Andrea Bartolini

A Process Simulation Environment Based on Visual Programming and Dynamic Decoupling

This paper presents a visual environment for building process simulators which is specifi cally aimed at integrating the construction of a model and the organization of the corre sponding simulation code, providing the user with easy and extensive control of both phases. The environment relies entirely on a graphical programming language, which permits easy creation of flexible and effective user interfaces for the simulators. It adopts a modular approach, so as to simplify its maintenance and extension. A real-size case is treated to demonstrate the capacity of the proposed environment.

Object-oriented modelling and simulation of large-scale electrical power systems using Modelica: A first feasibility study

The development and safe operation of future national- and continental-level power systems calls for an open and flexible modelling environment that allows to easily introduce new models, adapt existing ones, and share them among national Transmission System Operators, as well as to integrate power system models with physical prime mover models. The Modelica language is being considered as a candidate for this purpose. This paper reports the first results of a feasibility study regarding the use of Modelica for large-scale electro-mechanical power system models, with many thousands generators, loads and transmission lines.

Power Plant Simulator Embedded in a Visual Programming Environment

Abstract This paper presents a visual environment for process modeling and simulation, together with its specialization to thermoelectric power plants. Though attention is focused on a specific class of plants, the environment has been designed under rigorous and more general specifications, concerning both architectural and user interface aspects. Features of power plant processes are specifically considered by implementing process libraries and solution schemes that allow the analyst to optimally structure its applications

Object-oriented modelling for control synthesis and commissioning in power plants: A case study on flue gas path control

This paper presents a simulation study for the model-based synthesis and commissioning of the flue gas path control in a coal-fired power plant. Thanks to the modular model structure and the complexity tailoring capabilities offered by the adopted Object Oriented Modelling paradigm, critical manoeuvres - such as those for a fan or main fuel trip - could be tested in a timely manner and with good accuracy. Both simulation and experimental data are reported, and some discussions are carried out on the proposed approach as a general modus operandi for simulation-assisted commissioning.

Object-oriented simulation for primary reserve scheduling in a combined cycle power plant

This manuscript describes a study on primary spinning reserve scheduling in a 420 MW combined cycle power plant, conducted by a convenient use of Object-Oriented Modelling and Simulation (OOMS). This allowed to optimise the control system to comply with the network code requirements in the presence of dynamic constraints posed by the machinery. An accurate simulation model was tailored to represent only the plant physical parts strictly related to the problem. This allowed to test different control solutions, and to find the best one right from the system engineering phase, with quite moderate an effort, thus drastically reducing the commissioning time, and helping also in the definition of the test schedule. Selected simulation and experimental results are presented and discussed, as both a validation of the model, and a proof for the efficacy of the adopted approach.