Hybrid-system simulation for national airspace system safety analysis

Analysis of large, complex systems requires simulations of hybrid-system dynamics, i.e., dynamics which are best described by a combination of continuous-time and discrete-event models, and their interactions. To serve as valuable research tools, such simulations need also be computationally efficient, readily modifiable, and open to a wide range of component modules. This paper describes the development of a simulation architecture meeting these criteria. The issues with its development are described conceptually, and its application to the task of safety analysis of the national airspace system is discussed. In particular, an object-oriented approach to hybrid-system simulation is detailed, and computationally efficient methods of updating the simulation are described and compared.