CHEMCAD DEVELOPERS HANDBOOK

INTRODUCTION
The CHEMCAD Developers Handbook is designed to help users create custom elements within
CHEMCAD. Using CHEMCAD and this guide, users can create new dialog screens, user unit
operations, user speciied rate e!pressions, E!cel unit operations, E!cel automation, and modi" costing
algorithms. #eore we get into the details though, lets take a brie look at all the pieces covered in this
manual, and how the" it together.
There are $ main categories o custom elements in CHEMCAD. Custom Unit %perations are user
deined elements that it within a lowsheet . User speciied rate e!pressions are used in kinetic and
batch reactors. E!cel automation describes an E!cel spreadsheet which has the abilit" to control
CHEMCAD& 'end inormation into a simulation, run it and retrieve results. Custom costing algorithms
give "ou the le!ibilit" to modi" the cost estimation methods in CHEMCAD or "our own purposes.
'peciication sheets allow "ou to create customi(ed, vendor read" e)uipment speciication reports using
data rom "ou CHEMCAD simulation.
Creating Unit Operations: Three etho!s" one goa#
The goal o creating a user unit operation is to have a customi(ed unit where "ou can enter "our own
e)uations to calculate the heat and mass balances. *n the past users have created membrane
separation units, uel cells, speciali(ed solids handling units, and cr"stalli(ers or the separation o
!"lenes.
There are three dierent methods to achieve this goal o a custom unit operation. +arser unit
operations, E!cel Unit operation, and C,, User Added Module. +arser unit operations are deined b" a
programming language called -+arser.. E!cel unit operations are deined b" spreadsheets in E!cel and
/isual #asic unctions deined within an E!cel 0orkbook. C,, User Added Modules are developed
using Microsot1s /isual C,, development tool, the same tools that were used in the creation o our unit
operations.
0hich method "ou pick is an important irst step towards creating a unit operation, but the choice is
almost entirel" up to "ou. +arser unitops can be )uick and eas" to set up, but the" can1t do ever"thing
the other two methods can. The E!cel2/isual #asic approach is ver" powerul and uses the amiliar
/isual #asic language or development. A drawback to this method is sometimes calculation can be slow
due to the use o Microsot E!cel to do the calculations. The most powerul and astest calculating
method is the C,, User added Module method, however i "ou are new to C,, developing it ma" be
diicult or "ou to use.
0hichever method "ou use to program the calculations o "our unit operation, "ou will likel" need a user
interace, commonl" called a dialog screen. A dialog screen allows users to send inormation into "our
unit operation, or e!ample the number o stages or a distillation unitop. 3o matter what method "ou
use to program "our unit operation, "ou will be using the 'creen #uilder program to create "our user
interace.
Screen Builder CHEMCAD /ersion $.4
User !e$ine! rate e%pressions
0hen working with kinetic or batch reactors, sometimes the reaction rate "ou1re given 5ust doesn1t it the
arrhenius e)uation. 6ood e!amples o this are reactions involving transition states, the Monod kinetics
o biological s"stems, and some catal"tic reactions. Using an interace to E!cel1s visual basic, "ou now
can enter the rate e!pression in whatever orm "ou have it.
These user deined rate e!pressions ma" be used in both 'tead"7state kinetic reactors 89:EA; and
D"namic reactors 8#:EA;.
A basic working knowledge o /isual #asic ma" be re)uired depending on the comple!it" o "our rate
e!pression.
E%&e# a'toation
0hen working in a plant, it is sometimes useul to transer plant data directl" into CHEMCAD, rather than
entering it b" hand. This is possible through the use o E!cel. The section o E!cel Automation walks
"ou through the creation o a spreadsheet which is able to start CHEMCAD, transer inormation into a
particular simulation, run that simulation, and e!tract useul inormation out o CHEMCAD. This can be
used to determine heat e!changer ouling actors, column perormance, or to assist in the setting o
control setpoints.
C'stoi(e! Costing &a#&'#ations
CHEMCAD includes some ver" basic costing routines to help determine the capital cost o e)uipment.
Using a simpliied orm o C known as the parser language, "ou ma" modi" these routines to better suit
"our needs.
Spe&i$i&ation Sheets
Again using our interace with Microsot E!cel, CHEMCAD allows "ou to output simulation data in an
E!cel spreadsheet resembling a vendor speciication sheet. #" customi(ing these sheets, CHEMCAD
can become )uite a timesaver b" outputting data in the ormat re)uired b" "our compan" or vendor.
This leaves "ou, the engineer more time to get the engineering right, and "ou spend less time ormatting
documents and cop"ing data.
HO) TO USE THIS MANUAL
This manual is divided into sections describing the dierent tools 8+arser <anguage, C,, UAM, screen
#uilder, etc.; and then e!amples on using each tool. * do not suggest that "ou tr" to read this manual
cover to cover. =irst read the introduction section on the 'creen #uilder 8How Unit %perations 0ork;.
6etting amiliar with the architecture o a unit operation is the ke" to successull" customi(ing
CHEMCAD. Then decide which tools "ou are likel" to use and read about them.
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