Ecolego is a powerful and flexible software tool for creating dynamic models and performing deterministic or probabilistic simulations. Ecolego can be used for conducting risk assessments of complex dynamic systems evolving over time with any number of species. Ecolego has specialised databases and other add-ons designed for the field of radiological risk assessment.
New Time event block which makes it easy to define discrete events that occur on specific timepoints.
JSON Import and JSON Export – Materials, Simulation settings, Probabilistic Settings, Sensitivity analysis Settings and radionuclide decay chains can now be exported and imported to or from text.
Tables can be created in a much more flexible way and can be easily customized by the user (see video tutorial).
Reports with Microsoft Word equations can be generated.
A scripting API for creating models programmatically.
Graphical User Interface
Graphical presentation of models with interaction matrices and flow diagrams.
Easy management of equations, parameters, materials and other settings.
Parameters and equations can be created on-the-fly while equations are written.
Hierarchical structure facilitates construction and documentation of large and complex models.
Sub-system modules can be created to create re-usable components and organize in a model library.
Projects are easily managed using the project browser, which displays a hierarchical view of blocks, parameters, contaminants and other objects. Multiple projects can be open simultaneously.
Copy-paste of parameters, containers, blocks and materials within and between projects.
Tool tips present information about selected objects, such as equations, units, “used by” or “uses” relationships.
Hyperlinks allow the user to jump to different parts of the model.
Unit checking.
Documentation of models using images, hyperlinks, categories, units and comments.
Listings of all undefined objects or illegal values.
Many different types of result charts and tables are available for simulation outputs.
Generates full reports that can be saved in many different formats including the Adobe PDF format.
Subversion support for modeling collaboration and version handling.
Incorporated system for peer review of models.
Player for distributing models to end users that do not have Ecolego.
Numerical simulations of dynamic systems
Automatic handling of nuclide decay and ingrowth (requires Radionuclide Toolbox).
Possibility to call user-written functions in Java or Matlab during simulation.
Powerful numerical solvers for complex and dynamic systems. Fixed and variable step size solvers of ordinary differential equations for stiff problems
Can handle discrete events and convolution functions.
Probabilistic simulations
Advanced editor for probability density functions.
Support for probabilistic simulations using Monte Carlo or Latin Hypercube sampling.
Support accounting for correlations between uncertain parameters.
Parameter
sensitivity analysis. Pearson, Spearman, EASI correlation coefficients
and regression coefficients. Variance based methods available (EFAST
and Sobol).
Databases and data handling
Radionuclide database that is continuously updated when online (requires Radionuclide Toolbox).
Internal parameter database.
External parameter database connection for sharing and management of parameters with incorporated quality control system (requires Parameter Database Toolbox).
Export and import of parameter values and results to/from Microsoft Excel.
Export and import of parameter values and results to/from database.
Toolboxes
The Ecolego license includes the ODE Toolbox and the additional toolboxes can be purchased at additional cost. Below is a list and short descriptions of the toolboxes:
ODE Toolbox: The ODE toolbox allows the user to create and simulate compartment models in Ecolego. Both linear and non-linear systems of ordinary differential equations are supported.
Sensitivity Analysis Toolbox: The Eikos Sensitivity Analysis Toolbox supports “state of the art” sensitivity analysis methods (local as well as global). Sensitivity Analysis is used to assess the influence of model parameters on model predictions.
Parameter Database Toolbox: The Parameter Database Toolbox provides a connection between Ecolego and its parameter database.
Radionuclide Toolbox: The Radionuclide Toolbox is a plug-in for Ecolego for modeling of radionuclides. The Radionuclide Toolbox features a database containing all nuclide isotopes and their decay constants and energies. It also contains the parent-daughter relationships between a radionuclide and its decay products.
ODE toolbox
ODE toolbox
The ODE toolbox allows for creation and simulation of compartment models in Ecolego. Both linear and non-linear systems of ordinary differential equations are supported.
Ecolego Commercial and Academic licenses include the ODE toolbox.
This toolbox adds the following functionality to Ecolego:
The compartment building block representing a dependent variable or state.
The Transfer building block to model fluxes between compartments. Transfers can be linear, non-linear or discrete.
The transport sub-system which allows you to approximate partial differential equations in one dimension.
Ecolego’s primary use has been in conducting safety and risk assessments in the nuclear industry. However, it is a versatile software tool which has the potential to be applied across many other industries.
Nuclear Industry
Ecolego’s wide array of high-powered capabilities have assist in developing safety justifications for licensing of nearly all types of radiological and nuclear facilities and activities.
Mining Industry
Ecolego has been applied to the mining sector in the past, but on a client/contract specific basis. The traditional customer in this sector is user of Ecolego (or Normalysa), when it comes to activities to be implemented at uranium (and other element) mining and legacy sites. There is a need and potential for safety/risk/environmental impact assessments regarding radionuclides in NORM industries such as copper and other non-uranium mining sites.
The goal is to create models specific to the activities of a mine and its remediation which would be included into the model library and sold to customers as a specific product in conjunction with the Ecolego software license. Such models are expected to include:
Water balance; and
Chemical dispersal in the environment.
Contaminated land clients
In association with the aforementioned market segments, the contaminated land market would benefit from models including assessment of impacts of chemical or other hazards (biological, etc.) to the environment. Such models can be developed and included into the model library, for instance, for chemical transfer in connection to traditional waste management (landfills, etc.).
