Ontology-Based Integration and Management of Distributed Design Data

Abstract

During the design phase of a chemical plant, information is created by various software tools and stored in different documents and databases. These distributed design data are a potential source of valuable knowledge, which could be exploited by novel software applications. However, before further processing, the scattered information has to be merged and consolidated. For this task, semantic technologies are a promising alternative to conventional database technology. This contribution gives an outline of the transfer project T1, which aims at the development of an ontology-based software prototype for the integration and reconciliation of design data. Both ontology and software development will be performed in close cooperation with partners from the chemical and software industries to ensure their compliance with the requirements of industrial practice. The advantages of semantic technologies will be demonstrated by comparing the prototype against a conventional integration solution.