Evaluating system behavior through Dynamic Master Logic Diagram (DMLD) modeling

In this paper, the Dynamic Master Logic Diagram (DMLD) is introduced for representing full-scale time-dependent behavior and uncertain behavior of complex physical systems. Conceptually, the DMLD allows one to decompose a complex system hierarchically to model and to represent: (1) partial success/failure of the system, (2) full-scale logical, physical and fuzzy connectivity relations, (3) probabilistic, resolutional or linguistic uncertainty, (4) multiple-state system dynamics, and (5) floating threshold and transition effects. To demonstrate the technique, examples of using DMLD to model, to diagnose and to control dynamic behavior of a system are presented. A DMLD-based expert system building tool, called Dynamic Reliability Expert System (DREXs), is introduced to automate the DMLD modeling process.