SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes

Welcome to SimCentral Simulation Platform

4.1
December 2019
Welcome to SimCentral™ Simulation Platform 4.1, our next generation simulation environment.
If you experience any difficulty using SimCentral Simulation Platform, please let us know. The following
sections contain information which may help you avoid any problems.
Finally, we really want your feedback. If you are using SimCentral Simulation Platform, you are helping
us to make this a better product. We will work closely with you to understand what you want out of a
simulation product so that we can improve future versions of SimCentral Simulation Platform.

Version 4.1 1
SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes Before You Start

Before You Start

Here are a few things to check before you install and start using SimCentral Simulation Platform:
1. Select the best installer for your computer and operating system
SimCentral Simulation Platform is a 64-bit software application with the following installation types.
o Single-user Edition: A single-user edition of the Installer and software that installs SimCentral
Simulation Platform on your own computer for use with your own user account. You do not need
administrator privileges to install it. However, it relies on several software prerequisites. If you do
not have these prerequisites already installed, you will need administrator privileges and an
Internet connection to install them before you install SimCentral Simulation Platform.
Use the SimSci.SimCentral.SingleEditionSetup.exe file to install this version of SimCentral
Simulation Platform.
o All Users Edition: A single-user edition of the Installer and software that installs SimCentral
Simulation Platform for all user accounts on the machine from an elevated administrator account
(typically as an IT technician or other network administrator). Each user has their own unshared
Repository. You must have administrator privileges to use this installer.
Use the SimSci.SimCentral.SingleEditionSetupAllUsers.exe file to install this version of
SimCentral Simulation Platform.
You can install only one edition of SimCentral Simulation Platform on any Windows 10, Server 2016,
8.1, Server 2012 R2, or 7 SP1+ machine.
2. Get a license
In order to run SimCentral Simulation Platform, you need to purchase a license. You can obtain a
license through the AVEVA sales department or by contacting
SimSci.ProductRequest@aveva.com. The Simsci SimCentral Simulation Platform Installation Guide
has more information on the licensing software that SimCentral Simulation Platform supports.
3. Review the Installation Guide
There are specific steps that you must follow if you are installing SimCentral Simulation Platform for
the first time or upgrading from a previous release.
4. Launch SimCentral Simulation Platform Client
SimCentral Simulation Platform is easy to launch. We have added a shortcut to the desktop as well
as in the Windows Start Menu under the SIMSCI SimCentral folder.
5. What is "in the box"
SimCentral Simulation Platform contains Model Libraries for refinery steam, cooling water, flare
systems, and chemical processes. We have also included sample simulations that are easy to use
and can be imported from the Examples folder within the My Simulations folder.
6. Go over the tutorial
We have included a tutorial within the SimCentral Simulation Platform Getting Started Guide
distributed with the user documentation. It explains the basics of how to use SimCentral Simulation
Platform.

2 Version 4.1
New Features SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes

New Features
We have worked hard to make some great additions to SimCentral Simulation Platform 4.1. Major
features for this release include:
• Invariant Parameters
Revert invariant parameters, such as a nominal pipe size, from snapshots.
• Flare Relief Valve Sizing
Size relief valves for steam service per API methods. The PRV relief valve model also includes the
vapor method so that all the available sizing methods are available in a single model.
• Flare Tee and Enlarger
Automatically obtain the correct tee and enlarger sizes from the adjacent pipe size.
• Flare Design Messages
View warning badges and messages for your company-specific design criteria for relief valve
backpressure, pipe velocity, pipe kinetic energy (rho-v-squared), or sound power level.
• Flare Relief Report
Create a comparison summary and review any relief case for any equipment type.
• Process Reactors
Model the plug flow reactor (PFR) and continuously stirred reactor (CSTR) with reaction in specific
phases. View new warning messages for incorrect stoichiometry.
• Process Improvements
Eliminate liquid static head for the separator, column internal overhead receiver, and column internal
bottom sump in Process mode if you do not require it. Work with recycles on a mass basis.
• DIPPR Component Data
Use data from thousands of components from the Design Institute for Physical Properties (DIPPR)
public component library. DIPPR is a technical society of the American Institute for Chemical
Engineers (AIChE).
• FlexNet Publisher (FNP) 11.16.2
Use the latest Flexera software with improved security.

For Simulation Builders

The following table lists the feature improvements made for Simulation Builders by product area.

Area Description

Invariant You can now revert invariant parameters, such as a nominal pipe size, from
Parameters snapshots.

UOMs You can now use the S (siemens) and dS (decisiemens) UOMs for
ElectricalConductance variable types.

Version 4.1 3
SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes New Features

For Model Writers

The following table lists the feature improvements made for Model Writers by product area.

Area Description

Invariant You can now mark an enumerated parameter (such as nominal pipe size) as
Parameters Invariant so that Simulation Builders can recover enumerated parameter data
from snapshots.

Thermodynamics
The following table lists the feature improvements, by product area, made to the thermodynamic system
and calculations.

Area Description

DIPPR Public You can now use data from thousands of components from the Design Institute for
Component Physical Properties (DIPPR) public component library. DIPPR is a technical
Library society of the American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Standard Libraries
This section contains enhancement information on the standard Model Libraries that are installed in the
SimCentral Simulation Platform repository.

Controls Library
The following table lists the feature improvements for Controls Library users.

Area Description

PID The PID controller now includes the Operation parameter, which allows you to
place the PID controller in automatic or manual mode. In previous versions, you
had to switch specifications for SP and OP, which is now done automatically.

Cooling Water Library

The following table lists the feature improvements for CWLib Library users.

Area Description

Orifice The Orifice model now has the option to calculate the cavitation index based on
Lin, S. H. Preventing cavitation with multistage orifices. Hydrocarbon Process.
1985, 64(7), 93-95. A warning message appears when the cavitation index is
below 2.5.

4 Version 4.1
New Features SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes

Flare Library
The following table lists the feature improvements for FlareLib Library users.

Area Description

PipeRig The PipeRig now has a Heat Duty variable, found under the Operation group. This
variable is specified to 0 by default. You can use this variable to input heat to the
metal, for example to simulate the effect of heat tracing. Also, you can swap
specifications between heat duty and outlet temperature. The pipe will find the
necessary duty to achieve the desired outlet temperature.

Pipe and PipeRig Pipe and PipeRig now have a warning message that informs you if the rhoVsq is
higher than a given limit, rhoVsqMax. The rhoVsqMax limit is a global variable with
a default value of 150 kPa.

General Sound pressure level (SPL) limit is now a global variable, LwMax, so you can now
set the SPL warning limit for all models in a simulation by changing the value in a
single location, for example on a Mixer or PRV.

PRV The PRV now supports vapor sizing by using the calculation method described in
API 520 section 5.6. You can select the sizing method through the SizingModel
parameter, under the Calculation Options group. You no longer need to use a
different model (such as the PSV) for vapor sizing.

PRV The PRV now supports steam sizing by using the calculation method described in
API 520 section 5.7. You can select the sizing method through the SizingModel
parameter, under the Calculation Options group. An internal DLL interpolates the
superheat correction factor from the API 520 table 9.

Excel Reports, You can now use a Microsoft Excel template to create Flare Relief Excel reports
Flare Relief that include equipment-wise relief case summaries. To do this, open the Flare
Report Relief Report.xltx file in the ...\Examples\Standard Reports folder.
The Case Comparison worksheet allows you to review and compare all models of
any equipment type. To study and understand a specific relief case, you can use
the Case Specific Data worksheet. The report also shows the additional FAQs
worksheet, which summarizes the steps to utilize this report.

Fluids Library
The following table lists the feature improvements for Fluids Library users.

Area Description

C2_C8_DIPPR You can now use the C2_C8_DIPPR example fluid, which demonstrates how to
use Design Institute for Physical Properties (DIPPR) component data.

Version 4.1 5
SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes New Features

Process Library
The following table lists the feature improvements for Process Library users.

Area Description

General The StaticHead parameter is now a global parameter.

CSTR and PFR The CSTR and PFR models now allow for phase-specific reactions. Individual
reactions can occur in parallel for vapor and liquid phases, which support
vapor-liquid-liquid equilibrium (VLLE) depending on the fluid settings.

EQR, CNVR, All reactors now check for mass balance and display an error if there is an
CSTR, PFR, and imbalance.
Burner

Recycle The Recycle model now supports mass units.

Separator The Separator model now allows you to selectively ignore or include the static
head contribution to the liquid product. If you set the new StaticHead parameter to
Ignore, the liquid and vapor product will have the same pressure.

Column The Column model now allows you to selectively ignore or include the static head
contribution to the liquid product from the condenser, the reboiler, and the sump. If
you set the new StaticHead parameter to Ignore, the liquid and vapor product will
have the same pressure.

Column You can now set the Reaction parameter for each Stage individually to invoke
reactions on stages.

Column The Pbtm variable now defines the pressure below the last stage of the Column,
which includes the last stage’s pressure drop.

Column The new SumpContact variable now allows you to set the degree of mixing
(contact) between the Sump’s vapor feed and its liquids. For full contact (the
default), set SumpContact equal to 1; to bypass vapors and route them directly
into the last stage, reduce the SumpContact value. We have fully tested the
performance of SumpContact values in Process mode. For Fluid Flow and
Dynamics modes, we confirm robust behavior with SumpContact equal to 1.
However, lesser contact values may lead to unreliable solving behavior.

Column: By default, the SimpleTray now includes only the dry tray pressure drop. If you
SimpleTray want to include the tray's liquid head, you must request these calculations in the
Column's Internals group. That is, set the Internals.LiquidHead parameter for that
stage to Include.
Ignoring the liquid head by default makes Columns converge much easier in Fluid
Flow and Dynamics modes. It eliminates the risk of “negative DPdry” warnings,
which can cause mode transition failures. With this new behavior, mode transition
failures are no longer an issue. This new behavior addresses low pressure
separations with packings that have no weir and account for only low, frictional
pressure drops.

6 Version 4.1
New Features SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes

Area Description

Reaction Rate The DefRate replaceable model now includes a vector variable named RateRxn[],
Submodels which is dimensioned over Nrxn, so that you can more easily set up conversion
reactions.

PipeRig The PipeRig now has a Heat Duty variable, found under the Operation group. This
variable is specified to 0 by default. You can use this variable to input heat to the
metal, for example to simulate the effect of heat tracing. Also, you can swap
specifications between heat duty and outlet temperature. The pipe will find the
necessary duty to achieve the desired outlet temperature.

Steam Library
The following table lists the feature improvements for SteamLib Library users.

Area Description

General The StaticHead parameter is now a global parameter.

PipeRig The PipeRig now has a Heat Duty variable, found under the Operation group. This
variable is specified to 0 by default. You can use this variable to input heat to the
metal, for example to simulate the effect of heat tracing. Also, you can swap
specifications between heat duty and outlet temperature. The pipe will find the
necessary duty to achieve the desired outlet temperature.

Custom Libraries
This section contains enhancement information on the custom Model Libraries shipped with SimCentral.
These Model Libraries are not in the installed repository, but you can import them from the Examples
folder.

Transient Flow Library

There are no changes to the Transient Flow Library in this release.

Preview Library
There are no changes to the Preview Library in this release.

Version 4.1 7
SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes New Features

Training
The following table lists the changes and additions to our training exercises. The training exercises are
available upon request. All training exercises are validated to SimCentral Simulation Platform 4.1.

Exercise Description

PRO-1A Chiller Plant: Process Library Getting Started

This exercise now includes instructions to generate a Stream Properties Microsoft
Excel report both from a Table and from the standard report located in the Examples
folder.

PRO-1C Chiller Plant: Distillation Column

This exercise now includes instructions to add Temperature and Composition by
stage in the Profile Plots and instructions to generate an Excel report from the
Column Stage Summary Table.

PRO-1D Chiller Plant: Dynamics

This exercise was formerly numbered PRO-1E and has been re-numbered to
PRO-1D.

PRO-4A Reactor Concepts – Conversion

This exercise now includes instructions for executing sequential reactions in one
conversion reactor (CNVR).

REP-1 SimCentral's Excel Reporting

The SimCentral Simulation Platform file path name was updated.

FLR-2 Flare Gas and Invariant Data

This exercise now includes instructions to view warning messages from the Message
Panel. This feature allows you to view multiple messages in one place and eliminates
the need to hover over each message to view it.

8 Version 4.1
Fixed Defects SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes

Fixed Defects
The following table lists the defects that we have fixed since the previous release.

Area Tracking Description

Number

Controls Library, PID 568308 The PID derivative term is no longer missing Kp.

FlareLib and Process 502095 The z array is now a locked specification. Specification for a zm
Library value or z array no longer results in an unsolved simulation.

Flowsheet Variable 564884 Flowsheet variables no longer lose their Fluid Flow specification
after closing and opening the simulation.

License 564349 SimCentral Simulation Platform now reports when a

LicenseInfo.ini update fails.

Performance 563143 Large simulation imports now take a reasonable time to import.

Process Library, 568304 The pressure for the Column reboiler inlet Port (Bin) is now
Column correct. Previously, it did not consider the pressure drop of the
last stage.

Process Library, 569352 The Column Sump no longer incorrectly adds a pressure drop
Column term to the vapor phase.

Process Library, 569775 The Pbtm variable represents the vapor space below the last
Column stage. It is no longer the flash pressure on(!) the last stage. Its
pressure it higher by DPStage.

Process Library, 564261 The Column pressure drop variable, DPcol, has been corrected
Column and is now DPStage * NStages = sum(Stage.DP).

Process Library, 525123 Column simulations with a large number of components now take
Column a reasonable amount of time to solve then you make simple
updates to the simulation.

Process Library, 564671 Column sump level is unstable in Fluid Flow mode without a level
Column Sump controller. You are warned with a mode check message to add a
level controller.

Process Library, 564416 A CompSplit model without a product stream no longer fails.
CompSplit

Process Library, HX 560964 The HX model now solves for zero flow.

Version 4.1 9
SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes Fixed Defects

Area Tracking Description

Number

Process Library, Sink 568947 The Sink model no longer gives an unnormalized reverse flow
message in Process mode.

Thermodynamics, 567083 The vapor-liquid-liquid equilibrium (VLLE) P-H flash for toluene
VLLE and benzene systems now gives correct temperatures.

Thermodynamics, 563386 The VLLE P-H flash for a N2, O2, H2O, and ethylbenzene stream
VLLE now gives incorrect temperatures.

Thermodynamics, 540266 Wagner vapor pressure Correlation 47 now correctly calculates

TDM vapor pressure.

Variable 568100 The variable specification on an array variable is no longer lost

Specification when you close and reopen the simulation.

10 Version 4.1
A Few Additional Things SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes
A Few Additional Things
There are a few things that we want you to know about before you start SimCentral Simulation Platform.
There are many items in this new product that we are still working on improving. If you come across
these items or others, please let us know. We are working hard to improve the SimCentral Simulation
Platform experience.
Known Issues
The following table lists known issues at the time of release.
Tracking
Area Description
Number
Install N/A First-time users who do not have
prerequisites installed must have
administrator privileges to install
the system prerequisites:
• Microsoft .NET Framework
4.7.2
• Visual Studio Tools for Office
(VSTO) 2010
• SafeNet USB drivers
Install 503725 When you try to install the
Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7
prerequisite on a computer that
runs Windows 7 Service Pack 1
(SP1), Windows Server 2008 R2
SP1, or Windows Server
2012, the setup is blocked and
cannot continue.
Install N/A The SimCentral Microsoft Excel
Add-in tab is sometimes not
installed. This is often a result of
not verifying certificates for
Visual Studio Tools for Office due
to internet access limitations.
Install N/A On some server-class operating
systems, you may encounter an
"Installation is forbidden by
system policy" message during
the installation. This policy is a
design feature for server-class
machines.
Version 4.1
Workaround (if applicable)
Review the SimSci SimCentral
Simulation Platform Installation
Guide. You may need help from
an administrator to install the
prerequisites on some systems.
Please see
https://support.microsoft.com/en-u
s/help/4020302/the-net-framewor
k-4-7-installation-is-blocked-on-wi
ndows-7-windows-ser for more
information.
Install the SimCentral Microsoft
Excel Add-in from the Excel
Options window in Excel. See the
Known Issues section in the
SimSci SimCentral Simulation
Platform Installation Guide for
detailed installation instructions.
Please see
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-
us/windows/forum/windows_xp-se
curity/this-installation-is-forbidden
-by-system-policy/ac1986be-a063
-4b7b-834f-8fa56a8c0d04 for
more information.
11
SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes
Tracking
Area Description
Number
Startup (Windows 7) 540118, The following message may
542175 appear when you try to start
SimCentral Simulation Platform
on some Windows 7 systems:
"SimCentral.Server.ConsoleServ
iceHost.exe System Error. The
program can't start because
api-ms-win-crt-runtime-I1-1-0.dll
is missing from your computer.
Try reinstalling the program to fix
this problem."
Canvas N/A Creating, opening or importing a
simulation may give an exception
and leave the Canvas blank
when the access to the
configured default printer is
denied due to either a VPN or
firewall security restriction.
Excel N/A SimCentral Microsoft Excel
Add-In ribbon actions result in a
"Not able to connect to the
SimCentral Server" message.
Excel 515696 Excel values may display #Value
or 0 when you first open an Excel
report in Microsoft Excel 2016 if
the Excel report was saved in an
earlier version of Excel.
12
A Few Additional Things
Workaround (if applicable)
For Windows 7 SP1 users, in the
installation package, in the
Prerequisites folder, in the
Win7SP1MSUpdate folder, open
the
Windows6.1-KB2999226-x64.msu
file to apply the KB2999226
Microsoft Update.
You must have administrator
privileges to install this
prerequisite. You must restart your
machine after you install the
update. Please see the
SimCentral Simulation Platform
Installation Guide for more
information.
Set the default printer to any of the
accessible printers, for example,
the Microsoft Print to PDF or
Microsoft XPS Document Writer
printer.
Start the SimCentral Simulation
Platform client so that SimCentral
Microsoft Excel Add-in can
connect to its server.
Start the SimCentral Simulation
Platform Client UI before you open
Excel.
Refresh the data in the Excel
report.
Version 4.1
A Few Additional Things SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes
Tracking
Area Description
Number
Excel 533802 Excel provides misleading data
when it retrieves variables from
snapshots when the variables
have been renamed in the
simulation.
Licenses N/A The SimCentral Simulation
Platform license configuration
does not provide diagnostics if
USB license drivers are not
current, but the license failure
message continues.
Licenses 492121 The SimSci Licensing
Management Tool distributed
with previous SimSci products
does not recognize SimCentral
Simulation Platform and may not
update SimCentral Simulation
Platform licensing as expected.
Thermodynamics, 525124 Recently deleted components
TDM reappear while adding new
components to a TDM user
databank.
Thermodynamics, 519425 Selecting phases (Vapor Online, Evaluate the possibility of
Phase Definitions Liquid Only, VLE, VLWE, VLLE) additional or reduced phases by
that are inconsistent with the independent means.
component slate may report
wrong answers without warning.
Version 4.1
Workaround (if applicable)
Identify any variables that have
changed names by temporarily
changing the SimCentral Excel
function values so that they
request data for variable values in
the simulation rather than the
variable values stored in the
snapshot. That is, temporarily
remove the default snapshot and
any specified snapshots from your
SimCentral Excel functions. If the
returned values remain the same,
the variables have not changed
names.
If you find any variables that have
changed names, update the
snapshots in your simulation so
that they include the correct
variables.
Upgrade the USB drivers by
running the Sentinel Protection
Installer 7.6.8.msi file provided in
the SimCentral Simulation
Platform installation package. You
need administrator privileges to
install the latest USB drivers.
Use the license feature under the
SimCentral Simulation Platform
Help tab to correct licensing on a
case-by-case basis. Contact
SimSci Technical Support for the
most recent version of License
Management Tools.
In TDM, select a databank other
than the one you are working with.
The "This databank has been
modified. Do you want to save it?"
message appears. Click Yes.
Then resume working on your
databank.
13
SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes A Few Additional Things

Tracking
Area Description Workaround (if applicable)
Number

Thermodynamics, 538528 The solver may not converge or Evaluate the possibility of
VLWE may find a false solution without additional liquid phases by
warning for component systems independent means.
that may have two liquid phases,
especially in Fluid Flow or
Dynamics mode.

Thermodynamics, 516291 While in Dynamics mode, the Avoid Dynamics mode or

VLLE solver finds an incorrect solution re-initialize the flash at the
when going from all vapor to transition point based on specific
conditions where liquid phases conditions.
will form or vice-versa.

Thermodynamics, 543179, The vapor-liquid-liquid In this release, VLLE is specifically

VLLE 553874 equilibrium (VLLE) flash
calculations for systems that
contain petroleum components
may predict incorrect phases.
intended for chemical systems
that use library components and
liquid activity (LACT) methods.
You should independently review
the VLLE predictions for systems
with petroleum components that
use equation of state methods.

Known Migration Issues

If you are migrating from SimCentral Simulation Platform 3.2 to SimCentral Simulation Platform 4.1, we
recommend that you first migrate to SimCentral Simulation Platform 4.0. Please see the Known
Migration Issues section in the SimCentral Simulation Platform 4.0 release notes for more information.
The following table lists issues you may encounter when you open simulations in SimCentral Simulation
Platform 4.1 that were built in SimCentral Simulation Platform 4.0.

Area Tracking Description Workaround (if applicable)

Number

Process Library 570116, The corrections to the Column’s Verify your new results and then
568304, pressure calculations may cause recapture any affected Snapshots.
569352, slightly different results in Fluid
569775, Flow and Dynamics modes. In
564261 Process mode, the Column
results may be slightly different
when you specify the Pbtm
variable.

Process Library N/A While simulations that solved in
SimCentral Simulation Platform
4.0 should solve in the 4.1
version, snapshots that you
captured in versions earlier than
4.0 may not solve.
In some cases, setting the column
contact to 0 and then back to 1
makes the reverted snapshots
solve again (Examples C1, GG3,
and CC4). We recommend that
you update all snapshots to the
latest version of 4.1.

14 Version 4.1
A Few Additional Things SimCentral™ Simulation Platform Release Notes

Area Tracking Description Workaround (if applicable)

Number

Process and 563250 The addition of the density term Verify your new results and then
SteamLib Library into the frictional pressure drop recapture any affected Snapshots.
for heat exchangers may cause
slightly different results in Fluid
Flow and Dynamics modes.

Version 4.1 15