Build 134 Release Notes

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Navigation: User Guide -> Revision History

• Build 134 is the fourth major release for SysCAD 9.2, first released on 16^th December 2011.
• See Revision History for a list of improvements and fixes after the first release of Build 134.
• See Upgrading Builds for a detailed recommended procedure for upgrading projects between Builds for the same version.
• See Build 133 Release Notes for a list of new features and changes from Build 132 to Build 133.
• See Build 132 Release Notes for a list of new features and changes from Build 131 to Build 132.
• See SysCAD 9.2 Release Notes for a list of new features and changes from SysCAD 9.1 to SysCAD 9.2 Build 131.
• For notes on upgrading SysCAD projects from 9.1 to 9.2 see Upgrade to SysCAD 9.2.

What's New and Changed

New Model: Simple Heat Exchanger

The new Simple Heat Exchanger is a generic "heat exchanger" model without regards to its size. It only supports a simple sensible mode of operation, so it does not allow condensing or evaporating on either side of the heat exchanger. Features include:

• It allows the user to specify the product temperature, temperature rise, temperature drop or duty for one side of the heat exchanger. It then transfers energy across from side to the other to meet the stated requirements.
• In the simplest configuration the energy is transferred from side to the other without there being any limits due to heat transfer area, heat transfer coefficient, or temperature cross-over. Warning messages are given, which can optionally be disabled.
• The model calculates and displays the flow rate required to meet the user specified requirements, this result can be used in an external controller to adjust flows or the simple heat exchanger can be connected to a demand source to auto adjust the flow through the normal Demand infrastructure.
• An optional side calculation to display a simple 'design' area is available.

New Model: Flash Tank 2

The Flash Tank 2 can be used to 'flash' a feed stream to produce a liquid and vapour product at a set pressure or temperature.

This has some enhancements compared to the Flash Tank model such as:

• It has an Evaluation Block (EB), which allows
  • Phase Change (PC) functionality such as Solubility to be switched on locally.
  • Reactions to be included
  • Makeup Blocks to be added
  • EHX to be switched on
• The user specifies whether to include it as part of a Flash Train macro model or to operate stand-alone. Flash Tank(1) tried to autodetect the connection mode.

New Model: General Separator

This model can be used as a general separator, especially for separating solids and liquids using the new Solid-Liquid Separator sub-model. In addition, a number of sub-models through the use of Evaluation Blocks are available which makes this model very flexible so that it can be used to model many types of separation units.

New Model: Evaporator

The Evaporator can be used to 'flash' a feed stream to produce a liquid and vapour product at a set pressure or temperature.

The model can be configured to work the same as the Flash Tank or Flash Tank 2 unit models. It includes the Evaluation Block (EB) which allows reactions, etc. Additional functionality includes:

• The flashed (evaporated) vapour stream can be connected to a Flash Train macro model, as a steam source.
• Internal or External Heat Exchange options are available. The internal heater option includes a built in recycle, which solves efficiently compared to using an externally connected heat exchanger. When using the internal heater in condensing steam mode, this can be connected to a Flash Train Macro model, as a steam sink.
• An optional overflow liquor outlet is available which can be used with the new Solid-Liquid Separator sub-model to separate solids and liquids.

The user can choose to include it as part of a Flash Train, as a steam source and/or steam sink to internal heat exchanger.

New Sub-Model: Solid-Liquid Separator

The Solid-Liquid Separator sub-model is available in the new General Separator and Evaporator models. It allows splits between two outlets based on:

• Mass Fraction
• Mass Flow
• Volume Fraction
• Volume Flow
• Solid Separation

The first four methods are similar to the GM model. The last method allows a solid liquid separation to be specified, similar to the Thickener and other Mass Separation Models.

For all methods, the user may select species to bypass this logic and directly send a fraction of each of them to either the underflow or overflow outlets.

New Potash Add-On

The Potash Add-On includes:

• Potash Solubility - a Potash Solubility "System" model is available for use in the Phase Change (PC) block. The solubility of KCl and NaCl will be calculated, taking into account the presence of both KCl and NaCl, as well as MgCl2.
• Potash Evaporator - similar to the new Evaporator model with an extra 'leg' option and other Potash specific displays and options.

New Quality: Material Tracking

Material Tracking is a new Qualities model. Material Tracking can be used to 'track' one or more species in a project. For example, if a project has different feed sources to a plant, they can track these sources and SysCAD will show how much of any stream or product is attributable to each source of material.

Material Tracking is a Quality, similar to Size Distribution (PSD) and LockUp.

Qualities

• New Quality Material Tracking
• Improved efficiency, management, speed, transfer, memory use and consistency (data entry, management, etc) for all of the Qualities Models.
• Modify Content (Surge): The Qualities (such as Size Distribution (PSD), LockUp and Material Tracking) of a Content may now be modified. This functionality applies to surge units such as Tanks and Multi-Storage units used in Dynamic models.
• For dynamic models with contents (e.g. tank, conveyor, etc), the qualities are now saved and recovered.

Reaction Block (RB)

1. RB solver speed improvement
2. Improved handling of Reaction Source with extent methods such as Final Concentration.
3. Some optional additional displays of extra information for individual reactions.

New Calculation Functions

Significantly enhanced the capabilities of calculations to allow simple and complex property and similar display of properties.

1. Reorganised terms window, including options to help complete function parameters for selection. Improved error checking of expressions.
2. Added Min, Max and Range functions.
3. Added If(,,) function.
4. Added functions to access environment parameters.
5. Can optionally use user specified temperature and pressure in calls to properties.
6. Discontinued/renamed some calculation functions
7. For 'User Property Calculations' added a check box 'Separate Tab' to place user calculations on a separate tab page in the access window; and added an option to specify labels for use as separators or headings between calculations.

PGM and MP Improvements

1. When declaring a variable, you can now specify Min OR Max value for the range. See Declaring Variables with Ranges. In previous Builds the Min AND Max had to be specified.
2. For convenience, there is an Edit button at top of each Access window page.
3. We no longer allow a dot (.) as part of variable declaration. For example "double Tank.ExitFlow" is not allowed. PGM will fail to load.

Model Improvements

1. Falling Film Evaporator 2 improved options, tags and messages. Sends non-condensables to vent connection. Can connect steam supply to general demand or flash train steam source.
2. Barometric Condenser improved options, tags and messages. Option for specifying Hotwell pressure. Improved
3. Simple Heater has improvements in optional sizing side calculations. Also includes some tag changes and rearrangements.
4. New VLE Relative Humidity option in Feeder-Cross Page Connector and Makeup Source.
5. The Evaporation Block (Evap) has a NEW Surface Area evaporation method (ASHRAE).
6. The Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger(1) has improved fully evaporating mode, logic, options and messages.
7. The Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger(1) now requires a vent connection when specifying a vent required flowrate.
8. Cooling Tower can now be used with General Demand as it now calculates an adjusted flow demand through feed to liquor outlet.
9. The Compressor model can now be included in a flash train steam line (Build 134.11149). Added MaxPRatio option.
10. The Belt Conveyor II model has been improved significantly (Build 134.11184). It can now operate with small and large step sizes.

Alumina 3 Bayer Species Model Improvements

1. New display of A and C Equilibrium Concentrations - similar to ASat, but accounting for changes in overall composition as equilibrium is reached.
2. New ASatMethod "RosenbergUser" which is the Rosenberg Healy method but allows the user to adjust any of the constants.
3. New display of BPE@P (in addition to existing BPE@T). These are equal when mixture is saturated.
4. Added Alumina1 implementations of Dewey and Adamson Boiling Point Elevation correlations to Alumina3 Bayer Species Model to facilitate conversion comparisons when converting projects from using Alumina 1 Bayer Species Model to using Alumina 3 Bayer Species Model.

Precipitator3 Model Improvements

1. New Precipitator3 PSD methods:
   • Additional Agglomeration Kernels - implementation of Ilievski & White 1997 size and temperature dependent kernel
   • Fixed Growth Rate
   • Free and Restricted in space agglomeration calculations
2. Organics species now optional
3. Precipitator3 unit model has been moved from Alumina3.DLL to Alumina3Units.DLL

Graphics Improvements

1. New Change Model Unit command. This allows the user to change the underlying mathematical model of a unit, and remap the pipe connections. You no longer need to delete a unit and its pipe and re-insert the different unit and re-insert the pipes.
2. New Disconnect Link and Connect Link commands now allow SysCAD to support disconnected pipes during flowsheet construction. This allows you to disconnect pipes and reconnect them to different ports or units. If you delete a model it no longer automatically deletes the connected pipes. Note: You cannot solve the model until all pipes are connected.
3. The Delete (and Explode, etc) commands no longer automatically select the links connected to a unit, because disconnected links are now allowed. The option to unselect models has been added which is ideal when you incorrectly select a model.
4. New graphics Zoom and Pan with Mouse Wheel functionality. This makes it significantly easier to navigate around a busy drawing.
5. The Insert Link dialog has been improved (reduced size).
6. Export Symbols. User Symbols can now be placed in the \BaseFilesUser\Symbols folders.
7. Snap to Grid. Large and small grid for inserting units, links, graphics, etc. The grid sizes can be set in General Options - Graphics.
8. New option to select heading for printing (or copying to bitmap) of SysCAD graphics. See General Options - Graphics.

Usability Improvements

1. SysCAD now checks for and reports Composition Fetch conflicts. Improved display when a composition fetch is active in a feeder.
2. GenDesc is a NEW field that contains automatically generated descriptions for units. For pipes the description contains either:
   • Text entered by the user in the EqpDesc field in the Info tab page; or
   • If the 'EqpDesc' field is blank, then it copies the text from the ConnectDesc field, which is generated using the pipe source and destination unit tag names.
3. New BaseFilesUser folder, along side BaseFiles folder, for all global user settings, user Symbols and user engineering conversions. BaseFiles now only contains Kenwalt supplied files (can be deleted or replaced with new install or updates). Conversions are no longer loaded from SysCAD.92.mdb in BaseFiles, instead additional conversions can be placed in Conversions.mdb in the BaseFilesUser folder. Please also see SysCAD Files.
4. The General Model (GM) now has an added Target option for required flows. This allows user to switch off messages for SplitFlows requirements not being met.
5. Implemented mousewheel scroll for Access window.
6. Updated toolbars and menu options, primarily for new graphics commands.
7. Added button that displays a count of condition messages on the Solver Status window. This gives a shortcut to go and view the condition messages; and an easily visible display of the number of conditions that may need attention.
8. Rearranged some model DLL file names and the models in these DLLs. For Build 133 and 134, the cfg file has separate sections for DLL and model lists so that the same cfg file can be used for both Build 133 and Build 134.
9. Expanded groups for selecting models when editing cfg files.

Other

1. Improved detection of Flash Train Macro model connections. Enhanced logic for pressure selection in flash train units where there are multiple streams that may or may not be part of the flash train model or have zero flow and ineffective.
2. Allow setting of size distribution in QProd of Tie.
3. Improved display, range checks and warning messages for Saturation display when component is not H2O.
4. Added Critical Temperature to the list of displayed species properties on the Species Properties ($SDB) 9.2 Vapours page.
5. Minor copy to clipboard improvements for Species Properties Reports.
6. Added 'Custom' set (which is mainly SI) to current 'Metric' and 'American' conversion sets for Conversions management.
7. Improved reset and off action for a number of unit models.
8. Improved Audit/Closure/Tear/Range Settings, more consistent.
9. Some memory improvements. Memory requirements for a loaded project reduced.
10. Removed unused $Classes and $Properties tables in saved database which reduces model database size and slightly improves save and load times.
11. Renamed some access window tab page names for consistency. Changed the species list page to always be "Sp" rather than "Mf", "Qm", etc. based on the View selected.
12. Tag changes: General improvements in consistency in tag names in various unit models. Added some additional tags for additional information.

SMDK (SysCAD Modeler Developers Kit)

1. Significant enhancements to API and helper classes in "SysCAD Model Developers Kit"
2. SMDK is now independent of MFC and ATL. Allows compilation in Visual Studio Express.

Build 134 Changes that may affect results or project upgrade

1. PGM and MP tags defined by a user may no longer include a dot (.) as part of the tag name. For example you cannot define a tag such as "double Tank.ExitFlow", instead you should use "double Tank_ExitFlow" or "double TankExitFlow". These will cause PGM's to fail to load. IMPORTANT: Correct PGM load errors and exit the project (and reload again and check) before any projec saves. If you save a project that is upgraded before fixing PGM load errors, you will lose the state of the PGM variables.
2. Stricter tests for conflicts in feeder configuration with composition fetch may result in new error messages and different behaviour (ignore composition fetch) when there is a conflict.
3. With improvements to reactions where there is a species source and some combinations of reaction extent types, the reaction results may differ.
4. With improvements to Flash Train Macro model detection and management, it is possible in some arrangements that the resulting pressure may differ.
5. Changes to tags in models recover automatically. Where "old" tags are used in referenced files (example PGM, PID, Excel, etc) there is typically a warning message about tag change. These changes to tags should not affect project upgrade or results, but these references should be corrected for future use.