Visit to The University of Tulsa

On January 10 and 11, 2006, Michel PONS visited The University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and met Professor Cem Sarica and his research group (TUWAX and TUFFP projects): Emmanuel Delle Case, Michael Volk and Hong Chen. Alain Ricordeau from TOTAL as well as Martin Gainville from IFP, TINA project leaders in their respective companies, accompanied Michel Pons.

CAPE-OPEN concepts, use and implementation, especially the ones associated with the Thermodynamic & Physical Properties and Unit Operations interface specifications were detailed. The example of a gPROMS model wrapped with gO:CAPE-OPEN being run in PRO/II and Aspen Hysys was used to show what interoperability means together with advanced modeling. Use of Simulis Thermodynamics (ProSim SA) in INDISS (RSI) was demonstrated as well as the use of MultiFlash (Infochem) in Aspen Hysys (AspenTech) together with an IFP Unit Operation made with IFP C++ Wizard. Using an AspenTech Property Package within MATLAB through Simulis Thermodynamics was shown live as well as a Simulis Thermodynamics Property Package running in INDISS.

TULSA projects are mainly using FORTRAN as a programming language. Michel Pons demonstrated how, using a FORTRAN library developed by ProSim SA, calls on CAPE-OPEN Thermodynamic & Physical Properties interfaces can be made to carry on property and equilibrium calculations.

The extension of the CAPE-OPEN standards to dynamic Unit Operations was explained by Martin Gainville. He also demonstrated live the IFP C++ Unit Wizard as well as a dynamic simulation within INDISS (RSI) using IFP PIPE Unit Module.

Alain Ricordeau stressed out the expectations of TOTAL regarding the software made by the Tulsa projects: having these pieces of software CAPE-OPEN compliant.

TULSA showed interest in implementing first a CAPE-OPEN Thermodynamic and Physical Properties socket in their TUWAX software. Means to achieve that goal have been discussed.