The history of development of chemical engineering simulation software, as well as a comparison of various simulation tools along with their advantages and disadvantages

So disappointed. I was trying to find out more, but there’s nothing at all – just a title

I also want someone to explain it to me; I’m trying to find out about it. Seeking advice from experts

Please, the original poster, search for information on the introductions of these two software programs: “Comprehensive Guide to Chemical Process Simulation Software” and “Classification and Performance Analysis of Commercial Process Simulation Software in the Current International Market”

Simulation technology is closely related to computer technology. It is a multidisciplinary integrated technology that relies on theories such as similarity theory and model theory, system technology, information technology, as well as various specialized techniques in the field of simulation applications. It uses computer systems, devices that simulate physical effects related to applications, and simulators as tools to conduct research using model systems, whether real or hypothetical. Simulation systems are classified into different industries depending on the sectors they serve, such as aerospace, nuclear power generation, thermal power generation, petrochemicals, metallurgy, and light industry. The petrochemical simulation system was developed and applied abroad starting from the late 1960s, following aerospace and power plant simulation systems. It is a comprehensive practical technology based on disciplines such as chemical engineering, computer technology, control engineering, and systems engineering. A petrochemical simulation system is based on computer hardware and software technologies. By gaining a thorough understanding of various petrochemical processes, equipment, control systems, and their operational procedures, dynamic mathematical models of these processes and equipment are developed and turned into software. Additionally, various training functions that can be easily implemented on computers but are not possible in traditional teaching and practice are designed, creating a training environment that closely resembles real-world production conditions. This allows personnel involved in petrochemical production processes to carry out operations and experiments using such simulation systems. The development and application of petrochemical simulation systems provide a high-tech solution for improving production efficiency and corporate profitability in the petrochemical industry. Under the existing production processes, equipment, and control systems, operation and scheduling are the most fundamental tasks in petrochemical production; the quality of these operations has a direct impact on the economic efficiency of the enterprise. Therefore, petrochemical manufacturers place great emphasis on training workers and technicians who carry out actual operations at the production facilities. Petroleum simulation systems are primarily designed to improve the technical skills, practical experience of operators and technicians, as well as their ability to handle various problems that may arise at any time. The computer simulation system for petrochemical plants can realistically simulate the phenomena and operations associated with plant startup, shutdown, normal operation, and various accident scenarios. Moreover, no materials are required at all, and there is no risk involved. Therefore, compared to other training methods, it not only **improves the effectiveness of training** but also **helps save on training costs and reduce training time**, making it an efficient training approach. According to foreign statistics, training on simulation systems enables operators to gain the experience that would otherwise take two to five years to acquire on the job, within just a few weeks. Therefore, Western industrialized countries **refer to such simulation systems as \"secret weapons\" and \"cutting-edge tools\" for improving workers’ skills and ensuring that their production technologies remain at the forefront**, and they once imposed secrecy measures and technical restrictions on our country. Since the 1980s, as the performance-to-price ratio of computer hardware has continued to improve, the development pace of computer simulation systems has also accelerated. The world, with the United States leading the way, has thousands of simulation systems in use, particularly in petrochemical and chemical industries. Companies abroad that developed simulation systems for oil refining and petrochemical processes were established one after another in the late 1970s. The American companies AUDY and SIMCON were the first to introduce simulation systems in petrochemical enterprises, and they provided the largest number of such systems, around 2,000. The software is also involved in a variety of industrial processes, such as oil refining, ammonia synthesis, ethylene production, synthetic fibers, terephthalic acid production, acetate fiber production, gas processing, pulp and paper manufacturing, utility systems, power generation systems, refrigeration, and waste treatment plants. DCS manufacturers such as WestingHouse and FOXBORO also develop simulation systems. Some large petrochemical companies such as the British Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) and the American Exxon Corporation (EXXON) have also developed their own simulation systems. To strengthen its ties with oil-producing countries around the world, Japan invested in establishing the International Petroleum Exchange Center (JCCP), acquired simulation systems of various types from the United States, and trains chemical industry professionals at different levels for domestic and foreign petrochemical companies each year, exerting a significant influence worldwide. In recent years, companies such as ABB, HONEYWELL, and ASPENTECH have also begun to work on the development of petrochemical simulation systems. The petrochemical sector in China (formerly the China National Petroleum Corporation) began working on the application of computer simulation systems for petrochemical plants in 1985. On the one hand, ethylene plant simulation systems (based at Jinshan Petrochemical Complex) and refining plant simulation systems (based at Fushun Petrochemical Company) were introduced from abroad; on the other hand, domestic universities were commissioned to develop computer simulation systems for domestic petrochemical plants, using petrochemical manufacturing enterprises as a basis for such development. In the second half of 1987, the computer simulation training software and hardware system for a waste heat power generation system using catalytic cracking flue gas, based on IBM PC microcomputers and mechanical pointer-type analog dashboards, developed by Beijing University of Chemical Technology for Yanshan Petrochemical Company, was put into use. Pre-training before operation was implemented on this system, contributing to the successful commissioning of the first renovation of the flue gas fans at Yanshan Petrochemical Company’s refinery. This is also the first petrochemical simulation system developed independently in China. In the following years, domestic petrochemical simulation technology continued to develop. Especially in the 1990s, with the emergence of specialized developers of petrochemical simulation systems, domestic ones became available at low prices, offering performance that was on par with foreign counterparts. As a result, after 1992, there was almost no need to import simulation systems from abroad. Since 1985, hundreds of enterprises in China’s petrochemical industry have established their own simulation facilities or developed simulation systems. More than 260 petrochemical plant simulation systems have been developed independently in China, covering the key process streams of the petrochemical industry. These include: atmospheric and vacuum distillation, catalytic cracking, heavy oil catalytic cracking, hydrorefining and cracking, reforming, delayed coking, paraffin dewaxing, lubricant hydrogenation, MTBE, etc., in the refining industry ； The entire ethylene production process in the petrochemical industry, as well as polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol, butadiene, aromatic extraction, p-xylene, etc ； Ammonia synthesis units and urea production units in various large and medium-sized fertilizer plants ； As well as various fine chemical processing equipment. The petrochemical simulation systems developed in China today have a technical level comparable to that of foreign systems; in terms of specific functions, they possess unique features tailored to the needs of domestic petrochemical enterprises.

I have an introductory article, but unfortunately I don’t have the permission to upload it

To summarize these seven points briefly: 1 It is generally believed that PROII is more accurate for use in the petroleum refining industry, as its database contains a large amount of empirical data； ASPEN performs better in the chemical engineering field; compared to Aspen Plus, it has advantages that no other software can match, and it essentially encompasses all the advantages of the software mentioned above. Some people compare PROII to the empiricist school and ASPEN to the academic school. 2. Essential for learning Aspen Plus: 1 Principles of Chemical Engineering ； Unit operations in chemical processes 2: Thermodynamic approaches ； Explaining physical property calculation methods ； 3 Chemical Systems Engineering ； It explains how to model chemical engineering systems, analyze them, and solve problems. For a basic understanding, points 1 and 2 are sufficient; if one wants to go deeper, point 3 is also necessary. Additionally, it is very important to have guidance from an experienced teacher. 3. HYSYS is mainly used in oil refining. Dynamic simulation is its advantage. SPEN is intelligent and used for process simulation in the chemical industry, for large or complex processes; it also features a comprehensive database that is open-access. It and HYSYS are now one company. PRO/II can be used for equipment accounting with a short process, or for distillation accounting. ChemCAD is relatively inferior due to its limited physical property data, making it inconvenient to use; it can be downloaded from various websites, is not widely used by design firms, but does have a certain market presence in universities. 4. I think Aspen Plus offers the most accurate calculations, and its database is also the most well-developed. However, I’m not very comfortable using it; since it takes many factors into account, it feels quite difficult to learn. The interface of ChemCAD is very simple to use, and it is easy to work with. But the database isn’t that large; I’m using version 5.0, which contains property data for only 2,000 commonly used substances. PRO/II is in the middle in both aspects. 5. In terms of ease of convergence, chemcad > hysys > proii. 6. From the perspective of industrial practice, PRO/II, HYSYS, and ChemCAD are all engineering simulation software; among them, Aspen, PRO/II, and HYSYS are used by the vast majority of design institutes in China. It seems that Aspen has the widest range of applications; its modules for electrolytes, solids, combustion, etc., are unmatched by other software ； PRO/II is widely used in the petrochemical industry, where extensive experience has been accumulated ； HYSYS boasts extremely high precision and accuracy in the field of oil and gas engineering. This post was last edited by Jiahe Sanfan on 2009-4-2 at 10:19.]

AspenOne was introduced by the U.S.-based company AspenTech at the end of 2004, offering significant improvements in terms of EO (system of equations). Official website: http://www.AspenTech.com. The main products offered by this company are Hysys, HTFS, and Aspen Plus. Regarding Hysys, it was originally a product of the Canadian company Hyprotech, which was founded in 1976. Hyprotech was one of the first multinational companies to develop industrial simulation and modeling technologies for the oil and chemical industries. Its technology is widely applied in fields such as oil extraction, storage and transportation, natural gas processing, petrochemicals, fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and refining. It holds a dominant position in the field of petrochemical simulation and modeling technology worldwide. Hyprotech has over 17,000 users in more than 80 countries, and its number of registered users exceeds that of any other process simulation software company in the world. Currently, the world’s major petrochemical companies are all using Hyprotech’s products, including the top 15 oil and gas companies in the world, 14 of the top 15 oil refining companies, and 13 of the top 15 chemical companies. In 2002, the American company AspenTech acquired Hyprotech, and Hysys thus became a product of AspenTech. In 2004, the American company Honeywell purchased the rights to the Hysys software from AspenTech. Hysys2004 is part of AspenOne; it was the first version released after Aspen acquired Hysys. The Aspen One directory contains information on the development background of Aspen Hysys. Thanks to the rapid advancement of microcomputers and the introduction of Microsoft Windows software, the limitations imposed by DOS on microcomputer resources and single-tasking were overcome, making it possible to run dynamic simulation systems on microcomputers. Canadian company HYPROTECH lived up to expectations and, leveraging its strong technical capabilities, was the first in the world to develop a microcomputer-based dynamic simulation system, HYSYS 1.0. The promotion and application of the dynamic simulation system HYSYS will undoubtedly bring about a profound revolution in the fields of petrochemical design, production, and research, serving as a landmark moment in the petrochemical industry. Chemical engineering simulation software has evolved and improved mainly in two areas. One is the development of theories and techniques related to chemical engineering simulation, which expands the scope of application for such software. The other area is the advancement of the software itself and computer-assisted tools, with efforts being made to find better ways that enable engineers to more easily master and use this software, as well as to apply it more flexibly in research projects. In recent years, the former aspect has developed rapidly, while the latter has progressed slowly. Since the standards of companies in the first aspect are quite high, the second aspect becomes particularly important. By combining these two aspects and using next-generation programming tools to develop new versions of simulation software, it is certain to bring about a revolution in the field of chemical process simulation. Throughout the development of its software, Hyprotech has always adhered to one principle: \"to make the software easy and convenient to use, so that it is simple for engineers to learn and understand.\" One way to achieve this is for engineers to be able to change variables at will during use. The software can be paused at any time during operation to observe changes in the data. This is what is known as “fully interactive software”; it is Hyprotech’s first-generation product, HYSIM. It was also the world’s first fully interactive chemical engineering simulation software. The company’s success stems from two factors: first, its continuously evolving technical capabilities; and second, its awareness of the potential new technologies brought about by advances in computer technology, along with its ability to respond quickly to such changes. From interactive simulation to interactive simulation technologies on microcomputers, the company has always led the world by providing innovative software. HYSYS is built on HYSIM, which has over a decade of application experience in the petrochemical industry around the world. HYSYS includes more and more complex property calculation packages and unit operations, and it features powerful initialization and rapid iterative calculation tools to obtain results more quickly and accurately. At the same time, system optimization, reactive distillation, advanced variable calculation tables, controllers for control studies, and transfer function generators were added. Hyprotech, the company that develops and supplies Hysys, has international clients such as BP, Chevron, Dow, DuPont, Exxon Mobil, Fluor Daniel, Monsanto, Glaxo SmithKline, Rohm Hass, Bayer, Shell, PraxAir, UOP, and others. HYSYS is widely used in China, with the total number of domestic users exceeding 50. All oilfield design systems use this software for process design. Below is a list of some usernames from domestic oil fields: Daqing Oil Field Design Institute, Liaohe Oil Field Design Institute, North China Oil Field Design Institute, Dagang Oil Field Design Institute, Sichuan Oil Field Design Institute, Changqing Oil Field Design Institute, Qinghai Oil Field Design Institute, Zhongyuan Oil Field Design Institute, Jianghan Oil Field Design Institute, Karamay Oil Field Design Institute, Karamay Oil Field Research Institute, Dushanzi Refinery, Dushanzi Petrochemical Design Institute, Langfang Pipeline Survey and Design Institute, Production Research Center of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, Petroleum Engineering Company of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (Tanggu, Tianjin). South China Sea Branch of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, Shell China, Liaoyang Chemical Fiber Company, Liaoyang Petrochemical Design Institute, Daqing Petrochemical Design Institute, Yueyang Petrochemical Company, Jiujiang Petrochemical Company, Nanjing Petrochemical Company, Yangzi Petrochemical Company, Yangzi Petrochemical Design Institute, Fushun Petrochemical Design Institute, Fushun Petrochemical Company, Jinling Petrochemical Company, Maoming Petrochemical Design Institute, Zhenjiang Refining and Chemical Engineering Company, etc. Features of HYSYS 1: The most advanced integrated engineering environment. 2 Powerful dynamic simulation capabilities. 3 DCS interfaces. 4 Process parameter optimizer. Regarding HTFS, it was originally a subsidiary of the British engineering consultancy company AEA. In 1997, AEA merged with the Canadian company Hyprotech, and Hyprotech became a subsidiary of AEA; the former HTFS company was taken over by Hyprotech. In July 2002, Hyprotech merged with AspenTech, and Hyprotech became part of AspenTech. Official website: http://www.AspenTech.com/ HTFS2001**7 components: ACOL 6.20 FRAN 2.01 TASC 5.00 APLE 2.10 MUSE 3.20 FIHR 2.00 PIPE 5.20 About Aspen Plus Aspen Plus is a large-scale general-purpose process simulation system, a product of the American company AspenTech. Major global manufacturers in the process industries such as chemicals, petrochemicals, and refining, as well as renowned engineering companies, are all users of Aspen Plus. Official website: http://www.AspenTech.com/ Aspen Plus is a large-scale general-purpose process simulation system that originated from a competition organized by the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1970s at MIT to develop new third-generation process simulation software. The project was named “Advanced System for Process Engineering” (ASPEN for short) and was completed by the end of 1981. In 1982, AspenTech was founded to commercialize it, and it was named Aspen Plus. Through continuous improvements, expansions, and enhancements over more than 20 years, this software has seen the release of over a dozen versions, becoming a globally recognized standard for large-scale process simulation software, with millions of application cases. Major global manufacturers in the process industries such as chemicals, petrochemicals, and refining, as well as renowned engineering companies, are all users of Aspen Plus.

PRO/II is a chemical process simulation software developed by the American company SimSci-Esscor, and it is widely used in industries such as oil/gas processing, refining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering and construction, polymers, and fine chemicals/pharmaceuticals. Official website: http://www.simsci-esscor.com/ 1. The newly released PROIIV5.5 in May 2001 features significant improvements in functionality, offering online simulation capabilities. 2. In terms of practicality, PROII has advantages over other similar software; its development approach is tailored for the oil refining and chemical industry. The calculation models developed by SIMSCI have become international standards, and the company has a team of technical experts available for after-sales support, enabling them to address any difficulties encountered by users – an advantage that sets it apart from other software companies ； The manual contains numerous practical examples ； Make the software easier for users to use. This has been recognized by the institutions. 3. PROII features standard ODBC interfaces, which allow it to be connected to heat exchanger calculation software or other advanced computing software. It can also be linked to WORD, EXCEL, and databases, with the calculation results available in various output formats. Software Features and Applicable Industries: Oil/gas processing, refining, chemicals, chemical engineering, construction, polymers, fine chemicals/pharmaceuticals. Simulation applications: Designing new processes, evaluating changes in plant configurations, improving existing plants, conducting assessments and validations in accordance with environmental regulations, eliminating process bottlenecks, optimizing and enhancing plant productivity and efficiency. Typical chemical process models in PRO/II: Ammonia synthesis, azeotropic distillation and extractive distillation, crystallization, dehydration processes, inorganic processes, liquid-liquid extraction, phenol distillation, solid handling. Polymers: Radical polymerization, general-purpose polymerization (styrene), low-density polymerization (ethylene), polymerization of methyl methacrylate, polymerization of vinyl acetate, chain-growth polymerization, polyesters, amides – nylon 6, nylon 6/6, nylon 6/12, copolymerization, polymerization of styrene-methyl methacrylate, polymerization of ethylene-vinyl acetate. Refining: Crude oil preheating, atmospheric distillation, vacuum distillation columns, FCC main fractionation columns, coke ovens, gas processing units, gasoline stabilization, naphtha separation and stripping, reactive distillation, shift and methanation reactors, acid-water separators, sulfur and HF alkylation, isobutane removal columns. Chemicals: Ethylene separation columns, C3 separation columns, aromatic hydrocarbon separation columns, cyclohexane processing units, MTBE separation and production plants, naphthalene conversion, olefin production, oxidation processes, propylene chlorination. Gas processing: Amine desulfurization, multi-stage refrigeration, compressor units, deethanization and demethanization columns, expansion devices, gas dehydrogenation, hydrate formation/inhibition, multi-stage operations, platform operations, refrigeration circuits, turbine expansion optimization. Pharmaceuticals: Batch distillation, batch reactions. Generalized flashing models: Flashing, valves, compressors/expanders, pumps, pipelines, mixers/separators. Distillation models: Inside/out, SURE, CHEMDIST algorithms, two/three-phase distillation, four-point estimators, electrolytes, reactive distillation and batch distillation, simplified models, liquid-liquid extraction, design and calculation of packed columns, design and calculation of tray columns, thermosyphon reboilers. Heat exchanger models: Shell-and-tube, simple, and LNG heat exchangers, zone analysis, heating/cooling curves. Reactor models: Conversion and equilibrium reactions, plug flow reactors, continuous stirred-tank reactors, online FORTRAN reaction kinetics, Gibbs free energy minimization, shift and methanation reactors, kettle-type reactors, Profimatics reformer and hydrogenator model interfaces, batch reactors. Polymer models: Continuous stirred-tank reactors, plug flow reactors, wiped-film evaporators. Solid models: Crystallizers/dissolvers, counter-current decanters, centrifugal separators, rotary filters, dryers, solid separators, cyclones. Component databases: A database of over 2,000 pure components, a database based on DIPPR, information on solid properties, a database of over 1,900 component/type electrolytes, non-database components, virtual components and property descriptions, user-defined databases, property determination based on structure, combination of multiple tests, Van Krevelen method for polymers. Mixed substance data: Online binary parameters for over 3,000 VLE binary systems, online binary parameters for over 300 LLE binary systems, 2,200 online azeotic mixture data sets for parameter estimation, specialized data packages, alcohol dehydration, natural gas dehydration, data related to triethylene glycol, acid-water data from GPA (GPSWAT), treatment of gaseous and liquid ammonia, thiols. In addition to the basic package, PROII also provides users with the following modules: Interface module * HTFS, PRO/II-HTFS Interface – automatically retrieves property data for streams from the PRO/II database and uses this data to create an HTFS input file. HTFS can then output this file to access various logistics property data. * HTRI and the PRO/II-HTRI Interface retrieve data from the PRO/II database and create an HTRI input file for various HTRI programs. The property distribution table for mass flow rates, derived from PRO/II thermal property calculations, is provided to HTRI’s sophisticated heat exchanger design program. This reduces the repetition of entering data between the two programs. * Linnhoff March: The precise quality and energy balance results from PRO/II can be transferred to the SuperTarget(tm) tower module to analyze the energy efficiency of the entire separation process. The proposed improvement plan can then have its values determined in subsequent PRO/II runs.

Application modules * Batch, stirred-tank reactors, and batch distillation models can operate independently or as part of a regular PRO/II process. The operations can be described through a series of procedures, offering great flexibility. * Electrolytes: This module makes use of the sophisticated electrolyte thermodynamics algorithms developed by OLI Systems, Inc. As part of this module, the electrolyte application package further expands certain functions, such as generating user electrolyte models and creating and maintaining a private class database. * Polymers can simulate and analyze industrial polymerization processes, ranging from monomer purification and polymerization reactions to separation and post-treatment. The uniqueness of PRO/II lies in its ability to describe polymer composition through a series of average molecular weight fractions, allowing for accurate simulation of polymer mixing and fractionation. * Profimatics, KBC Profimatics reformer and hydrogenator models have been added to PRO/II unit operations. What makes PRO/II unique is that the base component data and thermodynamic property data modified by these reactions are automatically recorded

Could you introduce AMSIM?

Hehe, you can talk about what you’ve learned. I’ve used FLUENT and Aspen Plus; I’m not familiar with any other ones