Preface
Processes of material and energy conversion often consist of multiple individual
sub-processes that are interconnected by material, energy and information streams.
The cross-links between the individual sub-processes have a significant impact on
the dynamic behaviour and the stability of such processes. For the design and
optimization, particularly in view of the conservation of energy and raw material
resources, not only the individual components should be simulated, but also the
dynamic behaviour of the whole process. This is the state of the art for fluid
processes and different tools for dynamic flowsheet simulation are commercially
available. In contrast, such program systems and process models which are generally applicable to a wide range of applications are missing for solids processes.
This is due to the complex description of solids with their multivariate disperse
properties and the associated processes for the conversion of solids.
The flowsheet modelling allows for an investigation of complex processes
consisting of several interconnected apparatuses and sub-processes on longtime
scales. For the solids process engineering, the multidimensionality of the properties
of granular materials significantly complicates the solution of various problems,
such as design or optimization of production processes. As most solids processing
systems include unit operations that have a strong impact on the transient behaviour
of the whole process, like conveyors or bunkers, the ability to simulate the behaviour of dynamic systems is crucial for applying flowsheet models for optimization
or control purposes in the area of solids processing technology.
Available flowsheet simulation programs deal with the challenge of solids
process simulation. However, none of the tools offer the option of dynamic process
simulation of solids processes with the inherent description of the multidimensional
distributed parameters of the granular material.
The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG)
has supported a research program in the form of the Priority Program (SPP 1679) on
“Dynamic simulation of interconnected solids processes (DYNSIM-FP)” from 2013
to 2020. The goal was to study the dynamics of different processes in the area of
solids process engineering and to gain a better understanding of the phenomena that
arise when combining various of such sub-processes into a single interconnected
v
Processes of material and energy conversion often consist of multiple individual
sub-processes that are interconnected by material, energy and information streams.
The cross-links between the individual sub-processes have a significant impact on
the dynamic behaviour and the stability of such processes. For the design and
optimization, particularly in view of the conservation of energy and raw material
resources, not only the individual components should be simulated, but also the
dynamic behaviour of the whole process. This is the state of the art for fluid
processes and different tools for dynamic flowsheet simulation are commercially
available. In contrast, such program systems and process models which are generally applicable to a wide range of applications are missing for solids processes.
This is due to the complex description of solids with their multivariate disperse
properties and the associated processes for the conversion of solids.
The flowsheet modelling allows for an investigation of complex processes
consisting of several interconnected apparatuses and sub-processes on longtime
scales. For the solids process engineering, the multidimensionality of the properties
of granular materials significantly complicates the solution of various problems,
such as design or optimization of production processes. As most solids processing
systems include unit operations that have a strong impact on the transient behaviour
of the whole process, like conveyors or bunkers, the ability to simulate the behaviour of dynamic systems is crucial for applying flowsheet models for optimization
or control purposes in the area of solids processing technology.
Available flowsheet simulation programs deal with the challenge of solids
process simulation. However, none of the tools offer the option of dynamic process
simulation of solids processes with the inherent description of the multidimensional
distributed parameters of the granular material.
The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG)
has supported a research program in the form of the Priority Program (SPP 1679) on
“Dynamic simulation of interconnected solids processes (DYNSIM-FP)” from 2013
to 2020. The goal was to study the dynamics of different processes in the area of
solids process engineering and to gain a better understanding of the phenomena that
arise when combining various of such sub-processes into a single interconnected
v