Models Configuration (.cfg File)
From SysCAD Documentation
Navigation: User Guide - General -> Models Configuration (.cfg File)
Related Links: Species Table in 9.1, Editing SysCAD Database in 9.1, Size Configuration
NOTE: This page is valid for SysCAD 9.1, see Project Configuration (cfg File) for SysCAD 9.2.
Contents |
Introduction
The project.cfg (model configuration) file is edited by the user to customise each SysCAD project or project group. When the Project Configuration command is activated, the following pop up window will be loaded.
WARNING: This is only available when a SysCAD project is NOT loaded.
This dialog box is similar to that of the Creating A New Project Project dialog box, please refer to it for more information. The Dll Path text boxallows the user to enter the search path for SysCAD executable and dlls, if not stored in the \SysCAD91\bin folder.
To edit the configuration file, select the file to be edited from the Project Configurations Dialog box as shown above, press Edit. The following pop up window will appear:
NOTE: Not all models are available to all users. Please check your license agreement to see what models are available for use. Section Models lists the standard models set available to user with standard licenses.
This Window allows the user to select the required models for use in projects. You may select (marked by the blue tick) or de-select models as required. Each dll (Dynamic Link Library) group shown in the above window contains a number of models, as indicated by the + box on the right hand side. By clicking on this + box, the user can expand the tree view and see the models available in each dll group. This is shown for the HeatXch1 group.
- To select ALL of the models in a group click on the group and a blue tick will appear.
- To de-select an entire group, click on it and the blue tick will disappear.
- To select (or de-select) only some models in a group, click on the + box so that the view is expanded and you can see all of the models in the group. You may then select individual models.
- When only some models in a group are selected, this is indicated by the blue tick having a grey background.
Based on the models selected, a second dialog box with varying number of tab pages will appear for further customisation when the Next>>> button is pressed.
Cfg | Configuration
Description
This is Optional. A description of the configuration file may be entered here. This should be kept short and meaningful as it is used in the Open Configuration Dialog box - xxxx.cfg(description).
Solution
This lets the user select which mode the default project should be set at, note that this will depend on license options.
Calculation Selections
Some default calculation options are set here:
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Dynamic Defaults - Surge Solution | For user wanting a mass balance only, this option can be set to Reduced or None to allow a faster calculation speed, however do take note that this would result in all streams having 25°C. |
| If the tank has no surge and should behave like Probal, then it is set as Direct, this option is for Transfer mode only | |
| If the tank has surge but requires a strict mass balance, then this should be set at Inline. | |
| If the SysCAD project contains recycle streams, then a Buffered tank should be added to the recycle stream to absorb the mass imbalance while SysCAD solves | |
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Dynamic Defaults - Flow Calculation | Transfer - user specified Capacities, used for dynamic transfer projects |
| Simple - flow calculated based on a relative pressure network, used when absolute pressure values are not available. | |
| Linear - flow calculation is linear | |
| Full - Use when full hydraulic prediction is required, all pipes, valves and pumps etc must have proper data for this to work properly. | |
| Dynamic Defaults - Heat Calculations: | As ProBal. See Above. |
Species Database
| Standard Temperature and Pressure |
Some of the chemical compound thermodynamic data are referenced to the standard temperature and pressure. The standard temperature and pressure are in degrees Celsius and kPa absolute, respectively. These fields must be provided. |
| Normal Temperature and Pressure |
Normalised volumetric flowrate is calculated using these temperature and pressure values in degrees Celsius and kPa absolute, respectively. These fields must be provided. |
| Temperature and Pressure Range |
The thermodynamic data for each chemical compound loaded is valid over the indicated temperature range. The temperatures are in degrees Celsius and pressure is in kPa absolute. These fields must be provided. |
Note: The temperature limits defined above limit the temperatures in SysCAD models. The temperature of a feeder can not be set outside these limits. The temperature in a pipe may drift outside these limits but on the next mixture of feeds (eg. feed to a unit), the temperature will be set to no less than 10 degrees below the minimum temperature and no more than 10 degrees above the maximum temperature. These limits will also be applied in a reaction block.
Defaults
The species model determines how the properties of streams containing a mixture of chemical compounds are calculated. This is selected from the pull down list.
Options
This allows you to define the tag naming rules. In the past, SysCAD has had problems with unit tag names being numeric; it caused confusion when building the solution. Therefore, it is recommended NOT to select the Tag may be Numeric option, so that SysCAD can give warnings on any potential problems.
Species
This tab page allows the user to select and organise the species' list for projects using this configuration file.
Adding a Species to the Configuration File
- Select the required species from the list of species in the left hand window, the Species Database list. This list contains all of the species available in the selected database. You may use the Filter to display only the liquids, the solids or the gases in a project.
- Then select the insertion point in the right hand window, the Display List. The new species (CO(g) in above example) will be displayed above the species that is clicked in the Display List, (CO2(g) in the above example)
- Then press the Add>> button.
- You may select one or multiple species at any one time.
- Blue ticks mark the compounds present in the Display List.
- A species may be removed from the Display List by clicking on the species and then clicking on the Remove button.
- If there is a red cross next to a species in the Display List this means that the species has been removed from the species database. If you wish to retain the species in the project list, then you must edit the species database and add the missing species. See Editing SysCAD Database for more information.
NOTE: SysCAD will list all the compounds from the project group SysCAD.mdb in the Selection List. In the above example, the project group is Tutorial, thus, all compounds from the SysCAD91\Tutorial\CfgFiles\SysCAD.mdb file will be displayed in the list. If the required compound is not listed, then the user must first add it to the database. See Editing SysCAD Database for more information.
Increasing the Temperature Range of a Species
Temperature Extrapolation: When a compound is defined in the database, the user is required to enter the compound's valid temperature range, see Species Table for more information. However, sometimes a project may have temperatures that exceed these valid temperature ranges and SysCAD will flag them as errors. To avoid getting these errors you may specify an extended temperature range for a species by typing appropriate values into the Lo and Hi fields.
For example:
- The data for a species is defined in the temperature range 25 to 277oC.
- You may type a value of 10 into Lo and 30 into Hi.
- This will extend the temperature range of the species from 15oC (25 - 10) to 307oC (277 + 30).
NOTE: This does not change the answer obtained for heat capacity. The heat capacity will still be fixed at the value at the extreme of the temperature range (Ts or Te) as it was without the temperature extrapolation. The only difference is at what temperature the user receives a warning. See Heat Capacity for more information.
Ideal Gas Behaviour
For gas components, if the user has supplied a constant density value in the database but would like SysCAD to override it using ideal gas law, then the Ideal Formulation tick box should be selected. NOTE: this is option is for individual species only and not global.
Customising the Species Display Window
Changing the Order of Species
There are 4 defaults in SysCAD for displaying solids, liquids, gases and phase totals. You may select a default by clicking on the toggle Default button in the top right corner of the window. (The button will display the number of the default that will be used when it is clicked - this will change each time the button is clicked) Note: Clicking on this button will remove your own display set up.
The figure below indicates the default displays:
You may manually modify the components order by using the Move Up or Move Down buttons. Multiple compounds may be moved at any one time.
Adding a Separator or Custom Label
If you have grouped the compounds, you may add a separator to separate the groups and add labels to the separators.
- Select the first specie or calculation of the group by positioning the mouse over it.
- Click on the Label button.
- SysCAD will insert a separator, indicated by the symbol Ab followed by ........
- You may type in a Label name by double clicking on the text. If no Label is added, the default separator will be used.
Related information
Species Table in 9.1 and Density (Rho).
Size Configuration
This is only for users with the size distribution add on and includes Sieve Series, Size Distribution and Measurements.
