To get your numbers from a .txt file you can use Read from Spreadsheet VI which produces an array. Make sure that you have checked marked "Read whole File" or something similar. At each index of the array, a different line from your input file will be in it. You can just index it and convert to a number. There is your numerical input.
As for the program to run for severel hours or each part running a 5 min interverls like your example looks like: create a vi that its only job is to loop.
Time you want a set point to run / setting for Time delay = # loop iterations
This will control how long the program runs
hope this helps.
