Lab Resources

The Lab has licenses and capabilities to utilize the following computational software packages for research:

• GAMS (General Algebraic Modeling Systems)

The General Algebraic Modeling System is a high-level modeling system for mathematical optimization. GAMS is designed for modeling and solving linear, nonlinear, and mixed-integer optimization problems. (https://www.gams.com/)

• BARON (Branch-n-reduce Optimization Navigator)

The Branch-And-Reduce Optimization Navigator (BARON) is a GAMS solver for the global solution of nonlinear (NLP) and mixed-integer nonlinear programs (MINLP).
While traditional NLP and MINLP algorithms are guaranteed to converge only under certain convexity assumptions, BARON implements deterministic global optimization algorithms of the branch-and-bound type that are guaranteed to provide global optima under fairly general assumptions. These include the existence of finite lower and upper bounds on nonlinear expressions in the NLP or MINLP to be solved. (https://www.gams.com/latest/docs/S_BARON.html)

• CONOPT (Constrained Optimization)

GAMS/CONOPT is well suited for models with very nonlinear constraints. (https://www.gams.com/latest/docs/S_CONOPT.html)

• OriginPro

Origin is the data analysis and graphing software of choice for over half a million scientists and engineers in commercial industries, academia, and government laboratories worldwide. Origin offers an easy-to-use interface for beginners, combined with the ability to perform advanced customization as you become more familiar with the application.
Origin graphs and analysis results can automatically update on data or parameter change, allowing you to create templates for repetitive tasks or to perform batch operations from the user interface, without the need for programming. (https://www.originlab.com/Origin)

• SuperPro Designer

SuperPro Designer facilitates modeling, evaluation, and optimization of integrated processes in a wide range of industries (Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Specialty Chemical, Food, Consumer Goods, Mineral Processing, Microelectronics, Water Purification, Wastewater Treatment, Air Pollution Control, etc.). The combination of manufacturing and environmental operation models in the same package enables the user to concurrently design and evaluate manufacturing and end-of-pipe treatment processes and practice waste minimization via pollution prevention as well as pollution control.
SuperPro Designer is a valuable tool for engineers and scientists in process development, process engineering, and manufacturing. It is also a valuable tool for professionals dealing with environmental issues (e.g., wastewater treatment, air pollution control, waste minimization, pollution prevention). (http://www.intelligen.com/superpro_overview.html)

In addition to these, the group uses other computational packages, which are available through the Rowan IRT and open source materials.

• Matlab/ Simulink

MATLAB® combines a desktop environment tuned for iterative analysis and design processes with a programming language that expresses matrix and array mathematics directly. Simulink is a block diagram environment for Model-Based Design. It supports simulation, automatic code generation, and continuous testing of embedded systems. (https://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab.html)

• P-graph Studio

A process graph or P-Graph, in short, is a unique bipartite graph representing the structure of a process system. In such a graph, the operating units are denoted by horizontal bars and their input and output materials by solid circles. A P-Graph is a directed graph; the direction of the arcs in the direction of the material flows in the network; it is directed to an operating unit from its input materials and from an operating unit to its output materials. (http://pgraph.dcs.uni-pannon.hu/template/)

• R Programming Language

R is a programming language and free software environment for statistical computing and graphics supported by the R Foundation for Statistical Computing. The R language is widely used among statisticians and data miners for developing statistical software and data analysis.(https://www.r-project.org/about.html)

• Microsoft Office

We particularly use the resources in MS Excel, MS Word and MS Powerpoint for result representations, technical writing, and presentations.

• GetData Graph Digitizer

GetData Graph Digitizer is a program for digitizing graphs and plots. It is often necessary to obtain original (x,y) data from graphs, e.g. from scanned scientific plots when data values are not available. GetData Graph Digitizer allows to easily get the numbers in such cases.

• Zotero/Mendeley

All the students use citation managers to organize the collected research materials during literature review assignments as well as the materials collected in the course of the project.