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Physics-based simulation ontology: an ontology to support modelling and reuse of data for physics-based simulation

Hyunmin Cheong, Adrian Butscher

TL;DR

PSO introduces a physics-centered ontology built on a realist upper ontology (BFO) to model physical phenomena veridically while separating solver-neutral physics from solver-specific input data. By partitioning terms into PSO-Physics (phenomena) and PSO-Sim (solver inputs) and using Information Content Entities (ICEs) for solver data, PSO enables data reuse across solvers and clearer interoperability in CAE workflows. A case study mapping PSO to FEniCS and NASTRAN demonstrates practical multi-physics modeling for linear elasticity, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics, highlighting how core physics can be shared while solver-specific representations are instantiated per tool. The work discusses benefits and limitations of applying ontological realism in engineering design and outlines future directions, including integration with materials ontologies and data-format transformations to promote broader adoption.

Abstract

The current work presents an ontology developed for physics-based simulation in engineering design, called Physics-based Simulation Ontology (PSO). The purpose of the ontology is to assist in modelling the physical phenomenon of interest in a veridical manner, while capturing the necessary and reusable information for physics-based simulation solvers. The development involved extending an existing upper ontology, Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), to define lower-level terms of PSO. PSO has two parts: PSO-Physics, which consists of terms and relations used to model physical phenomena based on the perspective of classical mechanics involving partial differential equations, and PSO-Sim, which consists of terms used to represent the information artefacts that are about the physical phenomena modelled with PSO-Physics. The former terms are used to model the physical phenomenon of interest independent of solver-specific interpretations, which can be reused across different solvers, while the latter terms are used to instantiate solver-specific input data. A case study involving two simulation solvers was conducted to demonstrate this capability of PSO. Discussion around the benefits and limitations of using BFO for the current work is also provided, which should be valuable for any future work that extends an existing upper ontology to develop ontologies for engineering applications.

Physics-based simulation ontology: an ontology to support modelling and reuse of data for physics-based simulation

TL;DR

PSO introduces a physics-centered ontology built on a realist upper ontology (BFO) to model physical phenomena veridically while separating solver-neutral physics from solver-specific input data. By partitioning terms into PSO-Physics (phenomena) and PSO-Sim (solver inputs) and using Information Content Entities (ICEs) for solver data, PSO enables data reuse across solvers and clearer interoperability in CAE workflows. A case study mapping PSO to FEniCS and NASTRAN demonstrates practical multi-physics modeling for linear elasticity, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics, highlighting how core physics can be shared while solver-specific representations are instantiated per tool. The work discusses benefits and limitations of applying ontological realism in engineering design and outlines future directions, including integration with materials ontologies and data-format transformations to promote broader adoption.

Abstract

The current work presents an ontology developed for physics-based simulation in engineering design, called Physics-based Simulation Ontology (PSO). The purpose of the ontology is to assist in modelling the physical phenomenon of interest in a veridical manner, while capturing the necessary and reusable information for physics-based simulation solvers. The development involved extending an existing upper ontology, Basic Formal Ontology (BFO), to define lower-level terms of PSO. PSO has two parts: PSO-Physics, which consists of terms and relations used to model physical phenomena based on the perspective of classical mechanics involving partial differential equations, and PSO-Sim, which consists of terms used to represent the information artefacts that are about the physical phenomena modelled with PSO-Physics. The former terms are used to model the physical phenomenon of interest independent of solver-specific interpretations, which can be reused across different solvers, while the latter terms are used to instantiate solver-specific input data. A case study involving two simulation solvers was conducted to demonstrate this capability of PSO. Discussion around the benefits and limitations of using BFO for the current work is also provided, which should be valuable for any future work that extends an existing upper ontology to develop ontologies for engineering applications.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 40 sections, 11 equations, 5 figures, 5 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Research questions
  3. Proposed approach
  4. Contributions
  5. Outline of the paper
  6. Related work
  7. Upper ontologies
  8. Ontology applications for CAD / CAE / PLM
  9. Other work related to physics and simulation
  10. Scope and requirements of PSO
  11. Heat transfer example
  12. Other physics and multi-physics consideration
  13. Discretization required for simulation
  14. Capturing the physics and its simulation with an ontology
  15. PSO-Physics
  16. ...and 25 more sections

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: A chosen approach to develop and use PSO.
  • Figure 2: Heat transfer problem example involving Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions.
  • Figure 3: PSO terms categorized in the BFO hierarchy. BFO terms adopted for PSO have borders highlighted. Original PSO terms are in italics.
  • Figure 4: (a) Definition of a boundary condition involving a situation. (b) Simplified definition
  • Figure 5: Depiction of the example problem.