Abstract
In this work, DAE Tools modelling, simulation and optimisation software, its programming paradigms and main features are presented. The current approaches to mathematical modelling such as the use of modelling languages and general-purpose programming languages are analysed. The common set of capabilities required by the typical simulation software are discussed, and the shortcomings of the current approaches recognised. A new hybrid approach is introduced, and the modelling languages and the hybrid approach are compared in terms of the grammar, compiler, parser and interpreter requirements, maintainability and portability. The most important characteristics of the new approach are discussed, such as: (1) support for the runtime model generation; (2) support for the runtime simulation set-up; (3) support for complex runtime operating procedures; (4) interoperability with the third party software packages (i.e. NumPy/SciPy); (5) suitability for embedding and use as a web application or software as a service; and (6) code-generation, model exchange and co-simulation capabilities. The benefits of an equation-based approach to modelling, implemented in a fourth generation object-oriented general purpose programming language such as Python are discussed. The architecture and the software implementation details as well as the type of problems that can be solved using DAE Tools software are described. Finally, some applications of the software at different levels of abstraction are presented, and its embedding capabilities and suitability for use as a software as a service is demonstrated.
Highlights
Two main approaches to mathematical modelling currently exist: (a) use of modelling languages, either domain specific or multi-domain such as Modelica (Fritzson & Engelson, 1998), Ascend (Piela et al, 1991), gPROMS (Barton & Pantelides, 1994), GAMS (Brook, Kendrick & Meeraus, 1988), Dymola (Elmqvist, 1978), APMonitor (Hedengren et al, 2014), and (b) use of general-purpose programming languages, either lower level third-generation languages such as C, C++ and Fortran (i.e. PETSc–a suite of data structures and routines for the scalable solution of scientific applications, Balay et al, 2015, and SUNDIALS–Suite of Nonlinear and Differential/Algebraic Equation Solvers, Hindmarsh et al, 2005), or higher level fourth-generation languages such as Python (i.e. Assimulo–a high-level interface for a wide variety of ODE/Differential Algebraic Equations (DAE) solversHow to cite this article Nikolic (2016), DAE Tools: equation-based object-oriented modelling, simulation and optimisation software
The lower-level general purpose languages are often used for the development of the efficient, tailor-made software targeting one of the available high-performance computing architectures such as General Purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU), FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGA), vector processors and Data Flow Engines (DFE)
Differential Algebraic Equations (DAE) Tools modelling, simulation and optimisation software, its programming paradigms, the main features and capabilities have been presented in this work
Summary
Two main approaches to mathematical modelling currently exist: (a) use of modelling languages, either domain specific or multi-domain such as Modelica (Fritzson & Engelson, 1998), Ascend (Piela et al, 1991), gPROMS (Barton & Pantelides, 1994), GAMS (Brook, Kendrick & Meeraus, 1988), Dymola (Elmqvist, 1978), APMonitor (Hedengren et al, 2014), and (b) use of general-purpose programming languages, either lower level third-generation languages such as C, C++ and Fortran (i.e. PETSc–a suite of data structures and routines for the scalable solution of scientific applications, Balay et al, 2015, and SUNDIALS–Suite of Nonlinear and Differential/Algebraic Equation Solvers, Hindmarsh et al, 2005), or higher level fourth-generation languages such as Python (i.e. Assimulo–a high-level interface for a wide variety of ODE/DAE solversHow to cite this article Nikolic (2016), DAE Tools: equation-based object-oriented modelling, simulation and optimisation software. DAE Tools is not a modelling language (such as Modelica and gPROMS) nor an integrated software suite of data structures and routines for scientific applications (such as PETSc), but rather a higher level structure–an architectural design of interdependent software components providing an API for: (a) model development/ specification, (b) activities on developed models such as simulation, optimisation and parameter estimation, (c) processing of the results, (d) report generation, and (e) code generation and model exchange.
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