Process Simulation with DWSIM for Oil, Gas and Chemicals

DWSIM is a free, open-source chemical process simulator that solves the material and energy balances of a plant with rigorous thermodynamics. It runs on Windows, Linux and macOS, models streams, separators, compressors, heat exchangers, columns and reactors, and is CAPE-OPEN compliant. It is developed by Daniel Wagner and downloaded from dwsim.org.

It is for chemical and petroleum engineering students and graduates, process and production engineers, and operators moving into process design. You need first-year material and energy balances and basic thermodynamics such as vapour pressure and enthalpy; no simulation experience is needed.

DWSIM is free and does the same kind of steady-state flowsheet work as commercial simulators such as Aspen HYSYS and Aspen Plus, with its own interface and models. The workflow taught here (property package, streams, unit operations, convergence and hand checks) carries across to any simulator. EDWartens is not affiliated with AspenTech or with DWSIM.

The course is written for DWSIM 10.2, the current release in October 2026, and works with DWSIM 9.0.5. The video lessons were recorded on DWSIM 5 to 9; every object and calculation they use is still in version 10, and the notes say where menus have moved.

Yes, every module, the notes, the worked problems, the practice tasks, the optional project and the final assessment are free to learn, and DWSIM is free. The course takes about 19 hours at your own pace, of which about 11 hours is video; the optional gas plant project takes about 16 hours more.

You get a verifiable certificate of completion from EDWartens when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It carries a unique certificate number and a QR code that open a public verification page showing the course, the modules covered and your final score.

It prepares you for roles such as graduate process engineer, process simulation engineer, production or plant process engineer and operations support engineer at oil and gas producers, refineries, chemical plants and EPC contractors. Gas processing and refining employers in the Gulf, North and West Africa and South Asia ask for simulation skills in process job adverts.

No. Process hazard studies are taught in HAZOP and Process Safety Management, and pump and compressor selection in Pumps, Compressors and Rotating Equipment. This course builds the simulation that both of those rely on: heat and material balances, duties and stream conditions.

Yes. Learning costs ₹0 in India: every module, the written notes, the practice tasks and the final assessment, with no card and no trial period. The only paid item is the optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹599 including GST for this intermediate course, paid in rupees through Razorpay, and only if you want it after passing the final assessment.

Yes. EDWartens India runs the Automation Engineer Program (AEP), a classroom programme at its Electronic City centre in Bangalore. The Automation Engineer Program (AEP) covers PLC, SCADA, HMI, drives, measuring instruments, PID basics and control panel design, taught in person at our Electronic City centre. This free course is separate and fully online; it is a good way to try the subject before deciding on classroom training. Details are at edwartens.co.in/automation-training-bangalore, and the programme itself at edwartens.co.in/courses/aep.