Marine electrical plant model code optimization to achieve soft real-time execution

This paper describes the process of optimizing a 450 volt shipboard power plant model. The model is developed in MathWorks^® Simulink^® and used for software-in-the-loop (SIL) simulation of real-time control systems. At a total block count in excess of 135,000, the model complexity reached the point it could not be compiled. Additionally, one of the project requirements was to maintain soft real-time execution when compiled. Through the use of a number of optimization techniques, these goals were achieved. The key optimizations discussed are architectural changes, legacy code conversion, and continuous to discrete conversion.