Hello,
I have thought of that problem for some time, and am looking for a few hints.
I know how to model a batch process, that is time dependant; for example: Progress=f(time, temperature, ...) The end-time progress is of main interest. Now, I would like to model an entire plant, where every worshop is working as a continuous process. The variables are not (necessarily) time dependant, but location dependant; and for every workshop, mainly the exit properties are of interest, to connect them to the next workshop.
I have thought of a few way to come around that issue, but I do not know if they can be done in Modelica, or I am not really satisfied of them:
- 'Hand-discretise' the model, along the space variable, and hand-integer the variables. From an algorithm point of view, it works quite well, but the solver tend to fail much to often to my linking (and inevitably at zero time).
- Make a time dependant model in Modelica, externalise it one way or another, and call for results in the plant model. I do not know if this can be done.
- Make a time dependant model in another langage (C), and call for end-time results in the plant model in Modelica. This is quite deceptive a solution when I decided to work under Modelica.
I would really appreciate a few hints or advice, if someone who has already come upon that kind of problem and would share a few ideas.
Thanks,
JB.