The presentation
PR1ME is a Python-based simulation framework that links industrial bulk petroleum properties with fundamental microkinetic modeling for hydroprocessing applications. This presentation highlights the integration of PR1ME with AVEVA™ PRO/II™ through the Petroleum Fractions Interface. The work includes the development of an ATL C++ Unit Operation implementing ICapeThermoPetroleumFractions and communicating with PR1ME via a native C++/Python bridge. A proof-of-concept flowsheet, a simplified VGO hydroprocessing reactor with flash separation, demonstrates seamless, standards-based integration of the fundamental kinetics embedded in PR1ME, using only bulk-property descriptions of feed and products inside a PME. Future work within the CAPE-OPEN ecosystem includes broader bulk-property support, more complex reactor configurations, recycle handling, and progress toward full CAPE-OPEN certification.
The speaker
César Pernalete is a postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT) of Ghent University and serves as the LCT representative within CO-LaN. He has been involved in CAPE-OPEN development since 2010, building on his early experience in refining operations at PDVSA. In 2025, he was appointed as the leader of the Special Interest Group (SIG) for Unit Operations. His primary research interest is software development for the oil and gas industry, with a focus on advanced modeling and simulation tools for hydroprocessing. His ongoing research evaluates how hydrocracking technologies can support circular economy objectives, using a combination of rigorous simulation tools and experimental insights.