Brock Engineering
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PROGRAMMING COMBINED DISCRETE-CONTINUOUS SIMULATION MODELS FOR PERFORMANCE

J. Frederick Klingener klingener@BrockEng.com

President, Brock Engineering
Roxbury, Connecticut 06783, U.S.A


Presented at the 1996 Winter Simulation Conference
Coronado, California, December 8-11, 1996

Proceedings of the 1996 Winter Simulation Conference
ed. J. M. Charnes, D. M. Morrice, D. T. Brunner, and J. J. Swaine


ABSTRACT

Continuous state variables in combined discrete-continuous simulation models (combined models) commonly represent physical quantities, such as fluid levels or temperatures, that are governed by physical laws, and these laws are expressed as differential equations of state. The combined simulation modeling program commonly integrates the differential equations numerically, in step with its computations that describe the evolution of the discrete events. In addition to the pitfalls familiar to numerical integration, special hazards due to the interacting discrete events may confront the analyst seeking high performance in a complex model.

This paper discusses some methods for obtaining accuracy and speed in the numerical integration of the continuous variables in combined models. The appendix discusses ways that the user can implement these methods in selected commercial modeling packages .


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Revised: 02/01/98 6:14 PM