Principles Regarding the Structuring of the Hybrid Models in Engineering

Abstract

Advancements in computer science offer new concepts and instruments to be used in the modelling of the complex phenomena. Apart from the commercial software applications, researchers may use performant data processing methods based on the latest computing techniques in order to create original software instruments. A hybrid model consists of a series of studies of various types: theoretical (analytical and/or numerical) and experimental. A hybrid model may be represented as a flowchart, each study being an element of the data flow representation. Each element, i.e. distinct study, has input data and output information expressed as data files and/or as visualizations meant to graphically synthesize the results. The output data of an element is the input data of the following study, in this way being developed the flowchart of the hybrid model, similar to the method used in the Unified Modelling Language. The rapid development of the hybrid models depends on the degree of readiness regarding the software libraries to be created. The original software libraries solve two types of problems: solvers of the distinct studies and data integration in the wider context of the hybrid model. The distinct studies which model a particular aspect of the phenomenon are used to automatically and accurately generate the input data of the ‘main’ model which is usually created using a commercial software application. In this way, the distinct studies may be represented as satellites orbiting the ‘main’ model. The paper presents the basic concepts used to conceive hybrid models and it is inspired by the software development activity for research projects in the latest 30 years.