Carbon Capture Simulation Initiative (CCSI) Releases Third Generation Toolset, October 31, 2014

The NETL led Carbon Capture Simulation Initiative (CCSI) released the third generation of its computational tools and models, the “CCSI Toolset” on October 31, 2014. Building on the capabilities of previous major releases in 2013, this latest release brings new capabilities needed by industry to help scale up and develop next generation carbon capture technologies. A total of 30 “products” are currently available. General new capabilities include more streamlined workflows to help industry users take advantage of the advanced capabilities and new models with quantified confidence and rigorous, statistically-based uncertainty bounds. Specific new capabilities include a pulverization model, a new advanced process control framework that utilizes dynamic reduced order models, and a new Data Management Framework that tracks provenance from experimental data to optimized system. In addition, the Framework for Optimization, Quantification of Uncertainty, and Surrogates (FOQUS) provides significant new capabilities, many of which were requested by members of the Industry Advisory Board. These include a unified user interface for simulation-based and surrogate-based optimization as well as the ability to manage multiple simulations on a single desktop computer. The ALAMO tool now has been integrated with FOQUS and includes the capability for constrained regression, which improves accuracy. This release also includes a new oxy-combustion boiler model and a model to predict wetted area of a solvent on a surface, an important capability for predicting the behavior of advanced carbon capture solvent systems. Currently five companies have licensed the tools and another four are working to finalize license agreements.