Process Systems Engineering and CAPE – What Next?

1. Extended Abstract Process systems engineering (PSE) has been traditionally concerned with the understanding and development of systematic procedures for the design, control, and operation of chemical process systems (Sargent, 1991). Computer aided process engineering (CAPE), like PSE, has been traditionally concerned with the development and solution of problems related to chemical process design, control and operation through systematic computer aided techniques. Both emphasize the development and use of a systematic approach to problem solution understanding. The oil & gas industry, the petrochemical industry and to some extent, the chemical industry have been the traditional users of methods and tools, including software, from the PSE/CAPE community. Indeed, it is routine these days to perform a detailed mass and energy balance for a process through one of several process simulators that have been developed by the PSE/CAPE community. Problems related to process optimization, process integration and process synthesis/design are currently routinely solved through knowledge based techniques as well as mathematical optimization techniques. Also, systematic methods and tools have been developed and applied to solve industrial problems in the area of planning and scheduling, on-line optimization, solvent selection/design and many more. The above developments have been possible because of the availability of sufficient knowledge and data related to the relevant process engineering