Patent ID: 8065131

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for simulating an industrial plant, said method comprising: generating a library of industrial plant component types using user input, wherein the library includes at least one economical component that represents at least one of a fuel purchase and a fuel sale, at least one legal component, and properties of one or more user-created component types and user-defined component types and existing component types, the library further including mathematical and text manipulation rules for use in generating scripts in accordance with property values; assembling a configuration of industrial plant components from the library using user input into an editor configured to accept a layout and connection of the configuration of industrial plant components and to accept a configuration and setting of the properties of the industrial plant components, wherein the properties of the industrial plant components are set based on signals received from the assembled configuration; setting properties of the industrial plant components; generating a script or scripts for industrial plant components in the configuration of industrial plant components in accordance with the rules, wherein said generated scripts include mathematical relationships within or among the industrial plant components, or both; solving the mathematical relationships; and at least one of displaying results of the solution of the mathematical relationships and transmitting signals in accordance with said results to control an industrial plant in accordance with said results.