NETL's Advanced Process Engineering Co-Simulator (APECS) is first-of-a-kind software that helps improve performance of advanced fossil fuel power plants. APECS has the computing power to provide the high level of accuracy and detail needed so engineers can better understand and optimize fluid flow (from combusted coal), heat and mass transfer, and chemical reactions that drive overall plant performance. APECS was developed by NETL computational scientists and engineers in collaboration with R&D technology partners, and won a 2004 R&D 100 Award.

The APECS system provides a wide variety of analytical and visualization tools to optimize plant performance with respect to fluid flow behavior in key equipment such as combustors, gasifiers, heat exchangers, gas turbines, and fuel cell stacks. It combines steady-state simulation of fluid processes with high-fidelity equipment models. This combination effectively ensures optimal power plant performance by matching physical properties and reaction rates in both types of models.

APECS is playing a key role in the design of FutureGen, an initiative to build the world's first coal-based electricity and hydrogen production power plant that integrates carbon capture and storage (sequestration). When operational, the prototype will be the cleanest fossil fuel-fired power plant in the world. APECS simulations, combined with advanced visualization and high-performance computing, are helping NETL system analysts optimize FutureGen's performance and efficiency.

Integrated APECS tools enable system designers to optimize advanced plant performance processes

Using APECS, the combination of high-fidelity process and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the 275-MW FutureGen plant facilitates technology development by reducing pilot/demonstration design time, and lowering the cost and technical risk involved in developing such a facility.

APECS also is being used to simulate the performance of solid oxide fuel cell systems used as auxiliary power units (APU) in transportation applications. APECS is helping to optimize overall APU efficiency with respect to local fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, electrochemical reactions, and the flow of current throughout fuel cell stacks, using detailed three-dimensional, steady-state CFD models. This research supports DOE partners in the Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) program who are developing cost-effective fuel cell power systems.

APECS integrates process simulators and equipment models using open software interfaces

Demand for APECS virtual simulations is international in scope. The Advanced Process Simulation team is collaborating with United Kingdom researchers to allow the UK 's Virtual Plant Demonstration Model (VPDM) to interoperate with APECS through compatible, open standards-based software platforms.

NETL partners in APECS development include: Fluent Inc., Reaction Engineering International, Aspen Technology, Inc., Alstom Power, Carnegie Mellon University , Iowa State University, and West Virginia University.

APECS Features:

• CAPE-OPEN standard software allows for plug-and-play interoperability of unit operation models, physical properties, and reaction kinetics.
• Configuration Wizard prepares equipment models as CAPE-OPEN compliant models for use in process simulation.
• Model Database stores and manages equipment models, including CFD, custom, and fast ROMs based on previously-computed CFD solutions.
• Model Selection GUI (graphical user interface) displays equipment models from the database to associate with blocks instantiated or added as examples on the process flowsheet.
• Model Edit GUI displays equipment model parameters and defines flexible and powerful solution strategies.
• Integration Controller uses a CAPE-OPEN COM/CORBA bridge to enable serial/ parallel execution of high-fidelity equipment models on distributed heterogeneous computers.
• CFD Viewer displays, within the process simulator, the results of CFD simulations conducted as a part of a co-simulation.
• Analysis Tools provide design specifications, case studies, sensitivity analyses, stochastic analyses, and optimization, including multi-objective optimization.

For more information contact: Steve Zitney