Design Considerations for Dimensional Inference and Unit Consistency Checking in Modelica

• The Modelica language supports syntax for declaring physical units of variables, but it does not yet exist any defined semantics for how dimensional and unit consistency checking should be carried out. In this paper we explore different approaches and new constructs for improved dimensional inference and unit consistency checking in Modelica; both from an end-user, library, and tool perspective. A proposal for how dimensional inference and unit checking can be carried out is outlined and a prototype implementation is developed and verified using several examples from the Modelica standard library.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap -- Datavetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences -- Computer Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

dimensional analysis

unit checking

dimensions

types

Modelica

language design

Computer science

Datavetenskap

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)