Plotting Results

Results are explored with two panels that work together: the Plotter Options (a tab in the Solver window) select what to plot, and the Results window draws it. You can plot while a run is in progress to watch fronts develop.

Choosing what to plot

In Plotter Options, start with the Object Type:

• Bed — variables inside the packed column (the usual choice).
• Flow Boundary — variables at an inlet/outlet stream.
• KPI — a performance metric versus cycle number.
• Void Space — variables in a void region at the end of the column.

Bed and Void variables

For a Bed (or Void) object you choose:

• Select Cycle — a specific cycle index, or All cycles (overlay every logged cycle, ideal for checking cyclic steady state).
• Select Step — a specific step, or All steps.
• Variable Type — Bulk or Component:
  • Bulk variables describe the fluid or bed as a whole — e.g. Pressure, Fluid Temperature, Wall Temperature, Solid Temperature, Velocity, Volumetric/Molar Flow Rate, Fluid Density, Viscosity, and the various dispersion and heat-transfer coefficients.
  • Component variables are per species — e.g. Mole Fraction, Adsorbed Concentration, Equilibrium Adsorbed Concentration, Molecular Diffusion, Mass Transfer Coefficient. When you pick a component variable, tick the components to plot; each becomes its own curve.

Each variable has a unit selector, and you can enable a Second Y-Axis to overlay a second variable on an independent scale (for example pressure and temperature together).

Flow-boundary variables

For a Flow Boundary, pick the cycle, step and the stream, then a variable — Temperature, Molar Flow Rate, or Compressor Power (Bulk), or a component Mole Fraction. This is how you read outlet purity, product flow, or compression power at a face.

Time-series vs spatial profiles

In the Results window, the x-axis variable switches between the two fundamental views:

• Time → a time series at a fixed position. Choose the position with a slider, or type an exact value (interpolated). This gives breakthrough curves and cycle traces — e.g. outlet mole fraction vs time.
• Position → a spatial profile at a fixed time. Choose the time with a slider or by entering a value. This shows the state along the column — e.g. the concentration front or temperature wave at an instant.

(Void spaces are lumped, so they are always plotted against time.)

Exporting data

Every plot has a Copy Data button that copies the plotted series as tab-separated columns (high precision) to the clipboard, ready to paste into a spreadsheet or plotting tool. Results are exported via the clipboard rather than written to a file directly.

Overlaying experimental data

To validate a model against measurements, use the Experimental Data tab in the Solver window:

1. Upload .csv — the file must have exactly two columns (x, y); tick Headers included if the first row is a header.
2. Manage datasets with the Datasets selector; rename or delete as needed.
3. Tick Plot experimental data to overlay the selected dataset on the current Bed plot (it appears as a line labelled Exp: <name>), and Show experimental data in table to view the raw values.

Match the plotted simulation variable (and its position/time) to the experiment so the two are directly comparable — see the Ward 2022 example for a full validation walk-through.

Isotherm plots

Separately, you can visualise an adsorbent's equilibrium loading from the Adsorbent Material → Isotherms tab by ticking Show Isotherm Plot, which opens an isotherm plot with adjustable temperature, pressure range and composition.