Nomenclature and Methods: Networkx
I am looking for what to call the features I am looking for and tools to implement them.
My work process (industrial chemical processing) is a refinement of block diagrams indicating high level functions, then more detailed block diagrams. Then the block are broken down into a network of unit operations. The unit operations are then further broken down into detailed pieces of equipment.
Is there a termonology for this refinement process and associated graphs?
I would like to store this information in a database. The components (nodes) and the connection (edges) characterizations are straight forward. I see two immediate challenges:
1) How to record (and subsequently carry over) the relationships of the upper level components and connections with the lower level components and connections.
2) How to keep track of changes/versions at different levels.
At each level, there may be a number of alternatives that will need to be studied and compared. As any one design progresses, new finding will be uncovered which will be brought back into potentially all alternatives and levles. These changes will need to be tracked to assure complete implementation and comparisons.
Each level and alternative will have associated design artifacts.It would be valuable to be able to keep track of the relationships between the alternative designs.
Of course all of this suggests there is also a meta graph of what has been done, none the less that a doe, design of experiment may be necessary to plan this and then track the development.
I am looking for help in how to define a shema to facilitate all of this and what databases may be well suited to use with Networkx.
Ray
