Research & Development projects

VPDM - the Virtual Plant Demonstration Model

"An integrated framework for whole plant modelling for the power industry"

Fig. 1 – Coal-fired power station schematic (click to enlarge)

VPDM is a 3-year power industry R&D project aimed at developing an integrated software framework for whole-plant modelling using components from different vendors.

The framework is intended to be capable of being used for the demonstration of advanced cycles without the need to build expensive physical demonstration models.

The project is partially funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry, and includes collaboration with the US Vision 21 project and its successor.

Background: power industry drivers

As CO₂ abatement becomes a major issue, the power industry requires new plant designs and development.

However, demonstration and public acceptance of new power plant designs is difficult in most western countries, especially for coal-fired power stations. Demonstrating concepts reliably in "virtual plants" – typically whole-plant simulation models – helps avoid these problems.

Modelling is a key part of power plant design, development and operation. It is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with a typical user having access to a mix of in-house and commercial software that can represent the whole plant or components with varying degrees of accuracy.

The VPDM integrated software framework will enable equipment vendors to provide restricted access to models of their equipment to plant designers or operators. Because these could be organisations with whom they compete in other projects or contexts, data secureity is a key objective. Under the framework, unit operation models always reside on their owners' computer systems, and are accessed remotely via the internet under strictly controlled conditions.

VPDM primary objectives

The primary objective of the VPDM project is the creation of a framework that provides sufficient rigour for credible demonstration of new plants.

This involves the integration of detailed, accurate component models from different sources in order to analyse the whole power plant, in a way that is not currently done, including:

Linking of models written in a variety of commercial applications and in-house codes
Linking of models executing under different operating systems
Accessing models from different sources via the Internet
Implementing secure connections capable of protecting the owner organisation's Intellectual Property (IP).

VPDM - integrating power simulation models across the internet

The initial VPDM model is being developed using gPROMS as the central integrating process modelling environment. Other Process Modelling Environments (PMEs) will be tested during the project.

VPDM: Fluent furnace model for use in whole-plant simulation

Fig. 2 – Fluent® burner model

Fig. 4 – VPDM test cases

Simplified whole plant model

FutureGen model

US–UK collaboration

Under the direction of the US National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), UK and US development activities are linked with the common objectives of:

Developing compatible platforms for integrating plant simulation programs
Adopting common security systems
Incorporating CFD into system/whole plant models

US–UK collaboration elements

UK DTI: Virtual Plant Demonstration Model (VPDM)
US DOE/NETL: Advanced Process Engineering Co-Simulator (APECS)
US Energy Research & Technology development goal: Develop breakthrough modelling and simulation technology to reduce the time, cost and technical risk of developing advanced power generation systems

VPDM: technical information

Integrated Framework

The software framework developed within VPDM is applicable to all types of current and future power plant, and will be capable of supporting engineering, commercial, economic and environmental modelling.

It will support all types of model ranging from legacy code through to native gPROMS models, complex CFD models, and reduced order models.

The current phase is aimed at steady-state modelling, but future phases will focus on dynamic modelling using the CAPE-OPEN dynamic model interfaces.

CAPE-OPEN compliance

The CAPE-OPEN unit standard was chosen as the interoperability protocol, to ensure widespread industry compatibility.

Key to the project is the ability to re-use existing legacy codes as unit operations, without any knowledge of COM or CAPE-OPEN required – in fact, using no more than standard FORTRAN programming skills. The architecture is shown in Fig. 3 below.

Legacy code can be treated as a 'black-box', and integrated by writing simple I/O wrappers. In extreme cases it is possible to implement legacy models even when the original source code is not available.

VPDM architecture using CAPE-OPEN wrappers

Fig. 3 – VPDM architecture - schematic

In addition to the CAPE-OPEN interface standards, the framework uses common (SI) engineering units and physical property standards across all models.

Capabilities

The VPDM whole plant model will be capable of modelling:

Part load operation
Overload operation
Shut downs and trips
Cold and hot starts
Cycling

PSE's role in VPDM

PSE is the largest financial contributor among the project partners. This reflects our key technical role:

We have a major role in design and implementation of the overall software architecture, in liaison with other software partners Engineous (FIPER) and Fluent (Fluent CFD software) and equipment vendors.
PSE brings in extensive knowledge of CAPE-OPEN standards.
our gO:CAPE-OPEN and CAPE-OPEN Thermo Foreign Object architectures are central to the VPDM implementation.
gPROMS is the primary Process Modelling Environment (PME), around which the proof-of-concept is built.
We are co-ordinating the design and implementation of a common physical property policy.
PSE is providing substantial support in the development and testing of the interfaces to industrial partners' specialist models, as well as general process modelling expertise.

gPROMS VPDM Developments

There are numerous developments occurring in gPROMS as part of the VPDM project:

1. CAPE-OPEN socket

This provides the ability to execute CAPE-OPEN compliant unit models within gPROMS, and complements the existing gO:CAPE-OPEN unit "plug"

It will be possible to integrate Fluent models within gPROMS via the Vision-21 controller

2. Internet connectivity

It will be possible to execute gPROMS models models on remote computers via the internet using tools such as FIPER. This replaces earlier gPROMS gNET functionality, and brings enhanced facilities for security and data integration.

3. Enhanced integration

The CAPE-OPEN developments have already brought about improved general mechanisms for integration of file-based legacy software into gPROMS, as well as the ability to integrate codes for which the original source is no longer available.

4. Reduced Order Models

PSE is involved in further development of our hybrid multizonal technology, as well as enhanced gPROMS-CFD integration and other techniques for model reduction. Much of this work is being carried out in close collaboration with Fluent.

5. Model Library development

VPDM will result in a library of typical ancillary operations for the power industry, based on the gPROMS PML and integrated with commonly-available physical properties software.

VPDM: future

VPDM is the major modelling initiative in fossil power in the UK, and has strong support from partners and Government as well as links with US industry initiatives.

There are huge drivers for success, primarily the need to drastically reduce CO₂ emissions in the face of a dramatically expanding market; it is estimated that up to the year 2030, some $1400bn investment is required in new coal and $1200bn in new gas power stations.

The project will result in a tool that can be used to significantly increase the effectiveness of equipment vendors and operating companies in the design and delivery of new plant. In fact, the integration of steady-state simulation models is only the beginning, with dynamic and online modelling and rigorous optimisation capable of delivering much bigger benefits in the future. In addition, the VPDM model of remote integrated models should be applicable in other industries.