Petri net based decision system modeling in real-time scheduling and control of flexible automotive manufacturing systems

This paper presents the design and the implementation of a Petri net (PN) model for the control of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS). A flexible automotive manufacturing system used in this environment enables quick cell configuration, and the efficient operation of cells. In this paper, we attempt to propose a flexible automotive manufacturing approach for modeling and analysis of shop floor scheduling problem of FMSs using high-level PNs. Since PNs have emerged as the principal performance modeling tools for FMS, this paper provides an object-oriented Petri nets (OOPNs) approach to performance modeling and to implement efficient production control. In this study, we modeled the system as a timed marked graph (TMG), a well-known subclass of PNs, and we showed that the problem of performance evaluation can be reduced to a simple linear programming (LP) problem with m − n + 1 variables and n constraints, where m and n represent the number of places and transitions in the marked graph, respectively. The presented PN based method is illustrated by modeling a real-time scheduling and control for flexible automotive manufacturing system (FAMS) in Valeo Turkey.     

Modeling, controlling, and simulation of local area networks for flexible manufacturing systems using Petri nets

Flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) are advanced manufacturing systems comprising machining cells, robots, a automated guided vehicles (AGVs) that function under the hierarchical control of computers. The flexibility of an FMS primarily imparted by integrating the functions of different system elements such as machining cells, robots, AGVs usig computers. In this paper, the role of local area networks (LANs) in FMSs is explicated. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, the differences between the LANs in conventional systems (CLANs) to that of LANs in FMSs (FLANs) are explicated. Secondly, a new class of Petri nets (PNs) called augmented timed PNs are introduced as a modeling tool designing, simulating, analyzing, and finally implementing the LAN in FMS. A software package has been developed to simulate the Petri net models (PNMs). The software package developed aids system designers by simulating the PNM and generating certain performance criteria.     

Modeling and online scheduling of flexible manufacturing systemsusing stochastic Petri nets

The authors discuss the modeling of flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) under uncertainty and evaluate a rule base for online scheduling. To represent uncertain events in an FMS, such as failure of machine tools, repair time, and processing time, they develop continuous-time and discrete-time stochastic Petri nets with hierarchical structures for constructing the FMS model. For obtaining an efficient schedule for the FMS with an online real-time basis, they construct a rule base and evaluate its performance using the FMS simulation system proposed     

Symbolic execution of concurrent systems using Petri nets

Techniques for analyzing sequential programs in order to improve their reliability have been widely studied in the past. Among the most interesting analysis techniques, we consider symbolic execution. However, analysis techniques for concurrent programs, and in particular symbolic execution, are still an open research area. In this paper, we define a method for symbolic execution of concurrent systems, based on an extension of the Petri net formalism, called EF nets. EF nets are a powerful, highly expressive and general formalism. Depending on the level of abstraction of actions and predicates that one associates to the transitions of the net, EF nets can be used as a high-level specification formalism for concurrent systems, or as a lower level internal representation of concurrent programs. Thus, the model is not dependent on a particular concurrent programming language, but it is flexible enough to be the kernel model for the representation of a wide set of systems and programming languages. In the paper, in order to support the analysis of a concurrent system or program, at first a general algorithm for symbolically executing an EF net is defined. Then, a more efficient algorithm is given for the particular, though important, subclass of EF nets, defined as safe EF nets. Such algorithm is proved to significantly help in reducing the amount of information needed to characterize a symbolic execution. Both the modelling power of the EF nets and the usefulness of the concurrent symbolic execution algorithms defined are illustrated by means of a case study.     

CPN tools-assisted simulation and verification of nested Petri nets

Nested Petri nets (NP-nets) is an extension of Petri net formalism within the “nets-within-nets” approach, when tokens in a marking are Petri nets wich have autonomous behavior and synchronize with the system net. The formalism of NP-nets allows modeling multi-level multi-agent systems with dynamic structure in a natural way. Currently there is no tool support for NP-nets simulation and analysis. The paper proposes translation of NP-nets into colored Petri nets and using CPN Tools as a virtual machine for NP-nets modeling, simulation and automatic verification.     

一种用于柔性制造系统仿真的图形Petri网软件工具

本文致力于图形Ｐｅｔｒｉ网软件工具—ＧＰＮＳＴ软件包的设计与实现。首先介绍了ＧＰＮＳＴ的结构和功能，分析了它在Ｐｅｔｒｉ网图形编辑和网结构分析方面的能力；其次正式定义了Ｐｅｔｒｉ网的扩展—赋时着色Ｐｅｔｒｉ网（ＴＣＰＮ），并且使用ＴＣＰＮ建立了柔性制造系统（ＦＭＳ）的简化仿真模型。利用这个模型，能基本实现ＦＭＳ的动态仿真，同时显示整个仿真的过程；最后将调度算法、启发式规则、ＴＣＰＮ模型和仿真结合起来，构成一个基于专家系统的调度器，产生出虽非最优，但是具有比较好结果的可行调度，有效地解决了动态仿真中的ＦＭＳ调度问题。     

Complex-valued token Petri nets

This paper presents a new extension to ordinary Petri nets (PNs) that uses complex-valued tokens. By allowing two kinds of tokens, "real" and "imaginary," each place marking contains both quantity and type information. Complex-valued token PNs were designed to integrate seamlessly with other popular Petri net extensions such as timed nets, stochastic nets, and colored nets. This simple and intuitive application of complex numbers and complex arithmetic to PNs provides a unique modeling tool. Some examples show the capabilities of this proposed class of PNs. Note to Practitioners-Discrete-event systems are often man-made systems such as transportation systems, computer communication networks, distributed software, and manufacturing systems. They typically involve the flow of information and physical goods through a network. The flow itself evolves in continuous time but the initiation or completion of the event happens at a discrete point in time. Analyzing the system's performance is key to their successful operation. This paper presents a new approach to performance analysis with application to supply-chain management.     

Comparing digraph and Petri net approaches to deadlock avoidance inFMS

Flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) are modern production facilities with easy adaptability to variable production plans and goals. These systems may exhibit deadlock situations occurring when a circular wait arises because each piece in a set requires a resource currently held by another job in the same set. Several authors have proposed different policies to control resource allocation in order to avoid deadlock problems. These approaches are mainly based on some formal models of manufacturing systems, such as Petri nets (PNs), directed graphs, etc. Since they describe various peculiarities of the FMS operation in a modular and systematic way, PNs are the most extensively used tool to model such systems. On the other hand, digraphs are more synthetic than PNs because their vertices are just the system resources. So, digraphs describe the interactions between jobs and resources only, while neglecting other details on the system operation. The aim of this paper is to show the tight connections between the two approaches to the deadlock problem, by proposing a unitary framework that links graph-theoretic and PN models and results. In this context, we establish a direct correspondence between the structural elements of the PN (empty siphons) and those of the digraphs (maximal-weight zero-outdegree strong components) characterizing a deadlock occurrence. The paper also shows that the avoidance policies derived from digraphs can be implemented by controlled PNs.     

Modelling of batch production systems using Petri nets with dynamic tokens

This article deals with the qualitative modelling of batch production plants. The approach held is Petri net based. First a definition of a three-level net formalism is presented; the formalism extends the Valk's approach of nets in nets in which the tokens are other nets; in this extension the lower level net handles symbolic tokens. Then a methodology for the modelling of batch processes is proposed; in this methodology the upper level describes the plant layout, the next level models an entity that goes with the batch through the plant and specifies the material and the process routes that the batch must follow, and the third level represents detailed treatments to perform into the process cells using specific equipment. The use of the modelling formalism is illustrated through an example dealing with the coordination of a batch manufacturing system.     

Timed high-level nets

Petri nets have been widely used for modeling and analyzing concurrent systems. Several reasons contribute to their success: the simplicity of the model, the immediate graphical representation, the easy modeling of asynchronous aspects, the possibility of reasoning about important properties such as reachability, liveness, boundedness. However, the original model fails in representing two important features: complex functional aspects, such as conditions which rule the flow of control, and time. Due to that, two different classes of extensions of Petri nets have been proposed: high-level nets and timed Petri nets. High-level nets allow the representation of functional aspects in full details, but do not provide a means for representing time; on the other hand, timed Petri nets have been thought for time representation, but they do not provide a means for representing detailed functinal aspects. Thus, these two important aspects cannot be mastered together. In particular, it is difficult to express relationships between time and functional aspects.This paper investigates the relationships between high-level nets and timed Petri nets, thus extending a first set of results published in a previous paper, where a unifying Petri net based model for time representation has been proposed. It first recalls how time can be represented in a Petri net extension called ER nets, and assesses its generality. It then investigates the relationships of ER nets with the best known high-level nets. In particular it shows the overall equivalence of ER nets, Colored Petri nets and Predicate/Transition nets, and extends the mechanism for time representation introduced in ER nets to both Colored Petri nets and Predicate/Transition nets. It also shows that these models cannot be simplified without significantly constraining the timing aspects that can be modeled.     

流体随机Petri网与混合Petri网的比较分析

流体随机Petri网和混合Petri网作为传统Petri网的拓展,可以建模离散成分和连续成分并存的混合系统,也可用于解决离散模型的状态空间爆炸问题.由于这两种建模机制远未发展成熟,分析比较它们的异同点有助于机制本身的进一步发展完善,有助于为特定的应用选择合适的建模方法.本文讨论了流体随机Petri网和混合Petri网的定义、连续标识、分析方法、以及相互转换的可能性.结论是这两种建模机制是互补的,各自适合于特定的应用场合.     

Scheduling and control of real-time systems based on a token player approach

Petri nets are a powerful formalism for the specification and verification of concurrent systems, such as sequential systems and manufacturing systems. To deal with real-time systems whose time issues become essential, different extensions of Petri nets with time have been proposed in the literature. In this paper, a new scheduling and control technique for real-time systems modeled by ordinary P-time Petri nets is proposed. Its goal is to provide a scheduling for a particular firing sequence, without any violation of timing constraints ensuring that no deadline is missed. It is based on the firing instant notion and it consists in determining an inequality system generated for a possible evolution (in terms of a feasible firing sequence for the untimed underlying Petri net) of the model. This system can be used to check reachability problems as well as evaluating the performances of the model considered and determining the associated control for a definite functioning mode and it introduces partial order on the execution of particular events.     

A Petri net-based approach for supporting aspect-oriented modeling

The concept of aspect-orientation allows for modularizing crosscutting concerns as aspect modules. Aspect-orientation originally emerged at the programming level, and has stretched over other development phases now. Among them aspect-oriented modeling (AOM) is a hot topic, and there are many approaches supporting it. Petri net is a good formalism which can provide the foundations for modeling software and simulating its execution, but fails to resolve the problem of crosscutting concerns to support AOM. So, this paper presents an approach which extends the Petri net so as to support the AOM. In this paper, the basic functions of the system are modeled as base net by Petri net, and the crosscutting concerns are modeled as aspect nets. In order to analyze the whole system, woven mechanism is proposed to compose the aspect nets and base net together. The problems about aspect-aspect conflict and conflict relations may exist among the aspect nets matching the shared join point, thus this paper propose solutions to resolve them. The Object Petri net which is an extension of traditional Petri net is also extended so as to support aspect-oriented modeling here.     

A Petri net-based approach for supporting aspect-oriented modeling

The concept of aspect-orientation allows for modularizing crosscutting concerns as aspect modules. Aspect-orientation originally emerged at the programming level, and has stretched over other development phases now. Among them aspect-oriented modeling (AOM) is a hot topic, and there are many approaches supporting it. Petri net is a good formalism which can provide the foundations for modeling software and simulating its execution, but fails to resolve the problem of crosscutting concerns to support AOM. So, this paper presents an approach which extends the Petri net so as to support the AOM. In this paper, the basic functions of the system are modeled as base net by Petri net, and the crosscutting concerns are modeled as aspect nets. In order to analyze the whole system, woven mechanism is proposed to compose the aspect nets and base net together. The problems about aspectaspect conflict and conflict relations may exist among the aspect nets matching the shared join point, thus this paper propose solutions to resolve them. The Object Petri net which is an extension of traditional Petri net is also extended so as to support aspect-oriented modeling here.     

Object-oriented design of FMS control software based on object modeling technique diagrams and Petri nets

Control software is very important to realizing the full benefits of flexible manufacturing systems. This paper highlights the difficulties in developing such software and proposes an object-oriented design (OOD) method using object modeling technique (OMT) diagrams and Petri nets (PNs). OOD is used to design reusable and easily maintainable software. OMT diagrams are used to represent explicitly different kinds of static relations, such as generalization, aggregation, and association, among the objects in an FMS. PNs are used to model the dynamic behavior of the objects and the entire FMS and to conduct performance analysis. The use of PNs also leads to a method to identify the data structures and operations of software objects. The proposed method is illustrated through an FMS example. Its capability to support reusability, extendibility, and modifiability of the resulting control software design is also demonstrated when the FMS specifications change.     

A general framework for adaptive processing of data structures

A structured organization of information is typically required by symbolic processing. On the other hand, most connectionist models assume that data are organized according to relatively poor structures, like arrays or sequences. The framework described in this paper is an attempt to unify adaptive models like artificial neural nets and belief nets for the problem of processing structured information. In particular, relations between data variables are expressed by directed acyclic graphs, where both numerical and categorical values coexist. The general framework proposed in this paper can be regarded as an extension of both recurrent neural networks and hidden Markov models to the case of acyclic graphs. In particular we study the supervised learning problem as the problem of learning transductions from an input structured space to an output structured space, where transductions are assumed to admit a recursive hidden state-space representation. We introduce a graphical formalism for representing this class of adaptive transductions by means of recursive networks, i.e., cyclic graphs where nodes are labeled by variables and edges are labeled by generalized delay elements. This representation makes it possible to incorporate the symbolic and subsymbolic nature of data. Structures are processed by unfolding the recursive network into an acyclic graph called encoding network. In so doing, inference and learning algorithms can be easily inherited from the corresponding algorithms for artificial neural networks or probabilistic graphical model.