Process engineering has its computer aided ally - CAPE.Net
Over the last 20 years or so, Computer Aided Process Engineering-CAPE has been in widespread use in sectors such as oil & gas, petrochemicals & bulk chemicals and has delivered significant benefits, forming a powerful, aggressive competitive network according to leading process industries. Today, increasingly complex and sophisticated processes within these sectors could not be developed, designed or operated without recourse to a variety of CAPE tools and techniques for modeling, optimization, control, etc, of processes and for ensuring their safe, clean and efficient operation. Industrial and research organizations from throughout Europe managed and coordinated a programme of Networking, development of Tools and Infrastructure and Technology demonstration and transfer, through a multi-national EUREKA-supported initiative, in order to identify the priorities for research, development and efficient technology transfer in the field of CAPE. The overall impact of these initiatives was a powerful network of tools, providing research coordination and technology transfer on the CAPE areas of Unit Process Modeling, Whole Process Synthesis and Integration, Flexibility Operability and Dynamics, Concurrent Process Engineering and Model based Manufacturing. Seminars and Technology Transfer Events were held in regions of Europe to introduce SMEs to the benefits of using CAPE tools, together with strong interactions with related initiatives in Europe and with CEFIC, the European Council for the Chemical Industry. As a result, significant benefits have been claimed by Leading Industries, in the form of savings in operating costs and savings in fixed and/or working capital.
