Dear OpenStreetMap community,
I am currently getting started with using OpenStreetMap data for my research regarding analyses and optimization of urban energy systems. As the Research wiki site (http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Research) asks to introduce developments using OpenStreetMap data to the community, I hope that this is the right place to do so:
In my work, I am developing a graph framework in Python (based on the networkX package) to represent different energy networks (e.g. district heating and cooling, electric grids, gas grids…), run analyses and automatically generate system models in Modelica. As the fundamental strucure of many such graphs is given by building nodes and street networks, I have recently started to import OpenStreetMap data into my graph framework. To do so, I use ElementTree to parse a given *.osm-file. Then I use shapely to do some geometric pre-processing of the data and subsequently my code initializes an enhanced networkX graph representing the building nodes and street networks. Afterwards, I can add different energy networks to the graph, which can then serve as the foundation to run energy analyses on the system.
I am now at the stage where a first prototype implementation is running more or less reliably and I am looking forward to running more tests and enhancing functionalities. My aim is to round up my graph framework in the coming weeks and months to make it understandable for others and then publish first results and release the Python package as an open-source project.
If anyone is interested in this development, can point to similar efforts, or has general comments on this approach I’d be happy to talk, exchange experiences and collaborate. Also, if there are other means to get in touch with the community than this forum I’d be happy to take any advice.
All the best,
Marcus