Jaume Figueras Jové

Factory Railway System

In this study, a coloured Petri net conceptual model and an Arena© simulation model were developed for analysing the railway flow of hot steel coils in a steel factory. The simulation goal was to analyse a number of flow and storage management policies in order to identify which scenario reduces the total number of mobile railway resources needed for the internal transportation of the coils. This study was part of a larger study whose main objective was to redesign a factory railway system and a harbour steel terminal, in order to cope with a considerable increase in steel production.

Teaching system modelling and simulation through petri nets and arena

This paper describes our experience teaching discrete-event simulation to several Engineering branches and Computer Science students. In our courses we emphasize the importance of conceptual modelling rather than the simulation tools used to build a model. We think that in discrete-event simulation university courses it is more important to provide knowledge to students to develop and analyze conceptual models than focusing in a specific simulation tool that will be industry dependent. Focusing in conceptual modelling with the support of a well-known simulation software provide the student with skills to create a model and then translate it to any simulator. Our courses use the Petri Net (PN) methodology by incrementing the complexity of models and PN using: Place-Transition PN, Timed PN and Colored Timed PN. A PN simulator is used to analyze the conceptual model and different rules and procedures are provided to match PN conceptual model to Arena simulation software.

FireFight: A Decision Support System for Forest Fire Containment

The FireFight project is being developed in collaboration with the GRAF wildland firefighting department (Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain). The main objective is the development of a web-accessible decision support system based on an integrated simulation and optimization framework for optimal wildfire containment. FireFight uses the tooPath (www.toopath.com) web server infrastructure to acquire the broadcasted real-time GPS position of approximately 1,650 land and aerial firefighting resources deployed across the territory. The short-term goal of the project is to help managers in making decisions about the number of extinguishing teams that should be deployed, the design of the water supply chain to bring water and other supplies to the firefighting teams, and the design of the change-of-shift transportation problem.

Simulation and optimization for an experimental environment to wildfire resource management and planning: firefight project modelling and architecture

Firefighting resource management is crucial to contain and extinguish wildfires. Resource optimization in wildfire containment can help to reduce the dangers and risks to both human (firemen and area inhabitants) and natural environment. The use of simulation to predict wildfire evolution combined with optimization techniques can lead to an optimal resource deployment and management to minimize natural and human risks. This article proposes a simulation and optimization architecture; a well-defined data format to represent firefighting resources and an experimental platform to simulate wildfire spread, wildfire containment, resource dispatching and management and resource optimization. The simulation and optimization environment will be tested in the Catalonia region (Spain) in collaboration with Catalan Firefight Department.

Web simulation training environment for aircraft resource planning in wildfire events

This poster presents a simulation tool developed in cooperation with the Catalonia firefighting authority to provide a training environment for firefighter air operations commanders in wildfire events. In case of a wildfire event multiple aircrafts are deployed, including a commandment aircraft, by the main operation center. Aircrafts tasks, deployments and schedules can be assigned by both the commandment aircraft and the main operation center. This center is also in charge of controlling the different simultaneous wildfire aircrafts being able to re-assign, land or re-schedule aircrafts from one wildfire to another. An on-line multi-user environment has been developed to manage and optimize the aircraft operations. The aim of this environment is to increase operations security and to relief the operators from errors and repetitive tasks. On top of the optimization environment a multi-user web based simulation tool has been developed in order to provide a training framework for firefighters air controllers.

Formal languages for computer simulation: transdisciplinary models and applications

In this chapter, the authors present a formal model of the Anesthesia Unit and Surgical Wards (UAPQ) of a Chilean hospital. The objective was to document and to understand its operation, to assist hospital management and to facilitate its simula - tion. The model was built with Specification and Description Language (SDL). This methodology was used because it allows the design of a model that represents the system in a graphical, modular, and standard way. Our design contains the follow - ing agents: the system, 11 blocks, and 52 processes. The blocks and the processes describe the clinical and administrative activities. The environment of the UAPQ model contains 3 components: clinical services, emergency units, and support units.Transdisciplinary Models and Applications investigates a variety of programming languages used in validating and verifying models in order to assist in their eventual implementation. This book will explore different methods of evaluating and formalizing simulation models, enabling computer and industrial engineers, mathematicians, and students working with computer simulations to thoroughly understand the progression from simulation to product, improving the overall effectiveness of modeling systems.Transdisciplinary Models and Applications investigates a variety of programming languages used in validating and verifying models in order to assist in their eventual implementation. This book will explore different methods of evaluating and formalizing simulation models, enabling computer and industrial engineers, mathematicians, and students working with computer simulations to thoroughly understand the progression from simulation to product, improving the overall effectiveness of modeling systems.Models and simulations are an important first step in developing computer applications to solve real-world problems. However, in order to be truly effective, computer programmers must use formal modeling languages to evaluate these simulations. Formal Languages for Computer Simulation: Transdisciplinary Models and Applications investigates a variety of programming languages used in validating and verifying models in order to assist in their eventual implementation. This book will explore different methods of evaluating and formalizing simulation models, enabling computer and industrial engineers, mathematicians, and students working with computer simulations to thoroughly understand the progression from simulation to product, improving the overall effectiveness of modeling systems.Petri nets are used by our students as a formal modeling technique before building a working simulation model in Arena or Simio. The Petri net model enables the simulation analyst to build a complete, unambiguous, and readable model of the target process before coding it in the target simulation tool. One of the aims of this chapter is to emphasize the need for formal specification of the simulation model before it is coded in the chosen target simulation environment. Formal specification of the model is of great help throughout the simulation project life cycle, especially in the coding and verification phase

Conceptual modeling using Petri nets

In this chapter, the authors present a formal model of the Anesthesia Unit and Surgical Wards (UAPQ) of a Chilean hospital. The objective was to document and to understand its operation, to assist hospital management and to facilitate its simula - tion. The model was built with Specification and Description Language (SDL). This methodology was used because it allows the design of a model that represents the system in a graphical, modular, and standard way. Our design contains the follow - ing agents: the system, 11 blocks, and 52 processes. The blocks and the processes describe the clinical and administrative activities. The environment of the UAPQ model contains 3 components: clinical services, emergency units, and support units.Transdisciplinary Models and Applications investigates a variety of programming languages used in validating and verifying models in order to assist in their eventual implementation. This book will explore different methods of evaluating and formalizing simulation models, enabling computer and industrial engineers, mathematicians, and students working with computer simulations to thoroughly understand the progression from simulation to product, improving the overall effectiveness of modeling systems.Transdisciplinary Models and Applications investigates a variety of programming languages used in validating and verifying models in order to assist in their eventual implementation. This book will explore different methods of evaluating and formalizing simulation models, enabling computer and industrial engineers, mathematicians, and students working with computer simulations to thoroughly understand the progression from simulation to product, improving the overall effectiveness of modeling systems.Models and simulations are an important first step in developing computer applications to solve real-world problems. However, in order to be truly effective, computer programmers must use formal modeling languages to evaluate these simulations. Formal Languages for Computer Simulation: Transdisciplinary Models and Applications investigates a variety of programming languages used in validating and verifying models in order to assist in their eventual implementation. This book will explore different methods of evaluating and formalizing simulation models, enabling computer and industrial engineers, mathematicians, and students working with computer simulations to thoroughly understand the progression from simulation to product, improving the overall effectiveness of modeling systems.Petri nets are used by our students as a formal modeling technique before building a working simulation model in Arena or Simio. The Petri net model enables the simulation analyst to build a complete, unambiguous, and readable model of the target process before coding it in the target simulation tool. One of the aims of this chapter is to emphasize the need for formal specification of the simulation model before it is coded in the chosen target simulation environment. Formal specification of the model is of great help throughout the simulation project life cycle, especially in the coding and verification phase