CAPE-OPEN UPDATE, Volume 7

CAPE-OPEN UPDATE is a publication of the CAPE-OPEN Laboratories Network (CO-LaN), a non-profit consortium for the development of the CAPE-OPEN standard.

STAFF LISTING:

Kerry Irons, Editor

SIG Updates

The CO-LaN Special Interest Groups (SIGs), are up and running to refine existing standards, expand them as needed, and define new standards. The current SIGs, SIG leaders, and current focus areas are:

UNIT OPERATIONS SIG - contact Celeste Colantonio, Shell Chemical

Members: Didier Paen (RSI-France), Ben Keeping and Costas Pantelides (Process Systems Enterprise (PSE)) Tommi Karhela (VTT), David Cameron (Fantoft Process), Celeste Colantonio (Shell International Chemicals)

The document "CAPE-OPEN Open Interface Specifications: Unit Operations" was extended to accommodate dynamic unit operations during Q1-Q2, 2003. The new specifications were used to set up a pilot implementation within INDISS (RSI-France), consisting of a connection of networks with arcs, nodes and boundaries. The CO dynamic Unit was put together in a demo with steady state modules. The communication with the rest of the components in INDISS worked well and no changes to the specifications were required.

The next step is to link with a dynamic unit implemented by Fantoft Process in D-Spice. This will give more information regarding the completeness of the extended specifications. It is expected that a prototype demonstration will be available in February 2004. It would be also possible to have a CO dynamic Unit implementation in gPROMS during Q4 in order to test the interoperability with INDISS.

There is a need to specify new numbers for the COM components. Discussions on this subject have already started with Michael Halloren (AspenTech).

With respect to the review of the extended document, Costas Pantelides and Celeste Colantonio will perform the first review after the prototype INDISS/D-SPICE is ready for testing. Michael Halloren is willing to participate in the second line review.

INVENSYS has expressed an interest in joining the UNIT OPERATIONS SIG.

 

THERMO SIG - contact Werner Merk, Dow

The SIG Thermo had a very productive and successful year 2003. In 6 phone meetings and 2 face-to-face meetings we were able to finalize the new Version 1.1 of the Interface Standard. Modifications mainly affected documentation for clarification and ease of implementation and to ensure consistent interpretation of parameters and methods/return values. Performance issues have been clarified and solved through close interaction of industrial participants and vendor/developer members. To ensure compliance and facilitate development of V1.1 compliant CO software components, respective testers have been developed for physical property sets, calculator and simulation environment.

Version 1.0 of the Interface Standard has been implemented in AspenPlus v12.0.  This is further demonstration of the impact of the CO standard on the CAPE market.

The Technical University Hamburg Harburg (TUHH) has become an Associate Member of the CO LaN after the face-to-face meeting in February in London where they presented their SolidSim project, development of a simulation environment for solids processing and handling plants. The SIG Thermo was able to demonstrate the benefits of using CO compliant interfaces and supported development of a respective enhancement of the CO standard to cover the requirements for solids characterization. The SolidSim project team (11 German Universities and 35 industrial partners) is meanwhile fully committed to support V1.1 of the CO standard in their simulation package.

The SIG Thermo Statistics:

• Face-to-Face Meeting London, Feb. 3^rd – 4^th 2003
• Phone Conf. April 7^th
• Phone Conf. May 15^th
• Phone Conf. June 23th
• Phone Conf. Aug. 20^th
• Face to Face Meeting Sep. 22^nd
• Phone Conf. Oct. 2^nd
• Phone Conf. Nov. 4^th
• 11 active members from 9 different companies