Siemens Process Systems Engineering

News briefs



15 June 2022

Siemens and Everfuel collaborate to accelerate green hydrogen process and storage development

We are pleased to announce our collaboration with Everfuel, a company that is making green hydrogen for zero emission mobility commercially available across Europe.

  • Everfuel uses digital twin technology for development of flagship project, HySynergy, a large-scale electrolysis-based hydrogen production and storage facility in Denmark.
  • Technologies vital for large-scale energy storage and mitigating fluctuation during transition
  • Siemens’ gPROMS digital design used to explore decision space, quantify risk, optimize design and scale up from initial plant (20 MW) to full-scale production (300 MW)
  • Digital twin enables Everfuel to accelerate development and maximize process economics

Everfuel is a key player in Power-to-X and green hydrogen, technologies that will play a vital role in the energy transition by providing large-scale energy storage capabilities and mitigating the fluctuation and unpredictability of renewable energy sources.


03 March 2022

gPROMS used for Zero Emissions Flight development

We’re pleased to announce that gPROMS digital design technology is being used by clean energy innovator Protium for pioneering work on Zero Emissions Flight. This is part of SPSE’s ongoing initiative to work with innovators across the energy spectrum to reduce time-to-market for clean energy developments.

gPROMS digital twins are being used to accelerate design and testing of innovative engineering solutions for hydrogen refuelling as part of the new green hydrogen infrastructure for aircraft, in support of the UK government target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The gPROMS twins make it possible to explore the decision space rapidly to optimize system design, then simulate and optimize real-world performance, thus accelerating innovation while reducing the need for expensive prototyping.

Hydrogen technologies are essential to support the 2050 net zero target for domestic flights. Green hydrogen produced using renewable electricity can replace conventional fossil fuels; however current technology is not able to deliver the rapid refuelling essential to make hydrogen commercially viable for the aviation sector.

Dr Jen Baxter, Director of Innovation and Policy at Protium said, “This novel approach to designing refuelling systems will increase confidence and understanding in the capabilities of emerging hydrogen technology, increase uptake across the UK and accelerate the transition to zero emission flight and tackle climate change”.

Bart de Groot, SPSE’s Director of Sustainability, adds: “Siemens is working extensively with clean energy innovators to help bring new technologies to market as rapidly as possible. We are very excited to be working with Protium to reduce time-to-market in the challenging area of zero emission flight.”


05 January 2022

Game Changer in Digitalization

Dr Lorena Souza awarded the 2021 Connected Plant Conference Game Changer Award

We are pleased to announce that Dr Lorena Souza has been awarded the 'Connected Plant Game Changer Award' for her work in delivering breakthrough digitalization projects for Siemens PSE.

Lorena has been a key player in bringing SPSE's Digital Applications technology to market. Having joined the company in 2019, she quickly rose to a position of responsibility in the Digital Applications group and has been responsible for a number of innovations.

She was initially involved in deploying an energy system optimizer on a large European refinery, achieving significant cost and environmental benefits for SPSE’s client. She then led the digital application activities to deploy a connected-plant digital application on 12 cracking furnaces in a Middle East ethylene plant, soft-sensing difficult-to-measure cracking furnace yields and effluent compositions while monitoring the extent of coke formation in cracking furnace tubes. Lorena led all the deployment activities, from factory to site acceptance testing and handover.

Digital Applications for Operations, where high-fidelity gPROMS models are combined with real-time and historic plant data and implemented within the plant automation system, are a key component of SPSE's business. The model-based applications are used for monitoring, soft-sensing, real-time optimization (RTO) and “what-if” studies, resulting in better operations, with more efficient plants operating more sustainably, at lower cost and with reduced CO2 emissions.

The technology that Lorena has been working with has indeed 'changed the game', by making it easy for process operations to achieve significant gains from digitalization with immediate effect.

Read more about Lorena's achievement
See more on Digital Applications


15 September 2021

gPROMS FormulatedProducts 2.2 – new version boasts usability enhancements and new bioprocessing libraries

LONDON, 15 September 2021 --- Siemens Process Systems Engineering (SPSE), recently released gPROMS FormulatedProducts 2.2, the mechanistic modelling environment for integrated digital design of robust formulated products and their manufacturing processes, and related digital process operation.

gPROMS FormulatedProducts 2.2 brings a host of usability enhancements in addition to a substantial number of additions and enhancements to existing libraries, examples, and documentation.


27 April 2021

gPROMS FormulatedProducts 2.0 – new application areas and key usability enhancements

LONDON, 27 April 2021 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), A Siemens Business, today announced the full release of gPROMS FormulatedProducts 2.0, the mechanistic model-based environment for integrated digital design of robust formulated products and their manufacturing processes, and related digital process operation.

The release at the 2021 Advanced Process Modelling Forum follows an early release to key customers, and reflects the substantial investment Siemens is making into PSE’s product development to provide the process industries with a new generation of digital tools.


14 April 2021

New gPROMS Process – process modelling and optimization for the digital world

LONDON, 14 April 2021 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), a Siemens business, today launched its rebranded gPROMS Process advanced process modelling environment.

Formerly known as gPROMS ProcessBuilder, gPROMS Process 2.0 is the first major release since PSE was acquired by Siemens. Eckard Eberle, CEO of Siemens Digital Industries Process Automation division, says “the significantly enhanced capabilities and functionality you see in this release reflect the substantial investment Siemens is making into product development within PSE to provide the process industries with a new generation of digital tools.”


2 October 2020

PSE is IChemE Global Awards 2020 finalist for gDAP technology

We are pleased to have been selected as a finalist for the 2020 IChemE Global Awards in the Process Automation and Digitalisation category. PSE’s nomination is for the gPROMS Digital Applications Platform (gDAP), a robust, integrated software framework for deploying high-fidelity models online within plant operations software.

The gDAP’s unique advantage is that it allows high-fidelity models of virtually any process, developed in a gPROMS environment and suitably robustness-tested, to be deployed online connected to plant data for process monitoring, soft-sensing, real-time optimization and general operations decision support applications.

This enables plant operations to leverage the deep process knowledge contained in the models used for R&D and design optimization to generate value every day.

gDAP takes care of all essential activities for online implementation and execution of models – management of external and internal data exchange, data cleansing and validation, and execution scheduling of the model based computations – within an integrated fail-safe framework.

The framework underpins may of PSE’s current digital application implementations, from non-linear model-predictive control of polymer plants to multi-site optimization of integrated gas networks.


27 August 2020

Siemens, Perceptive Engineering and PSE become partners in the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre to advance continuous manufacturing

CPI has today announced the signing of partnership agreements with Siemens plc, Perceptive Engineering LTD and Process Systems Enterprise LTD (PSE), making them a part of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre collaboration. The partnership agreements will help strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing through the development of continuous manufacturing innovations. Each partner will contribute to the development of a digital manufacturing solution, which will help the pharmaceutical industry as it moves towards smaller batches of more personalised medicines that require faster and more efficient manufacture.


20 August 2020

APM Forum 2021 dates announced

We are pleased to announce the dates for the 2021 Advanced Process Modelling Forum, which will take place on 13-15 April 2021.

Given the likely uncertainty around business travel for the foreseeable future, we are planning to have a strong virtual component to the conference. Closer to the time, we will make a decision on whether to hold the whole event virtually, based on a survey of potential attendees.

Either way, you can expect a lot of interesting presentations on the application of Digital Process Twins to generate value throughout the process industries, and given the exciting developments within PSE over the last year, numerous software innovations that truly do push the boundaries of what is possible with process modelling and optimization.

We look forward to seeing you there, either in person or virtually.


25 July 2020

gPROMS Utilities optimizes refinery daily energy use & emissions

The gPROMS Utilities Optimizer recently went live at Galp Energia’s Sines Refinery. Executing every 15 minutes, the optimizer continually provides operators with a range options for immediate energy saving, from easy-to-implement set-point changes to more complex actions such as starting or stopping of boilers. Operators can choose which to implement based on their knowledge of current and planned plant operation.

The optimizer covers steam, condensate, power, electricity, fuel gas, hydrogen and compressed air systems in a unified monitoring and optimization system.

Hugo Carabineiro, Manager of Refining Technology and Development at Galp Energia, says “PSE’s gPROMS Utilities site optimizer on-line Advisor monitors our energy use hour-by-hour and gives our operators clear instructions on how to change operation to reduce costs.” Numerous dashboards are deployed across three control rooms and the utility plant to make information easily accessible to operators. According to Carabineiro, deployment of the tool provides the refinery with significant base-line savings. He singles out PSE’s technology, responsiveness and overall quality of delivery for special mention.


27 May 2020

gPROMS FormulatedProducts 1.6.0 is now available for download

Includes new library models in addition to enhancements within existing libraries

PSE is pleased to announce that gPROMS FormulatedProducts 1.6.0 is now available for download from the Formulated Products software download page. Key updates include...


11 December 2019

Sanofi joins Systems-based Pharmaceutics Alliance

Development, adoption and acceptance of a framework for drug performance and manufacture

LONDON, 11 December 2019 --- The Systems-based Pharmaceutics Alliance welcomes Sanofi S.A. as its newest member.

The Alliance further comprises leading pharma companies Eli Lilly and Company, GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development Limited, Pfizer Inc. and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., and supplier of mechanistic modelling software, Process Systems Enterprise Ltd...


29 October 2019

PSE acquired by Siemens

Creating a leading force in digital process design and operations

We are pleased to announce that PSE has been acquired by Siemens AG, in line with plans announced in September.

The acquisition creates a leader in digital design and intelligent digital operations through the integration of Siemens' and PSE's portfolio for the process industries, from co-simulation using Siemens’ STAR-CCM+ and PSE’s gPROMS through to new model-based solutions for high-value online applications for plant monitoring and performance forecasting, soft sensing, nonlinear model-predictive control and real-time optimization.

The 170-strong PSE operation will be integrated into the Process Automation Business Unit of Siemens Digital Industries. The PSE brand will be retained, and the current PSE management team will remain in place. PSE will continue to pursue its strong R&D and innovation focus, and its ethos of working closely with major industry players to bring new technology to market.


16 September 2019

PSE plans to become part of Siemens

gPROMS technology to form basis of digital design and operations offerings for the process industries

LONDON, 16 September 2019 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the leading supplier of Advanced Process Modelling (APM) software and services, today announced that it plans to be acquired by Siemens AG in a transaction scheduled to close in Q4 2019. The 160-strong PSE operation will be integrated into the Process Automation Business Unit of Siemens Digital Industries. The current PSE management team will remain in place.

PSE’s advanced process models are used within digital R&D, design and operations in the process industries to help make fast, safe and more efficient decisions through rapid and effective exploration of the decision space. The technology is widely used in the chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and food industries to accelerate innovation, improve process design and operation, streamline R&D and manage technology risk...


18 April 2019

gPROMS FormulatedProducts 1.4 includes enhanced capabilities linking digital design to digital operations

Release includes new capabilities resulting from £20.4m ADDoPT project.

LONDON, 18 April 2019 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, today released version 1.4 of gPROMS FormulatedProducts, the mechanistic model-based environment for integrated digital design of robust formulated products and their manufacturing processes, and related digital process operation.

This release introduces major enhancements to both the gPROMS FormulatedProducts model libraries and the underlying gPROMS platform 6.0, including morphological crystallizer and sensor models to capture particle size and shape evolution, enhanced continuous direct compression models and improved wet granulation models. Platform enhancements include support for cluster computing, to significantly speed up execution of parameter estimation and other complex numerical solutions, and comprehensive global system analysis of dynamic systems for rapid exploration of the time-varying decision space and systematic risk and uncertainty analysis.

Version 1.4 also introduces two key usability enhancements: the ability to launch gPROMS FormulatedProducts Utilities from within the flowsheeting environment to quickly and easily configure material systems, and a user interface for rapid configuration of gPROMS FormulatedProducts models for use in Perceptive Engineering’s PharmaMV for digital operation applications...


16 April 2019

PSE launches PATH initiative for chemical engineering education

Free teaching materials help integrate process modelling and digital design throughout curriculum

LONDON, 16 April 2019 – Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the advanced process modelling company, today launched PATH – the Process systems engineering Academic Teaching Highway – an initiative aimed at ensuring that chemical engineering graduates enter industry with 21st century skills.

PATH provides high-quality, modular teaching materials to help course directors and lecturers integrate process modelling and aspects of digital design into all facets of chemical engineering education. PATH has evolved with input from industrial employers of chemical engineers such as Procter & Gamble, ExxonMobil, AstraZeneca and DSM, and the academic community.

A key aim is to align the teaching of these technologies within universities with the rapidly-evolving needs of industrial employers, by providing ready-made materials for use in new or existing modules. Eva Sorensen, Professor of Chemical Engineering at UCL, says: "The current wave of digitalization initiatives in industry is putting pressure on chemical engineering departments to revisit their taught courses to keep up, as we need to ensure that our graduate engineers have the skill set required for the modern world." ...


03 April 2019

APM Forum 2019 focus on digitalization for the process industries

Key role of deep process knowledge in digital design and digital operations

LONDON, 3 April 2019 --- Digital design and digital operations were the key focus at the 2019 Advanced Process Modelling (APM) Forum in London, where leading process industry organisations presented on how advanced modelling technologies are helping to create value in applications ranging from accelerating time-to-market of new pharmaceuticals to maximizing production from multiple oil & gas processing sites simultaneously.

Introducing the event, Prof. Costas Pantelides, MD of conference host Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), said that technologies that combine prior knowledge, in the form of physics-based models, with laboratory or plant data, or use accurate nonlinear surrogate models derived from large-scale physics-based models, now provide unprecedented opportunities for exploring the design decision space and incorporating deep process knowledge in operational decision systems.

Keynote speaker Bob Docherty, Strategic Lead for Digital Design at Pfizer, presented a global vision for digitalization in the pharma industry that enables a level of clarity in manufacturing processes never available before. Mathias Oppelt, head of simulation at Siemens, described how Siemens is bringing to market intelligent digital operations tools, capable of generating value daily, that incorporate high-fidelity process models using PSE’s gPROMS technology, as well as integrated engineering systems capable of generating process digital twins automatically during the engineering phase...


22 March 2019

SCG Chemicals Company chooses gPROMS modelling for digital design and operations

Next-generation tools help accelerate innovation, create competitive advantage

LONDON, 22 March 2019--- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, today announced that it has signed a long-term agreement with SCG, one of the largest integrated petrochemical companies in South East Asia, to standardise on PSE’s gPROMS modelling technology for digital design and operations.

SCG applies advanced process models within digital design initiatives to explore the process decision space rapidly and effectively, in order to reduce uncertainty and make better, faster and safer design and operating decisions. This helps them to accelerate innovation and optimize the design and operation of their process plants.

Dr Suracha Udomsak, SCG’s Emerging Business Director and R&D Director, says, “at SCG Chemicals, advanced process modelling (APM) is a key element in our Digital Manufacturing platform. APM accelerates innovation by making the development workflow ‘faster, cheaper & safer’, which are key considerations for us. It is a core technology building block that enables us to discover and develop new products – for example, new-generation polyethylene – and accelerate their time to market”...


27 February 2019

PSE, ChemTech announce alliance coupling AI, advanced process models

Combination of AI and first-principles models provides real-time ‘look-ahead’ decision support for process operators

LONDON, 27 February 2019 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, and Chemical Technologies (ChemTech), provider of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based tools for operations decision support, today announced a development and marketing partnership that will bring new ‘look-ahead’ operator advisory tools to operations rooms of large-scale petrochemicals plants.

Under the agreement, PSE and ChemTech will combine PSE’s gPROMS advanced process modelling environment with ChemTech’s OptimEase AI and data analytics system. OptimEase combines AI techniques with real-time plant data and first-principles models to predict and optimize near-future plant operation. This is particularly important in situations involving major unplanned disturbances such as changes in feed composition.

PSE and ChemTech will provide joint services to process industries customers, including construction of combined mechanistic/AI process models and their implementation on the plant...


05 December 2018

gPROMS FormulatedProducts 1.3 release includes new Food Manufacture and Mining libraries

New industry-specific capabilities for integrated digitalization platform

LONDON, 5 December 2018 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, released version 1.3 of gPROMS FormulatedProducts, the model-based platform for integrated digital design of robust formulated products and their manufacturing processes, and related digital process operation.

This release introduces new industry model libraries for Food Manufacture and Mining, additions to existing model libraries, and enhanced digital design capabilities.

The Food Manufacture libraries were created through the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Food Product & Process Modelling, in collaboration with NIZO, the world’s leading food & nutrition contract research organisation. They include models for membrane filtration, heat treatment, falling film evaporation, and multi-stage spray drying.

The Mining developments include solar pond libraries with downstream processing capability including solar evaporation, leaching, and mining electrolyte systems.

Sherwin Safavi Nic, Process Technologist at Danone, commented, “The Centre of Excellence for Food Product and Process Modelling brings together the unique knowledge of industrial partners, expertise from NIZO and the advanced digitalization platform and expertise from PSE allowing the industry to accelerate sustainable process development, optimize processes and reduce time to market for new products.”

The existing libraries are enhanced with a new distillation drum model, updated equipment and configuration options for the plug flow crystallizer, a semi-mechanistic feeder model, jet mill model and an updated tablet press. Oral absorption libraries include dosage forms, enhanced in vivo capabilities, and parenteral formulation physical stability.

“We are excited to see PSE’s support for digitalization of R&D, engineering and commercial manufacture being extended from the pharmaceutical industry to the food and mining industries,” says Sean Bermingham, head of PSE Formulated Products. “All of these industries benefit from integrated digital design and operation capability.”

Built on PSE’s gPROMS® advanced process modelling platform, gPROMS FormulatedProducts provides state-of-the-art digital design and operation capabilities to food, agrochemical and consumer product industries, enabling model-based design and optimization of process operations such as reaction, crystallization, wet and dry milling, spray drying, wet and dry granulation, blending and tabletting. Additionally, it enables pharmaceutical companies to optimize the formulation and manufacture of drug substances and drug products using mechanistic models of materials and unit operations, and provides detailed analysis of in-vivo drug product performance.


26 November 2018

PSE awards €5000 Model-Based Innovation prizes

RWTH Aachen group wins for integrated design of ORC process and working fluid

LONDON, 26 November 2018 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, today announced the winners of the prestigious PSE Model-Based Innovation (MBI) Prize for 2018.

PSE, providers of the world-leading gPROMS modelling platform used for digital design and operations throughout the process industries, awards an annual €3000 winner’s prize and two runners-up prizes of €1000 each for the most innovative use of advanced process modelling techniques in support of published research.

The winners are Johannes Schilling* and Andre Bardow of RWTH Aachen University, and Joachim Gross of Stuttgart University, Germany for their paper Integrated design of ORC process and working fluid using process flowsheeting software and PC-SAFT, published in Proceedings of the IV International Seminar on ORC Power Systems, ORC2017, Italy.

The judges summarised the research as “excellent work investigating the integration of Computer Aided Molecular Design (CAMD) with the gPROMS® flowsheeting environment for the integrated design of process and working fluid. Several model libraries in gPROMS ProcessBuilder® were adapted to employ the Variable Molecular Structure Compound feature of the gSAFT® advanced thermodynamic package during process optimization. The resulting mixed-integer non-linear (MINLP) optimization simultaneously determined the optimal molecular structure for the working fluid and the corresponding optimal process design”.

Runners up were Seo-Young Park*, Shaun C. Galbraith, Huolong Liu, Bumjoon Cha, Zhuangrong Huang and Seongkyu Yoon of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA; HaeWoo Lee of Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Daegu, South Korea; and Thomas O'Connor and Sau Lee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for their paper Prediction of critical quality attributes and optimization of continuous dry granulation process via flowsheet modeling and experimental validation, and Dhia Y. Aqar* of the University of Bradford, UK and Ministry of Oil, Basra, Iraq; and Nejat Rahmanian and Iqbal M. Mujtaba of the University of Bradford, UK for their paper Feasibility of novel integrated dividing-wall batch reactive distillation processes for the synthesis of methyl decanoate. Full details can be found on the PSE website.

The prize is judged by team of leading academics in the field of process systems engineering, Prof. Stratos Pistikopoulos (chair) of Texas A&M Energy Institute, Associate Prof. Michael Georgiadis of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and Prof. Eva Sorensen of University College London.

gPROMS is widely used throughout the chemicals, energy, petrochemical, food and pharmaceuticals sectors, including in some 200 academic organisations. Pieter Schmal, Head of PSE Academic, says “We work closely with academic communities around the world to foster innovation, through our academic programme, the MBI Prize, our Partnerships for Advanced Process Modelling and the PSE Academic Teaching Highway (PATH). We congratulate our winners on the quality of their work.”


12 June 2018

Siemens, PSE to collaborate on model-based solutions


  • Strategic collaboration of Siemens and PSE extends integrated digitalization portfolio for process industries
  • Close linkage of Comos, Simatic PCS 7 and Simit with PSE’s gPROMS Advanced Process Modelling technology
  • Integrated use of Advanced Process Modelling along plant lifecycle
  • Model-based solutions are essential complements of the Siemens portfolio

Siemens AG and Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling (APM) company, today announced at Achema that they have signed a long-term collaboration agreement to bring the power of PSE’s gPROMS APM technology to Siemens automation and digitalization offerings for the process industries. Under the agreement, the companies are bringing to market a new set of solutions for long-term equipment and health monitoring, soft-sensing, prediction of future process performance, real-time optimization, and operator training incorporating high-fidelity models. The solutions are all based on the combination of process models that embody deep process knowledge with real-time as well as historical plant data.

Typical customer benefits of such applications include better operations through enhanced, up-to-the-minute decision support information; improved maintenance scheduling through run length prediction; improved economics from real-time optimization; and improved asset integrity from better health monitoring. The technologies are capable of driving next-level productivity enhancements to operations in the Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Oil & Gas, Refining, Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage and Water industries. Future developments will see similar model-based approaches integrated over the whole lifecycle of a process plant. At Achema, Siemens and PSE are demonstrating digital process twin technology for an ethylene plant, implemented using PSE’s gPROMS Olefins Operational Excellence tools. Industrial application of such techniques on a large-scale ethylene plant has demonstrated a two percent improvement in yield. Also demonstrated are a soft sensing application and model predictive control for a continuous wet granulation tablet manufacturing in pharma.

Eckard Eberle, CEO of the Process Automation Business Unit (PD PA) and Director in charge of the Siemens booth at the Achema, says: “Siemens has already made Integrated Engineering a reality; by collaborating with PSE, we are taking a further step into model-based operations with two very complementary sets of technologies. This is digitalization at its best.” Costas Pantelides, MD of PSE, says: “The combination of high-fidelity predictive models and real-time data is enormously powerful. This is a time of extraordinary opportunities for the process industries, made possible by the culmination of many years of development in advanced modelling and in the enabling computer science and mathematics”. Pantelides concludes: “There is an increasingly compelling case for capturing deep process knowledge in the form of predictive models, which can come naturally from R&D and engineering design activities, then using these within a digitalization framework to generate value at every step.”

This press release is available at
www.siemens.com/press/PR2018060207PDEN

For further information on Siemens at Achema 2018, please see
www.siemens.com/achema and www.siemens.com/press/achema2018

Contacts for journalists
Evelyne Kadel
Phone: +49 (0)211 6916-1003; E-mail: [email protected]

PSE:
Kate Burness
Phone: +44-20-8563-0888; E-mail: [email protected]

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Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. With its publicly listed subsidiary Siemens Healthineers AG, the company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2017, which ended on September 30, 2017, Siemens generated revenue of €83.0 billion and net income of €6.2 billion. At the end of September 2017, the company had around 377,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

Process Systems Enterprise Ltd (PSE)
PSE (www.psenterprise.com) is the world’s foremost provider of Advanced Process Modelling (APM) software and services to the process industries. Companies apply advanced process models to explore the process decision space rapidly and effectively, in order to reduce uncertainty and make better, faster and safer formulation, process and product design and operating decisions. PSE is committed, through its gPROMS APM products, to defining, developing and driving the adoption of next-generation process modelling software and workflows capable of supporting industry digitalization strategies. The unique advantages of PSE tools are the combination of high-fidelity models, powerful mathematical optimization and global system analysis capabilities, and high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities for rapid and robust solution of complex problems. Use of PSE’s technology and services results in faster innovation, improved process and product designs, enhanced operations, reduced risk, more effective R&D and experimental campaigns and better capture and transfer of corporate knowledge across the organisation. PSE’s own ability to innovate was recognised with the award of the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award for Engineering Innovation, the UK’s highest engineering prize.


20 June 2018

gPROMS ProcessBuilder 1.3 Update


Platform improvements and new and extended model libraries

We are pleased to announce the release of gPROMS ProcessBuilder 1.3.0, which can now be downloaded from the customer area [login required].

ProcessBuilder 1.3.0 benefits from new features in the gPROMS platform as well as from new and upgraded model libraries. A summary is provided below, with more details available in the release notes within the software.

gPROMS ProcessBuilder 1.3 Update

The new and upgraded model libraries are listed below:

  • gML Process – models of standard process units
  • gML Oilfield – modelling and optimization of upstream oil and gas assets.
  • gML Power – modelling of power plants
  • gML Water – modelling of waste-water treatment plants.
  • gML Olefins – modelling of steam cracking furnaces for olefins production.

For more information, visit the gPROMS ProcessBuilder 1.3 product update page here.


20 April 2018

APM Forum 2018 focus on digitalization for the process industries

Key role of deep process knowledge in digital design and digital operations

LONDON, 20 April 2018 --- At the 2018 Advanced Process Modelling (APM) Forum this week, process industry organisations presented on digital design and operations applications ranging from accelerating development of the next generation of pharmaceuticals to realising millions of dollars per year in increased profit for large process plants.

Introducing the conference, Prof. Costas Pantelides, MD of conference host Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), described the current wave of digitalization as the culmination of many years of advanced modelling and IT development. “This is a time of extraordinary opportunities for the process industries” he said.

Keynote speaker Mathias Oppelt of Siemens described how high-fidelity process models containing deep process knowledge bring a new level of power to digitalization initiatives being delivered by automation companies. Siemens later demonstrated digital twin technology for an ethylene plant, implemented using PSE’s gPROMS Olefins software. SABIC showed how new online technologies improved yield by 2% at a large petrochemicals plant, representing tens of millions of dollars per year, and BASF described how digital technologies that combine data and models are enabling an enhanced innovation approach with strong focus on customers and markets.

Keynote speaker Suracha Udomsak, R&D director at SCG Chemicals, said “APM is a key element of our Digital Manufacturing platform. It accelerates innovation by making the development workflow faster, cheaper and safer”.

On the Formulated Products side, keynote speaker Ben Weinstein of Procter & Gamble described how a strategic decision many years ago to back a digital design approach has accelerated innovation across P&G.

Pharma keynote Neil Hodnett of GSK showed how system modelling is applied to accelerate development and transfer of robust manufacturing processes, particularly in the move to continuous processing, through the use of virtual DoEs for in-silico QbD.

Roche, Pfizer, Ferring, Novartis, Sandoz, UCB, Syngenta, Danone and FrieslandCampina described benefits of applying advanced mechanistic modelling to improve drug product manufacture, increase R&D efficiency and reduce risk in scale-up and tech transfer.

Pantelides adds “a common theme is that it is now possible to easily capture deep process knowledge in the form of predictive models, then use these within a digitalization framework to generate value at every step”.

Contact
Kate Burness +44-20-8563-0888, [email protected]
Editors: www.psenterprise.com/news/pr180420


18 January 2018

PSE to Provide Advanced Process Modeling Software to ExxonMobil

Leading Refining, Energy and Petrochemical company to implement PSE’s gPROMS software globally

LONDON, 18 January 2018 --- Process Systems Enterprise Inc. (PSE), the Advanced Process Modeling (APM) company, today announced it signed a corporate agreement making its industry leading gPROMS equation-oriented modeling technology accessible throughout ExxonMobil. The agreement also provides for co-development of advanced automation and control applications as part of PSE’s gPROMS Operational Excellence Solutions.

The new agreement complements ExxonMobil's long-standing relationship with PSE for detailed engineering design and simulation tools as well as expert consulting services.

"We are delighted that ExxonMobil has chosen PSE to provide it with APM software and solutions," said Costas Pantelides, PSE CEO. "Having been selected as a technology partner for innovative automation solutions, we look forward to helping the company realize maximum benefits from our technology."

PSE’s gPROMS is a unified equation-oriented process modeling environment for applications across the plant, from complex catalytic reaction and separation to wastewater treatment and utilities. It has industry-leading mathematical optimization and global system analysis capabilities, that, coupled with high-fidelity process models, enable companies to accelerate innovation, optimize process design and operation and systematically manage technology risk. gPROMS Operational Excellence Solutions leverage investment in high-fidelity process models by deploying these within advanced online applications for monitoring and optimization of process plants

Contact
Kate Burness +44-20-8563-0888, [email protected]
Editors: www.psenterprise.com/news/pr180118


15 January 2018

PSE releases major gPROMS FormulatedProducts update


Extensive new reaction, model validation capabilities

LONDON, 15 January 2018 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, today released version 1.1 of its new gPROMS FormulatedProducts modelling platform for the integrated digital design of robust formulated products and their manufacturing processes.

Developed in close collaboration with leading pharmaceutical, agrochemical, consumer products and food organisations, gPROMS FormulatedProducts deploys a mechanistic modelling approach to enable scientists and engineers to screen formulations with complex phase structures for quality attributes, determine whether they can be manufactured robustly, and comprehensively explore the design space for the whole formulation and manufacturing chain.

Sean Bermingham, head of PSE Formulated Products says, “We are moving ahead rapidly with new developments under the guidance of PSE’s Formulated Products Advisory Board as well as the input from the Systems-based Pharmaceutics Alliance and our industrial and academic partners in major R&D collaborations such as ADDoPT, REMEDIES, CMAC and RCPE.”

Version 1.1 adds significant new functionality to the original release with a wide range of enhanced new reactor and filtration libraries for active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacture. The release also added libraries for fluid bed granulation, drum coating of tablets and several sensors. All-new model validation workflows streamline the capabilities for parameter estimation, allowing quicker and better comparison of model predictions and experimental data, both for experiments used to estimate mechanistic model parameters and for additional experiments.

“Through Advisory Board guidance and PSE’s development expertise, gPROMS FormulatedProducts uniquely meets the needs of the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, consumer products and food organisations when it comes to accelerating innovation, improving product and manufacturing process robustness, and reducing time-to-market,” says Bermingham.

Built on PSE’s state-of-the art gPROMS® modelling platform, gPROMS FormulatedProducts helps pharmaceutical companies optimize the formulation and manufacture of drug substances and drug products using mechanistic models of material, unit operations, as well as detailed analysis of in-vivo drug product performance. It also provides state-of-the-art capabilities to the agrochemical, consumer products and food industries to enable model-based design and optimization of individual process operations such as reaction, crystallization, wet and dry milling, spray drying, wet and dry granulation, blending and tabletting, as well as product performance.

Contact
Kristen Hunter +44-20-8563-0888, [email protected]
Editors: www.psenterprise.com/news/pr180115


26 October 2017

PSE awards €5000 Model-Based Innovation prizes at AIChE


Loughborough-Purdue team wins for novel periodic flow crystallization research

LONDON, 26 October 2017 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, today announced the winners of the prestigious PSE Model-Based Innovation (MBI) Prize for 2017.

PSE, providers of the world-leading gPROMS process modelling platform, awards an annual €3000 winner’s prize and two runners-up prizes of €1000 each for the most innovative use of advanced process modelling techniques in support of published research. The prizes will be awarded at a reception on Tuesday 31 October at the AIChE Annual Meeting in Minneapolis.

The winners of the main prize are Qinglin Su*, Chris D. Rielly and Keddon A. Powell of Loughborough University, and Zoltan K. Nagy of Purdue University for their paper Mathematical Modelling and Experimental Validation of a Novel Periodic Flow Crystallization Using MSMPR Crystallizers, published in AIChE Journal.

The judges summarised the research presented in the paper as “an excellent piece of work demonstrating an integrated gPROMS-based framework for the dynamic modelling, simulation and estimation, of conventional continuous mixed-suspension mixed-product removal (MSMPR) crystallization processes operating under a periodic flow mode”.

Runners up were Daeho Ko of GS Engineering & Construction, Korea, for their paper Optimization of Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption Processes To Sequester Carbon Dioxide from Coalbed Methane, and Chen Chen*, Lu Han and George M. Bollas of University of Connecticut for their paper Dynamic Simulation of Fixed-Bed Chemical-Looping Combustion Reactors Integrated in Combined Cycle Power Plants. Full details can be found on the PSE website.

The prize is judged by team of leading academics in the field of process systems engineering, Prof. Stratos Pistikopoulos (chair) of Texas A&M Energy Institute, Associate Prof. Michael Georgiadis of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and Prof. Eva Sorensen of University College London.

gPROMS is widely used throughout the chemicals, energy, petrochemical, food and pharmaceuticals sectors, including in some 200 academic organisations. Mark Matzopoulos, PSE deputy MD, says “We work closely with academic communities around the world to foster innovation, through our academic programme, the MBI Prize, our Partnerships for Advanced Process Modelling and the PSE Academic Teaching Highway (PATH). We congratulate our winners on the quality of their work.”

For editors
Contact: Kate Burness, +44-20-8563-0888, [email protected]
‘About’: www.psenterprise.com/news/pr171026


12 October 2017

New How-to videos available for gPROMS users


We are please to announce the launch of an all-new PSE How-to Videos section in the MyPSE area of the website. How-to Videos are two to three minute videos that answer frequently asked questions, explain important features, and reveal lesser known tips and tricks for getting the most out of the time you invest in process modelling.

Our application engineering team produced these videos based on our experience teaching gPROMS® training courses and on feedback from users. Every video begins with a short description of its content, followed by step-by-step instructions on how to complete a specific task. The use of software screen recordings ensures that what you see in the video matches what you encounter on your desktop.

We have included many other features like multi-language captions and topic filtering, but the best way to learn about the section is to watch our two minute How to use How-to Videos presentation linked below.

The section currently has 50+ videos, and there are more on the way. If you have any requests, we’d love to hear from you.


13 July 2017

Gold standard for Process Systems Enterprise


[IChemE press release 13 July 2017]

Process Systems Enterprise (PSE) is the first process engineering software company to become an Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Gold Corporate Partner. They were presented with the award for inspiring and developing the next generation of chemical engineers through a range of activities.

The company, which started life as a spin-out from Imperial College London’s Centre for Process Systems Engineering, is a dedicated supporter of IChemE’s whynotchemeng programme, which aims to promote the diverse range of careers in chemical, biochemical and process engineering to school students aged 14-18.

Through a partnership with the Access Project and King Solomon Academy London, 18 employees at PSE’s London headquarters are tutoring GCSE and A level students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects. This has helped students discover career opportunities in engineering and supported their preparations for further education, such as university applications and interviews, as well as familiarised them with a business environment.

PSE also hosts up to 15 interns from European and Korean universities each year, typically on six-month work placements. The placement provides students with an industrially-relevant Masters project involving a complex process modelling application.

The award of Gold Corporate Partnership also recognises the innovative PSE Academic Teaching Highway (PATH) scheme, which provides undergraduate chemical engineering degree programmes with specially-tailored teaching modules on process modelling. PSE’s gPROMS advanced process modelling software is used in over 200 universities for teaching and research.

IChemE’s Immediate Past President Jonathan Seville presented PSE’s Gold Corporate Partner status on Wednesday 12 July to MD Costas Pantelides at the PSE offices in West London.

Jonathan Seville said:

“PSE is a real success story. Starting life as an Imperial College spin-out, it is now the world’s leading provider of advanced process modelling technology with over 150 employees around the world. The company’s success is a great example of the strong industrial impact of academic research in UK chemical engineering departments.

“The company takes its responsibility towards the profession very seriously, encouraging its own employees in their advancement and promoting the subject to future engineers from school age right through to graduation and beyond.

“I’m delighted to present them with IChemE’s Gold Corporate Partner Award. It’s clear that everyone at PSE has a passion to encourage and inspire future generations and to advance the profession for the benefit of society.”

Costas Pantelides, PSE Managing Director, said:

“Because our focus as a company is on next-generation technology and workflows for the chemical process industries, it has always been important for us to help develop the next generation of engineers who will be able to take full advantage of these innovative approaches. We are delighted to have our efforts over the years recognised with the award of Gold Corporate Partner status.”

Following the upgrade to Gold, PSE is now looking to collaborate with other IChemE Corporate Partner companies on secondment agreements that will give their young chemical engineers first-hand experience of the application of advanced process modelling within industry. 

Related links

IChemE Corporate Partnership Scheme

Process Systems Enterprise Ltd

Chemical engineering research makes an impact in Parliament

Chemical Engineering Matters for a Modern World booklet

Notes to media

For more information please contact:

Rachael Fraser, PR and Communications Executive, IChemE
t: +44 (0) 1788 534435
e: [email protected]

What is chemical engineering?

Chemical, biochemical and process engineering is the application of science, maths and economics in the process of turning raw materials into everyday, and more specialist, products. Professional chemical engineers design, construct and manage process operations all over the world. Oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, food and drink, synthetic fibres and clean drinking water are just some of the products where chemical engineering plays a central role.

IChemE: www.icheme.org

With a membership exceeding 44,000 members in over 120 countries, and offices in the Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK; IChemE aims to be the organisation of choice for chemical engineers. It promotes competence and a commitment to best practice, advances the discipline for the benefit of society and supports the professional development of its members. IChemE is the only organisation to award Chartered Chemical Engineer and Professional Process Safety Engineer status.

About Process Systems Enterprise Ltd (PSE; www.psenterprise.com)

PSE (www.psenterprise.com) is the world’s foremost provider of Advanced Process Modelling software, services and solutions to the process industries. Companies apply advanced process models to explore the process decision space rapidly and effectively, in order to reduce uncertainty and make better, faster and safer design and operating decisions.

PSE provides gPROMS advanced process modelling products built on the gPROMS® equation-oriented platform. The two core products are the gPROMS ProcessBuilder® flowsheeting environment for fluid processes and the gPROMS FormulatedProducts® environment for integrated design and optimization of formulated products and their manufacturing processes. The company also provides a number of gPROMS Process Operations Solutions for operational monitoring, optimization and planning based on high-fidelity models.

Use of PSE’s technology and services results in faster innovation, improved process and product designs, enhanced operations, reduced risk, more effective R&D and experimental campaigns and better capture and transfer of corporate knowledge across the organisation. Results are achieved with relatively low investment compared to alternative approaches, with rapid returns on investment.

PSE’s global customer base of Fortune 500 process industry companies is served by operations in the UK, USA, Japan and Korea, and agencies in China, Taiwan and Thailand. PSE is a spin-out of Imperial College London, and its software is used in over 200 universities around the world.

PSE is committed to defining, developing and driving the adoption of next-generation process modelling software and workflows. PSE’s own ability to innovate was recognised with the award of the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award for Engineering Innovation, the UK’s highest engineering prize.


28 June 2017

PSE releases significant gPROMS ProcessBuilder update


Unified modelling environment for high-value process design and operational applications

LONDON, 28 June 2017 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, today released a significant update to gPROMS ProcessBuilder, its leading advanced process modelling platform for optimizing design and operation of process plants.

gPROMS ProcessBuilder is a unified equation-oriented process modelling environment for applications across the plant, from complex catalytic reaction and separation to wastewater treatment and utilities. The new version 1.2 updates ProcessBuilder’s steady-state and dynamic process modelling capabilities, and adds a new high-fidelity rate-based separation model library as well as new libraries for wastewater treatment plant design and design and operational analysis of site utilities systems. A new Olefins library enables detailed modelling and optimization of ethylene plant cracking furnaces.

ProcessBuilder 1.2 also beings a step change in the ability to include detailed reactor models within process flowsheets for simultaneous design and economic optimization of reactor and separation sections. PSE’s industry-leading Fixed-Bed Catalytic Reactor library has been significantly upgraded, and a new Trickle-Bed Reactor library now allows design of wetted-surface catalytic reactions such as benzene hydrogenation, hydrotreating and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

Built on PSE’s state-of-the art gPROMS® 5.0 modelling platform, ProcessBuilder 1.2 also includes powerful new features such as global system analysis (GSA) and high-performance computing (HPC). GSA enables easy, systematic exploration of the complex process decision space using high-fidelity models, making it possible to rapidly assess risks under uncertainty and screen and rank process design and operation alternatives.

HPC brings new power for computationally-intensive calculations, allowing users fully to exploit multi-processor/multi-core machines in order to accelerate large-scale optimization and GSA applications. A new dynamic solver accelerates execution of dynamic simulation, optimization and parameter estimation activities by factors of up to 5.

Costas Pantelides, PSE CEO, says “Our mission is to put powerful tools in the hands of sophisticated users who want to move beyond the heat-and-material balance capabilities of traditional process simulators. A major thrust of current developments is the support of high-value applications capable of significantly improving process economics. Next generation large-scale optimization and analysis techniques mean that it is now possible to revisit many processes that were considered already optimized, and generate substantial new value.”

Contact

Kate Burness +44-20-8563-0888, [email protected]
Editors: www.psenterprise.com/news/pr170628


16 June 2017

PSE releases gPROMS FormulatedProducts modelling platform


Integrated mechanistic modelling from formulation to product performance

LONDON, 16 June 2017 --- Process Systems Enterprise (PSE), the Advanced Process Modelling company, today launched its new gPROMS FormulatedProducts modelling platform for the integrated digital design of robust formulated products and their manufacturing processes.

Developed in close collaboration with leading pharmaceutical, agrochemical, consumer products and food organisations, gPROMS FormulatedProducts deploys a mechanistic modelling approach to enable scientists and engineers to screen formulations with complex phase structures for quality attributes, determine whether they can be manufactured robustly, and comprehensively explore the design space for the whole formulation and manufacturing chain.

In particular, the platform helps pharmaceutical companies optimize the formulation and manufacture of drug substances and drug products using mechanistic models of material, unit operations and product performance. This enables them to screen new formulations faster against quality attributes including in vivo performance and manufacturability. It also accelerates tech transfer whilst reducing risk and improving R&D efficiency, and facilitates better capture and transfer of corporate knowledge across the organisation.

Sean Bermingham, head of PSE Formulated Products says, “gPROMS FormulatedProducts uniquely meets the needs of the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, consumer products and food organisations when it comes to accelerating innovation, improving product and manufacturing process robustness, and reducing time-to-market.”

Built on PSE’s state-of-the art gPROMS® modelling platform, gPROMS FormulatedProducts includes extensive libraries of mechanistic models for operations such as reaction, crystallization, wet and dry milling, spray drying, wet and dry granulation, blending and tabletting. It also provides databases and calculation methods for physical properties, material properties, equipment and physiology.

Data from batch and continuous experiments can be used to calibrate the manufacture and product models. The gPROMS platform’s unique Global System Analysis capability can then be applied to perform a comprehensive assessment of the impact of input variability and model uncertainty on critical quality attributes (CQAs), allowing the screening and ranking of formulation and manufacturing process alternatives.

Bermingham adds “We have benefited enormously from the feedback we received from PSE’s Formulated Products Advisory Board as well as the input from the Systems-based Pharmaceutics Alliance and our industrial and academic partners in major R&D collaborations such as ADDoPT, C-SOPS, CMAC, D3P and REMEDIES. This has resulted in a tool based on state-of-the-art science that can address practical challenges”.

Contact

Kate Burness +44-20-8563-0888, [email protected]
Editors: www.psenterprise.com/news/pr170609


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