Layers

An energy system model in SAInt is comprised of three layers: network, scenario, and solution. The flexible structure of SAInt allows the user to combine different layers of energy networks and link each network to an infinite number of scenarios. A simulation or optimization solution file is created upon the successful execution of a scenario. SAInt may save two different solution file types. In steady state problems, SAInt writes a solution in a "state" or "condition" file with extension *.*con. In (quasi-)dynamic and optimization problems, SAInt writes the sequence of solutions for the different time steps in a "solution" file with extension *.*sol. The state file may be used as an initialization step for the dynamic simulation.

Figure 1. Example of the layered structure of SAInt’s models where a network (i.e., a *.*net file), may have one or more scenarios (*.*sce files), solutions (*.*sol file), and state layers (*.*con file).

Liquid and generic models are under development.

The user can organize several network files into a single project. The collection of scenario and solution files associated with a particular network represents a session. When using the SAInt "Graphical User Interface", a user can access one session at a time. Using the map window, the user can visualize the network and view tables and charts related to the scenarios and any solutions present in a given session.