The 4th CAPE-OPEN US Conference featured four sessions including an Interoperability Workshop: 20 papers were given. They covered the implementation of CAPE-OPEN interfaces in Process Modelling Environments as well as in Process Modelling Components. End-users, software vendors and academics shared their experience. A Short Course was organized together with this topical. See details here.

The sessions within the Topical Conference are described herafter.

Session 344: CAPE-OPEN Current status and future
CO-LaN progress was reported through an overview of CO-LaN achievements and its future strategy as well as achievements of a new Special Interest group on Refining Reactors. Also new software tools that have adopted CAPE-OPEN technology were presented. A panel discussion permitted interaction between CO-LaN management, authors and session attendees.

• CO-LaN Achievements and Strategy by Werner Merk (The Dow Chemical Company), Ray Dickinson (Shell Global Solutions), Michel Pons (CO-LaN)
• CO-LaN Refinery Reactors SIG Progress Update by Ignasi Palou Rivera (BP Refining Technology)
• An introduction to COCO by Jasper van Baten (AmsterCHEM)
• Application of CAPE-OPEN Standards for the Interoperability between Computer-Aided Modelling Tools (MoT) and Process Simulators (ProSimPlus) by Ricardo Morales-Rodriguez (CAPEC), Rafiqul Gani (CAPEC), Alain Vacher (ProSim SA), Pierre Castelain (ProSim SA) and Stéphane Dechelotte (ProSim SA)
• CAPE-OPEN in CHEMCAD by Yimin Peng and Neil Gray (Chemstations, Inc.)
• Class-based CAPE-OPEN Interface Revisited in .NET Framework by Maurizio Fermeglia and Marco Parenzan (MOSE)

Session 459: CAPE-OPEN Thermodynamic interfaces
Progress on the implementation and adoption of the Thermodynamic interfaces 1.0 and 1.1 will be reported by a number of organizations. The utility of the interfaces will be demonstrated through the wide range of problems that are being solved.

• CAPE-OPEN Thermo 1.1 Interface Support for Aspen Hysys by Suphat Watanasiri (Aspentech)
• Experiences in interfacing the IK-CAPE Thermodynamic Package to CAPE-OPEN by Lars von Wedel (AixCAPE e.V.)
• Development of TUWAX as a CAPE-OPEN compliant software by Alain Ricordeau (TOTAL SA), Cem Sarica (University of Tulsa) and Anaïs Mathieu (TOTAL SA)
• Simulating Wax Deposition in Pipelines with a CAPE-OPEN 1.1 Thermodynamics Package by Beryl Edmonds, Tony Morwood, Richard Szczepanski and Xiaohong Zhang (Infochem Computer Services Ltd)
• Simulis Thermodynamics: A CAPE-OPEN Compliant Framework for Users and Developers by Olivier Baudoin, Alain Vacher and Stéphane Dechelotte (ProSim SA)
• CAPE-OPEN Logging and Testing Tool Supports CAPE-OPEN Thermodynamic Interfaces 1.1 by Malcom Woodman (BP Exploration Operating Company Ltd), Peter Banks (BP Exploration Operating Company Ltd), Michel Pons (CO-LaN)
• Parameter Estimation in gPROMS using Aspen Properties by Kevin C. Seavey and Wilma Hensen (The Dow Chemical Company)

Session 398: CAPE-OPEN Unit Operation interfaces
The utility of the CAPE OPEN unit operations interface standard was demonstrated through the wide range of applications. These applications included models for process sustainability, metal finishing, refinery reactors, power systems, virtual plants, and more.

• Unit Operation Prototypes for the Development of CAPE-OPEN Refinery Reactor Interfaces by Ignasi Palou-Rivera (BP Refining technology) and Jeffrey Pribich (SAIC)
• Use of CAPE-OPEN Standard in US-UK Collaboration on Virtual Plant Simulation by Stephen E. Zitney (National Energy Technology Laboratory)
• Advanced Process Engineering Co-Simulation (APECS) Using CFD-based Reduced Order Models by Yi-dong Lang (CMU), Lorenz T. Biegler (CMU), Sorin Munteanu (ANSYS Inc.), Jens Madsen (ANSYS Inc.) and Stephen Zitney (National Energy Technology Laboratory)
• CAPE-OPEN Modules for the Process Sustainability Prediction Framework - Description and Applications by Maurizio Fermeglia (MOSE), Gennaro Longo and Letitia Toma (MOSE)
• Development of CAPE-OPEN Unit Operations for Advanced Power Systems Modeling by David A. Swensen (Reaction Engineering International)
• Optimizer as a CAPE-OPEN Unit Operation by Martin Gainville (IFP), Pascal Roux (IFP), Alain Vacher (ProSim SA), Philippe Baudet (ProSim SA), Michel Pons (MPT) and Didier Paen (RSI-Simcon).
• Importing and Using COM-Based CO compliant Unit Operations in US EPA Metal Finishing Pollution Prevention Tool by William M. Barrett Jr. (US EPA) and Svetlana Strunjas-Yoshikawa

CAPE-OPEN Interoperability Workshop
Software developers used this open session to progress on CAPE-OPEN interoperability issues by doing actual tests run concurrently. Similar workshops have shown that the unique software testing facilities available to CO-LaN and the presence of software vendor experts allow many interoperability problems to be resolved quickly and easily. End-users had the opportunity to observe and comment on live tests being conducted.