Excel – VMG has the most advanced integration with Excel in the business. First released in 2003 VMGSim offers Excel as an embedded unit operation in the flowsheet. Embedded Excel spreadsheets are fast and seamless, running interactively with other unit operations in the model. Excel workbooks can simply be added to the flowsheet as quickly and easily as a standard unit operation. The workbooks can freely exchange data within the model and can obtain data directly from DCS systems, data historians or other programs.

Excel (and VBA) can also be used to create custom applications utilizing VMGSim’s Com interface VSimcom. Applications of this nature are able to bypass the use of the VMGSim GUI which allows for increased speed and configuration flexibility which is particularly useful for automation applications.

Customized code editors, i.e., Visual Basic, Fortran etc. - VMGSim users may create custom models in many ways. First is by writing VB in the Excel operation. Also we offer the capability to create custom models by combining native VMGSim unit operations in a single operation using the scripting language, which we call the SOP operation. Finally programmers can write thermo models in VMGThermo in it’s native language of C++ or any of the popular languages including Fortran. The core flowsheeter is written in the popular Python language, which is a modern efficient development platform. Python programmers can easily add unit operations to the core.

Real-time monitoring and optimization tools - VMGSim’s modern programming architecture and component structure makes it one of the easiest modeling systems to integrate with real time applications. We currently have advisory VMGSim models for plant supervisory applications and for profitibiilty modeling running on-line in a variety of facilities including refineries and gas plants. One of our partners in providing services and real-time applications, GP has a product MarginMax that is targeted to refinery profit improvement and KPI monitoring. An attachment is included that describes the MarginMax solution and describes the functionality and integration of this optimization system with VMGSim.

DCS interface - 3 different link configurations have been implemented successfully between VMGSim and a distributed control system (DCS). This is possible due to the object oriented structure of the VMGSim software, solver holding/triggering capabilities, and the available VSimCom COM interface to VMGSim. The first option involves a direct connection between VSimCom and the DCS if an object linking and embedding (OLE) or COM interface is available within the DCS. The second option uses the Excel operation within VMGSim and the Excel add-in capabilities of a DCS if applicable. The last option has been to read/write VMGSim values from a OLE or COM compliant database, which is then accessed by the DCS as means of an indirect link.

Supported databases - VMGSim’s modern architecture enables it to talk to just about any program imaginable, including databases of all types. Our users have developed a wide range of applications that read/write to databases such as Microsoft Access™ with relative ease. The modern architecture of VMGSim puts it at the top of the industry in terms of integration with other software applications.

• General information
• Thermophysical Properties
• Unit Operations
• Acid Gas Treating
• Claus and Tailgas Treating
• Embedded Excel Unit Operations
• Reporting Results
• Equipment Rating and Design
• Automation Links to 3rd Party Design Software