Implicit Unit Conversion in Modelica

Abstract

There are many situations in which a Modelica model needsto handle quantities which are not expressed in the oftenpreferred unscaled SI units. Applying correct unitconversions is extremely important in such situations, andthe risk of human error needs to be mitigated usingunit-aware technology. Considering the power of unitchecking mechanisms in several Modelica tools today, onecan be surprised that unit conversion in Modelica stillneeds to be performed using error-prone user-writtenformulas and functions. It is demonstrated how automaticand implicit unit conversion can be introduced in Modelica,and that this can be done safely. The benefits of thisapproach are illustrated in a variety of examples andapplications.