Utility properties

In Process Model Manager Reference Manual utilities such as electricity and catalyst usage are represented as types of property. In other tools which use these utilities in their calculations they may be handled slightly differently. When setting up these properties in Process Model Manager Reference Manual you must mark them as Utility properties. Then when the model is exported they will be correctly handled in these other software products.

When the Operational Parameter type is Utility it is possible to associate a property with the selected utility. To associate a property with the utility:

1. Select the Utility Property check box.

2. Select the required property from the drop-down menu; the properties shown in the list can be further screened by using the Show properties menu.

3. Select the basis for the feed amount, either mass or volume based, and the required unit from the Feed Amount Unit menus.

4. Select the Consumption check box if this utility is consumed by the model. Leave the check box unticked if the utility is produced by the model. This setting ensures that when you Export to PlanStar, or when you Publish models and later use it in other tools such as Spiral Suite, the production and consumption of utilities is handled correctly.

   The Feed Amount Unit defines the amount of feed associated with the consumption/generation of a unit of utility. For example if you had the utility Catalyst Usage, and set its Feed Amount Unit to 100 tonne, then for every one hundred tonnes of feed to the process unit the amount calculated in the model of catalyst would be used.

   Similarly, the Unit defines the measurement unit for the utility, so if the utility were electricity, the Feed Amount Unit might be defined as 100 tonne, and the Unit as kw hr. If the electricity consumption was fixed at 225, then for every 100 tonnes of process unit feed, 225 kw hrs of electricity would be used.