Models take off

摘要

Process simulation,long indispensable for design,is finding wider use in plant operations and beyond.Several developments promise to ease the use and expand the capabilities of the software.Such simulations rely on first principles and so provide a more fundamental representation of what is happening than empirical and statistical models often used for advanced process control,scheduling and other chores.However,the simulations'rigor comes at a price - considerable effort and expense to develop the models.So,several companies are exploring how to leverage their investment in process models and the power their rigor affords.