The sections below describe some details of the SimaPro CSV format and how it is implemented in this library.
SimaPro uses Windows-1252 as
default file encoding for reading and writing. You can set the file encoding in
the respective methods of reading and writing, but you should make sure that you
use Windows-1252 for files that directly come from SimaPro or should be read
by it.
A SimaPro CSV file starts with a header which looks like this:
{SimaPro 8.5.0.0}
{methods}
{Date: 2019-10-24}
{Time: 18:35:10}
{Project: Methods}
{CSV Format version: 8.0.5}
{CSV separator: Semicolon}
{Decimal separator: .}
{Date separator: -}
{Short date format: yyyy-MM-dd}
{Selection: Selection (1)}
{Related objects (system descriptions, substances, units, etc.): Yes}
{Include sub product stages and processes: No}
{Open library: 'Methods'}
This header starts with the first line and each header entry is enclosed in
curly brackets. Before you read the actual data from the file you need this
information to parse the data into the correct format because things like the
column or decimal separator are defined in this header. This makes it a bit hard
to read the format because you need to jump back to the top when starting
reading the file with the assumption of another column separator until you come
to the CSV separator entry.
After the header, a SimaPro CSV file contains a set of blocks with data. All
data blocks start with a header and end with the keyword End. For example the
following is a block of quantities:
Quantities
Mass;Yes
Length;Yes
End
A block can contain data rows directly, like in the example above, or contain
sections with data rows. For example a process block starts with the header
Process and contains a set of sections like Category type, Process identifier, etc:
Process
Category type
material
Process identifier
DefaultX25250700002
Type
Unit process
...
End
As for the blocks each section has a header, however it does not end with the
keyword End but with an empty line. Data rows of a block or section are
directly located in the next line under the header. A section of a block starts
with an empty line.
Booleans are represented in the SimaPro CSV format with the following strings:
YesmeanstrueNomeansfalse
Sometimes the value of an attribute can contain a formula string or a floating
point number. The data type of these fields is then Numeric which has specific
methods for testing and getting the field's value.
In general, things are identified by name in the SimaPro CSV format. Flows are identified by their category type, which is an enumeration, and their name (thus, you can have different flows with the same name for different category types). Elementary, product, and product-stage flows have different category types respectively.
There are some problems with this approach. For example, assemblies have a section for inputs of materials or other assemblies, but there are only the names of the flows available in the section and if there is an assembly and material with the same name in the database, you have a problem.
A system description block in the CSV looks like this:
System description
Name
system name
Category
Others
Description
text for description
Sub-systems
text for sub-systems
Cut-off rules
text for cut-off rules
Energy model
text for energy model
Transport model
text for transport model
Waste model
text for waste model
Other assumptions
text for other assumptions
Other information
text for other information
Allocation rules
text for allocation rules
End
A literature reference block in the CSV looks like this:
Literature reference
Name
US EPA (1995)
Documentation link
http://www.epa.gov/ttnchie1/ap42/ch09/bgdocs/b9s13-2.pdf
Category
Others
Description
Test description
End
A block of quantities looks like this:
Quantities
Mass;Yes
Energy;Yes
Length;Yes
End
Each row in a quantity block represents a quantity. The attributes of a row are:
0 Name
1 Has dimension
A block of units looks like this:
Units
kg;Mass;1;kg
g;Mass;0,001;kg
kWh;Energy;3,6;MJ
MJ;Energy;1;MJ
ton;Mass;1000;kg
µg;Mass;0,000000001;kg
...
End
Each row in a unit block represents a unit. The attributes of a unit are:
0 Name
1 Quantity
2 Conversion factor
3 Reference unit
There are two levels of parameters:
- Database parameters
- Project parameters
Furthermore, there are two types of parameters:
- Input parameters: they are named values which can have an associated uncertainty.
- Calculates parameters: they are expressions which can refer other parameters.
A block of database input parameters looks like this:
Database Input parameters
db_input_param;1;Lognormal;1;0;0;No;database parameter
End
While a block of project input parameters is as follows:
Project Input parameters
proj_input_param;32;Uniform;0;10;35;No;project input parameter
End
Each row is an input parameter with the following attributes:
0 Name
1 Value
2-5 Uncertainty
6 Is hidden
7 Comment
A block including the calculated parameters in the database level and in the project level:
Database Calculated parameters
db_calc_param;db_input_param * 3;calculated database parameter
End
Project Calculated parameters
proj_calc_param;db_input_param *4;project calculated parameter
End
Each row is a calculated parameter with the following attributes:
0 name
1 expression
2 comment
Different blocks are presented for different elementary flow types:
Raw materials
Acids;kg;;
End
Airborne emissions
(+-)-Citronellol;kg;026489-01-0;
End
Waterborne emissions
(1r,4r)-(+)-Camphor;kg;000464-49-3;
End
Final waste flows
Asbestos;kg;;
End
Emissions to soil
1'-Acetoxysafrole;kg;034627-78-6;No formula available�
End
Non material emissions
Noise from bus km;km;;
End
Social issues
venting of argon, crude, liquid;kg;;
End
Economic issues
Sample economic issue;kg;;
End
The SimaPro CSV format uses different names to identify these types in different contexts.
Each row of one of these elementary flow blocks represent an elementary flow metadata with the following attributes:
0 name
1 unit
2 cas
3 comment
4 platform ID
An uncertainty distribution can be stored in 4 slots of a CSV row (as in the previous input parameters examples). The first slot contains the distribution type:
- Undefined
- Lognormal
- Normal
- Triangle
- Uniform
The other slots contain the distribution parameters.
A process block has the following sections:
Sections with only one entry (no rows). In code block their corresponding type in the API:
- PlatformId
String - Category type
ProcessCategory - Process identifier
String - Type
ProcessType - Process name
String - Status
String - Time period
String - Geography
String - Technology
String - Representativeness
String - Multiple output allocation
String - Substitution allocation
String - Cut off rules
String - Capital goods
String - Boundary with nature
String - Infrastructure
Boolean - Date
String - Record
String - Generator
String - Collection method
String - Data treatment
String - Verification
String - Comment
String - Allocation rules
String
A literature reference row looks like this in the CSV:
Literature references
Ecoinvent 3;is copyright protected: false
Attributes:
0 name
1 comment
A system description row example in the CSV could be:
System description
U.S. LCI Database;system description comment
Attributes:
0 name
1 comment
A product block in the CSV looks like follows. It can have multiple lines (one for each product):
Products
my product;kg;0,5;100;not defined;Agricultural;
Attributes:
0 name
1 unit
2 amount
3 allocation
4 waste type
5 category
6 comment
7 platform ID
Different blocks are presented for different technosphere exchange types:
Avoided products
Wool, at field/US;kg;1;Undefined;0;0;0;
Materials/fuels
Soy oil, refined, at plant/kg/RNA;kg;0;Undefined;0;0;0;
Electricity/heat
Electricity, biomass, at power plant/US;kWh;0,1;Undefined;0;0;0;
Attributes:
0 name
1 unit
2 amount
3-6 uncertainty
7 comment
8 platform ID
There is one block for each elementary flow type:
Resources
Acids;;kg;1;Undefined;0;0;0;
Emissions to air
(+-)-Citronellol;low. pop.;kg;1;Lognormal;2;0;0;(1,2,3,4,5) with comment
Emissions to water
(1r,4r)-(+)-Camphor;lake;kg;1;Normal;3;0;0;
Emissions to soil
1'-Acetoxysafrole;forestry;kg;1;Triangle;0;1;5;
Attributes:
0 name
1 subcompartment
2 unit
3 amount
4-7 uncertainty
8 comment
9 platform ID
Analogous to the explained rows in the Reference data section, but applied to the process level.
A waste treatment block looks like this:
Waste treatment
Waste treatment 1;kg;1;All waste types;Others;
While a waste scenario block is as follows:
Waste scenario
Waste scenario 1;kg;1;All waste types;Others;
Both have one line with the following attributes:
0 name
1 unit
2 amount
3 waste type
4 category
5 comment
6 platform ID
There are two types of waste fractions:
- Separated waste: Defines the waste treatments of the separated fractions.
- Remaining waste: Defines the waste treatment of the remaining fractions after the separation processes.
A separated waste and a remaining waste blocks looks like this in the CSV:
Separated waste
Waste treatment 1;All waste types;90;
Remaining waste
Waste treatment 2;Plastics;100;
Each block could have several rows with the following attributes:
0 waste treatment
1 waste type
2 fraction (%)
3 comment
A product stage block has the following sections:
Sections with only one entry (no rows). In code block their corresponding type in the API:
- Category
ProductStageCategory - Status
String
The products block looks like this:
Products
assembly;p;1;Others;;
Attributes:
0 name
1 unit
2 amount
3 category
4 comment
5 platform ID
Analogous to Processes, but with different types. On the one hand, there are single row exchanges:
- Assembly
- Reference assembly
- Waste or disposal scenario
On the other hand, there are technosphere exchange blocks:
- Materials and assemblies
- Processes
- Waste scenarios
- Dissassemblies
- Disposal scenarios
- Reuses
- Additional life cycles
Analogous to Processes.
An impact method block has the following sections:
Sections with only one entry (no rows). In code block their corresponding type in the API:
- Name
String - Comment
String - Category
String - Use Damage Assessment
Boolean - Use Normalization
Boolean - Use Weighting
Boolean - Use Addition
Boolean - Weighting unit
String
A version block looks like this:
Version
1;431
Attributes:
0 major
1 minor
An impact category block is as the following example:
Impact category
Climate change, ecosystem quality, short term;PDF.m2.yr
Attributes:
0 name
1 unit
Each impact category has a Substances section with the characterization factors:
Substances
Air;(unspecified);(E)-HFC-1225ye;10/8/5595;0;kg
Air;(unspecified);(E)-HFC-1234ze;1645-83-6;0.177;kg
Each row has the following attributes:
0 compartment
1 subcompartment
2 flow
3 cas number
4 factor
5 unit
A damage category block example could be:
Damage category
Ecosystem quality;PDF.m2.yr
Attributes:
0 name
1 unit
Each damage category has a Impact categories section with the damage factors:
Impact categories
Climate change, ecosystem quality, long term;1.00E+00
Climate change, ecosystem quality, short term;1.00E+00
Each row has the following attributes:
0 impact category
1 factor
A normalization and weighting set looks like this in the CSV file:
Normalization-Weighting set
IMPACT World+ (Stepwise 2006 values)
Attributes:
0 name
Each set has a Normalization and a Weighting sections:
Normalization
Human health;1.37E+01
Ecosystem quality;1.01E-04
Weighting
Human health;5401.459854
Ecosystem quality;1386.138614
With the following attributes:
0 impact category
1 factor