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	RENO Flowcharts

Using Time Units in RENO

For each database, authorized users can configure which time units will be available for time-related inputs and results, and they can define conversion factors that allow the software to automatically convert data from one time unit to another (see Manage Units window).

In RENO, this means three things:

Results are always given in terms of the system base unit (SBU).
Resources that do not require you to define a time unit (e.g., RENO tables, variables, cost models, etc.) are assumed to be in terms of the base unit. This also applies to all constants and parameters used in equations, RENO predefined functions and RENO internal functions.

Resources that require you to define a time unit (e.g., reliability models, duration models, etc.) will have their values automatically converted to the base unit during simulation. For example, let's assume that in your database, an hour is equal to 1 SBU. Now suppose your model is a Weibull distribution that is defined in terms of minutes, as shown next.

The following flowchart shows a block that obtains a random value from this model.

If rvm(Model) = 60 minutes, then the output of the model in a RENO flowchart would be 1 hour (automatically converted from 60 minutes).

Tip: Whenever you don't want the software to convert the value obtained by RENO from a model resource, make sure the model uses a unit that is defined as equal to 1 SBU. To view the conversion factors for the units, open the Manage Units window by choosing File > Manage Repository > Manage Units.

For an example, you can open the "Snow Blower" project in the RENO9_Examples.rsgz9 database that is installed with the software. In this analysis, the "Depth" model describes snow depth (in inches) and the "Area" model describes the area that needs to be cleared (in square feet). These models use the "Hour" unit, with SBU = 1, to ensure that values obtained from the models do not get converted.