Airport baggage handling system simulation modeling using SysML

In recent years, the number of passengers visiting the major international airport, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), has increased dramatically. The passenger traffic has gone beyond the capacity of the airport as it was constructed for. One important infrastructure in the airport is the baggage handling system which consists of a set of conveyors that transport checked baggage to the baggage unloading zones or the buffer zones. How to efficiently operate the baggage handling system is of critical importance. Simulation models are widely used to evaluate the system performances and to compare alternatives. However, modeling and analyzing the baggage handling system is not straightforward. However, the means of modeling and analyzing the baggage handling system is not in good form. The simulation model itself is a black box, making the validation of a model a challenge. In this study, we propose to use the formal modeling language, System Modeling Language (SysML), to model the baggage handling system. System Modeling Language provides a formal representation of the system and is able to enhance the validation of the system. We also use the SysML model to generate the corresponding simulation models. We compare different control rules and report the analysis result.