GRTMPS, Version 4 (G4) is Haverly Systems' newly updated planning tool that utilizes the latest in Object-oriented Relational Database Modeling technology.

GRTMPS is an easy-to-use, technically rich planning system designed to meet all the economic optimization needs of today's businesses. It is used in tight coordination with scheduling and crude assay applications such as H/Sched and H/CAMS, as a component of large integrated systems, and as a powerful stand-alone planning application. Used on a daily basis, G4 is used to find optimal solutions in refining, petrochemical, and manufacturing industries.

Check the News Section for specific items.

Continual development of new technology is a strong tradition at Haverly Systems. Shortly after its introduction, the GRTMPS list of features included:

• multi-period and multi-location
• specification blending, recipe blending
• transportation, inventory, investment
• distributive recursion, delta-base structures

Ongoing improvements are a vital part of the Haverly culture. Important technologies have been developed recently that have changed the planning community, including:

Adherent Recursion brings true non-linear modeling to LP optimization. This technique is more accurate, more convergent and fast. Intelligent design has harnessed this powerful idea making it easy to setup and understand. Adherent Recursion is unique to GRTMPS.

Process Simulator Interface (PSI) provides an efficient method to incorporate external simulators as an integral part of the LP system. These can be user created Excel simulators or 3rd party simulators. Utilizing Adherent Recursion, GRTMPS PSI, is stable, fast, accurate and easy to configure.

Cut-Point Optimization (CPO) provides the solution to the age old problem of accurately determining optimal distillation cutpoints. CPO is accomplished by combining Adherent Recursion and PSI with the H/CAMS Crude Assay Management system. CPO is also unique to Haverly Systems.

G4 introduces an entirely new way of developing, maintaining and running planning models. Beginning with Version 4, GRTMPS models can be maintained in a relational database and the benefits are many:

Easy to Learn, Easy to Support

• Free from the constraints of spreadsheet files and table structures, data is organized by the way you work. Data and options are easy to find and understand. Tree navigation and intuitive panels provide an easy-to-learn modeling environment.
• The user-interface leads the G4 user to valid choices, which prevents syntax errors. Automatic validation virtually eliminates runs that fail because a new user doesn't remember the correct syntax for a data table or misspells a code. Messages are displayed in plain language advising the user when improper data has been entered and how to correct it.
• Modelers responsible for the original data can distribute G4 models to users who can make copies of the base data objects. Without changing the base case data, G4 users can freely modify these copied structures then have a very high level of flexibility. They have great freedom in what they can create but can always return to the base case to compare results.
• Configure user-defined buttons to open a customized help file, a report on your corporate intranet or to run a simulator. This makes documentation and tools unique to your company available to your users without leaving G4.

Productive

• Complicated tasks no longer require a comprehensive knowledge of data tables and their proper structure. With G4, creating a functioning copy of a process unit or specification blend product requires only few clicks on one panel.
• Easily refer to and view crude-specific data.
• The new hyper linking Block Diagram view allows provides for intuitive navigation through the model database.

Robust

• The relational database format supports all of the same features supported by the original GRTMPS tables including Adherent Recursion, PSI, Cutpoint Optimization, sophisticated constraints and limits, etc.
• Import purchase and sales data to the relational database from spreadsheets.
• Use the Evaluation Wizard to quickly setup a series of runs to study sensitivities.
• Full integration with the H/CAMS relational crude database.
• Create and customize Excel-based reports without programming.
  

The benefits of the new user interface extend to those running traditional GRTMPS spreadsheet models.

• Run existing spreadsheet models without changing, or reformatting any model data.
• Create the same matrix and solve to the same solution.
• Use the G4 Navigation Tree to view and edit model data in spreadsheets.
• Use the new G4 panels to easily set runtime options.
  

From its very beginning, GRTMPS, Version 4 (G4) was designed to integrate with other applications and information systems. GRTMPS model data can be stored in Excel spreadsheets or in the new G4 relational database format. In addition, G4 model data and solution values can also be accessed using industry-standard SQL or ActiveX.

Using the industry-standard ActiveX programming interface, user-created programs (Visual Basic, VBScript, Excel macros, java, etc.) can configure and operate the G4 system.

Haverly Support Agreements are among the most cost-effective in the industry.

Benefits to clients with a Support Agreement include:

• Two days on-site consulting or training each year.
• Technical support from Haverly staff by telephone, fax and email.
• Email requests for technical support are automatically forwarded to staff in Europe, North America and Asia. It is not unusual to submit a question in the evening and find that the response is waiting for you the next morning.
• Software updates are posted to our website as they are completed and are available immediately for downloading.
  Licensing

Since its founding in 1961, Haverly has taken a unique approach to developing and licensing software.

• Haverly develops and supports only one version of GRTMPS.
• Every GRTMPS user has access to all GRTMPS features and enhancements without payment of additional license fees.
• Third-party optimizers can be purchased which offer additional capability.
• GRTMPS licenses are perpetual with a one time up- front license fee.
• Annual Support Fees are optional.
• GRTMPS licenses are sold by site, not by seat. There is no limit on the number of people that can use the software at a licensed site.
• Flexible short-term rental or lease agreements are available.

GRTMPS, Version 4, is truly a remarkable advance in LP Modeling Technology. Please contact us for more details.

News Section

Short Term Modeling with GRTMPS

GRTMPS is widely used as a planning tool doing monthly and longer range planning. It is excellent for determining the best crudes to buy to meet the best product slate within the flexibility of the refinery.

But the same GRTMPS system can be used to do short term, multi-period modeling (STM). The periods might be weeks or a mixture of periods of different lengths. The model might be set up as four week periods to cover a month. Alternatively, the periods could be 4 days, 4 days and balance of the month, for example. An interesting possibility for a refinery receiving a few major multi-crude cargos per month is to define the periods as the time between crude tanker arrivals.

The point is that you can use the standard GRTMPS system and define your short term model as appropriate for your situation. By using a common data base, the development and support effort is greatly reduced and the application becomes practical and economically.

STM GRTMPS can stand between monthly planning and the powerful, advanced scheduling system, H/SCHED (with its own scheduling optimization and schedule generation).

Just as the same GRTMPS system can be used to optimize both the single refineries models and a multi-refinery model of the refineries, so can the same GRTMPS system be used for a both a monthly model and a multi-period short term model.

Add in the new object oriented, user friendly input and the connectivity to process simulators, GRTMPS is simply the best choice for doing a wide range of refinery optimization situations. If you are not using GRTMPS you are not using the latest and best. (4/14/3)

MUG 36 Conference Reports

Vince Divita of Jacobs Consulting gave the results of a study where he first used normal LP modelling techniques for optimizing an FCC and then an FCC simulator integrated with GRTMPS. He shared his experiences and showed the strength and weaknesses of each technique independently and how he was able to get the best optimization results from the combination.

Dr. Kathy Nelson also showed the synergy from combining simulation and optimization. Her work was done with GRTMPS for optimization and the connection to H/CAMS for the simulation. These combinations utilize the advanced Adherent Recursion feature in GRTMPS and the easily used Process Interface connection to the external simulator. It gave improved accuracy in selecting optimal cut points over using just one of the techniques.

John Huggins of Turner Mason gave a talk on selecting the optimal balance of crudes. It is not a simple problem because of the interactions of the crudes in the refinery and the need to select realistic quantities of the individual crude oils. He used some perturbation techniques to good effect.

Victor Haverly showed and explained the advantages of the new Object-Oriented LP modeling in G4. This is a new, modern way of looking at LP modeling. The object-oriented approach makes modeling easier, more intuitive and more reliable. Support of spreadsheet data is included for traditional users and to facilitate the transition and maintain upward compatibility to earlier versions of GRTMPS. The G4 version is in beta use at one site and it is well received. Interested parties can contact their GRTMPS support person for more details prior to general release.

Dr. Richard Tan focused his talk on the conversion procedure from GRTMPS 3.0 to G4. Don Alton explained the advantages and procedures for use of Evaluation Wizard feature of GRTMPS. The Evaluation Wizard is used to quickly develop and automate a sequence of runs to evaluate crude selection, sales studies and more.

Randy Bozarth showed the breakthrough option by which users can create their own custom reports with minimum effort. He also described how the Formulator is used in the H/CAMS - GRTMPS inter-connection. It is a very productive tool to prepare crude data for the GRTMP model and has new viewing and editing capabilities for use with the H/CAMS data base. These are new features resulting from our very active R&D work.

Don Alton gave an exposé of the most asked GRTMPS help questions - and the answers. Randy Bozarth explained how we maintain a long distance romance with our users by our 24/5 around-the-world service. A user email request for help is automatically forward to multiple sites in Ventura, Houston, England and Singapore. Because these are in different time zones, you get a fast response from the site most available to answer the soonest. It is part of the HSI effort to provide the best service.

Dr. Kathy Nelson described a lot of good ideas for running your GRTMPS Planning system faster and smarter. She showed how bad scaling can cause trouble and how it can be detected and fixed. (9/26/2)

Trierwiler and Tan published

HSI staff members Dean Trierwiler and Dr. Richard Tan were published in the Nov/Dec 2001 issue of Hydrocarbon Asia. The article is entitled "Advances in Crude Oil LP Modelling". It describes the advantages and details of the Adherent Recursion technique added to the GRTMPS optimization planning system. It also describes the success from close integration of GRTMPS and the H/CAMS crude assay data management system to achieve better non-linear cut point and crude selection optimization. These advances can result in substantial savings to users. (3/10/2)

Helping the Crude Supply Trader

Traders often have opportunities for advantageous purchases of crude batches or cargos. But are these right for the refinery and are they really a bargain. The standard GRTMPS system can answer these questions. Some sites are using standard GRTMPS for this purpose.

A simple way involves use of marginal values. A more advanced way involves use of the standard GRTMPS Windows Interface (GWI) to stack a series of appropriate cases to make a single run to pre-prepare information considering cargo sizes. GWI makes it easy to maintain up-to-date information.

GWI and GRTMPS can be used to analyze interactions among crudes where one crude may be suitable only when combined with another and therefore must be purchased in combination.

A third way is to use the new object-oriented front end to GRTMPS to let the trader make his own GRTMPS run without having to know LP. One large company has commissioned this enhancement and will be using it as soon as development is complete.

To implement this application you only need standard GRTMPS and the right understanding. We are providing more details to our GRTMPS clients in a technical note to appear on the Technical Support pages, or contact us. (11/9/01)

Another First

Working jointly with KBC, HSI has achieved linking the advanced, complex, non-linear KBC Profimatics cat cracker process simulator into GRTMPS using our new generalized Process Simulator Interface and Adherent Recursion in GRTMPS. At every recursion pass, GRTMPS automatically goes to the KBC simulator to achieve a greater level of accuracy in planning than was ever possible before. This gives our common client the benefit of both the best in simulation and the best in optimization.

Other KBC process simulators are being linked and a user could link in their own simulators. More details are available from Ken Spencer at 973/627-1424 or Bob Powell of KBC Advanced Technologies, Inc. at 805-497-9500. (6/15/98)

GRTMPS Process Simulator

The new feature in GRTMPS to connect non-linear process simulators so they are called automatically in a GRTMPS optimization run is being applied. Three papers which reference this topic are now scheduled for the MUG conference in September. One of these is by KBC who has participated with us in providing their complex, advanced cat cracker process simulator connected to GRTMPS for routine use by a joint client.

The GRTMPS connection to process simulators is not limited to cat cracking or any one supplier but is generalized. You can use your own simulators or the advanced simulators of KBC or others. Your GRTMPS support person can provide more details or assistance. (7/20/98)

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Related topics:
Refinery Technology Database
Optimizers
H/CAMS
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