Building Qualitative Models of Thermodynamic Processes

Abstract

This paper describes a qualitative domain theory for core phenomena in engineering thermodynamics, expressed in Qualitative Process theory . It represents many of the best features of domain models developed by our group over the past five years . It focuses on supporting system-level qualitative analyses of typical fluid and thermal systems, such as refrigerators and power plants . We use explicit modeling assumptions [3] to control the level of detail used in building models of specific scenarios . We begin by outlining the primitives of the specific QP modeling language . The bulk of the paper describes the domain model itself, highlighting our design choices, simplifications, and use of modeling assumptions . Next we demonstrate how this domain model can be used to build models of a variety of specific scenarios, including simplified versions of a refrigerator, a steam plant, and a thermal control system . Finally, we describe some planned extensions to the model . Report Documentation Page Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

Ecological Informatics

“…In the past, considerable effort has been put in building qualitative models for the domain of physics (e.g. Collins and Forbus 1989;Kim 1993). Libraries for other domains still need to be developed and made to use.…”