Unit Operations

Operations, or more precisely, unit operations are the smallest grain of action that can be simulated in SuperPro Designer. Each such action may be as simple as Agitation or as complex as Continuous Distillation (Rigorous) or Batch Kinetic Reaction. Typically, a batch process simulation is built-up by stringing unit operations together in clusters called unit procedures. Each such unit procedure is hosted by a designated equipment resource that is of type that matches the unit procedure type. For instance, a typical Gel Filtration Procedure is composed of a sequence of actions like: Column Wash (Simplified), Gel Filtration (GFL) Column Loading, Packed Bed Adsorption (PBA) Column Loading (Simplified), Column Regeneration (Simplified), etc., all timed to execute in a user-specified order, and of course, hosted by a Gel Filtration (GFL) Chromatography Column. For simulating continuous processes, typically, each unit procedure has only one contained operation that executes all the time; for example, a Pumping by a Centrifugal Pump Procedure unit procedure involves a single action (operation), which is a Pumping (by Centrifugal Pump) operation, and the host equipment is a Centrifugal Pump.

In SuperPro Designer, a user first chooses the type of procedure that is going to be added to the process. This decision directly determines: (a) the equipment resource behind the procedure and (b) the list of options for actions that can be carried out in that unit procedure type. For more on what types of unit procedures are available, see Unit Procedures. For more on which equipment resource types are available in SuperPro Designer see Equipment Types.

The unit operations supported by SuperPro Designer are clustered in groups based on either the nature of transformation that they accomplish (for example, heating/cooling, phase change, pressure change, etc.) or their availability in certain type of unit procedures/equipment types (e.g., vessel operations include all operations that can be carried out in a vessel like a reactor, fermentor, etc.; chromatography operations include all operations available in a chromatography column). As you will notice, the list somewhat mimics the clustering of unit procedures available (under the Unit Procedures menu option) but is not exactly the same as some operations may be available in more than one type of unit procedures.