Emergency remote teaching in process simulation using DWSIM: a case study from DIQ-UMAG, Chilean Patagonia

Abstract

<p align="left">Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Chilean universities were forced to transition from face-to-face classes to online instruction. In response, the Department of Chemical Engineering (DIQ) at the University of Magallanes sought alternative strategies for remote teaching. This article reports on their experience of delivering technical process simulation skills to their final-year undergraduate chemical engineering students. Due to difficulties connecting with the commercial software Aspen HYSYS, which was housed at the university, the department turned to the open-source software, DWSIM, as an alternative. The material content was adapted, and video tutorials were created to meet learning objectives. The software was taught in a new module within the Project Engineering course to develop the skills needed for students to design and simulate a chemical plant. Positive feedback and constructive criticism were received from the students through anonymous surveys and discussion forums. In response, DIQ launched its YouTube channel, DIQ_DWSIM, which has had a positive impact on Spanish-speaking individuals seeking to learn DWSIM. Additionally, two universities have used the channel as support material for their process simulation courses. A second survey of the YouTube audience has further solidified the value of this open online educational resource for higher education learning. </p>

Examining the Predictive Precision of Open-Source Simulators for Boosting Reliability and Widespread Acceptance: Thermodynamic Insights into Ethane Dehydrogenation

“…The amount of ethylene yield obtained at high pressure was relatively lower compared to that of the normal and lower pressure, which were 95% and 98%, respectively, which suggests the use of lower pressure and higher temperature for the dehydrogenation of ethane into ethylene in absence of oxidant, in agreement with our ndings and literature reports [38]. Findings obtained from the various process simulators [11,17,24,26] showed a good agreement with their respective results.…”

“…Irrespective of the kind of symbols used in modeling the Gibbs reactor, the process is expected to give a similar prediction at the same condition. However, it is essential to note the difference in the PFD for COCO [26] relative to others that do not use a mixer, unlike the cases of Aspen HYSYS and DWSim [11,17,24]. The mixer has to be introduced in the Aspen HYSYS and DWSim to make the outlet feed similar to the case obtained in COCO (that is, single material feed in and out).…”

“…The signi cance of process modeling and simulation in designing a chemical process cannot be overemphasized due to its wide range of applications. Some of the applications include the design of chemical process equipment [1,2], assessment of operating conditions implications via simulation, feasibility studies [2][3][4][5][6], performance evaluation of an existing or new process, process integration [2,[7][8][9][10], and training of process engineers [11]. The computational tools used in carrying out the modeling and simulation of chemical process is often referred to as process simulators.…”

“…The use of freeware and open-source process simulators like DWSim [11,24], COCO [25][26][27], ChemSep [28,29], and many others would have been a much better option to the practice of deploying a cracked version of the commercialized ones, but it is not the case. This was due to lower publicity and awareness about freeware that substitutes the use of the cracked commercial one and also the uncertainty on the quality of its predictions.…”