External Data Sources
One of the primary goals of the PPDS Thermoserver is to act as a data conduit by (a) providing seamless access to a variety of data sources that can be attached to it and, (b) providing an export of calculated data in a form that other applications can use.
While many user applications will be able to interface with the PPDS Thermoserver directly through the Dual Interface or the ICapeOpen Interface API, PPDS system also has the facility to import and export data for use in other applications.
IMPORT DIPPR801 data into PPDS
The AIChE's DIPPR-801 pure component database which is available as an ASCII file from the project’s distributors can be converted using the pConfig Tool and then added as a 'user' bank to the Thermoserver for direct access from any client application.
EXPORT DATA TO ASPEN+ simulator
To provide an export of data for use with the ASPEN+ family of process simulators pConfig can be used to convert any PPDS pure component databank (system or user databank) into ASPEN Technology’s DFMS format for import into their simulation tools.
EXPORT DATA AS AN HTFS ‘PSF file’
The PPDS standard client interface has a menu item which allows users to set-up a property file in HTFS ‘PSF’ format. Once written to disk, a PSF file can then be imported into an HTFS program to provide the property values required for the design or simulation.
EXPORT DATA TO HTRI Exchanger suite
PPDS physical property data may be shared with Heat Transfer Research Inc. software packages in two ways. The first of these is via the PPDS standard user interface to produce a properties file in custom HTRI format. However HTRI have also developed a custom link using the PPDS Dual API whereby their Exchanger Suite package can automatically pick up data from the PPDS Thermoserver.