Modeling of a Batch Process with Bond Graphs in Dymola

Abstract

In times of ever more powerful computer performance and capacity and also the looming depletion of natural resources, the simulation of processes and installations of process engineering gain ever more importance. Simulation permits not only an economization of energy and resources, but also makes it often possible to obtain informations concerning a process faster. Both factors lead usually to a reduction of cost. Of ever increasing importance in the analysis of processes is dynamic simulation, as such simulation studies permit to represent not only steady-state performance of an installation, but also initial and final transients. In my view, the programming language Modelica and the modeling environment Dymola are important tools for this purpose, tools that I have learnt to appreciate already earlier in my work in industry.

For the simulation, a good and reliable modeling methodology is very important, and there are different approaches to obtaining such models. For this reason, I wish to model in my senior project a simple batch process installation, being employed as a training installation at the Technical University of Dortmund, by means of bond graphs. The model is to be realized in Dymola. Major emphasis is not being placed on the most accurate representation of the dynamical processes of this installation, but rather on the methodology of modeling such a process in Dymola/Modelica using bond graphs. It was important for me to study, how complex the modeling effort becomes, how well the bond graphs represent the physical system, how stable and robust the resulting models are, and how efficiently they can be simulated.

In this report, I present first the experimental setup of the process installation, its functioning and control. Thereafter I proceed with a short description of the used programming language Modelica and the Dymola software. Subsequently, I offer a brief introduction to the modeling of physical systems using bond graphs. In this context, I also provide some details about the modeling support offered by the software. In the sequel, I describe the individual component models, as they were realized using bond graphs, and subsequently a short discussion of the simulations that were performed and the results that were obtained.

From those, I hope to be able to offer some insights concerning the suitability of modeling such installations of process engineering by means of bond graphs.


Interested in reading the entire thesis? Unfortunately, the thesis is available in German only. (51 pages, 966,656 bytes, pdf)


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Last modified: December 8, 2009 -- © François Cellier