Automated Deployment of Modelica Models in Excel via Functional Mockup Interface and Integration with modeFRONTIER

1. AUTOMATED DEPLOYMENT OF MODELICA
MODELS IN EXCEL VIA FUNCTIONAL MOCKUP
INTERFACE AND INTEGRATION WITH
modeFRONTIER
John Batteh, Jesse Gohl, Anand Pitchaikani,
Alexander Duggan, and Nader Fateh
2015-09-22 © Modelon

2. AGENDA
• Motivation
• Workflow
 Toolchain overview
 Model annotation and automation
• Applications
 HIV virus dynamics
 Hydraulic crane
 Heat exchanger non-uniformity
 Electric vehicle range
• Conclusions
2015-09-29 © Modelon 2

3. MOTIVATION
• Efficient development and enterprise-wide model deployment
• Effective use of models outside domain experts
• Desire for simulators outside of original model development
environment
• Efficient deployment required
• FMI-based simulators are attractive (tool flexibility, IP
protection, licensing, custom front ends)
• Leverage existing tools and processes for engineering analysis
and optimization
2015-09-29 3
Time spent building
and verifying models
Engineering work
based on models

4. modeFRONTIER
• Process integration and design optimization tool widely
used in industry
• Couple CAE tools into automated toolchain
• State of the art analyses capabilities and algorithms for
optimization, robust design, sensitivity, and statistical
engineering
• Advanced post-processing for analytic decision making
• Many tool-specific interfaces but no native FMI simulation
capability
2015-09-29 4

5. TOOLCHAIN OVERVIEW
2015-09-29 5
Automated path from Modelica models to
modeFRONTIER

6. WHY EXCEL PATH?
• No native FMI simulation capability in modeFRONTIER but
well-developed, widely-used Excel interface
• Customers familiar with Excel interface (same front end
regardless of simulation backend)
• Leverage existing off-the-shelf tools to provide FMI
simulation capability
2015-09-29 6

7. MODEL ANNOTATION: XENGEN
• XenGen markup from Xogeny to identify parameters and
outputs (https://github.com/xogeny/XenGen)
• Annotations maintained in source and included in FMU to
support downstream automation
• General syntax
2015-09-29 7

8. FMI ADD-IN FOR EXCEL AUTOMATION
• Leverages annotations in FMU to automatically create
experiment sheet in Excel with parameters and outputs
• Supports simulation in Excel with automated plotting and
used by modeFRONTIER via macro for execution
2015-09-29 8
Automated deployment of Modelica models
as FMU-based simulators in Excel

9. APPLICATION EXAMPLES
2015-09-29 9

10. HIV VIRUS DYNAMICS
• HIV virus dynamics in human blood (predator-prey)
• Implemented directly in Modelica (3 ODEs)
• Requires fitting of parameters to patient clinical data
2015-09-29 10

11. HIV VIRUS DYNAMICS
• Data fitting in modeFRONTIER
2015-09-29 11

12. HYDRAULIC CRANE
• Crane system with hydraulic system with motors for
movement of crane and load
• Base motor, winch motor, and hoist jack position
controlled in closed loop to meet desired trajectory for
crane and load
2015-09-29 12

13. HYDRAULIC CRANE
• Multi-objective optimization to minimize total tracking
error and pump energy required to move load
2015-09-29 13

14. HEAT EXCHANGER WITH BLOCKAGE
• Heat exchanger with non-uniform flowrate due to
blockage
• Identify velocity required for blocked cooler to meet
performance of unblocked cooler for same conditions
• Ensure that the heat transfer does not drop by more than
1% for a 5% reduction in airflow
2015-09-29 14

15. HEAT EXCHANGER WITH BLOCKAGE
• Robust design optimization in modeFRONTIER
2015-09-29 15

16. HYBRID VEHICLE ELECTRIC RANGE
• Series hybrid truck with enhanced battery model to
include temperature and aging effects
• Estimate electric range for vehicle fleet based on aging
distribution
2015-09-29 16

17. HYBRID VEHICLE ELECTRIC RANGE
2015-09-29 17
Increasing
aging
Vehicle Range [km]
Battery State of Charge [-]
Battery Internal Resistance [Ohms]
Battery Temperature [K]

18. HYBRID VEHICLE ELECTRIC RANGE
• Parameter sweep in modeFRONTIER
• Analytically construct distributions offline using sweep
data to save computational effort versus Monte Carlo
2015-09-29 18
Battery Age Distribution
Mean = 0.5, SD=0.05

19. CONCLUSIONS
• Method for automated deployment of Modelica models as
FMU-based simulators in Excel leveraging XenGen markup
• Integration with modeFRONTIER provides powerful suite
of analysis and optimization capabilities to simulator
toolchain
• Application examples demonstrate entire toolchain across
a range of domains and analyses with modeFRONTIER
• Toolchain can be applied to any FMU and easily
automated with Modelica models
2015-09-29 © Modelon 19

20. john.batteh@modelon.com, (734) 274-5933