Extending Electrical Artifact Function

[areleu]

Context

In the Artifact Ontology there are some electrical artifact functions that are already very useful. What I am struggling right know is to classify artifacts based on what kind of power they operate on. Namely, Direct Current, Alternate Current (1 Phase and 3 Phase).

The current types are mentioned in the definitions of Current Conversion Artifact Function and its subclasses but not instantiated. I think the current itself may make more sense in a domain ontology (related issue: OpenEnergyPlatform/ontology#1632 tl;dr: current and its subclasses are processes), but I think it may be useful to enrich the existing artifacts functions a bit more. If this is no within the scope of the ontology at least it would be nice to get a modelling insight.

Interpretation

My understanding is that artifacts operate in certain kind of current by design, and this can't be changed arbitrarily so this capability is in BFO terms a function. So, a function encoding which kind of current an artifact is able to operate with may basically be a modifier of the following:

• Electrical Power Production Artifact Function
• Electrical Conduction Artifact Function

On the other hand, it may not modify the following:

• Electrical Resistance Artifact Function
• Voltage Regulating Artifact Function
• Electrical Power Storage Artifact Function *

This is because the realization of the latter is independent of what kind of current they are being operated on.

Solutions

My first idea for such an implementations is to allow the inclusion of this capability using composition so I would implement:

• Direct Current Electrical Artifact Function
• Alternate Current Electrical Artifact Function
• 1 Phase Alternate Current Electrical Artifact Function
• 3 Phase Alternate Current Electrical Artifact Function

And model things like Direct Current Conduction Artifact Function implicitly at the instance level by adding both functions to specific instances.

The other alternative would be to make the composition explicit and to add probably like 9 or more sub-classes of each of the respective functions, the advantage of the latter is that it would disallow invalid models like 3 Phase Alternate Current Power Storage Artifact Function which can't exist because power can not be stored in a specific current or unnecessary models like 3 Phase Alternate Current Resistance Artifact Function which does not make sense because the resistance function is realized independent of which current is flowing through a circuit.

* On a side note, I don't think power (in its electrical form) can be stored despite how the construct is used colloquially, is energy what is stored but that is topic better handled in other ontology

[areleu]

Power Requirement

Other thing that I am missing is the terms to express that something requires power to operate(participate on a process? realize its function?). My gut feeling tells me is a disposition and maybe a function, but I don't quite come across an idea on how to implement it.