Information Stream Connections

[nrgeng]

I am allowed to connect an Information Stream to a HeaterCooler Unit for Heat Duty, but not to a HeatExchanger Unit for Heat Exchange. In either case, the Unit allows a Virtual Information Port to be configured for the respective parameter. This appears to be a conflict. Why does this happen?

[jasper]

Virtual information ports can be created for any parameter, so the two should be equal. Perhaps the direction of the port was not ok (input/output)?

[nrgeng]

Inability to Connect Information Stream

Info Stream Connections (Forum).gif (174.35 KiB) Viewed 21092 times

The image shows that neither the head nor the tail of the energy stream will attach to the HeatExchanger Unit, yet the Unit Ports dialog shows a proper Virtual Information Port configuration. Why is this?

[jasper]

Note that 1 is an information stream, 2 and 3 are energy streams. You can tell the difference by the stipple pattern, and if your hold your mouse over it.

Energy streams connect to energy ports. Information streams connect to information ports. The Virtual Information Ports will connect only to information streams.

[nrgeng]

Inability to Connect Information Stream

Info Stream Connections (Forum) V1.1.gif (180.76 KiB) Viewed 21088 times

Sorry for the mistake on Posting 1.1, but the corrected Flowsheet shows the same result for Virtual Information Streams 4 and 5. These streams will not connect to the HeatExchanger Unit. Why?

[jasper]

Looks like you are using an icon that has 4 connection points, and you already have 4 streams connected. So there is simply no 'room' on the icon for the additional connection. (If this is the case, a corresponding message should show in the log window while trying to connect the stream).

Try removing the icon (right click, icon) and then connecting the stream?

[HenkF]

A solution which I have used: Edit the icon. Right-click on the icon ->Icon->Edit Icon. From the Icon Editor you then may add a single connection point at a suitable place. An information stream then can be attached to this point.
Regards, Henk

[nrgeng]

Jasper and HenkF, Thanks for the suggestions. After Jasper's last posting, I did use the Icon Editor to add an additional port. For some reason, I thought that the Unit default icons all had extra ports for attaching Energy or Information Streams beyond the ports needed for the Material Streams normally to be connected. The HeatExchanger Unit requires four (4) Material Streams to be connected so I assumed that the default port connections would include one or more for other stream types. Thanks again to both!