Power Plant Simulator & Designer 2025: Thermodynamic Process Simulation Software

Power Plant Simulator & Designer (PPSD) is commercial software developed by KED GmbH (Germany) for modeling thermodynamic cycles, steam generators, and power plant processes . First released in 1993 as a training simulator for power plants, PPSD has evolved into a comprehensive design and analysis tool used worldwide .

The software is distributed and supported by Tetra Engineering Group Inc. , which provides licensing, training, and technical support to users in North America and Europe . PPSD is used by boiler manufacturers, engineering firms, plant operators, and utilities for design, optimization, and performance evaluation of thermal power plants.

Recent versions include integration with MS Excel, VBA scripting, Java, and C++ for external access to calculation abilities, allowing PPSD to be integrated into DCS (Distributed Control Systems)

???? Primary Users

This professional thermodynamic simulation software is designed for:

Power Plant Engineers & Designers performing thermodynamic calculations and designing steam generators
Boiler OEMs & Manufacturers using the software for detailed design work
Plant Operators & Owners conducting performance monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimization studies
Engineering Consulting Firms evaluating heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) performance and root cause analysis
Research & Academic Institutions studying thermodynamic cycles and process behavior

⚡ Key Features & Capabilities

???? Supported Plant Types

Plant Type	Description
Conventional Coal Boilers	Subcritical and supercritical designs
Natural & Forced Circulation Boilers	Both subcritical and supercritical pressure
Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG)	Including once-through and Benson designs
Combined Cycle Power Plants	Gas and steam turbine combined cycles
Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators	Waste-to-energy plants
Biomass Boilers	Renewable fuel applications
Fluidized-Bed Combustion Boilers	CFB designs
Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC)	Waste heat recovery applications
Concentrated Solar Power Plants	Solar thermal applications

???? Core Capabilities

Component Library – Over 60 different boiler and balance-of-plant elements (heat exchangers, attemperators, condensers, pumps, turbines, etc.)
Working Fluids – Supports single and two-phase fluids including water/steam (IAPWS-IF 97), over 20 gases (with real properties accounting for Joule-Thomson effect), and user-defined fluids
Fuel Database – Comprehensive database for coal, natural gas, oil, and user-defined fuels; multiple fuel types can be mixed prior to combustion

⚙️ Simulation Modes

Mode	Description
Design Mode	Calculates design operating points based on geometrical and process values
Off-Design Mode	Computes partial load behavior of each component based on design point
Dynamic Mode	Simulates transient processes (start-ups, load changes, trips) as a function of time

???? Advanced Analysis Capabilities

Thermal Radiation Modeling – Accounts for radiation from gases and dust/ash in boilers and gasifiers
Flow-Accelerated Corrosion (FAC) – Used for FAC assessments and determining natural circulation rates
Metal Temperature Profiles – Generates profiles for input to finite-element stress calculations
High Temperature Corrosion – Used for scrutinizing corrosion at municipal solid waste incineration plants
Steam Cycle Efficiency – Calculates according to ASME PTC, BS-845, or other thermal performance codes
Fouling & Gas Bypass Detection – Identifies performance issues in operating plants

????️ User Interface & Integration

Graphical User Interface – Drag-and-drop component placement with visual connection linking
Hierarchical Modeling – Components can be assigned to groups, permitting unlimited hierarchical layers
Excel Integration – Model input and output data easily linked to Excel worksheets
External Programming Interfaces – Access calculation abilities via VBA, Java, C++
Scripting – Components can be extended with Visual Basic script