COMPUTER AIDED INDUSTRIAL PROCESS SIMULATION AND DESIGN.

This paper describes a project to develop an advanced computing system for process engineering. Although industry has developed proprietary computer programs for simulation of process flowsheets, these programs are not publicly available, are not suitable for new energy processes involving solids, do not utilize current computing technology, and are not integrated. Preliminary work led to a plan to develop a next-generation system, tentatively called ASPEN (Advanced System for Process Engineering). For a system such as a coal gasification plant, ASPEN would perform the steady-state material and energy balances, size the equipment, and carry out an economic evaluation. This paper explains how ASPEN will be used to solve energy problems in process development, in policy planning and in systems research. The plan for development over three years with the active cooperation of industry is described.