Ontology-Based Unified Representation of Dynamic Simulation Models in Engineering Design

Abstract

The development of complex product dynamic simulation models and the integration of design automation systems require knowledge from multiple heterogeneous data sources and tools. Because of the heterogeneity of model data, the integration of tools and data is a time-consuming and error-prone task. The main objective of this study is to provide a unified model of dynamic simulation for engineering design, which serves as a knowledge base to support the development of a dynamic simulation model. The integration of knowledge is realized through (i) definition of the structure and interface during the design phase of the dynamic simulation model, and (ii) definition of a model-driven integrated environment configuration process during the runtime phase. In order to achieve interoperability among the different simulation models in a collaborative design environment, we build a “Demand-Resources-Service-Knowledge-Process (DKRSP)” ontology that formally represents the semantics of dynamic simulation models. Based on the ontology, a knowledge base is created for the management of dynamic simulation knowledge. The efficacy of the ontology and the knowledge base are demonstrated using a transmission design example.