Configuration engine for a process simulator

摘要

A computer modeling apparatus includes an input module enabling user specification of a subject facility design based on limited data. The subject facility design includes design alternatives, and a processor routine coupled to the input module and responsive to the user specification by forming an input data set to a rigorous simulation modeler to model the subject facility design. The rigorous simulation modeler requires input beyond the limited data. The processor routine enables execution of the simulation modeler. The computer modeling apparatus further includes an interface member that enables the production of a rigorous simulation model of the subject facility design from the simulation modeler. The subject facility is one of an oil processing facility, a gas processing facility, an oil and gas separation facility, or a chemical processing facility.

主权项

1. A computer modeling apparatus, comprising:
an input module for forming and bringing into existence a plant design of a subject chemical processing facility-to-be, said input module enabling a user to input certain specifications of the plant design, said certain specifications being limited data that is preliminary field data that fails to meet requisites for rigorous simulators, and being different from other specifications of the plant design, wherein the plant design includes design alternatives of the subject chemical processing facility-to-be; a processor routine coupled to the input module and responsive to the user input certain specifications by forming an input data set for a rigorous simulation modeler, the processor routine automatically forming the input data set from the limited data of the user input certain specifications, the processor routine executing the simulation modeler using the formed input data set to model the plant design of the subject chemical processing facility-to-be including modeling mass balance and energy balance for the plant design, such that said execution of the simulation modeler results in a rigorous simulation model of the plant design of the subject chemical processing facility-to-be, wherein the rigorous simulation modeler requires input beyond the limited data that was input by the user at the input module; an interface member generating a graphical representation of the plant design of the subject chemical processing facility-to-be from the resulting rigorous simulation model, said rigorous simulation model including equipment design of the subject chemical processing facility-to-be from the simulation modeler; and an output member coupled to the interface member displaying to a user the generated graphical representation of the plant design of the subject chemical processing facility-to-be, the interface member and the output member enabling user interaction with the plant design via the generated graphical representation.