Rule-Based Control

The Rule-Based Controls are used to perform a given action during a hydraulic simulation when some user-specified conditions are met. Unlike Simple Controls, Rule-Based Controls allow for the creation of multiple conditions to be satisfied before an action is performed.

To create a rule-based control, do the following to bring up the Rule-Based Control dialog box.

To implement logical controls in a simulation, from the InfoWater Pro Model Explorer → Command Center →  Edit Menu, select Rule-Based Control. Once initiated, the dialog box below will appear. The Rule Data Edit dialog box is used to create and maintain logical control rules. Any logical controls you specify with this dialog box are associated with the active (currently loaded) logic set. The dialog box is structured to guide you through the development of your logical control rules.  Each section of the dialog box, starting with the Data Type box on the left, allows you to build a new component of your control logic or to associate other components with logic statements. 

Toolbar

New Data Record - Creates a new rule based control.

Clone Current Record - Clones the existing rule based control to a new control.

Save Current Record - Saves current record.

Erase Current Record - Deletes the current rule based control record.

Erase All - Deletes all rule based control records.

OK - Saves all changes and exits the dialog box.

Cancel - Discards all unsaved changes and exits the dialog box.

Rule Data:

ID - Unique identification for the rule based control.

Description - The description of the rule based control.

Priority - The priority of the rule statement.  Some statements may have conflicting data which is the reason for the priority.  Priority 0 is the first priority followed by priority 1.  It is important to review logic statements to ensure the correct priority.

AutoSave - When checked, auto save is ON.  This means that when a statement is added, removed or updated, the statement is automatically saved when moving to another rule (i.e., no need to click the save button). Note that Cancelling  or Closing the Window  will not automatically save the changes even if AutoSave is On.

Check Active - When checked, InfoWater will perform a one time check to make sure that all of the elements specified in the current rule are active in the current scenario.

Disable - Checking this box on means that the logic statement is disabled and will not impact the EPS model run.  This option is provided in case you wish to perform "what if" analyses of the system.

Rule Statements:

This box shows the current list of rule statements that comprise the rule based control.

• Type - The type of premise associated with the control statement.  If, And/Or, Then.

• Keyword - The keyword is the condition of the rule statement.  If... and... or... then.

• Rule Statement - The data element in the InfoWater project that satisfies a given condition.

Order Arrows: 

Use the red and blue arrows to arrange the order of the control statements.  The order of control statements is very important, particularly when an Or condition is specified with an And statement.

Update - If a rule statement should change, highlight the statement, change the given characteristics of the statement, then click the Update button to revise the selected statement.

Insert - This button will insert a new condition statement ahead of the highlighted statement.  By doing this, precedence and order can be set.

Delete - Delete the highlighted control statement.

Clear - Clear the entire contents of the current rule based logic control record.

Validate - Click to confirm that the logic statement is a valid statement and can be executed in the hydraulic model.

Rule Clause Data:

Data Type - Represents the condition and action properties of the control statement.  The data type is further defined as the following:

• Premise - Represents the front-end condition portion of the logic rule statement.  It consists of If, And, Or premises that are essentially qualifiers for the action statement to occur. (Note: When using And and Or functions within a single rule, the Or generally is evaluated before the And function. Please test the rule to determine if it is working as expected.)

• Action - Once the premise conditions are satisfied, the action statement is what occurs to a designated element(s).  Like premises, actions can consist of more than one event occurring for a given premise(s).  Actions consist of Then, Else, And.

Object - The data element for which a premise or action is being specified.

Attribute - The attribute is the facet of the object that is being monitored or changed once a premise or action condition is satisfied.

Relation - The functional operator for the condition statement.

Value - The numerical value for a premise (tank elevation, flow value, etc.) or a setting for an action once the condition is satisfied (only available for Premises).  The value also contains the status for a given element for both premise and action conditions.