FrigoSim is designed to be intuitive both to the new and to the experienced user.
Nevertheless, the novel user could use some hints to get a head start.
After starting FrigoSim, you see three tiled windows, two narrow ones to the left and right,
and one wide in the middle.
The window to the left is for storage of basis components. Any one of these components
may be transferred to the plant window to become a plant component, and any number of plant components
may originate from one basis component.
The window to the right is for storage of fluids, both refrigerants and secondary fluids.
Plant circuits (except power circuits) are filled from this fluid storage.
It is not possible to enter the wrong kind of fluid into a circuit.
In the central plant window we put the plant components.
These are connected to each another by straight lines through connectors and corners.
They may also be attached to each other along heat exchange boundaries. We normally also put boundary conditions and
controls in this window. These latter elements are only visible if chosen to be viewed.
For some kinds of controls we also have sensor and control connections, visible as dashed lines.
A mustard-coloured, elongated button below the tool bar is for display of and access to common information,
like title and time.
As an alternative to the plant schematic, we may view state diagrams
(Enthalpy-Pressure, Entropy-Temperature and Psychrometric).
Most program functions are reached through the menu commands.
A subset of the menu commands may be activated by pressing tool bar buttons.
Alternatively some of the commands can be triggered by dedicated keys (short-cuts or accelerators)
and mouse actions.
The interface can be equipped with a number of languages, see Languages.
The mouse left button is used for selecting an object for inspection or modification.
Double-clicking directly enters the inner details.
The right button evokes pop-up menus with menu items corresponding to clicked window.
Point, drag and release will move an item to a new position.
The insert and delete buttons will respectively insert and delete an item.
To specify your own plant, you either start with a template or do it from scratch.
In the latter case, please start simple, by one or very few components.
Test to see that the simple plant calculates and produces reasonable values.
Then you can proceed with more components, this way being in control of the total specification.
The user may specify a plant with few restrictions, but then errors are likely to be made,
in particular under- or over-specification of the plant.
In either case the program will tell you about it, but will not always be able
to pin-point the problem at hand. The best help will be to simplify (if possible)
or compare with similar template plants. Over- or under-specification of mass flow balance
conditions will be indicated by black lines for the corresponding circuit if the Preferences dialogue Deficiencies indicated box is checked.
It may also be seen as one or more rectangular (non-quadratic) matrices representing the balance equations, when is checked.
Prior to selecting a specific model to represent a component,
you should study the model properties in the model description to learn how it functions.
See also the list of concepts.
You will probably meet some challenges in the beginning, but will be rewarded as experience accumulates.