Saving & Loading
Skarstrom stores an entire simulation in a single .json file. Everything you configure is saved together, so a file is a complete, portable, self-contained case.
The File menu
| Action | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| New | Ctrl/Cmd + N | Start a fresh, empty simulation (with a confirmation prompt). |
| Save File | Ctrl/Cmd + S | Save to the current file, or prompt for a location if the case has not been saved yet. |
| Save As… | Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + S | Save to a new file. The .json extension is added automatically. |
| Open… | Ctrl/Cmd + O | Load a .json simulation file. |
| Exit | Close the application (with a confirmation prompt). |
The current file name is shown in the menu bar. On the macOS and Windows desktop apps these use native file dialogs; in the browser version, Save downloads the .json file and Open loads one you select.
What is saved
A saved file captures the whole model:
- System information (title, description, author)
- The fluid package (selected components and their properties)
- The adsorbent library (all materials, isotherms, kinetics, heats of adsorption)
- The column (geometry, wall, voids, energy-balance settings and all packed layers)
- The cycle (every step, its boundary conditions, timing, connections and energy sources)
- The initial conditions
- The solver settings and CSS configuration
- The KPI configuration and user variables
- The cost-estimator inputs
- Any uploaded experimental data
Simulation results are not stored in the file — re-run the solver after loading to regenerate them.
Examples
The Examples menu loads bundled cases drawn from published papers (Perez 2019, Streb 2021, Ward 2022, Nguyen 2022/2023, Ward 2024, Arora 2021, and a Biogas PSA case). These are ordinary simulation files: open one, inspect how it is set up, adapt it, and Save As your own copy. They are the quickest way to learn how complete models are assembled. See the examples section for guided walk-throughs.
Notes
- There is no autosave — save your work regularly, and before running long jobs.
- Files are forward-compatible across versions: older simulation files load into newer builds, with any new settings taking sensible defaults.
- Because a case is a single JSON file, it is easy to version-control, share with a colleague, or archive alongside a report.