Running a simulation with different parameters on each loop

So basically I am modelling a hybrid PV-wind energy system. The main components effecting output are the number of PV arrays, the number of wind turbines and the number of batteries; nPV, nW and nB respectively.

So I want to run this using all possible combinations, eg 1-maxPv, 1-maxW and 1-maxB. I have the algorithm coded up to the point where the timestep t reaches the end. At which point it should then increase one of the parameters and run again.

I'm not sure what the best way to go about this would be. Would it be possible to construct a matrix of all the possible combinations and somehow use this in the loop for the nPV/nW/nB values at that instant? Or maybe a while loop which runs until all 3 values are at the max value (though I wouldn't be sure how I can code that without huge amount of if statements for each combination, and there's already a lot of ifs/elseifs in there already)

Any suggestions appreciated.

[Kaushik Lakshminarasimhan]

This is what 'for' loops are meant to do. Are you familiar with for loops?

[Maitiumc]

Yes I am. But I struggle to see how it can be used well. I will need to run the model with 1 to 10 PV, and 1:2W, 1:10B, and run all possible combinations

so sure, I can say

for n=1:10
   nPV = n
end

Similarly for the other two parameters, but how can I fix two or one parameters while I increment the other(s) and then reset the others once I'm ready to increment the one(s) I had leaving constant as I was increment the other?

for m=1:10
   nPV = m
        for n = 1:2
            nW=n
        end
             for p =1:10
               nB = p
             end
end

Maybe I've been staring at screens too long, but won't this method miss out on some possible combinations?

Answer 1

[John Chilleri]

Hello,

Kaushik Lakshminarasimhan was correct, for loops will check all options:

for nPV = 1:10
   for nW = 1:2
      for nB = 1:10
         % do whatever
      end
   end
end

nPV will be one and nW will be one while nB runs through everything else. Then nPV will be one, nW will be two while nB runs through everything else. Then nPV will be two, nW will start back at one, nB will run through everything, and it will repeat until all combinations have been checked.

Make sure you have them nested as I showed above.

Hope this helps!

[John Chilleri]

To be confident it contains all combinations, consider this.

With 1:10, 1:2, and 1:10, there are 10 x 2 x 10 combinations, so 200 combinations.

If you run

count = 0;
for nPV = 1:10
   for nW = 1:2
      for nB = 1:10
         count = count+1;
      end
   end
end

Then you'll see,

>> count

count =

   200