INTRODUCTION COURSE

Model User I

Power to take Control!

 Mobatec Modeller Intro Course – Model User I

1. Simulation of the small flow loop

1.1 Introduction
This exercise is the very first exercise of our Mobatec Modeller Introduction Course and will teach
you how to run and modify an already made model. If you want to learn about real Equation
Based Modelling we strongly recommend you to click here for more information about the
complete introduction course and/or the Advanced Developer course(s). The Introduction Course
further consists of several constructive and easy to follow exercises that will teach you how to
build your own models in Mobatec Modeller.

1.2 Objectives
By the end of this exercise, you will know

 How to compile and run already made models in Mobatec Modeller

 How to customize flow lines position and connection points
 How to copy and reuse model parts

1.2 Model description

The model that we use for this exercise consists of a water inlet, two buffer tanks, a pump
and a sink. The pump is used to push the water from tank A to tank B as there is an elevation
difference. The two tanks are also connected with a bypass line and all lines (except suction
line) have valves which are used to control the flow.

Figure 1 Mobatec Modeller Simulation Environment

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1.3 Assumptions
 Tanks are well-stirred
 Liquid phase is containing single component (i.e. H2O)
 Process in non-isothermal
 The cross-section area is constant along the heights of the units

2. Things to do
1. Open a template model

Open the template model, called “Small_Flow_Loop_Start_Template”. This model can be

found in the Examples directory (File/Example Models...). Save your model with a name
“Small_Flow_Loop” by clicking on a save as icon “ ”, or click File/Save Model as, choose
appropriate location for your model. Note: Do NOT save you model in the Program Files
directory (where the Examples directory is located) as Windows might not give you proper
rights to save, change or run your model.

2. Adjusting the Properties Browser appearance on the screen to your preference

The Properties Browser consist of two detachable moving tabs. The (Properties) Browser tab,
where the tree structure of all possible operations are structurally given to help you to always
have a good overview of your model and the modeller functions. The Properties tab always
displays the selection made in the Browser tab, where you can see/edit/make the definition
of the selection you have made.

Figure 2 Properties Browser & Properties tabs

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 In order not to cover part of your screen the browser has some “hide” options (marked with
blue dotted line in Figure 2 on the previous page). You can choose to hide both the browser
and the properties tab by checking the Auto Minimize checkbox. In that case, after moving
your mouse the tabs will minimize and you will be able to see your entire
screen/model.

The tabs will appear again if you hover over the minimised tab, or if you click twice on any
model object or select the object and do a right mouse click/Properties (F10) or in any other
case the Properties are needed. You can also choose to hide the Properties Browser. It will
appear again if you hover your mouse over the Properties.

Note: The browser can be either attached to the right side or left side of the properties tab, or
it can be detached from the properties.

3. Compiling the model

Compilation is a process of code generation, where Mobatec Modeller writes the code
automatically with all the model defined equations. Once the model compilation is done
successfully you are able to run the model.

To Compile the Model press “Compile Model and Switch to Simulation Environment” icon in
the toolbar “ ” (shortcut - F12), or go to Properties Browser/General/Basic Commands and
press “Compile Model and Switch to Simulation Environment” button.

When your model is compiled you will get a message that compilation was successful!
Note: Advanced model compilation options can be found in the Model Generation and
Compilation tab(s).

4. Running a dynamic model simulation

To start the simulation of the process click the “Start Calculations” button ” ”
(shortcut – F9) in the Properties tab or the “Start Calculations” button of the toolbar.

If there are no errors, your model should be running the simulation of the process and you are
able to follow the “Simulation time” in seconds on the Basic Commands tab (General/General
Simulation Options), or at the left bottom corner of the screen.

5. Changing Model parameters while running the model simulation

With the dynamic simulation running, you can now “play” with the model, by changing model
parameters, while the model is running. You can open and close valves (or open just a bit,
e.g. 10%) or stop and start the pump. To change a valve opening just click on the display, a
small window will pop-up where you can enter the new value and press enter (click OK).

Figure 3 Changing a parameter value via defined display

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6. Stopping the simulation, changing between MODeling & SIMulation environment

You can stop the simulation by pressing “Pause Calculations” button in Properties
Browser/General/Basic Commands tab or by clicking on the toolbar icon ” ” (shortcut – F9).
Go back to modelling environment by clicking on “MOD” toolbar icon. You will notice the grid
appears again.

Figure 4 MODelling / SIMulation environment change

To go back to simulation environment and run the simulation again, you do not have to
compile the model gain. Just Click on “SIM” toolbar icon and MM will automatically go to
simulation environment every time (switch shortcut – F11). If you make some changes to the
model in the modelling environment, then you need to compile the model again so that the
changes take effect in the simulation environment.

7. Bending lines, moving model parts & changing lines connection points

Any connection can have as many as 5 bending points (points you can move). You can make
this choice by selecting a connection, then in the Properties Browser select “Graphics” and
you can make a choice between “0”, “1”, “3” or “5” “bend" points (Figure 6). You can also
choose the number of bending points by selecting the active point of connection and by just
pressing “0”, “1”, “3” or “5” on your keyboard!

Figure 5 Connection active point

Make your choice

Select “Graphics” No icon attached

Select the connections

active point

Figure 6 Choosing the number of bending points through Properties Browser

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Select the active point of the connection as indicated in Figure 6. (Active point can be a “see-
through” point as in Figure 6, or it can be green point or have a “valve” icon attached). Press
number “3” on your keyboard, now three bending points are available for this connection line.
Move the closest bending point to the tank so that it looks that the line is coming from the
bottom of the tank, as shown in Figure 7 below. Make selection of the other two bending
points and the pump with the button by clicking nearby and making a selection rectangle (or
by selecting one by one while holding “SHIFT” or “CTRL”). When selected the selection will be
active, click on any selected object and move the whole selection down as indicated on the
picture below. When you are at the desired position let go of the mouse button.

2 3

Figure 7 Multiple selection, and moving model parts

Like this you are able to move a single or couple of model parts to a desired alignment position.
Now, select the line (valve – active point) going from the pump to the tank – B, and press “3”.
Now this line has 3 bending points. Take the closest bending point to the pump and move the
point down/right to make that the line is coming straight from the pump discharge.

Figure 8 Aligning the pump discharge line

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As you can see in the model, the line going from the pump is connected to the side of the Tank
– B. We also want to change the connection point to the top of the Tank – B vessel. Do this by
selecting the connection active point (the valve), do right mouse click/Set Graphical
Connection Offsets or just press “g”!

After selecting this option you will be able to see all the available connection points for the
connection on both origin and the target object.

Choose and click ( ) on the dot at the top of the Tank – B vessel. Now move the bending
points and make the alignment as shown in Figure 9 below.

Figure 9 Changed alignment for connection coming to the Tank -B

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 Now, you can still change to simulation (SIM) and run the process without need to compile it
again. Only if you change equations of some mode object, or add new model parts compilation
is required as the model will then change mathematically.

8. Re-using existing model parts

In the model there is a pump “P”. Let us reuse the pump model to add a spare called
“P_Spare”. Select the pump (hold CTRL) and the pump switch button the discharge line flow
display and the valve opening [%] display, do a right mouse click and select copy. Then do the
right mouse click again on the empty surface and choose “Paste (Keep Connections)”. Other
options for copy/paste: Drag the selection with the right mouse and select Copy when you
release the mouse or drag the selection with the left mouse while pressing CTRL.

This option will just duplicate the pump model with both connections as well. Now you have
two identical pumps connecting the Tank – A & the Tank – B with identical connection lines.

Figure 10 Adding the spare pump to the process

Align the spare pump and its lines to resemble the picture Figure 10 above. Rename the added
pump to “P_Spare”, by clicking the right mouse click/Rename. Or just by pressing F2. It is not
allowed for two separate objects to have the same, because the names are used for the code
generation! If you decide to not give a name or delete a name of an object, then Mobatec
Modeller will use an automatically generated object name to compile the model successfully.

Now, you have to compile the model in order to simulate it as the model is changed. Compile
the model “ ” (F12) and “play” with both pumps and the line valves.

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Other model object pasting options are:

 “Paste (Cut Connections)” – this option will paste the model object and its
connections, but the connections will be only connected to the copied object and
their other ends will be loose – making it possible to connect to any object.

Let us copy a water sink line with the sink model object and re-use that part to add a
water sink to the Tank – A as well. Select the water outlet from the Tank – B, together
with the SINK model object and do right mouse click/copy.

Figure 11 Multiple selection

Do the right mouse click again and select “Paste (Cut Connection)” option. You will now have
this selection pasted, but the outlet connection will not be connected to the Tank – B, but the
connection origin will be loose.

Loose connection origin point

Figure 12 Paste (Cut Connection) option

Move the whole selection close to the Tank – A. Click once to disengage the active
selection. Double click on the connection loose origin point and then click on the
bottom of the Tank – A. Now you have connected the water sink to the Tank – A as
well.

Compile the model and play with the model new features, start and stop the pumps,
open and close the valves and observe the water levels indicators of the both tanks.

 “Paste (Delete Connections)” – this option will paste only the selected model objects
and will remove any “external” connections.

 “Paste (Reconnect Connections)” – this option will paste the model object and its
connections. But the connections will be connected to objects with the same name
they were connected to in the original. This option is handy when working with more
than one model file or when very large models are made by more than one model
engineer for easy reconnection of parts. In our case it’s the same as “Paste (Keep
Connections)” option.

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Figure 13 Small Flow Loop model with a spare pump and a sink for the Tank - A

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