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FLOWTRAN System Collection

Notifications

Held at: Science History Institute Archives [Contact Us]315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Science History Institute Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
044
Repository:
Science History Institute Archives
Extent:
5.6 linear feet (4 record boxes.)
Preferred Citation:
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, FLOWTRAN System Collection, 1962-2016, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date:
1962-2016 (inclusive) and 1966-1993 (bulk)
Creator:
Monsanto Company and Rosen, Edward M.
Form:
Archival materials
Abstract:
Manuals, instructional materials, business records, and miscellaneous printed materials documenting FLOWTRAN, a computer-based chemical process simulation system developed by Monsanto Company. The files in this collection were created by Monsanto Company and collected by Edward M. Rosen, a chemical engineer and a member of Monsanto's Applied Mathematics Group, which developed FLOWTRAN.

FLOWTRAN was the world's first commercially viable computer-based chemical process simulation system. It was developed by Monsanto Company, a prominent American chemical company. FLOWTRAN's origins date back to 1959 when Monsanto took delivery of an IBM 704 mainframe computer. Looking for ways to use this new machine, Monsanto assembled an Applied Mathematics Group, which included chemical engineer Edward M. Rosen. The group soon recognized Monsanto's need for a computerized chemical process simulation system and started work on one. In 1960, the Applied Mathematics Group developed an early chemical process simulation system called the Material Balance Program, but this was found to be of limited use to the company's chemical engineers.

Seeking to improve upon the Material Balance Program, Monsanto hired chemical engineer Robert H. Cavett away from Pure Oil Company in 1964 and assigned him to the Applied Mathematics Group. Cavett brought with him a body of work on physical property and numerical analysis, which Monsanto subsequently purchased from Pure Oil.

Soon after Cavett's arrival, the Applied Mathematics Group started work on a new computerized chemical process simulation system, which employed the FORTRAN programming language. Cavett successfully advocated for the use of a sequential modular ("building block") architecture, which became the basis for the system. Cavett's physical property and numerical analysis work at Pure Oil was also incorporated into the design. The end result of the Applied Mathematics Group's work was a simulation system named FLOWTRAN (Flowsheet Translator), which was released internally at Monsanto in 1966. Within Monsanto, FLOWTRAN was an immediate success. It helped Monsanto's chemical engineers better understand chemical processes. FLOWTRAN also helped the firm reduce its engineering and operating costs. Between 1966 and 1993, most of the major chemical processes developed at Monsanto were studied with FLOWTRAN.

Seeing a market for its new chemical process simulation system, Monsanto started licensing a customer version of FLOWTRAN in 1968. It found wide acceptance within the chemical industry, with over seventy companies adopting it by the mid-1970s. FLOWTRAN was also made available to universities and government agencies. Between 1973 and 1994, Monsanto participated in the CACHE (Computer Aids for Chemical Engineering Education)/FLOWTRAN Project, which made FLOWTRAN available to numerous universities in the United States and abroad. Between 1977 and 1981, Monsanto participated in the ASPEN Project. A joint venture with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the U.S. Energy Research and Development Corporation, this project involved FLOWTRAN becoming the basis of ASPEN (Advanced System for Process Engineering), a computerized chemical process simulator used to evaluate synthetic fuel processes. The ASPEN Project also led to the founding of Aspen Technology, Incorporated in 1981, which became a well known provider of software and services to the chemical industry.

Monsanto continuously updated FLOWTRAN over the course of the simulation system's existence, but it eventually became obsolete as computer applications became more advanced and complex. Monsanto ceased licensing FLOWTRAN to customers during the late 1980s and it was largely out of use by the early 1990s. In 1993, FLOWTRAN was supplanted by HYSIM, a new Monsanto computerized chemical process simulator.

Sources

FLOWTRAN System Collection, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The FLOWTRAN System Collection contains materials documenting the development of FLOWTRAN. The collection is arranged into the following six series:

  1. Manuals
  2. Instructional Materials
  3. Documentation Update Binders
  4. Robert H. Cavett Files
  5. Miscellaneous
  6. Addenda – ASPEN Project/Aspen Technology, Incorporated Files

The FLOWTRAN System Collection was donated to the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) by Edward M. Rosen in two accessions: April 2006 and June 2016.

The FLOWTRAN System Collection was processed by Andrew Mangravite in 2017. The addenda to the FLOWTRAN System Collection (Series VI) was processed by Kenton G. Jaehnig in February 2018.

The Monsanto Company Records are preserved at the Washington University Archives in St. Louis, Missouri.

People
Organization
Subject

Publisher
Science History Institute Archives
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid created by Andy Mangravite and encoded into EAD by Kenton G. Jaehnig.
Finding Aid Date
2017
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.

Use Restrictions

The Science History Institute holds copyright to the FLOWTRAN System Collection. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Collection Inventory

Series Description

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains manuals for the use of FLOWTRAN. A large majority of the materials in this series were printed by Monsanto. A single manual printed by the University of Concepción in Chile is also preserved.

A majority of the manuals concern specific components of FLOWTRAN, including, but not limited to, the cost block, physical property (PROPTY), and vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) functions. Manuals concerning more general matters pertaining to FLOWTRAN, including operation and programming, are found here as well.

FLOWTRAN Cost Blocks, 1972, 1974.
Box 1 Folder 1
FLOWTRAN Cost Blocks – Revised Listings, 1974.
Box 1 Folder 2
FLOWTRAN External System – BLOCKS A-F, 1974-1977.
Box 1 Folder 3
FLOWTRAN External System – BLOCKS G-Z, 1974-1977.
Box 1 Folder 4
FLOWTRAN External System – CED (Corporate Engineering Department) – User's Manual, 1969.
Box 1 Folder 5
FLOWTRAN External System – CED (Corporate Engineering Department) – User's Manual, 1973 December.
Box 1 Folder 6
FLOWTRAN External System – FTLIB, Cryogenic Package, 1973-1978 .
Box 1 Folder 7
FLOWTRAN External System – Index, JCL, Test Data, INF, BLOCK T, PREPRO, 1973-1978.
Box 1 Folder 8
FLOWTRAN External System – PROPTY, VLE, PSEUDO, 1973-1978.
Box 1 Folder 9-10
FLOWTRAN Operating Instructions, 1971.
Box 1 Folder 11
FLOWTRAN Operating Instructions, 1972.
Box 1 Folder 12
FLOWTRAN Operating Instructions (Plant Copy – Tech. Manager's Office), 1972.
Box 1 Folder 13
FLOWTRAN Physical Property Reference Manual, 1974.
Box 1 Folder 14
FLOWTRAN Programmer's Manual, 1969.
Box 1 Folder 15
FLOWTRAN Programmer's Manual, 1978.
Box 1 Folder 16
FLOWTRAN PROPTY Listings, 1974-1978.
Box 1 Folder 17
FLOWTRAN Source Listings, 1986, 1993.
Box 1 Folder 18
FLOWTRAN System Guide: Information Retrieval Program-INF, 1974 December.
Box 2 Folder 1
FLOWTRAN System Guide: Preprocessor, 1974 December.
Box 2 Folder 2
FLOWTRAN System Implementation and Maintenance Manual – CDC (Corporate Engineering Department), 1973 December.
Box 2 Folder 3
FLOWTRAN VLE Listings, undated.
Box 2 Folder 4
Free Format Input for FLOWTRAN, undated.
Box 2 Folder 5
Monsanto Physical Property Estimation System User's Manual – Copy No. 124, undated.
Box 2 Folder 6
Program PSEUDO, Pseudo Components from Distillation Data – Corporate Engineering Department, 1973 June.
Box 2 Folder 7
Programa de Simulacion FLOWTRAN, Manual de Instrucciones, University of Concepción, Department of Chemical Engineering, undated.
Box 2 Folder 8

Series Description

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains instructional materials, which were used in workshops to train Monsanto and non-Monsanto personnel in the use of FLOWTRAN. A large majority of the materials in this series were created by Monsanto. A single publication printed by the CACHE/FLOWTRAN Project is also preserved here.

Five of the files in this series contain instructional binders, the contents of which consist of a variety of photocopied materials, including handouts, computer printouts, illustrations, graphs, abstracts, articles, papers, and handwritten notes. Four files containing stand alone instructional publications are found in this series as well.

Advanced FLOWTRAN Workshop – CED (Corporate Engineering Department), 1982 September 20-22.
Box 2 Folder 9-10
FLOWTRAN ("Get acquainted with" document), undated.
Box 2 Folder 11
FLOWTRAN Course Notes, undated.
Box 2 Folder 12
FLOWTRAN Simulation-An Introduction – Second Edition, 1977.
Box 2 Folder 13
FLOWTRAN Workshop – Pensacola Plant, 1992 April 7-9.
Box 2 Folder 14-15
An Introduction to FLOWTRAN Flowsheet Simulation, 1972 October 25.
Box 2 Folder 16
Physical Properties in Process Design Workshop, 1986 November 11-12.
Box 2 Folder 17

Series Description

Arranged numerically by volume number, this series contains Monsanto's FLOWTRAN documentation update binders. The files in this series contain original examples of updated FLOWTRAN technical documents printed by Monsanto and distributed to its staff and outside customers. The materials in this series document the technical evolution of FLOWTRAN between 1966 and 1993. It also documents Monsanto's efforts to keep its FLOWTRAN technical documents up to date. The contents of the Documentation Update Binders consist of manuals, manual pages, user abstracts, and bulletins.

Monsanto Internal FLOWTRAN Documentation Update Record – Volume 1 – CRD (Central Research Department), 1966-1967, 1966-1967.
Box 2 Folder 18-20
Monsanto Internal FLOWTRAN Documentation Update Record – Volume 2 – MISD (Management Information and Systems Development), 1967-1969, 1967-1969.
Box 2 Folder 21
Monsanto Internal FLOWTRAN Documentation Update Record – Volume 3 – CED (Corporate Engineering Department), 1972-1976, 1972-1976.
Box 3 Folder 1-3
Monsanto Internal FLOWTRAN Documentation Update Record – Volume 4 – CED (Corporate Engineering Department), 1978-1984; MCC Engineering, 1985-1990; Chemical Group Engineering, 1991-1993, 1977-1993.
Box 3 Folder 4-5

Series Description

Robert H. Cavett was a Monsanto chemical engineer who played a key role in the development of FLOWTRAN. His most notable contribution to FLOWTRAN was advocating for the use of sequential modular ("building block") architecture, which became the basis of the simulator system's design.

In January 1976, Cavett suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage, which rendered him unable to work and classified as "permanently disabled". Between 1980 and 1985, Monsanto employed Cavett as a "test case" in a new plan to rehabilitate injured employees and return them to the workforce, which was overseen by Edward M. Rosen. Cavett recovered and eventually earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Arizona State University in 1993. He was also the first recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' CAST Division Award (1987).

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains Monsanto's files regarding Robert H. Cavett. Cavett's recovery program with Monsanto and his successful pursuit of a Ph.D. are documented in this series. Materials regarding his work on FLOWTRAN during the 1970s are also found here.

The contents of the Robert H. Cavett Files consist mainly of correspondence and reports. A handful of publications written by Cavett, photocopied papers, photocopied articles, and CAST Division Award applications are preserved in these files as well.

Robert H. Cavett – Free Format Input for FLOWTRAN, undated.
Box 3 Folder 6
Robert H. Cavett – Monsanto Physical Data System, 1972.
Box 3 Folder 7
Robert H. Cavett – Monsanto Physical Data System (Workup Copy), 1972.
Box 3 Folder 8
Robert H. Cavett Nomination/Rehabilitation Experiment, 1979-1993.
Box 3 Folder 9
Robert H. Cavett-John M. Prausnitz Physical Property Correspondence, 1971-1975.
Box 3 Folder 10

Series Description

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains Monsanto files regarding FLOWTRAN that do not readily fit elsewhere in the collection. The files in this series concern a small number of subjects, including, but not limited to, advertising, marketing, and Monsanto's decision to close down FLOWTRAN.

The contents of the Miscellaneous files consist of a variety of materials. Correspondence, articles, papers, and reports are the most common materials in this series. Smaller, but noticeable amounts of notes, legal documents, and user abstracts are also preserved in this series. Small amounts of press releases, bulletins, and computer punch cards are found here as well.

Chemical Heritage Foundation and FLOWTRAN – Correspondence/History (of FLOWTRAN) (Original documents and photocopies), 1964-1998.
Box 3 Folder 11
FLOWTRAN Advertising Brochure (Typewritten and spiral-bound), undated.
Box 3 Folder 12
FLOWTRAN CACHE Project, 1972-1994.
Box 3 Folder 13-14
FLOWTRAN Development Notes, 1970-1976.
Box 3 Folder 15
FLOWTRAN License Outline, undated.
Box 3 Folder 16
FLOWTRAN Marketing – Documents, Reports and Brochures, 1970-1977, undated.
Box 3 Folder 17
FLOWTRAN "White Paper", 1970 May.
Box 3 Folder 18
Miscellaneous Memos/Closing Down FLOWTRAN, 1966-1994.
Box 3 Folder 19-20
MIT/ERDA (Massachusetts Institute of Technology/U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration) FLOWTRAN Project, 1975-1982.
Box 4 Folder 1
Presentation to Monsanto Separations Business Group, St. Louis, Missouri, Presented by Lawrence S. Brewster and Paul W. Gallier, Aspen Technology, Incorporated, 1985 April 2.
Box 4 Folder 2
Published Papers about FLOWTRAN (Including papers by Robert H. Cavett and Edward M. Rosen), 1962-1988.
Box 4 Folder 3
UCS-VI FLOWTRAN Marketing Guide, 1971.
Box 4 Folder 4

Series Description

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series is an addenda to the FLOWTRAN System Collection that was donated to the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical History Foundation) in June 2016. It documents Monsanto's participation in the ASPEN Project, a joint venture with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the U.S. Energy Research and Development Corporation. It also documents the early activities of Aspen Technology, Incorporated, a provider of software and services to the chemical industry that was spun off the ASPEN Project in 1981.

The contents of this series consist of a variety of materials. Publications make up the largest portion of this series. A noticeable amount of correspondence, legal documents, reports, and papers are also found in this series. Newsletters, a, participant list, a bibliography, a staff list, a web page printout, and a photocopied article are preserved here as well.

ASPEN Project – Advisory Committee – 4th Annual Meeting Participant List, 1979.
Box 4 Folder 5
ASPEN Project – Design Criteria Questionnaire, 1977.
Box 4 Folder 6
ASPEN Project – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 1st Quarterly Progress Report, 1976 August 31.
Box 4 Folder 7
ASPEN Project – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 7th Quarterly Progress Report, 1978 March 15.
Box 4 Folder 8
ASPEN Project – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 10th Quarterly Progress Report, 1978 December 15.
Box 4 Folder 9
ASPEN Project – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 13th Quarterly Progress Report, 1979 September 15.
Box 4 Folder 10
ASPEN Project – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Monsanto Company FLOWTRAN License Agreement, 1977-1978.
Box 4 Folder 11
ASPEN Project – Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Monsanto Company Industrial Testing Agreement, 1981.
Box 4 Folder 12
ASPEN Project – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Papers, 1979.
Box 4 Folder 13
ASPEN Project – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Preliminary Proposal, 1974 November 21.
Box 4 Folder 14
ASPEN Project – Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Separations Area – Second Screening, 1977.
Box 4 Folder 15
ASPEN Project – Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1978-1981.
Box 4 Folder 16
ASPEN Project – Recommended Sources of Pure Component Data, 1977 November.
Box 4 Folder 17
ASPEN Project – Staff List, circa 1976.
Box 4 Folder 18
ASPEN Project – System Design Task Force – Reports, 1978-1979.
Box 4 Folder 19
ASPEN Project – System Design Subcommittee – Comments on Summary Report, 1978.
Box 4 Folder 20
Aspen Technology, Incorporated – The Aspen Leaf, 1982.
Box 4 Folder 21
Aspen Technology, Incorporated – Bioprocess Simulation Technology Partnership Program, 1987.
Box 4 Folder 22
Aspen Technology, Incorporated – FLOWTRAN/ASPEN PLUS Exchange Agreement with Monsanto Company, 1981-1984.
Box 4 Folder 23
Aspen Technology, Incorporated – Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1991, 1993.
Box 4 Folder 24
Aspen Technology, Incorporated – Notes on Evaluation of FLOWTRAN Marketing Opportunities, 1984 February 2.
Box 4 Folder 25
Aspen Technology, Incorporated – Status of ASPEN Process Simulator, 1982.
Box 4 Folder 26
Aspen Technology, Incorporated – Web Page Printout – The Rise & Fall of Aspen Technology, 2016.
Box 4 Folder 27
Aspen Users Group, 1982-1983.
Box 4 Folder 28
Neil A. Olien – "Thermophysical Properties for Bioprocess Engineering" – Chemical Engineering Progress, 1987.
Box 4 Folder 29

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