XLThermo: An indispensable tool for the practicing engineer

Process and plant engineers have access to various simulation tools for designing new systems and optimizing existing plants. Among these, options range from high-cost commercial software to open-source alternatives like the excellent (and free!) DWSIM package. So, where does XLThermo fit in?

Even with numerous tools available, a full-fledged process simulator may not always be the best solution:

• High costs: Most process simulation tools come with a significant price tag, often affordable only to large companies. Even then, access is usually limited to a select group of engineers who specialize in building and running simulation models.
• IT restrictions: Free options like DWSIM are great, but many corporate IT departments enforce strict policies that prevent the installation of unauthorized software on network-connected PCs, limiting their use.
• Overkill for daily tasks: In many cases, engineers face daily tasks where using a full-scale process simulator is unnecessary. Microsoft^© Excel often becomes the go-to tool for these simpler tasks. However, while Excel is powerful, some engineering calculations are difficult—or even impossible—to perform using Excel alone.

At KinetiQ, we recognized this gap and developed XLThermo to bridge it. XLThermo is an add-in that enhances Excel’s capabilities, providing essential tools that engineers in the process industries can use every day.

XLThermo’s development is rooted in years of hands-on experience as process engineers across various sectors of the industry. We’ve seen firsthand when process simulators are valuable and when they are not. We’ve also experienced the frustration of trying to create functional Excel models when specialized engineering tools were unavailable. It’s with these challenges in mind that we decided to create XLThermo.