Cooling System, Creating Libraries - ANS (English Units)

Cooling System, Creating Libraries - ANS (Metric Units)

Summary

This example focuses on creating Engineering and Cost Libraries for a system, then connecting the libraries to the model in order to obtain accurate results based on the cost data.

Note: This example can only be run if you have a license for the ANS module.

Topics Covered

• Using external libraries

• Building engineering and cost libraries

• Using Scale Tables for cost

• Connecting and using existing engineering and cost libraries

Required Knowledge

This example assumes the user has already worked through the Walk-Through Examples section, and has a level of knowledge consistent with the topics covered there. If this is not the case, please review the Walk-Through Examples, beginning with the Beginner: Three Reservoir Model example. You can also watch the AFT Fathom Quick Start Video Tutorial Series on the AFT website, as it covers the majority of the topics discussed in the Three-Reservoir Model example.

This example is an addendum to the Cooling System - ANS example, but can be worked separately from the example.

Model Files

This example uses the following files, which are installed in the Examples folder as part of the AFT Fathom installation:

• US - Cooling System.fth

• US - Cooling System Libraries - ANS.fth

• Creating Libraries - Cost Templates.xlsx - template file for building cost libraries

• Creating Libraries.dat - completed engineering library

• Creating Libraries Costs.cst - completed cost library for Creating Libraries.dat

• Steel - ANSI Pipe Costs.cst - completed cost library for Steel - ANSI pipes

Step 1. Start AFT Fathom

From the Start Menu choose the AFT Fathom 12 folder and select AFT Fathom 12.

To ensure that your results are the same as those presented in this documentation, this example should be run using all default AFT Fathom settings, unless you are specifically instructed to do otherwise.

Step 2. Open the model

Open the US - Cooling System.fth example file and save it as a new file. We will not need the existing child scenarios for this example: right click on the Base Scenario in the Scenario Manager and select Delete All Children.

For the analysis we will be creating the library files for a completed model file to focus solely on using libraries as part of the costing and/or sizing process.

Step 3. Define the Modules Panel

Open Analysis Setup from the toolbar or from the Analysis menu. Navigate to the Modules panel. For this example, check the box next to Activate ANS and select Network to enable the ANS module for use. A new group will appear in Analysis Setup titled Automatic Sizing. Click OK to save the changes and exit Analysis Setup. A new Primary Window tab will appear between Workspace and Model Data titled Sizing. Open the Analysis menu to see the new option called Automatic Sizing. From here you can quickly toggle between Not Used mode (normal AFT Fathom) and Network (ANS mode).

Step 4. Creating an Engineering Library

If it is desired to size any of the junctions in the system, such as the pumps or elbows, the first step is to create an engineering library containing information for each of the junctions that will be sized. This engineering library can later be used to attach a cost library for the junctions. Engineering libraries can also be connected to future models to reuse any of the junctions in future systems.

Note: This step is not required if it is only desired to include pipe costs for the pipe material information included in Fathom, since the cost libraries for the pipes can be built off of the default Fathom Pipe Material Libraries.

To add a junction to an engineering library:

1. Define the junction in the workspace.

2. Select the junction, go to the Library menu, and choose Add Junction to Library.

3. Give the junction a meaningful name and add it to the desired library by selecting it from the list.

For the purpose of this example the model has already been fully defined, so we will just need to add the junctions to the library which we will be calculating the cost for. Follow the steps above to add Pump J4 and Bend J3 to the LOCAL USER LIBRARY. Give the pump the name Sizing 3000 gal/min and the bend the name STD Bend. In this case only one of each junction needs to be added to the library, since each of the pumps and bends in the model are identical. If we had multiple pump models, bend types, etc. then we might need to add multiple pumps, bends, etc.

The local user library is the default location where user junctions are placed for the local machine. If the junctions are stored in the local user library, it is possible to run all of the calculations, and attach a cost library for the junctions. However, this restricts the use of the saved data, as the local user library cannot be shared with other users or be moved to different machines. This is why it is often preferred to place the junctions into an external library. Follow the steps below to move the junctions:

1. Go to the Library menu and open the Library Manager.

2. At the bottom, select Create New Library, and give it the filename Creating Libraries. It is important to use a descriptive filename to avoid confusion later if the library needs to be reconnected, or sent to someone else.

3. Enter a Library Description. This is the name that will be displayed within the Library Manager itself. The description may be different from the file name, but it is typically recommended to make these the same to avoid confusion later. Use the name Creating Libraries for the description.

4. In the LOCAL USER LIBRARY, expand the Junctions option. The window should appear similar to Figure 1.

5. For both junctions that we added earlier, right-click the name, then click Move Content. In the Select Library window, click Creating Libraries and then click Select. This moves the junction from the local user library to the new external library. The pump and bend should now be visible within their respective sections on the right side of the window.

6. Select Close to complete the process. If you open the folder where the library was created in Step 4, the library file should now be available.

We are now ready to enter the cost data for the junctions in the model.

Step 5. Creating a Cost Library for the Equipment

Go to the Library menu and select Cost Library to open the Edit Cost Library window, which is used to create and view cost libraries. This window can also be accessed from the Sizing window on the Assign Cost Libraries panel. In this case we need to enter new cost data that we have obtained, so click New.

The list of Available Libraries should now be displayed as shown in Figure 3. Every cost library must be built off of an existing engineering or pipe material library. Browse to the newly created library, Creating Libraries. You may need to use the Browse button to find it if the library is not shown in the list. After you click the library to highlight it, click Select.

From here we will be brought to the General tab. The description field is used as the name displayed within the Library Manager, similar to with the engineering library.

The Notes field can be used to provide information on references, or other details which may be useful for tracking purposes. Notes can be seen when reviewing library contents later using Browse Library Contents.

The other item of note is the Multipliers table. This can be useful to apply multipliers to account for inflation or uncertainty, without needing to calculate the costs directly. Note that multipliers can also be applied within the Assign Cost Libraries panel, so be cautious to avoid duplicate multipliers.

ØIn the Description field enter Creating Libraries Costs, as seen in Figure 4. Now let’s move on to entering cost data. Click the Junctions tab to view the Junctions overview.

Within the Junctions tab each individual library item can be viewed under each Junction type. First expand the Pump section by clicking the +, and select the Sizing 3000 gal/min junction that was added earlier.

ØClick New Cost to add an item to the table. By default, a cost item will be added that is configured for cost entry per item. Costs can be categorized as Material, Installation or Maintenance Cost Type. This categorization becomes useful if it is desired to exclude certain costs from the calculation or the sizing, but otherwise does not impact how the costs are calculated.

Separately open up the excel spreadsheet titled Creating Libraries - Cost Templates.xlsx found in the Examples folder, and go to the Junction Costs (English) tab. The cost data for the pumps and bends can be seen here, categorized by cost type.

In this case we are sizing the pump, so rather than having a cost for a specific pump model, we have a range of costs specified based on the power requirement for the pump. We will need to enter this data into the Tables tab first before we can define the cost item on the Junctions tab. Back in AFT Fathom in the Edit Cost Library window, click on the Tables tab at the top of the window.

ØClick New Table to begin defining the data table, and name it US - Pump Material. Multiple Table Types are offered as the dependent variables for the table, which can either be plotted against a set of multipliers which will be applied to a specific data point, or directly against cost, as can be seen in Figure 5.

The data we have available is the cost for pumps over a range of different power requirements, so choose Power and Cost as shown below, then click OK.

The new table name will now appear in the Tables list, and an entry section for Power vs Cost will become available. Copy the data in the excel spreadsheet for Pump Material, then click the Edit Table button and choose Paste. Make sure that the table Units have been set to hp. Repeat this process of creating a new table for the pump installation costs using the data from the spreadsheet.

Now that the data tables have been created, we must assign them to the pump junction in the Junctions tab. Click on the Junctions tab and make sure that the Sizing 3000 gal/min pump model has been selected, then enter the cost information as follows:

1. Description = Purchase

   • This row is optional, but can be useful to provide clarification on the source of the entered cost.

2. Cost Type = Material (NR)

   • Note that NR denotes a non-recurring cost type, while R denotes a recurring cost type.

3. Use Size Table = Table of Costs

4. Multiplier = 1

5. Size Scaling Table = US - Pump Material

Click New Cost to create a second cost item for the pump and enter the cost information as follows

1. Description = Installation

2. Cost Type = Installation (NR)

3. Use Size Table = Table of Costs

4. Multiplier = 1

5. Size Scaling Table = US - Pump Installation

We have specified the cost types for each of the pump data tables, and have assigned them to our Sizing 3000 gal/min model contained in the engineering library. However, we still need to input the data for the Bends.

On the Tables tab, follow the same process as outlined above to create two more tables containing the cost information for the bends contained in the spreadsheet. Both tables will use cost for the Table Format, with Diameter as the Table Type. Be careful when filling in the table data to be sure that the correct units are applied for each table. When you are finished there should be four tables total, as shown below in Figure 7.

To assign the tables, return to the Junctions tab. Select the Bend and add two cost items, one applying the material costs table, and one for the installation costs table. When you are done the Bend should have two costs, as shown in Figure 8.

Click Save, and give the cost library a name. We will use Creating Libraries Costs.cst in this case. It is often useful to give the cost library a similar name to the engineering library to make transferring and reconnecting the library faster. Once you have finished saving the library, click Close.

Step 6. Create Cost Library for Pipes

We now have costs for the equipment, but we still need costs for the pipes. In the Sizing tab in the model, go to the Candidate Sets panel by clicking the button. By expanding the existing Candidate set, it can be seen (as stated in the name) that we will need cost information for all STD Steel – ANSI pipe sizes from 1 inch to 36 inches.

1. Return to the Edit Cost Library window by going to the Library menu and selecting Cost Library, then click New.

2. From the Available Engineering Libraries list, click Steel - ANSI, which is the default AFT Steel-ANSI pipe materials library.

3. Click Select to choose this library. You should now be on the General tab of the Edit Cost Library window.

4. In Description, give the new pipe cost library the name Steel - ANSI Pipe Costs.

5. Go to the Pipe Materials tab. In the list section, we will be able to view all of the sizes and types for the Steel - ANSI material. Under Sort choose Material, Type or Schedule, Nominal Size so that they will be sorted by type rather than size.

6. Expand the Steel - ANSI list, then expand the STD list (Figure 9).

If a size from the list is selected, the hydraulic diameter is displayed, along with a summary of the material, size, and type. The New Cost button will also become active (Figure 9). There are a few methods available when adding the pipe costs. We could individually add the Material and Installation costs for each pipe size by selecting each size from the pipe materials list, then using the New Cost button to add these costs to the table individually. Alternatively, the pipe costs can be entered into a template in excel, then imported to the Cost Library all at once.

In this case, we have the Pipe costs available in a spreadsheet, so we will use the excel import/export option. To do this we will first export a template for the desired pipe sizes, then we will enter the cost information in the template and import the updated file as detailed below.

1. Make sure that the STD pipe material type is highlighted in the list, then click Export to Excel on the right side of the window. The Excel Export window should be shown as in Figure 10, with all Steel-ANSI STD pipe sizes displayed.

2. Click Export, name the sheet, and save it to an easy to find location. The name does not matter, but we will need to be able to find this spreadsheet later to import back into the cost library.

3. When Fathom has finished the export a message will be displayed notifying the user of a successful transfer. Click OK, then browse to the exported worksheet and open it. The exported worksheet should contain a list of the selected pipe sizes, with empty columns where the cost per unit length can be entered for each cost type, as shown in Figure 11.

4. Open the Creating Libraries - Cost Template.xlsx spreadsheet with the costs for this example. Navigate to the Pipe Costs tab, and copy the Material and Installation costs for the 1 inch to 36 inch pipe sizes into the worksheet that we just exported. Ensure that data is entered for material and installation for each of the sizes from 1 to 36 inch, and that the length units are listed as feet in the worksheet, since these were the length units used by the manufacturer for their pricing.

5. Save and close the worksheet.

Note: The length units used for the spreadsheet are taken from the default model units, which can be changed from User Options in the Tools menu.

Back in Fathom in the Cost Library window, click the Import from Excel button, then browse to the worksheet we just updated and open it. When the Import has finished click OK on the notification from Fathom, then click the 1 inch pipe size under the Steel - ANSI STD pipe type. The Material and Installation costs should now be filled in, as shown in Figure 12. Click Save to save the cost library with a unique file name Steel - ANSI Pipe Costs.cst, select Yes to make the library connected, then close the window.

Note: When using the Export/Import features for the cost library, it is not required to enter information for every size that was exported in order to import the worksheet. It is important to not delete any headings or descriptive information for the pipe data that was included in the template. Worksheets can be exported /imported as many times as desired, but whatever data is in the spreadsheet will overwrite anything existing in the library, meaning that if the costs are left blank for a size, any cost information will be deleted for that pipe size in the library. Due to this fact it is recommended to export the current information in the library first before importing any change information so that an accidental overwrite does not occur.

In the Library Manager, the new cost library should now be shown for the Steel - ANSI pipes, as shown in Figure 13, indicating that the pipe cost library was automatically connected.

Step 7. Define the Sizing window

To make use of the newly creating engineering and cost libraries, a few inputs are required in the Sizing window. Go to this window now.

A. Sizing Objective

By default, you should be on the Sizing Objective panel. For the Objective, select Monetary Cost. Then select Calculate Cost, Do Not Size.

B. Size/Cost Assignments

On the Size/Cost Assignments panel, make sure the Pipes button is selected at the top. Click All on the bottom left then click Always Include in Cost at the top to add all pipes to the Include in Cost list.

Click the Pumps button at the top to go to the pump size/cost assignments page. Select the radio button for both Pump 4 and 5 to Include in Cost Report Only.

Finally, go to the General Junctions button and add all four bends to the Include in Cost Report Only list.

C. Assign Cost Libraries

Go to the Assign Cost Libraries panel. All 22 pipes should assigned to the Steel - ANSI Pipe Costs library, as shown in Figure 14. Check the Pumps and General Junctions pages as well to confirm that those junctions are connected to the Creating Libraries Costs, as shown in Figure 15

In order to link our libraries to specific junctions in the model, we will need to apply the Engineering Library to the junctions in the Workspace. Open each of the pump junctions and select the Sizing 3000 gal/min item from the Library Jct list. Repeat this process for the four bend junctions in the model. Note that in this case the only thing that should change in the properties windows will be the name of the item from the Library list, since we created the library junctions based off of the junctions already defined in this model.

As a quick summary, we first connected the new libraries using the Library Manager. We then connected the junctions to the Engineering Library by using the Library Jct selection in each of the properties windows. In the Sizing tab we used the Assign Cost Libraries panel to select the corresponding Cost Library for each pipe and junction. The Assign Cost Libraries section is now complete.

Step 8. Run the Model and Check Output

Click Run from the toolbar or Analysis menu. Before the solver runs, the Model Diagnostics window will appear. Because there was no design requirements specified for the control valves, the control valves will add pressure if necessary. Typically, these messages should not be ignored. However, we will see from the output that the control valves will not add pressure. Therefore click Close on this message to dismiss it.

When the solver finishes, go to the Output window. On the Cost Report tab, the total cost should be $35,608. In the Library Sources tab in the Junction section, each of the Bends and Pumps should list the Creating Libraries Costs as their library source as shown in Figure 16. The Library Sources in the Pipes section should similarly show the pipe cost library Steel - ANSI Pipe Costs for both Material and Installation.