Chemical Simulator GUI

A cross-platform chemical process simulation GUI built using Python, PyQt5, and OpenModelica.

This project provides a graphical interface for creating and simulating chemical process flowsheets using unit operations and thermodynamic models.

---

Features

• PyQt5-based graphical user interface
• Flowsheet creation and editing
• Material stream handling
• Unit operation support
• OpenModelica integration
• Equation-based simulation support
• Sequential modular simulation support
• Undo / Redo functionality
• CSV result generation
• Cross-platform support (Windows + Linux)

---

Project Structure

Chemical-Simulator-GUI/
├── src/
│   └── main/
│       └── python/
├── requirements.txt
├── requirements-windows.txt
├── ChemicalSimulator.spec
├── README.md
└── .gitignore

---

Requirements

Common Requirements

• Python 3.11
• OpenModelica
• pip
• virtualenv

Python Dependencies

Install dependencies using:

pip install -r requirements.txt

---

OpenModelica Installation

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

Install OpenModelica:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openmodelica

Verify installation:

which omc

Expected output:

/usr/bin/omc

---

Windows

Download and install OpenModelica from the official website:

https://openmodelica.org/download/download-windows

Default installation path:

C:\Program Files\OpenModelica1.25.4-64bit\bin\omc.exe

---

Linux Setup

1. Clone Repository

git clone <your-repository-url>
cd Chemical-Simulator-GUI

---

2. Create Virtual Environment

python3.11 -m venv env

---

3. Activate Environment

source env/bin/activate

---

4. Install Dependencies

pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
pip install -r requirements.txt

---

5. Run Application

python src/main/python/Landing_page.py

---

Windows Setup

1. Clone Repository

git clone <your-repository-url>
cd Chemical-Simulator-GUI

---

2. Create Virtual Environment

python -m venv env

---

3. Activate Environment

env\Scripts\activate

---

4. Install Dependencies

pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install -r requirements-windows.txt

---

5. Run Application

python src/main/python/Landing_page.py

---

Cross-Platform Support

This project supports both:

• Linux
• Windows

Platform-specific functionality is handled internally using Python platform checks.

---

Common Issues

OpenModelica Not Found

Linux

Check:

which omc

Windows

Verify that OpenModelica is installed at:

C:\Program Files\OpenModelica1.25.4-64bit\bin\omc.exe

---

Missing Dependencies

Reinstall dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

---

PyQt5 Errors

Install system dependencies on Linux:

sudo apt install python3-pyqt5

---

Development Notes

This project uses:

• Python
• PyQt5
• OpenModelica
• CSV-based result processing
• Pandas for data handling

---

Recommended Improvements

Future improvements may include:

• Better error handling
• Automatic OpenModelica detection
• Docker support
• Executable packaging
• Enhanced flowsheet editor
• CI/CD integration
• Plugin architecture
• More unit operations

---

Git Ignore

Recommended .gitignore:

__pycache__/
*.pyc
env/
venv/
build/
dist/
*.csv
*.log

---

Contributing

Contributions are welcome.

You can contribute by:

• Fixing bugs
• Improving documentation
• Adding unit operations
• Improving Linux compatibility
• Enhancing GUI features

---

License

Choose an open-source license before public release.

Recommended:

• MIT License
• Apache License 2.0

---

Project Status

Under Active Development

---

Acknowledgements

• OpenModelica
• PyQt5
• Python Community