Restructure class Generator

[stap-m]

Description of the issue

There are several issues on subclasses of class 'Generator' #159, #160, #161, #162 and the old issue #55.

1. Before solving those issues, purpose, definition and classification of the class 'generator' should be discussed and updated. Right now, the def disagrees with severals of its subclasses, e.g. 'photovoltaic generator', 'geothermal generator', 'heat generator'.
2. An agreement on the subclass structure should be found.

Ideas of solution

Workflow checklist

• [x] I discussed the issue with someone else than me before working on a solution
• [x] I already read the latest version of the workflow for this repository
• [x] The goal of this ontology is clear to me

I am aware that

• [x] every entry in the ontology should have an annotation
• [x] classes should arise from concepts rather than from words
• [x] class or property names should follow the UpperCamelCase

[akleinau]

And is there a difference between SolidBiomassPowerPlants and BiomassPowerPlants?

And are the turbine subclasses complete? We have Gas-, Hydrogen-, Steam-, Water- and WindTurbine

[l-emele]

SolidBiomassPowerPlant is a subclass of SolidBiomassPowerPlant.

For the moment the turbine subclasses are complete. The HydrogenTurbine should be a subclass of the GasTurbine.

[akleinau]

What should happen with HeatGenerator and HeatPumpHeatGenerator?

[l-emele]

We have also the classes

• HeatGeneratorTechnology
• SolarThermalHeatGenerator

All four classes should be renamed and redefined. The HeatGenerator needs to be redefined to something like: A newclassname is an energy transformer/converter that converts other forms of energy into useful heat. I included useful heat to differentiate from waste heat,

Currently I have no idea for a good class name that can replace HeatGenerator. @stap-m @Ludee: Any ideas?

[stap-m]

Some proposals: HeatGenerator: I can't think of a term for 'HeatGenerator' that is actually used. I like HeatGeneratingDevice, but would this include cooling? ThermalEnergyConverter sounds like Thermal Energy is converted to something else, so it is not a good idea. EnergyToHeatConverter? HeatPumpHeatGenerator: Just HeatPump SolarThermalHeatGenerator: SolarThermalHeatCollector or SolarThermalCollector HeatGeneratorTechnology: If I remember it right, we decided on deleting all '_something_Technology' classes.

[l-emele]

What about just Heater?

• https://dict.leo.org/englisch-deutsch/heater
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heater

I am fine with renaming HeatPumpHeatGenerator to HeatPump and SolarThermalHeatGenerator to SolarThermalCollector. In my view in the word SolarThermalHeatCollector the parts thermal and heat redundant as the word thermal litteraly means just to heat or temperature belonging, see https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-thermal.

[stap-m]

Heater sounds good to me!

[akleinau]

So Heater is an EnergyTransformer, are HeatPump and SolarThermalCollector subclasses?

[akleinau]

To the EnergyTransformer def: It has to start with "... is an ArtificialObject" to be aristotelean so its a bit harder to get the "device" part in because that would look like "... is an ArtificialObject that is a device" (a bit ugly). So what do you think about renaming EnergyTransformer to EnergyTransformerDevice? Then we have device the same way implemented as Unit and Plant.

[akleinau]

other def proposals: Powerplant subclasses: Formulate them in the structure: "A HydrogenPowerplant is a Powerplant having an aggregate of HydrogenPowerUnits as its PowerGeneratingUnits." PowerGeneratingUnit subclasses: Formulate them in the structure: "A FossilPowerUnit is a PowerGeneratingUnit using FossilCombustionFuel as Fuel."

[stap-m]

So what do you think about renaming EnergyTransformer to EnergyTransformerDevice? Then we have device the same way implemented as Unit and Plant.

EnergyConvertingDevice ?

[akleinau]

I also need defs for HeatPump and FuelCell. SolarThermalCollector has the def: "A solar thermal collector collects heat by absorbing sunlight. The term "solar collector" commonly refers to a device for solar hot water heating, but may refer to large power generating installations such as solar parabolic troughs and solar towers or non water heating devices such as solar air heaters." Turbine has def: "A turbine [...] is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced by a turbine can be used for generating electrical power when combined with a generator."

[stap-m]

def: A solar thermal collector is a heater that absorbs solar radiation to convert it into heat. ?

We could add more subclasses for differentiation.

[stap-m]

For turbine, we have a def from the meeting: a turbine is a energy transformer that converts energy from a moving fluid flow into useful work. 'useful work' is not very specific though...

[akleinau]

more proposals: FuelCell: "A FuelCell is a Generator that converts chemical energy into electricity using redox reactions." HeatPump: "A HeatPump is a heater that transforms energy from air, ground or water into useful heat."

[l-emele]

I am fine with the definition proposals for FuelCell and SolarThermalCollector

Proposals for definitions:

• Turbine: A turbine is an energy transformer that converts energy from a moving fluid flow into rotational energy.
• HeatPump: A heat pump is a heater that transforms low temperature heat to high temperature heat using a drive energy.

New subclass:

• ElectricHeatPump: An electric heat pump is a heat pump that uses electric energy as drive energy.

[stap-m]

Turbine looks good now.

HeatPump: "A heat pump is a heater that transforms low temperature heat to high temperature heat using external energy"? Although it is understood that a heat pump cannot work spontaneously...