Chemical Engineering December 2011 - 26

CPFD Software
Newsfront
ability. It permits training on more
than operational set points and allows
operators to consider the optimal operation
of a plant that generates better
yield, quality and utility use. There
is a very strong economic benefit for
training operators via simulation. "
WSMC-Comi-Condor-Tomoe 1-3 page Black & Blue - Chem Eng (r...
Simulation integration
One of the reasons this type of training
is possible is because simulation
products are increasingly able to interact
and interoperate with control
systems, as well as other software
tools. " No one product can be the best
at all things, " says Gavin McIntyre,
manager of process applications/customer
service with Bryan Research &
Engineering (Bryan, Tex.). " You will
find that most simulation tools are
good at many things and some specialize
in particular areas, but none
of them can do everything. Numerous
opportunities exist to incorporate specialty
tools from a variety of vendors,
and incorporation allows
the user to have the best
available technology accessible
through one
package, " he says.
Integration of third
party software today is
possible with current
programming technology.
" It can be done
through a standard interface,
such as CapeOpen,
by inserting program
languages, calling
a custom dynamic link
library or through a simple spreadsheet
routine, " explains McIntyre.
Integration and interoperability
FIGURE 2. Full-scale CPFD model (left) and operating
plant (right) for the Biomasse Italia CFB biomass-fired
power plant in Strongoli, Italy
save both the vendor and the user
time and money. " We don't intend to
be all things to all applications, " says
Henderson. " But we do intend to take
advantage of best in class solutions to
extend our tool set. We allow customers'
or third-party physical properties
or chemical systems to be loaded into
the system, which minimizes the product
development we have to do.
" We are open to third-party properties
and equipment, as well as third
party 3D visualization tools and learning
management systems for training.
This is possible because we have adopted
common interface standards so
we can integrate with many common
applications and our control system
can integrate with many control systems
as well. Powerful software becomes
more powerful with openness to
other technologies and software tools, "
says Henderson.
Anne-Marie Walters, global markethttps://nymail.accessintel.com/exchange/jcooke/Inbox/Fwd:%20eme...
ing
director with Bentley (Exton, Pa.)
says that her company also strives to
make their simulation products interoperate
with information " no matter
where it comes from instead of relying
on people to be able to re-draw or reinput
information. "
" We've put a lot of investment into
the ability to interoperate so that users
can get to accurate 3D models quicker
via an interoperable link with other
systems. This means that if something
changes, users will automatically see
what impact that has on what they
are trying to assess, " she says.
" This is possible because Bentley
supports international standards for
interoperability. Not just with our
software, but with third-party design
and analysis tools as well. It's our job
to make sure we can pick up all the information
and make sure the systems
work together so that all the engineers
can focus on their own jobs.
" This makes the project quicker,
compresses project time scales and
avoids human errors due to out-ofCircle
33 on p. 62 or go to adlinks.che.com/35072-33
26 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM DECEMBER 2011

https://nymail.accessintel.com/exchange/jcooke/Inbox/Fwd:%20eme http://adlinks.che.com/35072-33 http://WWW.CHE.COM

Chemical Engineering December 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering December 2011