NETL releases CCSI toolset as open source software

National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), USA, has released the carbon capture simulation toolset, i.e., CCSI as open source software. The CCSI toolset is a suite of computational tools and models designed to help maximise learning, and reduce costs and risks during the scale-up process for carbon capture technologies.

The Carbon Capture Simulation Initiative (CCSI) is led by the Office of Fossil Energy (FE). The CCSI toolset takes care of the design and calculations, thus reducing the cost of both pilot projects and commercial facilities. The toolset is hosted on GitHub.

By releasing it as open source, the toolset code will now be available for researchers in industry, government and academia. They will be able to freely use, modify and customise it while developing carbon capture and other related technologies.

The major capabilities of the CCSI toolset include rapid computational screening. This will enable the comprehensive screening and evaluation of promising concepts at all scales (molecular through system-level) with a full understanding of the underlying uncertainty and its spread throughout multi-scale analyses.

Post the open source release, the CCSI toolset will reduce the time needed to design and troubleshoot new devices and processes by using optimisation techniques that focus on technology development. These models also help to maximise learning during each stage of the development process, from the laboratory to pilot, till demonstration and commercialisation.