SIM Suite Version 4 Full Feature List

This is the full V4 feature and change list as of the current edit date. Use the links for more detail on the major changes.

  • All SIM Reactor capabilities inside Petro-SIM
  • Enhanced assay synthesis technology for improved accuracy and fidelity
  • New calibration environment, supporting all refinery reactors, Distop columns and component splitters
  • Data Integration and Meter capabilities enhanced
  • Rewritten Refinery Blender unit operation, employing more robust optimization techniques and providing more flexibility
  • Improved look and feel, making it easier to work with large cases
  • New Build Excel Application wizard for auto-generating Microsoft Excel applications around your cases
  • Improved technology in the SIM reactors
  • Enhanced Flowsheet Optimizer and new Data Reconciliation Utility
  • You can now drive Distop columns to product property specs instead of the fixed TBP Cut Point and yield options
  • Distop also supports a new technology level (level 5) which strives to eliminate the subtle discontinuities in results that can be found in previous technology levels, particularly with responses to cut point changes.
  • Synthesis data provided to the plant to crude, stream and calibration environments can be exported to the Oil Manager for separate analysis or export. Stream assays generated for objects like recycle streams can be exported as a set of cuts of that assay
  • Send To works against Adjusts
  • Sent To Excel supports additions to auto-generated Excel Applications
  • PFD Object Inspect menu has been re-organized to make it more compact
  • Select All option added to PFD Object Inspect menu with the letter A as a shortcut
  • Matrix widgets have a sorting option on their object inspect menu
  • Optimizer perturbation step size are now set as absolute values (for example, 0.5 C) rather than defaulting to 0.0001*variable value. Default step sizes are set by variable type (pressure, temperature, flow and so on)
  • Multi-Variable Navigator integrates stream “Calculator” properties alongside all other stream properties
  • Reformer reactor in Petro-SIM supports up to 3 feeds to match the capabilities of the SIM reactor.
  • UserKnowledgebase xml now included alongside case and preference file when using File Email Case command or the new E-Mail and Archive options of the Petro-SIM Ribbon Bar in Excel.
  • Script properties and user variables can now test against an empty result and set values to an empty value using the PSEmpty variable. Example code for script property shows use
  • LP Utility stream/property matrix view allows you to view by stream and property names or by LP tags
  • LP Utility manipulated variable sets let you filter results collection to improve mode calculation performance
  • V4 extends the LP Utility to allow the LP submodel you build to be executed using current simulation values and hence gives you mechanisms to calculate LP-predicted versus simulator predicted or to use the LP submodel to simulate part of your flowsheet.
  • V4 provides an Excel/database application for generating mode-based assay data
  • Extra option on pop-up that appears when you select a case from the File Most Recently Used (MRU) list that is already loaded, letting you load that case in a new instance of Petro-SIM
  • Database connections are remembered in their own MRU list, making it easier to switch between them
  • Save As New Generation option for database cases letting you save the current case as a new revision of the existing case of the database. Recalling the case form the database automatically recalls the latest revision.
  • Performance against Oracle databases is significantly improved through use of a direct interface to the Oracle call library
  • CADB Assay import view now supports assays on Petro-SIM databases as well as the CADB zip format
  • Assays written to Petro-SIM databases can be saved and recalled with multiple revisions, improving change tracking
  • Can now directly specify feed stream refinery properties within the stream, no longer needing to use the Plant to Crude object. It is now also easier to load assays direct into streams.
  • Streams with meters display a modified stream icon that indicates the meter, without having to have the meter clutter the PFD
  • Outlining support for matrix rows added. Examples are the Multi-View for distillations and compositions and the FCC unit operation Calibration Factors tab. You can apply your own outlining to views using the options available on the matrix Object Inspect menus.
  • Extra options are available for viewing stream compositions from the Basis button on the Stream Composition page. You can view extended component detail on streams (typically the detailed naphtha component data) as an alternative to the traditional flowsheet stream composition. You can view both styles on a fraction, flow or percentage basis by mol, mass or liquid volume.
  • To encourage people to record their actions, the main simulation case notes are now directly accessible from the toolbar in all environments. You can also edit the notes while saving cases from the File Save As dialog.
  • There are a few extra stream properties available: Hydrogen content, Bubble Point Temperature, Dew Point Temperature, Critical Temperature, Critical Pressure.
  • Blending response of Ethanol on RVP now predicted
  • Assay synthesis supports N2A (Naphthenes + 2*Aromatics) property in update cuts
  • New Pour Point synthesis method that uses a Levenberg-Marquardt technique to apply a sixth order polynomial to the cut data. This works in conjunction with a new control option over the residue pour point extrapolation and is designed to be applied to assays showing multiple turning points with temperature.
  • Density properties have been extended with new Liq. Mass Density (Std. Cond) and Liq. Mass Density (Std. Cond) (Dry) properties. These work in conjunction with new case settings that let you define what is meant by standard conditions.
  • New PFD button on the LP Utility Control page that lets you view the calculation scope for the utility
  • New button on the LP Utility to let you edit an LP Template in Excel
  • Now easier to use multiple preference files with most recently used list tracked by Petro-SIM and available on the Load Preference Set button. This facilitates using preference files to record project settings, with easy switch between projects.
  • FCC, HXX and DC reactors make direct use of feed stream composition and component property distributions instead of working from distillation and bullk properties. Properties are still transferred on a bulk basis where that is all the reactor needs.
  • New Plot utility that works in conjunction with the Send To menus lets you readily plot any series of data you can see in a Petro-SIM View.
  • PFD provides a drag tool
  • PFD provides buttons to let you walk the flowsheet to upstream or downstream objects. This works in conjunction with the Navigator, switching flowsheets as needed.
  • Two new default units sets have been added to aid oil refinery users – Refinery Metric and Refinery Field
  • Preferences view allows easy access to commonly used preference files, making it easy to switch settings for different projects.
  • Event logging mechanism added for recording key database events
  • Support for localization improved, with tools for generating different language versions of Petro-SIM. Contact KBC if interested in a particular language. As part of this Petro-SIM fully supports Unicode character sets and supports Unicode-based XML file formats.
  • Enhanced update checking mechanism lets you check for patches and download.
  • Keyboard shortcuts enhanced to improve accessibility.
  • New Assay and Property Vector browser tools let you inspect assay properties in great detail.
  • Database Explorer tool updated to provide more functionality to open Petro-SIM cases, browse and query data and manage case locking

Service Pack 1 added the following:

  • AMSIM 7.4 is now available in Petro-SIM and Petro-SIM Express. Extra stream properties relevent to Amine cases have been added (Acid Gas Loading, Amine Content, Std. Residual CO2, Std. Residual H2S).
  • An additional method for Tray Sizing and Rating is now available in the Tray Sizing utility.
  • Petro-SIM and all the Excel linking functionality, ribbon bar etc. now supports the 32-bit version of Microsoft Office 2010.
  • The SIM Suite Registration tool has been extended to register extensions, and will also correctly register extensions written in VB.Net and C#
  • SIM Suite V4.0 now includes translation support for Russian and Simplified Chinese languages.
  • A object group rename feature has been added. Right click on a group of objects in the PFD and choose "Rename".
  • Reactor sample cases updated to include sample Excel workbooks alongside the sample case.
  • Improvements to database collaboration workflow by formalizing a data set publish/subscribe workflow that makes it easier to share data such as calibration factors between different cases.
    • Now accessible from Excel apps.
    • Better reporting around current/available revisions.
    • Can do one-click updates from the notifications page.
    • Now handles scenario where the latest database revision is deleted.
    • Presents a list of available revisions to sync to for manual subscriptions.
    • Integrate data set publishing more tightly in Excel, giving it its own button in the Case Data group of the Petro-SIM tab.
    • Manage Subscriptions view now shows timestamp of the current/available revisions.
    • Publishing data set from Excel now gives option to export calibration case input data as well.
    • Allow data set publication comments to be added from Excel.