Using mathematical behaviour models to determine system performance is crucial to the design of complex systems. Nevertheless, during the early stages of design, it is often difficult to create behavioural models as component solutions have not been fully identified. What is known is information about the desired functionality of the system is known. Particularly for complex system design, functional-based representations are important during the early stages of design. The objective of the work presented in this paper is to develop a functional model-based method for creating behavioural models to facilitate early behaviour model creation, model reuse, and concept evaluation. Significant contributions of this work include establishing the method and the formal addition of quantitative flow modelling to existing qualitative functional modelling methods. This quantitative flow modelling method enables a natural and consistent extension of qualitative functional modelling to quantitative behaviour modelling. An extensive example application of the method based on the dynamic modelling of a Society of Automotive Engineers Formula competition racecar is included to illustrate and verify the method. Copyright 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
