Open Modeling Framework Research Articles

OWEFE—open modeling framework for integrated water, energy, food, and environment systems

The integrated approach to managing the fundamental resources for human life, namely, water, energy, food, and the environment as their irreplaceable foundation, presents a profound opportunity for sustainable development. However, despite their huge potential, integrated water, energy, food, and environment systems (iWEFEs) are rarely put into practice because of, among others, complexity and a lack of uniform and openly available models to describe, configure and simulate such systems. To fill this gap, we present the open modeling framework for integrated water, energy, food, and environment systems (OWEFEs) based on the open energy modeling framework. OWEFE follows an open, cross-sectoral, and modular design approach to address crucial challenges for the project development of iWEFEs. In this study, we apply OWEFE for the first time to model a wastewater biogas system and an agrivoltaics system. The results of the OWEFE-based models are in the range of a conventional approach respectively of on-site measurements indicating the framework’s capability to model diverse iWEFEs. The wide application of the framework can improve the assessment, planning, and configuration of iWEFEs for sustainable and integrated infrastructure development.

An open-data open-model framework for hydrological models’ integration, evaluation and application

To tackle fundamental scientific questions regarding health, resilience and sustainability of water resources which encompass multiple disciplines, researchers need to be able to easily access diverse data sources and to also effectively incorporate these data into heterogeneous models. To address these cyberinfrastructure challenges, a new sustainable and easy-to-use Open Data and Open Modeling framework called Meta-Scientific-Modeling (MSM) is developed. MSM addresses the challenges of accessing heterogeneous data sources via the Open Data architecture which facilitates integration of various external data sources. Data Agents are used to handle remote data access protocols, metadata standards, and source-specific implementations. The Open Modeling architecture allows different models to be easily integrated into MSM via Model Agents, enabling direct heterogeneous model coupling. MSM adopts a graphical scientific workflow system (VisTrails) and does not require re-compiling or adding interface codes for any diverse model integration. A study case is presented to illustrate the merit of MSM.

The application of componentised modelling techniques to catastrophe model generation

In this paper we show that integrated environmental modelling (IEM) techniques can be used to generate a catastrophe model for groundwater flooding. Catastrophe models are probabilistic models based upon sets of events representing the hazard and weights their likelihood with the impact of such an event happening which is then used to estimate future financial losses. These probabilistic loss estimates often underpin re-insurance transactions. Modelled loss estimates can vary significantly, because of the assumptions used within the models. A rudimentary insurance-style catastrophe model for groundwater flooding has been created by linking seven individual components together. Each component is linked to the next using an open modelling framework (i.e. an implementation of OpenMI). Finally, we discuss how a flexible model integration methodology, such as described in this paper, facilitates a better understanding of the assumptions used within the catastrophe model by enabling the interchange of model components created using different, yet appropriate, assumptions.

INTEROPERABLE HUMAN PERFORMANCE MODELLING OF DISTRIBUTED COGNITIVE AGENTS

This paper presents an approach towards distributed human-machine systems based on an open modeling framework. The approach aims to develop a core of new modeling techniques independent of specific engineering domains that allows to analyze different communication channels and cooperation strategies with regard to their effect on the distribution of knowledge and the overall team performance including human errors. The paper presents the framework architecture on a conceptual level derived from a detailed analysis of the communication and cooperation requirements from the perspective of three application scenarios.

Interfacing environmental simulation models and databases using XML

Typically in environmental management tasks one needs to examine and explore data from several sources, use simulation models, develop scenarios, assess impacts, and provide support for decision makers. Here we consider the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) standard in developing information transfer techniques between databases and simulation models. Suitability of XML as the agreed data transfer format is studied in a sample application, where two snow models of different complexity are linked with input data extracted from a relational database. The simple case study demonstrated that with free and easily accessible tools it was relatively straightforward to develop an XML interface between a meteorological data set and simulation models. Based on the case study, a structure for a more comprehensive system comprising model and data resources, and a broker application that acts as an intermediate between the user and those resources, is presented. We believe that such an XML-based structure is worth exploring on the track towards an open modelling framework. Such a framework would allow models developed by various expert groups to connect easily to a common information system.

A multiple‐organic‐pollutant simulation/optimization model of industrial and municipal wastewater loading to a riverine environment

A simulation/optimization model is developed to demonstrate the need for inclusion of interactive pollutant effects in multiple‐pollutant wastewater management, by comparing single‐ and multiple‐pollutant least cost approaches that maintain downstream ambient quality levels. The model chooses biological oxygen demand (BOD), N, and P abatement levels for point sources that minimize the combined wastewater treatment costs of the pollutants in order to achieve chosen ambient quality standards. Nonlinear pollutant interactions result in a nonlinear Jacobian matrix of marginal water quality impacts, creating a nonlinear constraint set. The Jacobian is iteratively updated by the simulation model using iterative solutions from the optimization model. The open modeling framework allows other types of programming problems to be solved as well, such as mixed integer and mixed integer nonlinear problems. Single‐ and multiple‐pollutant management approaches are applied to a case study of the Nitra River Basin in Slovakia. The regrets resulting from implementing BOD‐only or fixed Jacobian solutions are shown, and the robustness of the solution procedure is demonstrated by varying the initial pollution abatement levels.

Focusing in by-product recovery and waste minimization in batch production scheduling

This paper deals with the potential by-product recovery and waste minimization that is present in the production scheduling problem of multipurpose batch processing networks. In batch processes the amount of waste generated depends mainly on the number of products and batches of each product that require frequent equipment cleaning. Thus, equipment cleaning and preparatory subtasks are essentially involved in waste minimization considerations.The work is based on an open modeling framework developed recently (Puigjaner et al., 1992), which makes it possible to focus on the detailed consequences of every subtask carried out in the different manufacturing steps in each product recipe. Reuse of raw materials and solvents recovery is considered. Consequently, the conventional recipe definition, i.e., the sequence of processing tasks which must be performed to manufacture a given product, is expanded in order to include the additional tasks needed for waste treatment and materials recovery. So, product recipe tasks will be distinguished from recovery/reuse tasks according to whether they are indispensable for product manufacturing.