Variable Causality in Bond Graphs Caused By Discrete Effects

Current approaches to the problem of switching between modes in continuous dynamic system models tend to confound modelling and computation. Here we introduce an alternative approach ensuring a clear distinction between the physical and computational levels. Our method is centered around the idea that the variability of causal directions should be accepted rather than being alleviated. Hence, we define an ideal bond graph switching element, to deal with this variability in a bond graph uniform and systematic way. We hereby maintain the abstraction level of the bond graph language as well as the possibility to perform initial model validation directly in the graph. III.1 Introduction 1 1 Introduction Theory of modelling dynamical systems is basically concerned with systems that have continuously changing properties. This is due to the fact that models are represented by a mixed set of algebraic and differential equations, typically dealing with continuously differentiable functions..