Importing .spf project files
FlowState imports SuperPro Designer project files (.spf, version 9.5 format) and turns them into
FlowState processes. The flowsheet, components, streams and reactions come across. Separation
steps are calibrated so that the imported process reproduces the stored stream compositions. Cost
data is not imported.
How to import
In the app: choose File ▸ Import SuperPro file (.spf)… and pick the file.
- The process opens as a new, unsaved document named after the file.
- A message summarises what was imported: “Imported …: N procedures, N streams, N components”.
- If there were warnings, a second message gives the count and the first three. All warnings are written to the process Notes (Tasks ▸ Process settings & scheduling…) under “Import warnings:”.
- Save the result as a
.flowfile.
From the command line:
flowstate-cli import plant.spf -o plant.flow --check
This prints the warnings and a coverage table: archive objects, components, unit procedures
(mapped, generic and helpers), operations, equipment costs, streams and port connections.
--check also simulates the imported process and compares its main product with the flow stored
in the file.
What is imported
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Header | Draftsman, designer, company, project, revision, plant, main product and its rate, description; written to the process notes |
| Pure components | Molecular weight, Tb, Tc, Pc, acentric factor, liquid density and Cp at 25 °C, Antoine coefficients, heat of vaporisation, purchase price |
| Stock mixtures | Name and composition |
| Unit procedures | Name, equipment tag, description, flowsheet position, purchase cost; the procedure type is mapped to the nearest FlowState unit procedure |
| Streams | Names, connections, feed composition, temperature and pressure, classification (raw material, revenue, waste, emission), purchase and selling prices |
| Reactions | Stoichiometry and conversions, converted to FlowState’s sequential reactions |
| Separations and splits | Per-component split fractions, calibrated from the solved stream compositions stored in the file |
Some structures are converted on the way in:
- A unit with more than two outlets of different composition becomes the unit followed by helper splitters.
- A two-stream heat exchanger becomes two single-stream heaters or coolers.
- A procedure type with no FlowState equivalent becomes a Generic Box, with a warning.
What is not imported
- Economics. Capital and operating cost settings are not read. Cost evaluation is switched off for an imported process (“Economics are not imported from the .spf: cost evaluation is off”). The Economics tab says so and offers Turn on cost evaluation. Before turning it on, check the equipment costs and the component and stream prices, then set the economic parameters (see Economics).
- Operation parameters. Operating conditions and durations of the original operations are not decoded. Separations reproduce the stored results through calibrated splits instead.
- Annual operating time. This is not read. FlowState uses the default of 7,920 h/yr and imports the process as a Continuous plant, with flows per hour of operation.
- Heat-transfer agents. FlowState’s default steam and cooling water are used.
Typical warnings
| Warning | Meaning |
|---|---|
| “… has no FlowState equivalent; imported as a Generic Box” | Check the step and replace it with a specific procedure if needed |
| “… mapped to the nearest FlowState unit (…)” | The equipment type differs slightly; check its settings |
| “Stream ‘…’ is not connected to any procedure; skipped” | A loose stream in the original file |
| “Input stream ‘…’ has no decoded composition” | Enter the feed composition by hand |
| “Main product stream ‘…’ not found among the outputs” | Set the main product under Economic parameters ▸ Main product & waste |
How well it works
The seven starch and sweetener processes in the Examples Library were built this way. Their main-product flows agree with the original models within 0.05 %, and their inventory ratios match the published study.