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Introduction

The Sigmafine Quality Tracking Analysis Rule (hereinafter Quality Tracking) estimates materials’ qualities along a Sigmafine model (especially in tanks and pipelines); the analysis is fully integrated with Sigmafine architecture and with other analyses such as Sigmafine Balance and Composition Tracking.

The term "Quality" refers to a generic numerical1 For alphanumeric properties, composition tracking analysis should be used. property (e.g. density, viscosity, chemical specie content, etc.) of a material, associated with a mixing rule that enables the calculation of the same property for a multicomponent mixture.

Similar to Composition Tracking, Quality Tracking is capable of calculating the genealogy (i.e. the source) of material packets that are moving in the model. Based on preliminary information, Quality Tracking calculates final qualities based on the interaction of the different packets and according to the mixing rule that applies to each quality. Both linear and non-linear mixing can be specified, either on a mass or a volume basis, regardless of whether the analysis as a whole is using a mass or a volume balance.

The following describe how to configure the Quality Tracking Analysis Rule for use with Sigmafine models. Instances of this analysis rule can be applied to the same model, given different contexts, and applied to different Models within the database.

Note: The Quality Tracking Analysis Rule requires the use of elements based on the Sigmafine Element Templates. It also requires that a Sigmafine Mass or Volume Balance and Composition Tracking Balance have been configured with a minimum of two Cases to use as source data.

  • Quality Tracking Functionality
  • Analysis Dependencies
  • Genealogy Tracking
  • Quality Tracking
  • Quality Tracking by Material

After the Quality Tracking Analysis Rule is configured, a Case can be created to run and store the results of the Quality Tracking analysis.

The following points describe how the Quality Tracking Analysis Rule works:

  • As a data source, the Quality Tracking Analysis Rule uses the Case results of a Mass or Volume Balance Analysis and a Composition Tracking Analysis Rule within the same model. The time range of Quality Tracking Analysis Rule Cases must match with both the Balance and the Composition Tracking Analysis to ensure correct alignment of information among the analyses.
  • The Collect Inputs stage of the analysis will copy all of the data (including adjustments and composition tracking results) from the source Composition Tracking analysis rule Case to the destination, Quality Tracking Analysis Rule case.
  • Quality Tracking Analysis Rule performs quality tracking Cases for Models based on the Sigmafine templates and other analysis rules . It is based on the Quality Tracking Rule that you select during the configuration process. The solver executes the mixing rules and writes the results back to the case.
  • The result of the Quality Tracking analysis is the set of calculated qualities for the selected elements in the model.

Note: The quality and genealogy data of the inventories that participate in the quality tracking analysis need to be initialized by the user for the first case. See Quality Tracking Analysis Rule Initialization for more details on Case initialization.