Patent ID: 7464012

Claim:
A process simulator system comprising: a computer with one or more processing units and a memory storing a program of instructions for a process simulator, the process simulator comprising a plurality of process correlations, wherein the process simulator is configured to: obtain operating data over a range of operating conditions for a plurality of interrelated process units; determine, for each of the plurality of process units, a regression from the obtained operating data to form a process correlation for each respective process unit, wherein each process correlation is a mathematical response model for a discrete process system in one of the interrelated process units, wherein each process correlation is configured to provide one or more output parameters from one or more input parameters, according to the respective regression, and wherein at least a first process correlation is linked to a second process correlation such that at least one output parameter from the first process correlation is an input parameter to the second process correlation; calculate, from the first process correlation, a first plurality of output parameters for a first discrete process system using a first plurality of input parameters; output the first plurality of output parameters as input to the second process correlation; input, to the second process correlation, the first plurality of output parameters from the first process correlation; calculate, from the second process correlation, a second plurality of output parameters for a second discrete process system using the first plurality of output parameters as a second plurality of input parameters; and output, from the second process correlation, the second plurality of output parameters provided by the second process correlation.