I am creating a Simscape gas model where I need to use 3 way directional valves. Unfortunately there are no directional valves in the gas library. I used the 3 way directional valves from the hydraulic library but I get dashed red lines when I try to connect the valve to the other gas components. Is there a way of converting a hydraulic block to a gas block in Simulink/Simscape?
Edit: Added image of model
As #Wolfie has indicated, you can't connect a hydraulic component to a gas component, they are two completely different physical domains. To recap and add to what your options are:
Combine Simscape blocks to create your own model of a directional valve in the gas domain. There is an example of that in the Pneumatic Actuation Circuit example:
Use the Simscape language to create your own block of a gas directional valve.
Use Simulink to Physical Signal and Physical Signal to Simulink blocks to interface your Simscape model to your model of the gas directional valve created in Simulink. Probably not as good a solution (even though it's potentially easier), as you lose the acausality that Simscape provides by going back into Simulink.
Related
What is the added value of simscape physical signals compared to normal simulink signals? As far as I can see, from a functional perspective there is no difference between the two types of signals: I can add units to both types, they both have a direction of flow, and they both have similar function blocks like adding, substracting... Only for physical signals the available types of blocks is very limited. Why didn't the matlab guys just use normal simulink lines instead of the physical signals?
Physical signals, unlike Simulink signals, have units associated with them. This means that they follow a number of rules, for example to ensure that the right unit is used (e.g. you can't add kg and m/s). From the documentation:
Using the Physical Signal Ports
The following rules apply to Physical Signal ports:
You can connect Physical Signal ports to other Physical Signal ports with regular connection lines, similar to Simulink signal
connections. These connection lines carry physical signals between
Simscape blocks.
You can connect Physical Signal ports to Simulink ports through special converter blocks. Use the Simulink-PS Converter block to
connect Simulink outports to Physical Signal inports. Use the
PS-Simulink Converter block to connect Physical Signal outports to
Simulink inports.
Physical Signals can have units associated with them. Simscape block dialogs let you specify the units along with the parameter
values, where appropriate. Use the converter blocks to associate units
with an input signal and to specify the desired output signal units.
Any sensor block in Simscape (in whatever physical domain) will output a physical signal. You can then convert it into a normal Simulink for feed to your controller. Similarly, any source block in Simscape (in whatever physical domain) will take a physical signal as input.
I suggest you just read the Simscape product page
In particular,
Simscape components represent physical elements, such as pumps, motors, and op-amps. Lines in your model that connect these components correspond to physical connections in the real system that transmit power.
Accompanying that description is the following image, which shows how Simscape models can be far more intuitive to build than a model which uses standard signal. This means models are far more maintainable and clearer to, for example, engineers who may not have a comp-sci background.
Let's delve into what a "physical connection" is somewhat.
[Simscape] employs the Physical Network approach, which differs from the standard Simulink modeling approach and is particularly suited to simulating systems that consist of real physical components.
[ ... ]
Each system is represented as consisting of functional elements that interact with each other by exchanging energy through their ports.
You stated in your question that both methods have a flow direction. This is wrong!
Simscape blocks try and balance the energy between the inlet(s) and outlet(s). For instance a fixed orifice in a fluid system may have high pressure on one side. Simscape will try and solve the pressure balance each iteration. You would need some custom Simulink subsystem to achieve this if not for Simscape.
What is the added value of simscape physical signals compared to normal simulink signals?
What is it that you think Simscape physical signals provide? Is it one number? How do you solve a mass-spring-damper system with just position? It's position AND it's speed AND it's acceleration.
I can add units to both types
No you can't. You put whatever you want in Simulink. You don't get to choose anything about what's in the physical signal in Simscape. You can specify units in the blocks that the signals connect, but you don't get to pick what the pipe itself is carrying.
they both have a direction of flow
No they don't. Your head and your torso are connected. There's no directionality to this. They're just connected. The physical signal is likewise just showing that (things) are physically connected. Again, the mass-spring-damper system: If the damper points to the mass, and the spring points to the mass, then is there any possibility that the damper could affect the spring? Yes, of course. The damper affects the spring because the damper affects the mass and the mass affects the spring.
The spring affects the mass, and the mass affects the spring. The signal is bidirectional. You're confusing signal directionality with kinematic chains.
they both have similar function blocks like adding, substracting
If you're on a train that's going 30 mph, and you're walking forward at 3 mph, how fast are you going relative to the world frame? What if you're walking backward? There is a physical meaning in adding and subtracting physical signals.
[For] physical signals the available types of [function blocks are] very limited
What is it that you're thinking they're missing? Can you also provide a description of what the physical meaning of that function block would be?
Why didn't the matlab guys just use normal simulink lines instead of the physical signals?
Because they're not the same. The biggest point is probably that Simscape is signal + derivative + second derivative, but again they're just conceptually different. Simulink is an easy way to write code - do this step, move along the arrow, do the next step, etc. Simscape is a pictorial representation of a physical system. The physical signal lines just show that things are connected. The system gets solved simultaneously.
I don't think it's mainly about the enforcement of physical signal units, nice though this is.
I think it's about the solver - and before it gets to the solver, about the choice of states and equation causality - rearranging the equations ready to be solved.
Simulink doesn't have any truck with this and just gets straight on with integrating signals as a succession of samples. I know it gets complicated with variable step solvers, but they are only doing extra fancy numerical analysis with the sampled data. Integration and the here-and-now is what it's all about!
Simscape just starts with a bucket of variables and a bucket of equations that variously depend on said variables. A 'bipartite graph', I believe they call it.
Just as we have to navigate a route through simultaneous equations to pick off the simple ones and substitute (or the matrix equivalents of this) Simscape has to do likewise in software so wants to keep alive augmented info on signals like which equations they are in and whether it knows or can easily obtain their derivatives, what they are, etc. Physical signals behave for us users just like Simulink signals, but I reckon they are there to provide the valuable service to Simscape of keeping this augmented info alive and linked between blocks so that one massive matrix equation can be formed for the whole system, not separate ones that get sampled as Simulink systems between Simulink blocks.
This rearrangement of equations ready for the more conventional solver getting stuck in is a black art indeed! We learn very little of how Simscape does it from the MathWorks docs, but you can install OpenModelica for free and see how that does it.
The description of the Simulink MATLAB package for Simscape Multibody says it can formulate the equations of motion for a mechanical system. I searched everywhere in the documentation and examples and I can't find a single example of how to do this, is there a specific block or does it actually mean the software calculates the equations as a black box and can't be extracted? Additionally, I'm also looking to calculate and simulate the natural frequencies of a planetary gearbox, can this packages also do this?
I'd appreciate any comments and suggestions, thank you!
https://uk.mathworks.com/help/physmod/sm/
"You can model multibody systems using blocks representing bodies, joints, constraints, force elements, and sensors. Simscape Multibody formulates and solves the equations of motion for the complete mechanical system. You can import complete CAD assemblies, including all masses, inertias, joints, constraints, and 3D geometry, into your model. An automatically generated 3D animation lets you visualize the system dynamics."
Simscape Multibody solves the equations of motions under the hood, it does not make them available to the user. It is in effect, a black box.
With regards to vibration analysis, this can be done in the Simscape Driveline package. Though the level of detail might not be high enough to do this for a single planetary gearbox.
There's a tool called simscape2casadi that, though in alpha stage, claims to be able to do what you want. A description can be found in this paper and the code can be found in this git repository. Please note that it requires Simulink Coder to generate C code from your model.
Is there a way to create an input/output port in Simulink (some workaround)? The port would be a bus and some signals are set from outside the block while some signals are set by the block. Here is an example:
Given the following bus:
Flow (scalar)
Composition (vector)
Enthalpy (scalar)
I would like Flow to be set from outside the block (there's a pump downstream which sets this value). Composition and Enthalpy are computed by the block.
My solution so far: Make Flow an input into the block and with direct feedthrough set it on the outport. I don't find this solution intuitive because from a graphical point of view the outflow becomes an input into the block (which is true from a math point of view - but I would like to make the Simulink diagram intuitive). I've seen in Modelica the possiblity to create input/output ports (RealPort) and the signal could be read or written by the block. I would need such a feature in Simulink.
It sounds like you need to use Simscape and SimHydraulics, which do excatly what Modelica does, but within Simulink. Each physical domain is represented with through and across variables, which are flow rate and pressure for the hydraulic domain. However, that's extra $$/££/€€ and a new modelling paradigm (you don't think in terms of inputs and outputs anymore)...
If you stay with Simulink blocks, there isn't much else you can do above what you've already done, although I assume you mean the flow is set on the input, not the output.
I am new to designing real time plant models in simulink, and i have to include a 2 way directional valve in my model, i could take the orifice model and make the pressure differentials zero when direction is from B->A. Can i use an integrator to do the same? or is there a more appropriate block that is less complicated?I am using MATLAB 2012b
Thank you!
I'm simulating a shaft system in Simulink, where I have to find the displacement of a mass. I'm not sure how to model this in Simulink because of the shaft and pulley. I'm looking through the documentation and the closest thing I see to a shaft is the wheel and axle block. But the shafts are connected by a flexible shaft, which is similar to a spring. Any ideas?
This is a fairly trivial task when using SimScape, which is especially made to simulate physical systems. You'll find most of the blocks you need ready from the library.
I've used SimScape to create a model of a complete hybrid truck... In Simulink it can be done, but you'll need to build your own differential equations for the task. In your case, the flexible axle could be translated to another block with a spring/damper system inside.
If you haven't got access to SimScape, you may also consider to use .m (matlab) files to write your differential equations. This can then be used as a block in Simulink, varying (only) a few parameters over time.
Take this step by step:
1. Draw a free body diagram, write out equations for all the forces as a function of displacement, velocity and acceleration of every element (including rotation obviously). For instance, you know that force on the box m will be *c*dy/dt* plus whatever the pulley experiences.
2. Sort out the rotation of the rod first. You know that *T=I*d(omega)/dt* if you get rid of the rest of the system. So, do something analogous to the car engine example of MatLab: Divide the input T by I to get the acceleration, integrate it to get velocity and one more time to get rotational displacement.
3. Keep adding bits one by one. First, you know that there will be a moment proportional to k*(theta_1-theta_2) acting. This will oppose the motion of rod 1 and act to create motion of rod 2. Add a new "branch" to your model to get theta_2 same way you got theta_1.
4. Go on including further elements...