Quantitative systems dynamics: Comparison of modeling techniques for the simulation of electro-mechanical systems

This paper presents some comparative examples of the use of system dynamics (SD) for the modeling of electro-mechanical systems. The authors argue that many simulation models coming from sciences can be easily translated to SD, with a large number of advantages. The work has been developed in a multidisciplinary environment, where a lack of knowledge transfer between practitioners of these different disciplines is appreciable. In everyday practice, a clear methodology does not exist to evolve from a classical engineering to a system dynamics approach, from mathematical thinking to SD thinking. As engineers are fixed to quantitative results to specific problems, they need strictly quantitative models. This uses to be a critical point in SD where there is a large amount of qualitative modeling and quantitative modeling with soft variables. Through the comparison of the same problems solved with different modeling techniques, it is possible to show the advantages and disadvantages of each of them, and improve to a better understanding of both approaches.