Thermodynamics Domain Theory

In this tour we describe a thermodynamics domain theory expressed in CML that is being used as a testbed for the language. The domain theory was constructed by the Knowledge Systems Lab (KSL) at Stanford University and is being tested using KSL's Device Modeling Environment (DME) system. The domain theory is designed to support the kind of analysis that is required for upper division university courses in thermal dynamics. The current theory emphasizes steady-state steady-flow analysis employing the first law of thermodynamics and is being extended to cover second law properties and non steady-state processes.

Thermodynamics is a discipline with a wide variety of applications. This domain theory is intended to support the early stages of power plant design by enabling the modeling of power generation cycles such as the following taken from Chapter 8 of Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics by Moran and Shapiro (John Wiley & Sons, Second edition, 1988).