Design Alerts

Design Alerts are a powerful feature that can help speed up the modeling process and help verify that the model is behaving as expected. The creation of a Design Alert does not constrain or affect the operation of the model in any way. However, it automatically creates an output alert any time the design limit is violated. One common use case might be defining a maximum allowable pressure for the pipes in the model. While the output can be reviewed manually for these violations, this quickly becomes tedious as the model grows in size. Creating a Design Alert instead allows the engineer to spend less time reviewing output tables as any violation will be immediately identified.

The Design Alert Manager allows the user to create or modify Design Alerts. It can be accessed from the Tools Menu or in the Design Alerts tab in pipe and junction properties windows.

Design Alerts can also be created directly from the output, or can be imported/exported for use in other models.

The Design Alert Manager window.

Figure 1: Design Alert Manager

Creating and Applying Design Alerts

Click Create New Design Alert to add a new Design Alert to the model. The Design Alert Manager expands to allow the creation of the new alert.

A Name, Object Type, and at least one Parameter are required. Depending on the Object Type, a different selection of Parameters is available, as shown below. To add a Parameter:

  1. Select the desired parameter

  2. Select whether this is the maximum or minimum allowable value

  3. Enter the value with the appropriate units (if applicable)

  4. Click Add to List.

Several Parameter limits can be added to one Design Alert. For example, an alert can be created that requires a pressure within a range by adding both the maximum and minimum pressure limits.

To update a Parameter, simply create it again and click Add to List - the old value will be replaced with the new one.

Creating a design alert in the Design Alert Manager window.

Figure 2: Creating a Design Alert

Table 1: Available Design Alerts

Pipes General Junctions Pump Valves Heat Exchangers Reservoirs

Mass Flow Rate

Pressure Gradient Stag. Total

Pressure Stagnation

Pressure Static

Submergence Inlet Margin

Submergence Outlet Margin

Temperature Stagnation

Vapor Pressure Margin

Velocity

Volumetric Flow Rate

Gradeline Energy Inlet (EGL)

Gradeline Energy Outlet (EGL)

Gradeline Hydraulic Inlet (HGL)

Gradeline Hydraulic Outlet (HGL)

Pressure loss Stagnation Total

Pressure Loss Static Total

Pressure Stagnation Inlet

Pressure Stagnation Outlet

Pressure Static Inlet

Pressure Static Outlet

Head Rise

Mass Flow Rate

NPSH Margin Absolute

NPSHA

Overall Power

Percent of BEP

Pressure Discharge Stagnation

Pressure Discharge Static

Pressure Rise Stagnation

Pressure Suction Stagnation

Pressure Suction Static

Speed

Volumetric Flow Rate

Cv

Flow Area

Head Loss

K

Kv

Mass Flow Rate

Open Percentage

Pressure Drop Stagnation

Pressure Inlet Static

Pressure Outlet Static

Volumetric Flow Rate

Head Loss

Heat Rate

Log Mean Temperature Difference

Mass Flow Rate

Pressure Drop Stagnation

Temperature Inlet

Temperature Outlet

Volumetric Flow Rate

Liquid Height

Liquid Surface Elevation

Mass of Liquid in Reservoir

Volume of Liquid in Reservoir

At this point, the Design Alert still has not be created. To finalize it, click "Update/Add Design Alert."

The Design Alert Manager showing an Existing Design Alert.

Figure 3: An Existing Design Alert

The Design Alert now exists, but has not yet been applied to any objects in the model. To include objects in the model, select them in the pane on the right.

The Design Alert Manager showing a fully defined design alert.

Figure 4: Fully Defined Design Alert

Note that the application of Design Alerts can also be managed for individual objects in their Properties Window's Design Alerts tab.

The Design Alerts tab in the Pipe Properties window. This shows a design alert being applied to a pipe.

Figure 5: Apply Desired Design Alerts to this Object

When running the model, the selected object's output values will be checked against the limits that have been defined. If any of the Design Alerts are violated, the user will receive a Design Alert warning and the violating parameters will be highlighted in the output tables. Design Alert warnings can be double-clicked to take you to that object in the Workspace.

The Warnings tab and Pipes tab of the output window. The Warnings tab shows the design alerts in the model.

Figure 6: Design Alert Violations in Output

Design alerts are visible in every scenario in a model, but can be turned off or on for specific scenarios. When creating a design alert for the first time it will be active in that scenario and all descendent scenarios. For more information about scenarios, please read the Scenario Manager help topic.