Integrating a proprietary simulation tool into a commercial process simulator

At the 2020 AIChE Spring Meeting, a paper (access PDF here) was jointly presented and co-authored by Ralf Notz¹⁾, Torsten Katz¹⁾, Jens Schwärzli¹⁾, Agnes Dittel¹⁾, Kailee Fujimoto²⁾, Rafael Rocha³⁾, Aubrey Kelm³⁾ who are from the following organizations:

• ¹⁾ BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany,
• ²⁾ BASF Corporation, Houston, Texas, USA,
• ³⁾ KBR inc., Houston, Texas, USA.

Contents:
This paper discusses how CAPE-OPEN can be efficiently used to embed a gas treatment model into a Process Modelling Environment (PME) to facilitate engineering workflow. This embedding allows data to flow seamlessly between a PME and a proprietary simulation tool so that the user is able to produce a complete heat and material balance. When changes occur in operating conditions or design parameters, the connectivity allows updated data to be automatically reflected in all connected downstream documents, further enhancing efficiency. Therefore embedding through CAPE-OPEN saves time and effort and facilitates effective work-sharing between offices worldwide. This software development implements the CAPE-OPEN Unit Operation interface specification, the CAPE-OPEN Thermodynamic & Physical Properties interface specification and various CAPE-OPEN Common interface specifications such as Identification, Persistence, Collection and Parameter.