Affiliation: Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
Reference: Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings, vol.153 (29), pp. 210-215, Proceedings of The 59th Conference on Simulation and Modelling (SIMS 59), 26-28 September 2018, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Abstract: “Computer-aided modelling has focused on developing domain-specific frameworks. Despite being powerful stand-alone tools they can be challenging to incorporate into a multi-scale model whose inherent interdisciplinary nature leads to a heterogeneous set of languages and tools. However, tools and models can be made easier to adopt into future projects by making conscientious development choices based on software development techniques. This paper shares the experiences and software design options that were considered and employed in the development of the MoDeNa multi-scale modelling framework.”
DOI: 10.3384/ecp18153210
Comments: the authors reference the European Materials Modelling Council and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as formulating strategies for developing solutions facilitating software interoperability for domain specific simulation platforms and the authors recognize that the need for standardisation has been realised and acted upon in chemical engineering with the CAPE-OPEN project. Mentioning CAPE-OPEN as an initiative to facilitate interoperability of process simulation and modelling software gives credit to the impact CAPE-OPEN has on the computer-aided process engineering domain.
The authors further state that “The goal of the project was to create a common interface for process models to facilitate interoperability between well entrenched proprietary simulation environments…as well as developing third-party extensions“.
This description of the goals of the CAPE-OPEN project is somewhat reductive. The CAPE-OPEN project essentially opened up process simulation and modelling software whatever their history and market share. The point was not to facilitate interoperability between major process simulation tools because two process simulation environments are not going to interoperate that often. On the other hand, parts of a process simulation environment could be exported and seen as a software component for another process simulation environment, just like any software component could be. So CAPE-OPEN identified software components that could be handled that way (like thermodynamic servers, unit operations models, numerical solvers, reaction models) and defined the interfaces that were needed on these components and on process simulation environments to achieve interoperability.
CAPE-OPEN related papers cited in text:
- Belaud, J. P., & Pons, M. (2002). Open software architecture for process simulation: The current status of CAPE-OPEN standard. Computer Aided Chemical Engineering, 10(C), 847–852. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1570-7946(02)80169-9