的优化调度和控制问题,提出了一种基于Petri网的优化调度与控制方法:首先,根据加工工艺,建立加工过程的赋时Petri网模型;其次,根据间歇式化工生产对象的拓扑结构,在该赋时Petri网模型中引入阀门系统的网结构,从而获得系统的受控Petri网模型;最后,利用可达图来计算加工时间最短的控制策略,借助网结构信息,得到了控制策略的阀门控制矩阵,并用一个示例演示验证了本文方法.     

Modeling of reconfigurable manufacturing systems based on colored timed object-oriented Petri nets

To cope with the rapid change in manufacturing market requirements, reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMSs) with the feature of reconfigurability, have to be developed. A model that describes the reconfiguring process of a manufacturing system is developed by applying colored timed object-oriented Petri nets. Based on the main difference between configurations of RMSs and flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs), a modular hierarchical structure of RMS is developed. By the object-oriented method, all the object classes in the RMS model are identified. A macro-place is used to model the aggregation of many processes and a macro-transition is used to link all the related macro-places. Macro-places and macro-transitions are connected with arcs to form a Petri net named a macro-level Petri net so that the control logic of RMS is represented. The macro-level Petri net is refined by hierarchical steps, each step describing these macro-places by more detailed sub macro-places until all the macro-places cannot be divided. Then the characteristics of material flow and time constraints in RMS are modeled by applying colored tokens and associated time-delay attributes. This model integrates object-oriented methods, stepwise refinement ideas and Petri nets together. The RMS activities can be encapsulated and modularized by the proposed method, so that RMS can be easily constructed and investigated by the system developers.     

An expanded SEMATECH CIM framework for heterogeneous applications integration

A significant effort in recent computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) development was carried out by SEMATECH who had laid out and created an open framework for the integration of manufacturing execution system applications running in semiconductor industries at the factory operation level. This paper presents the feasibility to incorporate basic manufacturing applications at the factory engineering level, which include product design, process planning, and material requirement planning, into the SEMATECH CIM framework to form a generic framework across both factory operation level and factory engineering level. The CIM framework established in this paper was aimed to provide a reusable integrated system framework that clearly specifies the functional interface boundaries and standard information model of the required components, in general, manufacturing systems at both factory operation and factory engineering levels. Standard unified modeling language (UML) diagrams and Petri nets have been utilized to model and analyze the specifications and dynamic behaviors of this generic CIM framework. The goal is to build a framework by creating a common, modular, flexible, and integrated object model that unifies an advanced object-oriented architecture concept and heterogeneous manufacturing application development in an open and multisupplier CIM system environment.     

On systematic methods to remove redundant monitors from liveness-enforcing net supervisors

Petri nets based deadlock prevention for flexible manufacturing systems has received much attention over the past decade, primarily due to the seminal work of Ezpeleta et al. in 1995. A Petri net based deadlock prevention mechanism is usually implemented by adding monitors or control places to a plant Petri net model such that liveness can be enforced. The significance of this methodology lies in that both a plant model and its supervisor are in a same formalism-Petri nets. Due to the inherent complexity of Petri nets, in theory, the number of additional monitors that have to been added to achieve liveness-enforcement purpose for an uncontrolled plant model is exponential with respect to the size of the model. This paper first proposes a systematic method to minimize the number of additional monitors in a liveness-enforcing Petri net supervisor such that the resultant net system has the same permissive behavior while liveness can still be preserved. Furthermore, for the liveness-enforcing Petri net supervisors of flexible manufacturing systems, which have some particular property, an algorithm is developed such that more permissive liveness-enforcing Petri net supervisors can be obtained after liveness-restrictive monitor removal. Compared with the existing techniques of eliminating redundant monitors in the literature, the complete state enumeration of a supervisor is avoided, which implies the high computational efficiency of the methods in this paper. Flexible manufacturing examples are used to demonstrate the proposed approaches.     

Logic control law design for automated manufacturing systems

To respond rapidly to the highly volatile market, the reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) have brought forward challenging issues. First of all there is a need to build a formal model of a manufacturing configuration. Second it has to be rather easy to derive the models associated to the manufacturing configuration changes (reconfiguration) from such an initial model. An off-line method of rapid design of an optimal logic control law (configuration) based on Petri net (PN) is presented in this paper. From a controlled system modeling point of view, the main characteristics of the level 1 of the CIM architecture are depicted. Subsequently, the formal tool used in the automated planning field is extended to provide a controlled system model. The concept of operation is structured in order to introduce the behavioral properties of the operations. A four-step method is then proposed to design a logic control law that satisfies several goals: reduction of the lead time, satisfaction of the work orders objectives, minimization of the time cycle. Finally, the proposed design method is illustrated on a manufacturing cell.     

基于Petri网仿真的随机制造单元性能分析研究

分析了传统随机制造单元Petri网模型能的不足, 对传统随机制造单元的Petri网模型进行了改进。通过对Petri模型的直接仿真, 对不同的Petri网模型的随机制造单元的性能指标进行了分析比较, 并通过和同构的马尔可夫链的计算结果进行验证, 证明了改进后的Petri网模型准确地描述随机制造单元, 对基于仿真的性能分析方法具有普遍意义。     

Combining flow control techniques with Petri nets methodologies for real-time control of FMS

This paper focuses on the combination of the flow control techniques with Petri net methodologies. The flow control techniques are improved in order to handle multiple routing. A general and unified Petri net formalism is introduced. The integration of the flow control techniques with an interpreter based on this new Petri net formalism is discussed. Results for simulation of a very flexible manufacturing system are provided.     

离散制造装配系统的活性控制1)

首次研究离散制造装配系统的活性控制问题.建立了系统的工件加工过程Petri网模型.通过对系统Petri网模型的结构分析,提出了导致系统死锁的两类元素结构及活性特征.对一类离散制造装配系统提出了避免死锁的Petri网控制器,这类控制器容易实现,对系统的限制小,而且使得受控系统仍具Petri网模型.对一般离散制造装配系统提出了保证系统活性的控制策略.     

离散制造装配系统的活性控制

首次研究离散制造装配系统的活性控制问题.建立了系统的工件加工过程Petri网 模型.通过对系统Petri网模型的结构分析,提出了导致系统死锁的两类元素结构及活性特 征.对一类离散制造装配系统提出了避免死锁的Petri网控制器,这类控制器容易实现,对系 统的限制小,而且使得受控系统仍具Petri网模型.对一般离散制造装配系统提出了保证系统 活性的控制策略.     

基于自控网系统的混杂控制

混杂控制系统通常是复杂的非线性控制系统,难以用统一的模型进行建模. David和Alla提出的混杂Petri网,虽然可以解决一般混杂系统的建模问题,并得到了广泛的应用,但对于传统的如PID这类控制器,缺乏统一建模的能力.探讨了基于广义自控网系统的混杂控制方法,实现了对混杂控制器中监控器和数字控制器进行统一的Petri网建模.仿真实例设计了基于广义同步自控网系统的电加热炉控制系统,给出了可根据不同温度状态实施多种控制策略的变结构数字控制器模型,并详细分析了控制器的性能,证明了广义自控网系统具有十分强大的建模能力和广泛的应用前景.