19. Deep physical mechanism grammar
The first edition separated support, propulsion and useful action. This section defines the parameter grammar inside those graphs so that rare mechanisms remain queryable and comparable. A mechanism is modeled by what resource enters, what physical…
Concept & directionLNK
The first edition separated support, propulsion and useful action. This section defines the parameter grammar inside those graphs so that rare mechanisms remain queryable and comparable. A mechanism is modeled by what resource enters, what physical conversion occurs, which force or moment is produced, what interface transfers it, which medium or structure reacts, and what motion or work results.
Mechanism path contract
source -> storage/feed -> conditioner -> converter -> transmission -> force/moment generator -> interaction interface -> reaction medium/body -> motion or work; every node and connection is configuration-, mode-, time-, and evidence-bound.#19.1 Support-path fields
| Field | Controlled semantics |
|---|---|
| supported_body / load_set | Body, occupants, payload, working loads, distributed loads and transient loads supported |
| support principle | normal reaction; tension; compression; buoyancy; aerodynamic/hydrodynamic lift; pressure cushion; electromagnetic force; orbital/free-fall state |
| support interface | wheel, tire, track, foot, body, ski, skid, rail wheel, hull, foil, wing, rotor, envelope, cable, field or carrier |
| reaction medium/body | surface material, rail/guideway, water, air, cable/structure, field source, another vehicle or central-body gravity |
| contact topology | point/line/area, discrete/continuous/intermittent, contact count, stance/gait, wetted area and current state |
| load transfer | forces/moments, distribution, direction, preload, compliance, damping, pressure and load path |
| support state | static, rolling, sliding, planing, foiling, hovering, airborne, submerged, tethered, docked, carried or transitioning |
| limits | capacity, pressure, slip, sinkage, flotation/lift margin, clearance, stability, environment and failure state |
#19.2 Locomotion pattern lexicon
| Pattern family | Seed patterns | Discriminator |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous surface | roll; slide; skid; ski; skate; track; belt; drum; screw/auger | Contact remains substantially continuous |
| Discrete foothold | walk; run; trot; gallop; crawl; climb; brachiate; hop; jump | Gait and contact sequence generate translation |
| Whole-body | slither; undulate; sidewind; inchworm; peristalsis; concertina; tumble; roll body | Body deformation or reorientation is the propulsor |
| Micro/vibratory | bristlebot; vibration; inertial stick-slip; cilia; surface-tension/capillary | Small periodic effects rectify into motion |
| Aquatic cyclic | swim; flap; oscillate fin/fluke; paddle; row; scull; pulse jet | Periodic momentum exchange with fluid |
| Aerodynamic | glide; soar; flap; hover; autorotate; parachute; kite | Lift/drag fields and gravity participate in motion |
| Buoyancy cycle | underwater glide; balloon altitude cycle; thermal soaring | Vertical buoyancy/thermal change becomes lateral progress |
| Momentum ejection | jet; rocket; cold gas; mass driver; reaction control | Working mass leaves the vehicle |
| External path | tow; push; winch; cable haul; catapult; gravity descent; carrier release | Prime motive force originates outside the asset |
| Field / radiation | linear motor; magnetic pull/repulsion; solar sail; electric sail; electrodynamic tether | External field or radiation supplies reaction |
| Free trajectory | ballistic; drift; coast; orbit; free-fall; station-keeping arc | Motion can persist with no active locomotion mechanism |
| Transforming | wheel-to-leg; wheel-to-track; ground-to-flight; fold/deploy; stage/separate | Locomotion family changes through a recorded transition |
#19.3 Propulsor classification by physical reaction
| Reaction class | Examples | Required distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Solid surface traction | wheel, track, roller, foot, gripping body | Normal load, friction/adhesion, slip, sinkage and surface deformation |
| Fixed guideway reaction | rail wheel, rack, linear motor, cable grip | Gauge/path compatibility, adhesion or electromagnetic/cable reaction |
| Air accelerated externally | open propeller, fan, ducted fan, rotor, cyclorotor | Air is accelerated; support medium can still be land or water |
| Air-breathing internal flow | turbojet, turbofan, ramjet, pulsejet | Ambient air ingested, conditioned/combusted and exhausted |
| Water accelerated externally | submerged/surface-piercing propeller, paddlewheel, oar, fin | Momentum exchanged directly with surrounding water |
| Water internal flow | waterjet, pump-jet, tunnel thruster | Water is ingested through an internal path and discharged through a nozzle |
| Ambient-flow extraction | sail, kite, rigid wing sail, current/wave device | Wind/current supplies energy; append active storage only if present |
| Onboard working mass | rocket, cold gas, ion, Hall, electrospray, steam/water impulse | Vehicle expels carried reaction mass; oxidizer/intake distinction explicit |
| External mechanical link | towline, pushbar, cable, launch rail, catapult | Force crosses a coupling boundary from another actor/system |
| Electromagnetic / radiation | linear motor, magnetic sail, solar sail, beamed sail, electrodynamic tether | Interaction with externally sourced field/radiation |
| Buoyancy / gravity | variable-buoyancy glider, balloon cycle, downhill/coasting, gravity-assist | Potential-energy or buoyancy change supplies part of motion |
| Internal momentum only | reaction wheel, control-moment gyro, moving mass | Changes attitude or internal distribution; cannot create net translation in free space alone |
#19.4 Steering, retardation, stability, and holding paths
| Path | Mechanism seed |
|---|---|
| Geometric steering | steered axle/wheel, caster, articulation, bendable body, differential track geometry |
| Differential force | skid steer, torque vectoring, differential propeller/rotor/jet thrust, brake steering |
| Fluid control surface | rudder, elevator, aileron, canard, fin, diving plane, sail/foil trim |
| Vector/reorient propulsor | azimuth pod, outboard, gimbal, thrust vector, tiltrotor, cyclic/collective |
| Mass/buoyancy/drag shift | movable mass, ballast transfer, trim tank, drogue, spoiler, air brake |
| Retardation | friction, regenerative, engine/compression, eddy-current, aerodynamic/hydrodynamic drag, reverse thrust |
| Holding | parking brake, pawl, chock, anchor, mooring, magnetic hold, station keeping, hover/loiter |
| Passive stability | trail/caster, keel, dihedral, low CG, fin, restoring buoyancy, suspension geometry |
| Active stability | ESC, active suspension, flight controller, gyro/CMG, ballast controller, dynamic positioning |
| Failure response | neutral, brake, hold, surface, land, anchor, safe descent, parachute, passivate or separate |
#19.5 Multi-resource and replenishment graph
| Stage | Vocabulary seed |
|---|---|
| Origin | onboard stored; externally supplied; harvested ambient; biological; nuclear; gravitational/kinetic |
| Carrier / reactant | electric charge; liquid/gas/solid fuel; hydrogen; oxidizer; compressed gas; hydraulic fluid; heat; working mass; human/animal effort |
| Storage / buffer | battery; capacitor; tank; pressure vessel; accumulator; flywheel; thermal store; propellant grain; raised mass |
| Feed / conditioning | pump; regulator; injector; inverter; rectifier; transformer; valve; BMS; fuel/oxidizer management; thermal conditioner |
| Converter | motor; combustion/steam engine; turbine; fuel cell; PV; hydraulic/pneumatic motor; rocket chamber; muscle |
| Distribution | shaft; gears; chain/belt; hydraulic/pneumatic network; electrical bus; power split; distributed drives |
| Recovery | regenerative braking; windmilling; thermal recovery; solar recharge; gravitational recovery; tow regeneration |
| Replenishment | refuel; recharge; swap; refill gas/oxidizer/fluid; tether supply; harvest; service; in-flight/in-motion transfer |
| Reject/byproduct | heat; exhaust; water; noise; vibration; wake; plume; radiation; discharged material; spent component |
Create separate but linkable resource paths for propulsion, lift/support, tools, computing, cabin/hotel loads, environmental control, life support, safety, payload and thermal management. Hybrid means more than two energy carriers: a sailboat with diesel auxiliary, a solar-assisted e-bike, a tether-powered drone with backup battery and a rocket stage with separate propellants are all multi-path systems.
#19.6 Domain-transition state
| Field | Required content |
|---|---|
| from_mode / to_mode | Named configuration and operational modes; both can be composite |
| entry envelope | speed, depth/altitude, position, surface state, load, weather, health, energy and authority |
| topology changes | deploy/retract, couple/separate, flood/vent, ballast, fold, seal, lock and software mode |
| support transfer | Which support paths accept load, in which sequence, with overlap and margin |
| propulsion transfer | Which force paths start/stop and how thrust/torque/flow is blended |
| control handover | Controller, function, acknowledgment, command continuity and fallback |
| hazard gates | Doors/hatches, propulsor guards, pressure, clearance, stability, collision and abort criteria |
| intermediate state | A real state with its own limits; never hidden as an instantaneous enum change |
| completion | Resulting configuration digest, active graphs, checks, anomalies and evidence |