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Facilities

 

Computers: Software

 

 

 

In addition to the licensed software provided by Engineering Computing on Waterloo Nexus and Unix the following list of software is available in the department for teaching and research. These are brief descriptions. If you need more information about the software click on the associated hyperlinks. For further information on usage or reference material contact Dennis Herman x2196 dherman@cape.uwaterloo.ca. 
 

Contents

 

 

Chemical Process Simulation


Control


Statistics


Numerical Solution


Tutorial


Introduction to Chemical Engineering


 

Aspen Plus

 

This is a chemical process flowsheet simulation, optimization and design package. Aspen provides a complete library of steady state models for a number of unit operations in the chemical process industries including petroleum, petrochemical, gas processing, polymer, mineral processing. It also provides a large physical property and rigorous thermodynamic property library. 

To use Aspen logon to your Nexus account and click

Start-Programs-ChemEngApplications-AspenTech-AspenPlus  

WWW Site: ASPEN PLUS - from Aspen Technology Inc. 


 

Aspen Dynamics

 

An Aspen Tech product that adds transient modeling (time varying temperature, pressure , flow etc. ) capabilities to a steady state simulation developed in Aspen Plus. You can add your own custom models using Custom Modeler if you do not find the unit operation that you need in the Aspen Plus library. Note that this package does not solve distributed parameter systems ie partial differential equation models and does not solve boundary value problems.

To use Aspen Dynamics logon to your Nexus account and click  

Start-Programs-ChemEng Applications-AspenTech-

 

WWW Site: Aspen Dynamics from Aspen Technology Inc.
 

Aspen Custom Modeler

 

Create custom models of virtually any system described by nonlinear differential and algebraic equations. You can then use instances of these models in Aspen Plus or Aspen Dynamics simulations.

To use Aspen Custom Modeler logon to your Nexus account and click  

Start-Programs-ChemEng Applications-AspenTech-

 

WWW Site: Custom Modeler from Aspen Technology Inc.

 

Dira    

 

Simple transfer function based response analysis program for teaching process control. Contains tools for frequency response, root locus and discrete systems. In French and English. 

To use this program type DIRA from the  Nexus DOS prompt. 
 

E-Z Solve

 

 E-Z Solve allows you to:

  • Write virtually any combination of differential equations (ODEs) and algebraic equations, including parameters, user-defined functions, and lookup tables.
  • Create user-definable functions implementing logic and looping structures to be referenced in equation sets.
  • Store multiple equation sets in one file (or session), providing an excellent tool for comparing results from different models.
  • Solve a set of equations for different parameter values and/or initial conditions, and store the results in a set of runs.
  • Perform a sweep of solves varying a parameter or initial condition.· View solution results in a spreadsheet link data grid, or graphically on 2D and 3D graphs.
  • Plot any number and combination of variables and their functions, on 2D and 3D graphs, to produce component-vs.-time, phase plane, or any type of user-defined graph.
  • Label graphs with various user-defined markers, text, and lines.
  • Animate solution graphs as functions of time. 

To use E-Z Solve click on the start menu item 

Start-Programs-ChemEng Applications-EZ Solve
 

GAMS 

 

DOS based program for solving optimization problems. It is also available on UNIX e.g. CAPE. Problems are formulated using a text editor in GAMS language and can be solved with a variety of solvers. Gams is capable of solving unconstrained and constrained versions of linear, nonlinear, mixed integer linear and mixed integer nonlinear problems. No results analysis tools are provided. 

To use GAMS type gams at a unix shell prompt or type 

pcgams

from the Nexus DOS prompt. 

WWW Site: GAMS Home Page. 
 

gPROMS 

 

Simulation tool for solving systems of combined algebraic, differential and partial differential equations. The latest windows based version of this program is also available for CAPE users for solving very large problems and contains a results analysis system. This product is unique in its ability to solve PDE systems and systems involving complex event handling e.g. complex startup/shutdown procedures, batch process scheduling etc.. Problems are defined using a text editor in GPROMS language and solved with GPROMS internal solvers. .

To use this program contact dherman@uwaterloo.ca .

WWW Site: gPROMS Home Page.   


 

Himmelblau Programs 

 

A collection of Fortran programs from the 5th Edition of Himmelblau's Basic Principles and Calculations in Chemical Engineering. Programs include antoine coefficient estimation, steam and saturated water properties and solution of linear and nonlinear equations. To use the programs you can use the Watfor77 interpreter. To do this issue the following commands from the Watstar DOS prompt 

access m: blauprog@chemical

copy m:*.* n:

watfor77
 
 


 

 

 

 

Control Station 

 

A  package for teaching undergraduate process control. It has three major modes of operation namely  case studies, custom process and design tools. 

Case Studies provides experience in hands-on plant operation and control. The processes include level control of a tank, temperature control of a heat exchanger, concentration control of a reactor and purity control of a distillation column. The basic controllers available include P-Only, PI, PD and PID controllers. Advanced strategies include cascade, feed forward, decoupling, digital and model predictive control. 

Custom Process is a block oriented environment that lets you construct a process and controller architecture to your own specifications for a wide range of custom control analyses. The behavior of the process and disturbance dynamics are simulated through transfer functions you specify. You can investigate the benefits and drawbacks of different control architectures, tunings sensitivities, loop performance capabilities, and a host of other issues important to the practitioner. 

Design Tools is used to fit linear dynamic models to process data. Design Tools will use the low order models to compute appropriate controller tuning values. The high order models yield transfer functions for use in Custom Process or for use when constructing advanced control strategies which employ a model internal to the controller architecture. Because the data can be imported from real operating processes, Design Tools can solve challenging real-world problems for controller design, analysis and tuning. 

To use control station click the Control Station menu item from 

Start-Programs-Chem Eng Applications-ControlStation

WWW Site: Picles & Digest: Software for Process Control Education/Training Home Page. 
 
 


 

POLYMATH Numerical Computation Package 

 

A program from the CACHE Corporation for teaching numerical methods. It has interactive modules for defining, solving and plotting differential , nonlinear algebraic, linear algebraic equations and for performing polynomial, multiple linear and nonlinear regression. 

To use control station click the Control Station menu item from 

Start-Programs-Chem Eng Applications-Polymath

 WWW Site: POLYMATH Numerical Computation Package Home Page. 
 
 


 

Screen3

 

Program for performing atmospheric pollutant dispersion calculations and graphical analysis. Based on a Fortran program developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. 

To use this program useclick on the screen3 start menu item

Start-Programs-ChemEng Applications-Screen3. 
 
 


 

Statistica

 

A statistical analysis package . 

To use this package simply click on the Windows 95 Start Menu in the lower left hand corner of your Nexus desktop and slide your mouse cursor over Programs then Chem Eng Applications then Statistica and left click on Statistica. 

Start-Programs-ChemEng Applications-Statistica

WWW Site: Statistica from Statsoft
 
 


 

Interactive Computer Modules for Chemical Engineering Instruction 

 

A collection of introductory chemical engineering tutorials from the University of Michigan distributed by CACHE Corporation . Each tutorial is based on a game and was developed with a DOS based multimedia authoring package. We currently have the chemical reaction kinetics modules for use in CHE036 but other module sets are available for material balances, fluids-transport and separation processes. 

To use these modules from the Nexusr DOS prompt type 

CHE036

and you will be presented with a list of modules. Type the module name to start that module. 
 

Chemical Reaction Kinetics Modules

KINCHAL1

Kinetics Challenge 1 - Introduction to kinetics

STAGING

Reactor staging and optimization

KINCHAL2

Kinetics Challenge 2 - Stoichiometry and rate laws

COLUMBO

CSTR-Volume Algorithm - A murder mystery

TICTAC

Ergun, Arrhenius, and VanUt Hoff equations in isothermal reactor design

ECOLOGY

Collection and analysis of rate data - Ecological engineering

HETCAT

Heterogeneous catalysis

HEATFX-1

Simulation - Mole and energy balances in a CSTR

HEATFX-2

Simulation - Mole and energy balances in a PFR


 

WWW Site: Interactive Computer Modules for Chemical Engineering Instruction Home Page. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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