CAPE-OPEN UPDATE, Volume 10

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.

INTEROPERABILITY SHOWCASE

Please note that the presentation on SolidSim originally shown in the programmed was withdrawn because of the illness of the presenter.  Our thanks to Alan Scott of TUV-NEL for stepping in to present on PPDS at the very last moment.

Interoperability SIG achievements in 2004:

• Continued to monitor lessons learnt from interoperability testing
• Promoted self-testing of component compliance by providing interface monitoring tools and testers.

Plans for 2005:

• Produce CAPE-OPEN Logger prototype and test it in a variety of environments
• Produce a specification for a production version of the Logger and arrange for it to be produced.

CAPE-OPEN logger

Organization(s): CO-LaN Interoperability SIG

Presenter(s): Michael Halloran (AspenTech)

Description: the presentation explained the need for the Logger, the approach used to create it and its relationship to the existing CO Tester.  It then showed a typical development scenario in which a CO component with a typical CO compatibility error was interfaced with a PME. It was not clear what was wrong. The scenario was then repeated using the prototype Logger, which identified and reported the error. The presentation finished by discussing the steps needed to create a production version of the Logger.

Discussion points:

• Logger can be used with any PME
• Tests in the Logger could duplicate tests in the PME or component. This should be covered in the Specifications.
• In principle, tests could be generated automatically from the UML of the Specifications.
• Although the prototype Logger is available, only limited support can be provided, since it is being replaced by a production version.

CO-NEQ2: A CAPE-OPEN Compliant Nonequilibrium Column Model

Organization(s): ChemSep

Presenter(s): Ross Taylor

Description: a version of the ChemSep non-equilibrium column model (NEQ2) is being developed that will be available in any CAPE-OPEN compliant Process Modeling Environment. The presentation demonstrated CO-NEQ2 running as an alternative column model in Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS.

Benefits: Users of CO-NEQ2 will have access to a state-of-the art rate-based column simulation model.

Discussion points:

• Files created by CO-NEQ2 persist when used with a PME.
• Performance with Aspen Plus will be improved by 2004 Service Pack, which provides the derivatives required by CO-NEQ2.

Embedding HTRI Technology in Process Simulators Using CAPE-OPEN

Organization: HTRI

Presenter(s): Joe Holmes

Description: the presentation demonstrated the use of HTRI technology in the Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS simulators using the CAPE-OPEN interface specification. CAPE-OPEN allows the use of third party unit operations in compliant process simulators. Examples were presented showing the use of rigorous shell-and-tube, air-cooled, and plate-and-frame exchangers. This technology allows end users to merge "best of breed" tools to produce a complete solution with minimum effort.

Discussion points:

• It should be possible to use a separate Thermo package, rather than a PME, to provide thermo properties, but this has not yet been implemented.

Session 2 chaired by Michel Pons (CO-LaN)

Thermo SIG achievements in 2004:

• Version 1.1 completed
• Extensions for distributed parameters and solids proposed
• Tester finished
• Performance issues analyzed
• Prototype of v1.1 finished

Plans for 2005:

• Publish v1.1 Specification on the CO-LaN website
• Support implementation of v1.1

Simulis^® Thermodynamics, a thermodynamic expert helps and follows you in all your applications

Organization: ProSim SA

Presenter(s): Alain Vacher

Description: Simulis^® is the name of ProSim's new software suite. The component-oriented approach of its architecture is based on Microsoft^®'s COM/DCOM middleware. Simulis^® Thermodynamics, one of the first components, is a thermophysical calculation server that generates highly accurate pure component and mixture properties (thermodynamic, transport, compressibility …) and fluid phase equilibrium (liquid-vapor, liquid-liquid and liquid-liquid-vapor). One main benefit of Simulis^® Thermodynamics is its CAPE-OPEN compliance through its CAPE-OPEN thermodynamic plug and socket facilities. Two examples of Simulis^® Thermodynamics integration demonstrated the easy way that this environment can be integrated into Microsoft^® Excel as an add-in and into MATLAB^® as a toolbox. Calculation examples using the CAPE-OPEN thermodynamic socket capability were performed.

Hybrid Discrete-Continuous Systems CO-compliant Components Interoperability Demonstration

Organization: Universita Polytechnica de Catalunya

Presenter(s): Luis Puigjaner

Description: in chemical processes, although hybrid systems have a central role in embedded control systems that interact with the physical plant, they also arise in complex flexible manufacturing structures by virtue of the hierarchical organization of the whole enterprise management system. A Flexible Manufacturing Cell (PROCEL) was taken as the working scenario to demonstrate the necessary interoperability among components of a hybrid system, which was satisfactorily solved when encapsulated in CO-compliant standards. The key components selected for demonstration purposes represented different levels of decision-making: a) scheduling & planning module; b) exploiting information for model improvement (Parameter Estimation & Data Reconciliation module); c) co-ordination between discrete and continuous decision module, and c) system optimization module.

PPDS

Organization: TUV-NEL

Presenter(s): Alan Scott

Description: the presentation began with an overview of the PPDS property evaluation and databank system as currently used within the process industry, with emphasis on the existing PPDS dual interface and the operation with multiple databanks. A chronological history of the development of a CAPE-OPEN wrapper on top of this interface was then given. The system was tested with versions of the CO Tester as they appeared and then with an in-house test package developed with Excel VBA. More recent tests with PRO/II and ASPEN unit operations showed up some problems with the use of the CompID parameter. M Pons then successfully demonstrated the use of a simple PPDS Property Package running in SIMULIS, as compared with the same system running in Excel. A simple log file has been developed for the interoperability tests. Whilst this proved useful, it highlighted the need for a more standard CO Test Logger as part of the continuing development.

Discussion points:

o       Recommendation on the choice of Thermo version to implement was to choose v1.0, unless more phases are essential, since there are more PMEs and components compatible with it.

o       PPDS currently exports the whole system, rather than a property package.  This will be changed.

Session 3 chaired by Celeste Colantonio (Shell), leader of Unit SIG

Unit SIG achievements in 2004:

• Pilot implementations of Dynamic UNIT in INDISS, D-SPICE and gPROMS
• Specification documentation completed

Plans for 2005:

• Progress second level review of Specification
• Complete Fantoft interoperability tests
• Clarify requirements for ESO Dynamic UNIT
• Find a new SIG leader

TINA Project

Organization(s): IFP and RSI

Presenter(s): Pascal Roux (IFP) and Didier Paen (RSI)

Description: deepwater production is a technically challenging domain that requires advanced flow calculations for more comprehensive understanding of processes. This includes an integrated approach of flow modeling from the reservoir to the topside process, which is challenging due to the complexity of interacting domains. Process simulation software vendors supply several useful tools for improving engineering productivity and enhanced decision-making, but all of these tools are focused on a specific domain and none of them allows an integrated vision.

The purpose of the project is to develop integrated software in the field of flow assurance for multiphase flow simulation from the reservoir to the process facilities. Therefore, objectives are to develop an open simulation platform and software modules that allow dealing with a great number of problems including design studies, operating procedures simulation (shut-down , restart) , and also training ... To satisfy customer requirements and project objectives, the CAPE-OPEN standard naturally imposed itself. This brings interoperability and interchange ability. The limits of the dynamic standard lead us to propose an extension to the SIG Unit in order to deal with the specific type of unit, the transient pipe, which has a specific behavior.

The presentation was organized in the following way: in the first part the project context and objectives were summarized. In the second part the dynamic unit interface extension and its implementation were described. Finally a live demonstration of a TINA platform prototype was shown.

Discussion points:

• 5 or 6 oil fields would not have been developed without this type of analysis. The introduction of CO-compliant tools into the area will make the analysis quicker and more cost-effective in the future.

Use of distillation shortcut models in process flowsheeting

Organization: AixCAPE e.V.

Presenter(s): Lars von Wedel

Description: a shortcut model for distillation steps was adapted to be used as a unit operation component within CAPE-OPEN-compliant flowsheeting tools. As opposed to the standalone academic prototype that existed before this migration, the unit operation permits direct connections to rigorous blocks, such as reactors or other separation steps. Also, recycles that appear often in separations of azeotropic mixtures can be solved directly within the simulator and no longer need manual steps for solving and data transfer across tools.

The project was carried out by AixCAPE in cooperation with LPT, RWTH Aachen and was funded by industrial members of the AixCAPE consortium (ATOFINA and Degussa) after carrying out case studies with industrial data. The development was made using the new Microsoft .net architecture and is the first successful case of applying this technology to CAPE-OPEN known. The large number of thermodynamic calls needed for calculation make this project an interesting field to study performance optimizations on a real case.

The benefits for end users is a more efficient approach to study the behavior of distillation steps in terms of feasibility and minimum energy demand with flowsheeting tools which are well known to many engineers. This avoids extra installation steps of new software, training people, or transferring thermodynamic data across tools.

Creating and wrapping complex CAPE-OPEN compliant models w/o programming: the gPROMS way

Organization: Process Systems Enterprise Ltd

Presenter(s): Dr Ben Keeping

Description: demonstrated the new facilities in the upcoming gPROMS 3.0 for exporting a gPROMS MODEL as a CAPE-OPEN compliant Unit.

Wrap-up and conclusion by Michel PONS, CO-LaN Chief Technology Officer

At the finish of the formal Annual General Meeting, Michel Pons thanked all delegates for a stimulating meeting. He also noted the excellent progress that had been made in the provision of commercial components and hoped that by the next meeting more benefit information would be available from both users and providers.

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