An Iteration on the Horizon Simulation Framework to Include .NET and Python Scripting

• Main Author: Yost, Morgan
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@CalPoly 2016
• Subjects: Modeling and Simulation; Aerospace; Design; Verification; Space Vehicles; Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1607; https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2780&context=theses

Modeling and Simulation is a crucial element of the aerospace engineering design pro- cess because it allows designers to thoroughly test their solution before investing in the resources to create it. The Horizon Simulation Framework (HSF) v3.0 is an aerospace modeling and simulation tool that allows the user to verify system level requirements in the early phases of the design process. A low fidelity model of the system that is created by the user is exhaustively tested within the built-in Day-in-the-Life simulator to provide useful information in the form of failed requirements, system bottle necks and leverage points, and potential schedules of operations. The model can be stood up quickly with Extended Markup Language (XML) input files or can be customly created with Python Scripts that interact with the framework at runtime. The goal of the work presented in this thesis is to progress HSF from v2.3 to v3.0 in order to take advantage of current software development technologies. This includes converting the codebase from C++ and Lua scripting to C♯ and Python Scripting. The particulars of the considerations, benefits, and implementation of the new framework are discussed in detail. The simulation data and performance run time of the new framework were compared to that of the old framework. The new framework was found to produce similar data outputs with a faster run time.