This document provides an overview of the open source software Scilab for numerical computation in chemical engineering. It discusses how Scilab can be used to solve common engineering problems through examples involving fluid flow, heat transfer, distillation, and equipment design. The key features of Scilab are explained, including its interface, basic commands, matrix operations, and graphical capabilities. Comparisons are made between Scilab and the commercial software Matlab. Optimization techniques in Scilab are also covered.

1. “SCILAB (open source software for numerical
computation) in Chemical Engineering”
Submitted By: Guided By:
Kripal Priyadarshi (11BCH026) Asst Prof. Priya Saxena

2. Learning Outcome After Presentation
After Presentation we would be able to understand the following
topics:-
• Introduction Open source softwares
• Difference between Scilab and Matlab
• Scilab basics and simple types of problem solving using scilab
• Engineering problems solving using Scilab

3. Introduction To Open source Software
• Open-source software is computer software with its source code made available and licensed with
a license in which the copyright holder provides the rights to study, change and distribute the
software to anyone and for any purpose.
• Software’s are used in designing, finance, computer simulation, mathematics, science, geographical
information, nanotechnology, etc.
• Some of the software’s are Scilab, Firefox, Openoffice, GIMP, FreeNX, OpenVPN, rdesktop
DVDFlick, Mozilla Calendar,etc

4. Introduction to Scilab
Scilab is a freely distributed open source scientific software package, first
developed by researchers from INRIA and ENPC, and now by the Scilab
Consortium. It is similar to Matlab, which is a commercial product. Yet it is
almost as powerful as Matlab.
Scilab consists of three main components:
an interpreter
libraries of functions
libraries of Fortran and C routines

5. Difference between Scilab and Matlab
• Functions in SCILAB are not considered
as separate files
• Functions in MATLAB are considered as
separate files
• To execute a script file you must use
• exec("filename") in SCILAB
• To execute a script file in MATLAB you
just need to type the name of the file.
• Scilab comments begins with: // • Matlab commands begin with:%
• Boolean variables are %T, %F in
SCILAB
• Boolean variables are 0,1 in MATLAB
• Polynomial matrices are defined by the
function poly in SCILAB.
• They are considered as vectors of
coefficients in Matlab

6. Installing the Scilab
• First, you must have the software. Go
to the download section in the Scilab
homepage, find a right version for
your operating system (platform), and
then click to download. For easy
installation, it is advisable to
download the installer (for binary
version). Then double click the
downloaded file and follow the
instructions to complete the
installation

7. Scilab Screen
• The Scilab environment: Console and Prompt
• Once the user has opened Scilab, the window shown on the right appears.
• The main part is the Scilab Console, in which is contained the Prompt of commands, identified by
the symbol -->
• Here the user types the commands and interacts with the environment.

8. Scilab Basics
+ Addition
- Subtraction
* Multiplication
/ Division
^ Power
' conjugate transpose
Common Operators
Common Functions
sin
cos
tan
asin
acos
atan
min
max
Sqrt
sum
Special Constants
%pi,
%e,
%i
To enter a string, enclose it with either single or double
quotations.
Strings

9. Entering Matrices

10. Addition of columns and rows

11. Using basic single commands

12. Finding Inverse of matrix

13. Solving linear system

14. Chemical engineering problems using Scilab
Scilab can be useful in solving the chemical engineering related
problems such as:-
• Heat transfer
• Regrettions
• Fluid flow operations
• Different operation such as absorption, distillation etc with graphical
feautures
• Designs of various equipment

15. Numerical based on Fluid Flow
Ouestion:-Find the Type of Flow of stream in pipe of diameter of 0.06m.

16. Using Graphical Feauture
• Question:-Plot a graph of dx/dt=sin2t.
•
•
•
• Scilab coding→Graph←

17. Solving Equilibrium stage operation
numerical
• Question:-By means of a plate column, acetone is absorbed from its
mixture with air in a nonvolatile absorption oil. The entering gas
contains 30 mole % acetone, and the entering oil is acetone-free. Of
the acetone in the air 97 % is to be absorbed, and the concentrated
liquor at the bottom of the tower is to contain 10 mole % acetone.
The equilibrium relationship is ye=1.9xe. Plot the operating line and
determine the number of ideal stages.

18. Solving Equilibrium stage operation
numerical

19. Solving Equilibrium stage operation
numerical

20. Solving Designing of cyclone separator
numerical
Particle size distribution
50 95
40 85
30 70
20 20
10 10
5 3
2 1
Permissible Pressure Drop,mmH20 125
Flow rate of gas,m^3/hr 2000
Density of solid particle 2500
Permissible pressure drop ?
%Recovery of solid 85%
Design a suitable cyclone for a given process.:

21. Solution

22. Solution

23. Optimization in Scilab
Scilab provides algorithms to solve constrained and unconstrained continuous
and discrete problems:
• Linear optimization
Examples: karmaker,linpro
• Non-linear optimization
Examples: fminsearch, optim, derivative, leastsq
• Semidefinite programming
Example: semidef
• Linear matrix inequalities
Example: lmisolver

24. Optimization in Scilab

25. REFERENCES
[1] https://www.scilab.org, 8/1/2014, 19:23
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCILAB, 15/1/2014, 18:27
[3] http://hkumath.hku.hk/~nkt/Scilab/IntroToScilab.html, 16/1/2014, 22:42
[4] http://www.openeering.com/scilab_tutorials, 25/1/2014, 19:56
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free_and_opensource_software_packages, 31/1/2014 19:27
[6]http://www-irma.ustrasbg.fr/~sonnen/SCILAB_HELP/matlabvsscilab_html.htm 31/1/2014, 19:40

26. Thank You