Choosing an Analysis Rule

After a Model has been created, Sigmafine analyses can be assigned and run on the model. Based on the goals and the information that is available, several different data analyses can be run on the model. Refer to the following \topics for detailed information about each available analysis.

• Mass Balance – Use the Sigmafine Balance to configure and run a Mass Balance. This balance is to support earlier versions of Sigmafine. The Sigmafine Balance configured to run a Mass Balance is recommended for new implementations.
• Volume Balance – Use the Sigmafine Balance to configure and run a Volume Balance. This balance is to support earlier versions of Sigmafine. The Sigmafine Balance configured to run a Mass Balance is recommended for new implementations.
• Component Mass Balance – A mass balance with the addition of a component balance. Both the mass and the components need to balance across balance points.
• Composition Tracking – This analysis uses inventory mixing models, flows, transfer start / end times, and Case start / end times to compute the material contents of flows, transfers, and inventory for a given time period.
• Sigmafine Balance – This analysis provides you the capability of running any linear optimization balance reconciliation. This is chosen to do a Mass Balance. This analysis finds the best solution of measurements resolved (calculated) into mass in the Model for all material flow and storage measurements. This is done through statistical least squares reconciliation by which measurements are weighted by their known precision (measurement tolerance).
• Energy Balance – Use this analysis rule to reconcile and balance concurrently mass and energy quantities in a process network. In addition to mass, any pair of extensive properties can be balanced if they are related by an intensive property such as specific energy.
• Gross Error Check - This analysis checks for realistic measurements or changes in measurement to try to pinpoint error in the data that is not due to measurement accuracy but more due to human or instrumentation error. The checks are done on data as well as Model configuration, and the user can select which checks are run. The Post-Gross Error Check is a validation used in conjunction with a data reconciliation to validate reconciliation results.

Each analysis has certain information requirements without which a useful result cannot be reached. For example, using the Mass Balance (Sigmafine Analysis Rule) without a way to resolve mass in the participating elements does not end in a useful result, or can lead to an unsolvable balance.

Each Model can be assigned multiple analyses. Similarly, each analysis can be performed at different intervals using the different time rules that are available. Time rules define calculation periods for the analysis rule.