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EDWartens UK

Free course · Process control

Process Simulation with DWSIM for Oil, Gas and Chemicals

Build steady-state process simulations in DWSIM, the free open-source chemical process simulator: property packages, streams and flash calculations, pumps, valves and compressors, separators, heat exchangers, shortcut and rigorous distillation, absorbers, conversion, equilibrium, Gibbs and kinetic reactors, recycle loops, adjust and sensitivity studies, crude assays and a gas processing capstone, with every result checked by hand.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Intermediate
Modules
13
Video
19 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Set up a DWSIM simulation from compounds, property package and units to a solved flowsheet; choose and defend a property package (Peng-Robinson, SRK, NRTL, UNIQUAC, steam tables and the specialist packages); run TP, PH and vapour fraction flashes, bubble and dew points and phase envelopes, and solve a Rachford-Rice flash by hand; model mixers, splitters, valves, pumps, compressors, separators and heat exchangers and check their power, temperatures and areas; design a column with the Fenske, Underwood and Gilliland shortcut and converge a rigorous column or absorber; choose between conversion, equilibrium, Gibbs, CSTR and plug flow reactors and size a kinetic reactor; converge recycle loops and use adjust, sensitivity analysis and the optimizer; characterise a crude from an assay; and build, check and report a gas conditioning flowsheet.

  • Set up DWSIM: compounds, property package, units, streams, unit operations and the solver
  • Choose Peng-Robinson, SRK, NRTL, UNIQUAC or steam tables for a mixture and defend the choice
  • Solve flashes, bubble and dew points by hand with Rachford-Rice and read phase envelopes
  • Model valves, pumps, compressors, separators and heat exchangers and check them by hand
  • Design a column with Fenske, Underwood and Gilliland, then converge a rigorous column or absorber
  • Pick conversion, equilibrium, Gibbs, CSTR or PFR models and size a kinetic reactor
  • Converge recycle loops and run adjust, sensitivity and optimisation studies
  • Characterise a crude and build, check and report a gas conditioning flowsheet

Software

DWSIM, free and open source (GPL) from dwsim.org: the current release is DWSIM 10.2 (October 2026) for Windows 10 and 11, Linux and macOS, in a free Open-Source Core Edition and a free-to-download Patreon Edition; DWSIM 9.0.5 is still offered. The lessons were recorded on DWSIM 5 to 9; the workflow is the same in version 10, though some menus have moved. A spreadsheet (LibreOffice Calc is free) for the hand checks. ChemSep LITE, a free CAPE-OPEN column add-on, is optional.

Hardware

Any 64-bit laptop with 4 GB of memory (8 GB recommended) and about 1 GB of free disk space; no graphics card is needed.

Syllabus

13 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Process simulation and DWSIM: the workflow and your first flowsheet4 lessons
  2. 2Thermodynamics and choosing a property package4 lessons
  3. 3Material streams, flash calculations and phase envelopes5 lessons
  4. 4Pressure and flow: mixers, splitters, valves, pumps, compressors and pipes6 lessons
  5. 5Separators, flash drums and gas compression trains5 lessons
  6. 6Heat exchangers: heaters, coolers and shell and tube4 lessons
  7. 7Distillation design with the shortcut column (Fenske, Underwood, Gilliland)4 lessons
  8. 8Rigorous distillation, absorption and ChemSep columns5 lessons
  9. 9Reactors I: conversion, equilibrium and Gibbs reactors5 lessons
  10. 10Reactors II: kinetics, CSTR and plug flow reactors4 lessons
  11. 11Recycle, adjust, sensitivity analysis and optimisation5 lessons
  12. 12Oil and gas flowsheets: assays, gas treating, pipelines, dynamics and a capstone4 lessons
  13. 13Final assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for Process Simulation with DWSIM for Oil, Gas and Chemicals

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

  • Spoken-Tutorial IIT Bombay

    the English DWSIM series by FOSSEE, IIT Bombay, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0: flowsheeting, material streams, bubble and dew points, binary phase envelopes, heat exchangers, shortcut, rigorous and ChemSep columns, absorption, conversion, equilibrium, Gibbs, CSTR, PFR and catalytic reactors, and sensitivity analysis with adjust

  • DWSIM Simulator

    the developer's own lessons: DWSIM's features, property packages and flash algorithms, the unit operations overview, the pipe network unit and the basic dynamic simulation tutorial

  • Chemical Engineering Education

    the DWSIM 9 lessons on Peng-Robinson against SRK, NRTL and UNIQUAC for azeotropes, bubble and dew points, mixers, splitters, pumps, pipes and valves, gas compression and LPG separation, heat exchangers, shortcut and benzene-toluene distillation, ammonia equilibrium, CSTRs and recycle

  • The Chemical Engineer

    the DWSIM introduction, the gas and liquid separator, and the recycle block in a complete flowsheet

  • eduX

    the water gas shift conversion reactor, pump selection with the adjust function, and building a petroleum assay

  • Dr. Surendra Sasikumar Jampa (PhD,Chem Engg, IITB)

    the DWSIM introduction and adiabatic compressor lecture with a hand calculation

  • LearnChemE

    the flash distillation examples, the Rachford-Rice procedure, the flash energy balance, binary distillation and the single reaction with recycle

  • Vincent Stevenson

    multicomponent distillation and the Fenske equation

  • Christi Patton Luks

    selecting property packages for simulations

  • Kimray Inc

    the TEG gas dehydration and glycol regeneration system, equipment by equipment

  • Carver Pump Company

    how amine sweetening works, absorption and stripping

Questions

About this course

What is DWSIM?
DWSIM is a free, open-source chemical process simulator that solves the material and energy balances of a plant with rigorous thermodynamics. It runs on Windows, Linux and macOS, models streams, separators, compressors, heat exchangers, columns and reactors, and is CAPE-OPEN compliant. It is developed by Daniel Wagner and downloaded from dwsim.org.
Who is this process simulation course for?
It is for chemical and petroleum engineering students and graduates, process and production engineers, and operators moving into process design. You need first-year material and energy balances and basic thermodynamics such as vapour pressure and enthalpy; no simulation experience is needed.
Is DWSIM a free alternative to Aspen HYSYS?
DWSIM is free and does the same kind of steady-state flowsheet work as commercial simulators such as Aspen HYSYS and Aspen Plus, with its own interface and models. The workflow taught here (property package, streams, unit operations, convergence and hand checks) carries across to any simulator. EDWartens is not affiliated with AspenTech or with DWSIM.
Which DWSIM version does the course use?
The course is written for DWSIM 10.2, the current release in October 2026, and works with DWSIM 9.0.5. The video lessons were recorded on DWSIM 5 to 9; every object and calculation they use is still in version 10, and the notes say where menus have moved.
Is the course free to learn, and how long does it take?
Yes, every module, the notes, the worked problems, the practice tasks, the optional project and the final assessment are free to learn, and DWSIM is free. The course takes about 19 hours at your own pace, of which about 11 hours is video; the optional gas plant project takes about 16 hours more.
What certificate do I get, and how is it verified?
You get a verifiable certificate of completion from EDWartens when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It carries a unique certificate number and a QR code that open a public verification page showing the course, the modules covered and your final score.
What jobs does process simulation lead to?
It prepares you for roles such as graduate process engineer, process simulation engineer, production or plant process engineer and operations support engineer at oil and gas producers, refineries, chemical plants and EPC contractors. Gas processing and refining employers in the Gulf, North and West Africa and South Asia ask for simulation skills in process job adverts.
Does the course cover HAZOP or equipment mechanical design?
No. Process hazard studies are taught in HAZOP and Process Safety Management, and pump and compressor selection in Pumps, Compressors and Rotating Equipment. This course builds the simulation that both of those rely on: heat and material balances, duties and stream conditions.

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module