Fuel Level
This example demonstrates how to specify a software and to implement it by using a modular architecture.

Measuring fuel level in a tank
We are considering to estimate the remaining amount of fuel in a tank. This information is critical for a plane, for example, because an error in the estimation might lead to a crash.
So we would like to develop a piece of software that would make the pilot aware of the situation (fuel level below a given capacity). This is in fact the main property of our software, independently from the way the fuel level is estimated.
As the sensors are likely to provide inaccurate / erroneous measures, the architecture of the system includes redundancy (2 ultrasonic level sensors, 3 flowmeters) and the estimation of the fuel left in the tank is performed in two steps:
- initial level in the tank is estimated with the 2 ultrasonic level sensors (minimum value of the two measures)
- each cycle, current level is estimated by substracting the maximum value given by the 3 flowmeters)
When the estimated level is less or equal to a given value, an alarm is raised.
With the B modelling, the objective is:
- estimating the remaining amount of fuel
- making the pilot aware of any fuel shortage
The resulting modelling contains 7 files:
- fuel0 is the top level specification of our software.
- fuel_i is its implementation, that requires services from measure and utils
- measure is a basic machine, in charge of acquiring data from sensors. This component is implemented manually.
- utils is a stateless machine offering 2 services: minimum of 2 NATURAL numbers, maximum of 3 NATURAL numbers.
- utils_i is its implementation
- ctx contains the definition of constants
- ctx_i is its implementation. The values of the constants are provided, in order to be checked against their properties. Constants are then demonstrated to be implementable.
The machine fuel0 contains two operations:
- compute_initial_level: initial estimation of the amount of fuel in the tank
- compute_remaining_fuel: called repeatidly to estimate consumption and remaining fuel
The main property of this component is: (estimated_level <= WARNING_CAPACITY => status = LOW_LEVEL)
The variable status is used to raise an alarm.
MACHINE fuel0
SEES
ctx
VARIABLES
estimated_level,
estimated_consumption,
status
INVARIANT
/* Typing */
estimated_level : 0..TANK_CAPACITY &
estimated_consumption : 0 ..MAX_CONSUMPTION &
status : tSTATUS &
/* Security property */
(estimated_level <= WARNING_CAPACITY => status = LOW_LEVEL)
INITIALISATION
estimated_level := 0 ||
estimated_consumption := 0 ||
status := LOW_LEVEL
OPERATIONS
compute_initial_level =
BEGIN
estimated_level, status :(
estimated_level: 0..TANK_CAPACITY &
status : tSTATUS &
(estimated_level <= WARNING_CAPACITY => status = LOW_LEVEL))
END
;
compute_remaining_fuel =
BEGIN
estimated_level, estimated_consumption, status :(
estimated_level: 0..TANK_CAPACITY &
estimated_consumption : 0..MAX_CONSUMPTION &
status : tSTATUS &
(estimated_level <= estimated_level$0) &
(estimated_level <= WARNING_CAPACITY => status = LOW_LEVEL))
END
END
This implementation fuel_i implements the two operations defined in fuel0, and imports services from measure and utils.
IMPLEMENTATION fuel_i
REFINES fuel0
SEES ctx
IMPORTS
measure,
utils
CONCRETE_VARIABLES
estimated_level ,
estimated_consumption ,
status
INITIALISATION
estimated_level := 0 ;
estimated_consumption := 0 ;
status := LOW_LEVEL
OPERATIONS
compute_initial_level =
VAR m1, m2 IN
m1, m2 <-- measure_level;
estimated_level <-- minimum(m1, m2);
IF estimated_level <= WARNING_CAPACITY
THEN
status := LOW_LEVEL
ELSE
status := NOMINAL
END
END
;
compute_remaining_fuel =
VAR m1, m2, m3 IN
m1, m2, m3 <-- measure_consumption;
estimated_consumption <-- maximum(m1,m2,m3);
IF estimated_consumption >= estimated_level
THEN
estimated_level := 0
ELSE
estimated_level := estimated_level - estimated_consumption
END;
IF estimated_level <= WARNING_CAPACITY
THEN
status := LOW_LEVEL
END
END
END
The component measure provides two services: measure_level and measure_consumption. These two operations have to be developped manually.
MACHINE measure
SEES ctx
OPERATIONS
m1, m2 <-- measure_level =
BEGIN
m1 :: 0..TANK_CAPACITY ||
m2 :: 0..TANK_CAPACITY
END;
m1, m2, m3 <-- measure_consumption =
BEGIN
m1 :: 0..MAX_CONSUMPTION ||
m2 :: 0..MAX_CONSUMPTION ||
m3 :: 0..MAX_CONSUMPTION
END
END
The component utils provides two services: minimum and maximum.
MACHINE utils
OPERATIONS
rr <-- minimum(aa, bb) =
PRE
aa: NAT &
bb: NAT
THEN
rr := min({aa, bb})
END;
rr <-- maximum(aa, bb, cc) =
PRE
aa: NAT &
bb: NAT &
cc: NAT
THEN
rr := max({aa, bb, cc})
END
END
The component utils_i implements the two services defined in utils
IMPLEMENTATION utils_i
REFINES utils
OPERATIONS
rr <-- minimum ( aa , bb) =
BEGIN
IF aa >= bb
THEN
rr := bb
ELSE
rr := aa
END
END
;
rr <-- maximum ( aa , bb , cc ) =
BEGIN
IF aa >= bb
THEN
IF aa >= cc THEN
rr := aa
ELSE
rr := cc
END
ELSIF bb >= cc THEN
rr := bb
ELSE
rr := cc
END
END
END
The component ctx contains the constants of the software.
MACHINE ctx
SETS
tSTATUS = {NOMINAL, LOW_LEVEL}
CONSTANTS
TANK_CAPACITY, /* max quantity of fuel in the tank */
MAX_CONSUMPTION, /* max quantity of fuel consumed in a cycle */
WARNING_CAPACITY /* low fuel level */
PROPERTIES
TANK_CAPACITY : NAT1 &
MAX_CONSUMPTION : NAT1 &
WARNING_CAPACITY : NAT1 &
MAX_CONSUMPTION < TANK_CAPACITY &
WARNING_CAPACITY < TANK_CAPACITY
END
The component ctx_i contains the values of the constants.
IMPLEMENTATION ctx_i
REFINES ctx
VALUES
TANK_CAPACITY = 1000;
MAX_CONSUMPTION = 10;
WARNING_CAPACITY = 100
END
Once the project is created (software development), add the various machines starting with ctx, utild, measure, then fuel0. Then create the implementations. Each time, create the component empty then copy-paste the contents from this page.
Once all the components are in the project:
- generate the proof obligations (button Po on the toolbar)
- execute the proof in force 0 (button F0 on the toolbar)
- execute the proof in force 1 (button F1 on the toolbar)
You should obtain the following status below from the Top-Bottom graphical view. The color green indicates that the components are fully proven.

Project structure: the lines are decomposition links (fuel_i imports measure and utils components)
When everything is proved:
- generate C code for the implementations fuel_i, Utils_i, and Ctx_i,
- Generate C code for the machine Measure: you obtain a skeleton for your C file. Complete measure.c manually, using for example a random number generator to simulate fuel consumption.
- Create main.c such as
void main(void ) {
fuel0__compute_initial_level();
while(fuel0__estimated_level>0) {
fuel0__compute_remaining_fuel();
printf("Consumption = %d, Level = %d, status = %d\n",
fuel0__estimated_consumption,
fuel0__estimated_level,
fuel0__status);
}
}
- Compile main.c fuel0.cpp utils.c measure.c
- Execute the resulting software
Last modified 1yr ago