A Cape-Open Compliant Simulation Module For An Ammonia Reactor Unit

PEREZ V. L.; DOMANCICH A; VAZQUEZ G.E.; BRIGNOLE N.B

Rio das Pedras, Brasil

Congreso; ENPROMER 2005; 2005

The easy widespread availability of process-engineering software is a subject of present concern. There is a need for the development of integrated computing tools that can provide broad access to software components coming from either academic sources or independent vendors. The CAPE-OPEN (CO) standard provides a suitable environment for this purpose because it enables the generation of modules with plug-andplay facilities, which make them portable, thus facilitating their straightforward integration to different simulation platforms. Our research aims at the adaptation of complex existing modules so that they meet the CO standard. In this work, the design and development of a CO-compatible component for the steady-state simulation of a multibed ammonia reactor is described. The resulting Operation Unit (OU) satisfies the definitions and guidelines established by the standard. Before implementing the interfaces, an analysis of requirements for the correct interaction of the OU with the other simulator components was carried out. Then, the objects to be invoked were defined and the reactor model was codified. The original code, which had been written in FORTRAN, was encapsulated in a dynamic link library (DLL) and employed as an OU calculating routine. Both the COcompliant OU and the interfaces were implemented in VISUAL BASIC, and then tested in the environment of a commercial simulator.