Operating Cost Adjustments Dialog: Facility Tab

This tab is part of the ‘Operating Cost Adjustments’ dialog of a process section; for more details, see Operating Cost Adjustments Dialog.

Variable Definitions, Ranges and Default Values

The following table shows a brief description of the variables appearing in this tab. The table also displays their default values and their generally acceptable range:

Symbol Key: ○ User-specified value (always input); ● Calculated value (always output); ◙ Sometimes input, sometimes output

Specification Choices / Comments

The following list describes the available specification choices in this tab; for more details on how these are implemented, see Facility-Dependent Cost.

•‘Based on Operating Parameters’ option...

If this option is checked, the calculation of a section’s facility-dependent cost will include an estimate based on operating parameters. This may be include either or both of the following estimates:

a)  Based on Equipment Usage/Availability Rate

b)  Based on Facility Availability Rate

c)   Based on Process Production Rate

You may choose which of the above estimates will be included in the sum by checking the corresponding options.

Note that if this option is not checked, the calculation of a section’s facility-dependent cost will not include an estimate based on operating parameters, even if one of the two estimation methods is checked. By default, this option is not checked.

•‘Based on Equipment Usage/Availability Rate’ option...

If this option is checked, the estimate of a section’s facility-dependent cost that is based on operating parameters will include an estimate based on either equipment usage rate or equipment availability rate. This is determined based on the selected time basis (usage basis or availability basis). You may opt to exclude some of the equipment utilized in the modeling (e.g. mixers, splitters, etc.) so that they do not artificially inflate the overall equipment usage- or availability-dependent cost. You may do so by clicking the Include / Exclude Equipment button and then checking the ‘Exclude?’ option for each equipment you want to exclude (see Include Exclude Equipment Dialog for further details on this dialog). By default, this option is not checked.

•‘Based on Facility Availability Rate’ option...

If this option is checked, the estimate of a section’s facility-dependent cost that is based on operating parameters will include an estimate based on the specified facility availability rate. By default, this option is checked.

•Based on Production Rate’ option.

The facility-dependent cost may also be estimated based on the unit production reference rate specified from the Main Product/Revenue stream and flow basis (see also Main Product/Revenue Rate) or from the unit rate reference flow. It is calculated by multiplying the specified unit cost by the unit production cost reference rate, which is calculated by the program during simulation.

•‘Based on Capital Investment Parameters’ option...

If this option is checked, the calculation of a section’s facility-dependent cost will include an estimate based on capital investment parameters. This may be include either or all of the following cost estimates:

a)  Maintenance

b)  Depreciation

c)   Miscellaneous costs

You may choose which of the above estimates will be included in the sum by checking the corresponding options. By default, this option is checked.

•‘Include Maintenance’ option...

If this option is checked, the estimate of a section’s facility-dependent cost that is based on capital investment parameters will include maintenance cost. You may choose among the following options for the calculation of this cost:

●      Use Equipment Specific Multipliers

●      Estimate as a percentage of the section’s direct fixed capital (DFC).

If the first option is selected, the maintenance cost will be estimated based on the specified maintenance factors and calculated time utilization fractions for all equipment present in that section. If the second option is selected, you can specify directly the maintenance cost as a percentage of the project’s DFC for that section. Note that if a section’s DFC is set by user, the first option will not be available. By default, this option is checked.

•‘Include Depreciation’ option...

If this option is checked, the estimate of a section’s facility-dependent cost that is based on capital investment parameters will include the annual depreciation of direct fixed capital (DFC). SuperPro Designer depreciates the fraction of a section’s DFC that is assigned to this project and has not been depreciated already minus its salvage value at the end of the project lifetime. You may choose among the following options for the calculation of a section’s undepreciated DFC:

●      Use Contribution from Each Equipment’s Undepreciated Purchase Cost

●      Use Section DFC (Portion Already Depreciated)

If the first option is selected, a section’s undepreciated DFC is calculated based on the specified percentages of equipment purchase costs that have already been depreciated (‘PC Portion Already Depreciated’) for all equipment present in that section. If the second option is selected, you can specify what percentage of a section’s DFC assigned to this project has already been depreciated. Note that if a section’s DFC is set by user, the first option will not be available. By default, this option is checked.

•‘Include Misc Costs’ option...

If this option is checked, the estimate of a section’s facility-dependent cost that is based on capital investment parameters will include miscellaneous costs (insurance, local property taxes, and overhead factory expenses). These are specified as percentages of the project’s DFC for that section. By default, this option is checked.

See also:

●      Economics