Other modelling tools
Here is a (probably incomplete) list of related software that does some or all of what ASCEND aims to do. Please, feel free to add to, or update, this list.
Some further software tools are listed at http://www.idsia.ch/~andrea/sim/simtools.html
Free and Open Source Software
JModelica
A partial java implementation of the Modelica language, support for IPOPT, Python and C APIs. Interesting!
Scicos / SciLab
Scicos is a free clone of Simulink. Arguably not suited for process engineering style problems (although this might be changing). Good for control and electrical problems.
fREEDA
Focussed on electrical networks but includes nonlinear solvers and a 'small language'. Appears to have a fairly well developed GUI now too, based on Qt.
DWSIM
Steady state sequential-modular simulator written in VB.net.
GNU Octave
Free MATLAB clone
SciPy
Aims to partly clone MATLAB but within the Python interpreter. Includes many high-level scientific computing routines, plotting, etc.
ColSim
Aimed primarily at solving solar thermal collector models. Appears to be sequential modular in nature. Includes a SIMULINK-style block diagram GUI based on XFIG.
Ptolemy
Ptolemy II is a heterogeneous modelling environment written in Java, with a GUI called Virgil.
OpenMDAO
A modular simulation environment based on Python. Essentially appears to be a sequential-modular system, with calculation units written in terms of inputs and outputs.
Licensing TBD
Cycle-Tempo
"a modern tool for the thermodynamic analysis and optimization of systems for the production of electricity, heat and refrigeration. The program is suited to model steam turbine cycles, STAG units, gas turbine cycles, combustion and heat transfer systems, coal and bio mass gasification combined cycles, fuel cell systems, organic Rankine cycles (ORC), refrigeration systems, and heat pumps."
OpenModelica
A free implementation of the Modelica language, not yet a complete implementation. Includes an Eclipse-plugin IDE.
OpenModelica still lacks functionality sufficient for modelling of thermo-fluid systems as can be done using the Modelica language using the commercial solver Dymola.
A GUI called SimForge is under development, in Java:
A closed-source editor called MathModelica Lite is also available for OpenModelica.
OpenModelica is licensed under an unusual three-way combination of GPLv3 and two kinds of bespoke commercial license.
MPxJava / MPxCsharp
Products developed Kirk Abbott, who did his PhD on ASCEND. He is considering opening up the source code, or he might even send it to you if you're nice.
masaccio
http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~tah/Publications/masaccio.html
CHARON
http://www.cis.upenn.edu/mobies/charon/
FMS (Flexible Modelling System)
Licensing situation is not clear, old code hosted at SourceForge, new code at National Oceanic and Atomspheric Administration (US Govt).
- http://sourceforge.net/projects/fms/
- <a href="https://fms.gfdl.noaa.gov/" class="external free" title="https://fms.gfdl.noaa.gov/" rel="nofollow">https://fms.gfdl.noaa.gov/</a>
Gratis but not Libre
EMSO
EMSO features a very nice user interface and an easy-to-learn language. It uses SUNDIALS to provide some of its solver functionality but does not seem to provide a fully block-decomposing NLA solver like QRSlv. It includes very nice automatic index reduction and a good plotting interface, and can quite easily link external functions and external solvers, using external DLL/SOs. Can link to a thermo properties library by VMG, via a CAPE-OPEN interface. Their model library is open source, although it has a few binary DLLs in it which are kept closed. Recent versions have added a canvas-based editor.
DNA
This is a fairly basic 'small language' by Brian Elmegaard for modelling energy systems including turbines, boilers, condensers, pumps, etc. Actually the source code is included with the installer, but I'm not sure of the license conditions.
http://www.et.web.mek.dtu.dk/software/dna/
WinDali
http://www.et.web.mek.dtu.dk/WinDali/Index.html
COCO
A bunch of components implementing the various APIs of the CAPE-OPEN simulator. It's resolutely closed-source.
Commercial Software
AMPL
AMPL has its own modelling language for describing various large-scale optimisation and mathematical programming problems, and a wide range of solvers have been interfaced. There is a trial version that will solve up to 300 variables. No support for object-oriented modelling or engineering units, but a mature and large set of optimisation solvers available.
Aspen
Equation-based modeller with emphasis on chemical process modelling, with flowsheet/canvas-style GUI. Seems to be bighly respected in the process engineering industry.
http://www.aspentech.com/products/aspen-custom-modeler.aspx
HYSYS is also from Aspen Tech. Seems to be focussed on oil & gas production, gas processing, petroleum refining, and air separation industries. Not clear to what extent if any the core engine is different from other Aspen products.. Includes optimization capabilities.
Aspen Plus is also from Aspen Tech. Seems to be focussed on chemical, polymer, specialty chemical, metals and minerals, and coal power industries. Again, not sure yet how this project differs essentially from other Aspen offerings.
Berkeley Madonna
A clone of STELLA with a quite-nice GUI, frequency-domain analysis, bifurcation analysis,... Doesn't look like a system suitable for really large-scale models though.
Dymola
Implements the Modelica langauge.
Ebsilon
General purpose graphical process simulation program with apparently good support for power generation applications (coal power, condensers, boilers, turbines, etc). Currently being actively promoted on the conference circuit. Doesn't seem to be aimed at the chemical process modelling market; contains a relatively limited set of chemical species in its thermo database (compared to CAPE tools). Contains model components specifically for solar thermal energy system modelling, but does not support full dynamic system modelling.
EcoSim Pro
ODE and DAE simulation too. Possibly doesn't include NLA, NLP simulation. Seems to handle conditional variables in dynamic models (bouncing ball demo). Seems to have a good range of model libraries for fluid flow, control, power cycles, but more limited support for process modelling.
EES
Commercial equation solver, includes support for units of measurement and has procedural/function support. Does not include the same support for hierarchical modelling that ASCEND has, AFAICT. But a very comprehensive program, can be tightly integrated with TRNSYS, is used as the 'standard' in textbooks by Nellis and Klein and Cengel on Heat Transfer and Thermodynamics, and possibly others.
GAMS
NLA, LP and MINLP solver with its own modelling language. The language allows quite concise and readable models, although the syntax uses some funny conventions like =L= for less-than. A wide range of very powerful solvers is available. There is a trial version of some sort.
No particular support for engineering-specific features, no support for units of measurement.
GateCycle
A very well-established and accurate software for power station simulation, this package was developed initially by Michael Erbes and subsequently continued as a project of General Electric (GE). Active development of the software has been said to be diminishing. The software includes in-depth support for off-design calculation. Extremely expensive.
- http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/oc/en/opt_diagsw/gatecycle.htm
- Erbes, M. R. and Gay, R. R. GATE/CYCLE predictions of the off-design performance of combined cycle power plants. Simulation of Thermal Energy Systems, ASME Winter Annual Meeting, AES-Vol. 124, December 1989, pp. 43-51 (American Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York).
gPROMS
For both dynamic and steady-state simulations
Interactive Thermodynamics
An educational equation solver including support for the calculation of thermodynamic properties, referred to in the textbook by Moran & Shapiro. Not sure to what extent it is aimed for broader use.
IPSEpro
With new model components for solar thermal energy systems by Jurgen Rheinländer. SimTech attended the recent SolarPACES 2009 and 2010 conferences.
Pro/II
ProMax
Simulink / MATLAB
Simulink seems to be a poor choice for many process-flow-diagram type models, because it is oriented more toward signal flow (one direction) than fluid flow (could be any direction), and because there is not support for things like units of measurement, built-in thermodynamic property evaluation, and so on. Having said that, Matlab is a completely flexible and powerful environment for doing numerical work, and if you're willing to 'roll your own' you can model anything you want. Expensive though.
STELLA
Looks to be squarely aimed at the educational market. Looks to have some nice graphics. From Jay Forrester's lab -- the 'pioneer of system dynamics'.
SysCAD
An Australian-based simulator that is used by most of the world's bauxite refineries, according to one of the developers.
TkSolver
ThermoFlex
TRNSYS
Popular with Solar Thermal Energy researchers and HVAC engineers, TRNSYS provides a rather low-level 'small language' that can be used to link together arbitrary equations and 'units' from a large library of components such as hot water tanks, thermal collectors, pumps, control valves, weather data, sun position, etc. Performs dynamic simulation and reports results of 'watched' variables. There are two GUI interfaces available that make it quite a bit easier to use. External units can be programmed in Fortran-90. Update with version 16, external units can be programmed in any language (as long as it's Windows). TRNSYS is a sequential modular transient simulator[1], although it does provide support for 'equation blocks' to be written.
Note also that Solar Advisor Model (SAM, aka System Advisor Model) from NREL is a simulator specifically for cost/project evaluation of solar energy systems, and it makes use of TRNSYS as its internal calculation engine
UniSim
From Honeywell. Appears to be free for non-commercial users.
VMGSim
Simulator that seems to have been based on the previously free, open source simulator, Sim42 (see below). Apparently not everyone who was involved was happy about this...
WinSim
Steady-state chemical process simulation, distillation, heat exchangers, gas processing, flash, reactors, pipelines, pumps, compressors. GUI-based, Windows only, Excel export interface. Wide range of property correlations for 1000+ chemical species.
Defunct
ABACUSS II
We were recommended to look at Jacobian instead.
Jacobian
Commercial spinoff of ABACUSS II. Website appears to be offline.
Omola
Efforts were moved over onto Dymola/Modelica?
Sim42
This was an attempt to make a nice modelling environment using the Python language, but the project fell down for reasons that may have been related to the Virtual Materials Group, who took over the website for a while and then ultimately took it offline. It appears that they may have incorporated further Sim42 development into a commercial product (clarifications welcome)
- http://opensource.cheme.info/index.php/topic,14.0.html
- https://sourceforge.net/projects/ollints/ (Source code for Sim42 still appears to be available from this project's download area)
SpeedUp
Pantelides' program
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-32898-13261/unrestricted/ETD.PDF]
References
- ↑ D Y Goswami, F Kreith and J F Kreider, 2000, Principles of Solar Engineering, Taylor & Francis.