Parameterized Generic Classes

1 Class Parameters using Replaceable and Redeclare

Modelica classes and packages can be parameterized in a general way, corresponding to generic classes or packages. Both classes and variables which are members of some class can be used as a kind of formal class parameter by attaching the prefix replaceable in front of their declarations.

1.1 ResistorCircuit

ResistorCircuit, which is a class consisting of three Resistors connected at one node.

model ResistorCircuit // Circuit of three Resistors connected at one node Resistor R1(R = 100); Resistor R2(R = 200); Resistor R3(R = 300); equation connect(R1.p, R2.p); connect(R1.p, R3.p); end ResistorCircuit;

2 Class Parameters Being Components

The class ResistorCircuit has been converted into a parameterized generic class GenericResistorCircuit in the example below. In GenericResistorCircuit class parameters are components (instances or objects).

model GenericResistorCircuit // The ResistorCircuit made generic replaceable Resistor R1(R = 100); // Formal class parameter replaceable Resistor R2(R = 200); // Formal class parameter replaceable Resistor R3(R = 300); // Formal class parameter equation connect(R1.p, R2.p); connect(R1.p, R3.p); end GenericResistorCircuit;

A more specialized class TemperatureDependentResistorCircuit is created by changing the types of R1 and R2 to TemperatureResistor, which is a subtype of Resistor.

model TemperatureDependentResistorCircuit = GenericResistorCircuit( redeclare TempResistor R1, // Actual argument redeclare TempResistor R2); // Actual argument

Now we add a temperature variable Temp.

model TemperatureDependentResistorCircuit Real Temp; extends GenericResistorCircuit( redeclare TempResistor R1(RT = 0.1, Temp = Temp), redeclare TempResistor R2); end TemperatureDependentResistorCircuit;

TemperatureDependentResistorCircuit is equivalent to the class below. The prefix replaceable has been lost for R2 and R3, since we did not use redeclare replaceable.

model TempDepResistorCircuitInherited Real Temp; replaceable Resistor R1(R = 100); TempResistor R2(R = 200, RT = 0.1, Temp = Temp); TempResistor R3(R = 300); equation connect(R1.p, R2.p); connect(R1.p, R3.p); end TempDepResistorCircuitInherited;

3 Generalizing Constraining Types of Class Parameters

Sometimes it can be useful to allow a more general constraining type of a class parameter, e.g. TwoPin instead of Resistor for the formal class parameters and components comp1 and comp2 below. This allows replacement by another kind of electrical component than a resistor in the circuit.

3.1 Connectors

3.2 GeneralSimpleCircuit

model GeneralSimpleCircuit replaceable Resistor comp1(R = 100) extends TwoPin; replaceable Resistor comp2(R = 200) extends TwoPin; TempResistor R3(R = 300); equation connect(R1.p, R2.p); connect(R1.p, R3.p); end GeneralSimpleCircuit;

The generalized parameterization properties of GeneralSimpleCircuit are used below when replacing the circuit components comp1 and comp2 with components of the types Capacitor and Inductor that are subtypes of TwoPin.

model RefinedSimpleCircuit extends GeneralSimpleCircuit( redeclare Capacitor comp1(C = 0.003), redeclare Inductor comp2(L = 0.0002)); end RefinedSimpleCircuit;

4 Class Parameters Being Types

A formal class parameter, can also be a type, which is useful for changing the type of many objects. For example, by providing a type parameter ResistorModel in the class below it is easy to change the resistor type of all objects of type ResistorModel, e.g. from the default type Resistor to the temperature dependent type TempResistor.

model GenericResistorCircuit2 replaceable model ResistorModel = Resistor; replaceable Resistor R1(R = 100); replaceable Resistor R2(R = 200); replaceable Resistor R3(R = 300); equation connect(R1.p, R2.p); connect(R1.p, R3.p); end GenericResistorCircuit2;

A more specialized temperature dependent circuit RefinedSimpleCircuit2 can be created where the resistor type TempResistor is supplied as an actual argument to the formal class parameter ResistorModel:

model RefinedSimpleCircuit2 = ResistorCircuit(redeclare model ResistorModel = TempResistor);

RefinedSimpleCircuit2 is equivalent to the "expanded" class RefinedSimpleCircuit2expanded

model RefinedSimpleCircuit2expanded model ResistorModel = TempResistor; replaceable Resistor R1(R = 100); replaceable Resistor R2(R = 200); replaceable Resistor R3(R = 300); equation connect(R1.p, R2.p); connect(R1.p, R3.p); end RefinedSimpleCircuit2expanded;