Multi-level flow modeling and its applications

Because functional information expresses the role of a component in a system and intentions of designers, it is very important in the design, operation, and maintenance of a large-scale engineering plant. The multi-level flow modeling (MFM) is a functional modeling framework that is most widely studied and applied. The MFM models an artifact to express the functional information of an artifact in a graphical format. This article introduces some techniques and systems to support operators of engineering plants and safety engineers based on MFM models of target systems. (author)