Text File Import

In This Topic

Text File Import (Input of Measured Values)

General

This interface is used to read measured values from an external file to EBSILON^®Professional.

You have to specify a complete set of measured values in this file. Before reading the file, EBSILON^®Professional resets all measured values in the cycle to empty. Therefore, measuring points that are missing in the file are considered to be empty. This behaviour is different from the User Excel Interface, where values that are not specified remain unchanged.

Each line of the input file describes one measured value to be imported.

All values will be imported into the active profile.

For measured values, you have to specify the name only, and the value.

Additionally, it is possible to import component specification values and model variables by this interface.

It is possible to specify a unit for each value. If you omit the unit, be sure to use the right settings for the default units.

It is possible to use an Excel file instead of a text file for this interface.

Preparing a Text File

Use an editor to create a text file

Lines starting with #, *, $ or // will not be interpreted. They are comments.

Each line must specify

the name
the value
the unit

Depending on the name, there are three types of input lines

Lines containing data for components of type Measuring Point (component type 46)
Lines containing data for other components
Lines containing data for model variables

The value is a real number. You can use either a . or a , as decimal separator.

The unit must be specified as text (mbar, °C,&). You may omit this entry. In this case, the default unit is used.

To separate the entries, you may use blanks, tabs, commas or semicolons. If you use the comma as entry separator, you should not use it as decimal separator simultaneously.

Lines containing data for components of the type Measurement Point

The line consists of

the name of the measuring point, followed by,
a separator, and
the value to be imported (a real number),
a separator (optional),
a string with the unit (optional).

The value will be imported into the current profile and will supersede the Measured or start value identified by MEASM.

Example: The component MeasuredMassFlow is a mass flow measuring point (number 46). The line

MeasuredMassFlow ; 211.0 ; kg/s

sets the Measured of start value (identifier MEASM) of this component to 211.0 kg/s for the active profile.

Lines containing data for components of other types

The specification value should be defined with the EbsScript syntax (ComponentName.SpecName). For compatibility with Ebsilon 7 input files, the syntax ComponentName#SpecName will be recognized as well.

The line consists of

the name of the component, followed by a
. or #
the identifier of the specification value, and
a separator and
the value to be imported (a real number),
a separator (optional),
a string with the unit (optional).

Values will be imported in the current profile.

It overwrites the value of the specification value specified by the identifier and the components name.

Example: The component SteamGenerator is a component of type Steam Generator (number 5). The line

SteamGenerator#P2N ; 212.0

sets the nominal life steam pressure of this component to 212.0 bar for the active profile.

Lines containing data for the model variables

In EBSILON^®Professional there are two types of model variables: global variables and profile-dependent variables. You can read values for both types of variables with this interface, if the variables are defined as INTEGER or REAL. This interface cannot be used to insert STRING variables.

For the specification of the variables use the EbsScript syntax (@model.VarName1, @prof.VarName2).

The line consists of

the keyword @model (for a global variable) or @prof (for a profile-dependent variable),
a "."
the name of the variable
a separator, and
the value to be imported (an integer or real number).

Values for profile-dependent variables will be imported into the current profile. Previous values will be overwritten.

You cannot use units for these variables.

Example: Assume we have a global real variable called DblVar1, a global integer array called Arr1 and a profile-dependent real variable called DblVar2. The lines

@model.DbIVar1                     0.5
@model.Arr1[1]                        5
@model. Arr1[2]                       7
@model. Arr1[3]                       10
@model.DbIVar2                     1.25

assign the value 0.5 to DblVar1, the values 5, 7, 10 to the first three elements of Arr1 and a value of 1.25 to DblVar2 in the active profile.

Importing the Text File

To read the text file, use the menu command DataàMeasured ValuesàInput. A File Open dialog is opened where you can browse for the file to be imported. By default, the file extension for ASCII input files is .inp, but you may use another extension (e.g., .txt) as well if you switch to All files in the file type drop down box.

When you click OK, the input file is read and transferred to your model to the current profile.

Using an Excel File for Input

Input with Interactive Selection of the Input Value

Instead of a text file, you can use an Excel file for import. To prepare the Excel file, use one column for the names (either measured values or specification values and one column for the values. Your data can start in any row you like. You cannot specify units with this interface.

To read the Excel file, use the menu command DataàMeasured ValuesàInput as for text file import, but select an .xls file instead of a text file. Now you have to specify where in the Excel file EBSILON^®Professional can find the input data.

When the dialog window opens, you have to perform the following steps:

Click on Open Excel File. Now, Excel is started and your Excel input file is opened.
Within Excel, select with the mouse the corresponding cells that contain your input data. You do not have to save or close the Excel sheet. Caution: The two columns
- 1.Column: Name of the component 46
- 2. Column: Values to be imported - must lie directly side by side, so that you need to draw only one rectangle with the mouse for selecting. You must neither save the Excel sheet nor close it.
Return to EBSILON^®Professionalwhile Excel is still open.
Click on Import Data.

Now the selected data will be transferred to EBSILON^®Professionalto the current profile. The Excel file will be closed.

Input with formatting instructions

In the framework of the EBSILON^®Professional Performance Optimization System (E-POS), it is possible to use formatting instructions in the first row of the Excel sheet alternatively. If you have the license for this option and EBSILON^®Professional discovers the formatting instructions in the Excel file, the input data are read directly to EBSILON^®Professional without opening the dialog window. With this interface, you may read several profiles at one time and specify units for all entries as well.

See the description of the User Excel Import for details about the formatting instructions. The syntax of the file is the same in both cases. But even if you use the same file in both cases, the result may be different:

If you use the Measured Values Input (DataàMeasured ValuesàInput) to select the file, all measurement points (component 46) are set to empty before the file is read. Therefore, measuring points that are not included in the file will be empty.
If you use the User Excel Input (DataàUser ExcelàInput) to select the file, the measurement points (component 46) are not set to empty before the file is read. Therefore, measuring points that are not included in the file will retain their last value.

Unit Settings

It is possible to specify a unit as a third entry in each line of your text file, e.g.

DSP                       550         kg/s
P1                          60         bar
P2                          275         bar
PKOND                 6.32        mbar

If you specify the unit of your measured value explicitly in your text file, EBSILON^®Professional will convert the unit from the text file to the one required in EBSILON^®Professional, independently of any unit settings. This is the recommended procedure, because

you always get the correct interpretation even if you change certain settings
you do not have to worry about settings when you transfer your model and your input file to another computer
it is possible to use a specific unit for each entry (e.g. measuring some pressure in bar and others in mbar)

If you do not want to specify units explicitly, e.g.

DSP                       550
P1                          60
P2                          275
PKOND                 6.32

you have to care about the settings to be sure that your measured values are interpreted in the right way.

There are two possibilities:

using the unit system that is currently displayed on the screen
using the unit system that is stored within the model

To switch between these two settings, open ExtrasàGeneral Options, sheet User Interface à International Settings. There is a checkbox Use view units for input file without unit specification.

If you activate this checkbox, EBSILON^®Professionalassumes that your input file uses the units like you see them on the screen. This may be useful if you create your input file according to what you see. But you have to be careful when you change the display unit system. For instance, if you switch the unit system for the mass flow to t/h, the value for DSP would be interpreted as 550 t/h.

If you deactivate this checkbox, EBSILON^®Professional assumes that for each value, your input file uses the same unit as it was defined in the property sheet of the corresponding component (note that you have to turn the display unit system to From spec. value/result to see these units). In this case, it does not matter when you switch to another display unit system within EBSILON^®Professional. This setting should be preferred when you have to transfer your model and your input file to another computer which may have different EBSILON^®Professional settings. The same input file will lead to the same results then.

Example:

Preparation:

open the ExtrasàGeneral Options menu, sheet User Interface -> International Settings, and switch the unit system to From component.
open the property sheet for the measured value DSP and set the unit of MEASM to kg/s
open the property sheet for the measured value P1 and set the unit of MEASM to bar
open the property sheet for the measured value P2 and set the unit of MEASM to bar
open the property sheet for the measured value PKOND and set the unit of MEASM to mbar
open the ExtrasàGeneral Options menu, sheet User InterfaceàInternational Settings, and switch the unit system to User defined system. Click on Change, select Mass flow, click on Unit and select t/h. Close the window.

Now you may modify the checkbox Use view units for input values without unit specification and the setting for the unit system. If you do not change your input file, your data will be interpreted like this:

Checkbox	Unit system	DSP	P1	P2	PKOND
On	From spec. value/result	550 kg/s	60 bar	275 bar	6.32 mbar
On	SI unit system	550 kg/s	60 bar	275 bar	6.32 bar
On	UK unit system	550 klb/h	60 psia	275 psia	6.32 psia
On	user-defined	550 t/h	60 bar	275 bar	6.32 bar
Off	From spec. value/result	550 kg/s	60 bar	275 bar	6.32 mbar
Off	SI unit system	550 kg/s	60 bar	275 bar	6.32 mbar
Off	UK unit system	550 kg/s	60 bar	275 bar	6.32 mbar
Off	user-defined	550 kg/s	60 bar	275 bar	6.32 mbar

If you specify the units within your input file, the interpretation is correct in any case.

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