Pipelines

The Pipelines page shows the pipelines configured in the model. These must be present in the standard plant flowsheet.

Each pipeline has a Capacity and a Default Flow Rate. Optionally, you can specify a Max Flow Rate.

Add, delete and rename pipelines

You can add, delete and rename pipelines in your Schedule case topology even if they are not in the original Plan topology.

To add a pipeline:

1. Go to the Pipelines page.

2. Click Add Pipeline in the Assets group of the Home ribbon tab. The Add Pipeline dialog box opens.

3. Enter a unique name for the new pipeline.

4. Click Add. The new pipeline is added to the table.

5. Configure the new pipeline by editing its properties in the table, and setting connections in the Topology page.

To delete one or more pipelines that have been added in Schedule:

6. In the Pipelines page, select the pipelines you want to delete. Selecting a cell in the corresponding table row is enough to select the pipeline.

7. Click Delete Pipeline in the Assets group of the Home ribbon tab. The selected pipelines are deleted.

To rename a pipeline:

8. In the Pipelines page, select the pipeline you want to rename. Selecting a cell in the corresponding table row is enough to select the pipeline.

9. Click Rename Pipeline in the Assets group of the Home ribbon tab. The Rename Pipeline dialog opens.

10. Enter the new name and click Rename.

You cannot delete or rename pipelines that are part of the original Plan topology.

Tip: You can also add, delete and rename pipelines and other asset types from the Topology page.

Pipelines added in Schedule have an information icon next to their name, with the icon tooltip showing the pipeline name followed by (added in Schedule).

Pipelines in the Tabular pane

Each pipeline has a certain capacity. When new material enters the pipeline, the existing material is pushed along it. When the pipeline capacity is exceeded, material starts flowing at the output end of the pipeline.

You can use different feedstocks as the input for a pipeline, which means that at any one time the pipeline may be filled with several segments of different feedstocks.

These concepts are represented graphically in the Tabular pane.

Each pipeline has a Start and End column, showing its status at the start and end of the period represented by each row. Different feedstocks in the pipeline are represented by different colors. Hover your mouse pointer over a cell to display a tooltip with the name and amount of each feedstock in the pipeline.

Pipelines in the Gantt pane

Click the arrow icon at the start of a pipeline row in the Gantt pane to reveal further rows for each pipeline source asset. Batches of material from each source are represented as bars of different colors. Labels on each batch show the destination asset by default, but you can configure the label from the Format Labels dialog. To open this dialog, click the Format Labels button in the Gantt pane toolbar.

Double-clicking on the configuration opens the Configuration Inspector, from which you can edit your pipelines and create new ones.

Split pipeline batches

Follow these steps to split a pipeline batch into two:

11. Right click on the batch bar in the Gantt chart and choose Split from the context menu. The Split Selection dialog opens.

12. In the Split Date field, change the date and time at which you want to split the batch.

13. In the New Name field, enter a name for the new batch resulting from the split. For example, if you have a batch called Previous and you split it, choosing Next as new name, the result will be two batches called Previous and Next.

14. Click the arrow button in the Split Condition cell to choose one of the following options:

    • At Specific Date: Split the batch at a specific time and date. This setting is equivalent to the Split Date field in the top left corner.

    • After Amount: Split the batch after the amount of material has reached a given level.

    • At Destination Working Max: Split the batch after the destination asset has reached its working maximum.

15. Click OK to confirm your choices and split the batch.

After you split a batch, both resulting batches share the same destination. You can edit either batch via the Pipeline Inspector to change the destination.

If your simulation mode is set to Manual, the split does not immediately show on the Gantt pane.

Inspect your pipelines

The Pipeline Inspector shows information about the selected pipeline and the transfer activities occurring via that pipeline. Use the inspector to update the destination assets for these transfers. To open the Inspector, go to the Display page and click the Inspectors button in the Home ribbon tab.

Pipeline transfers link their material source and the destination asset via the pipeline. Changes to the activity occurring at the material source or to activities on the pipeline during the time of the transfer affect the transfer details, while the destination asset is retained. The schedule updates with the new times for the pipeline activities.

The size, position and internal layout of the Inspector are preserved across sessions. These properties are preserved when you close and reopen the Inspector, or Schedule. You do not need to save your case explicitly.

The internal layout properties that are preserved include the following:

• The size and expanded/collapsed state of panes.

• The size and position of columns for advanced grids. The settings of legacy Grids are not supported.

The size and position of the Inspectors are preserved separately for each Display. You do not need to enter the Edit Mode of a Display for these settings to be preserved.

If you get a new version of a Display via the Synchronize pane, the local settings for the size and position of the Inspectors are overwritten.

Inspect batches

Information on batches is available in tabular form and as a chart.

The table displays the following information for each pipeline transfer:

The chart shows each batch and any overrides as regions of different colors.

The x axis of the chart represents time, while the y axis represent the pipeline capacity as percentage. Hover the mouse pointer on the chart to display a tooltip showing the percentage of pipeline filled with each batch at that point in time.

Change the zoom level of the chart by using the scroll wheel of your mouse while holding down the Ctrl key.

Pipeline activities and subsequent activity configurations

Each pipeline has a defined capacity. For material to exit the pipeline, other material must be injected upstream. Thus the exit time for material from the pipeline depends on the start time and rates of subsequent activities.

When pipelines are being used to transfer imports to tanks, the actual transfer itself is associated with the destination asset. Therefore, if the details of any subsequent activities change (such as the time or rate) the pipeline transfer activity also changes to ensure that the correct material is unloaded to the same tank. For example, if the activity pushing material out of the pipeline is moved back one hour, then the instruction to switch the pipeline output is also moved back one hour.

Example: Imagine a pipeline with a capacity of 100 kbbl. A pipeline loading transfer activity for 400 kbbl occurs at 08:00 at a rate of 200 kbbl/h to tank T101. A second pipeline loading for 400 kbbl occurs at 13:00 at a rate of 200 kbbl/h to tank T102.
For the first activity, to load tank T101 it is necessary to switch the pipeline output at 08:30 to start loading, and end at 13:30 to finish loading. Loading T102 should begin at 13:30.
Imagine that the second activity is altered, so that instead it begins at 14:00 with a rate of 100 kbbl/h. Now loading T101 should start at 08:30 and end at 15:00.

Related topics: For information on pipeline blends, see Pipeline Blends.