Hans Meeussen, Latest changes: 1 July 2009
What is ORCHESTRA
ORCHESTRA (Objects Representing CHEmical Speciation and TRAnsport models) is a computer program for modeling (geo)chemical speciation and mass transport processes.
It consists of two components:
A generic calculation kernel (Java executable).
A file with model definitions in object format (object database).
This object database contains definitions of basic chemical model elements, such as "componentes", "species", "minerals", "surfaces", "sites" etc. which make it possible to use ORCHESTRA in a similar way to well known chemical speciation models such as PHREEQC, MINTEQ, GWB or ECOSAT.
What is different with ORCHESTRA?
The source code of the executable calculation kernel contains NO model equations.
ALL model type definitions and equations are given as input at run time.
The structure of the model definitions is Object Oriented.
Users can construct new models by defining model objects and keywords.
ORCHESTRA is written in Java and runs on Windows, Linux, Solaris, and Apple OSX.
What are the advantages?
ORCHESTRA is very flexible as it can easily be extended with new chemical physical biological process models.
The physical separation of calculation solver and model definitions not only results in a small and efficient calculation solver executable (300 kb)
but also in very compact model definitions (object database 30 kb).
Model calculations are transparent, as all model equations are available in text format and not hidden within the source code.
The small size of the calculation solver makes it very suitable for parallel processing on modern multi core hardware.
Examples
A number of on-line introductory examples can be found (here).
An older set of examples (without the graphical user interface) can be found (here).
An old example in an earlier ORCHESTRA version that only requires Java 1.1 can be found (here).
Examples of published Orchestra applications can be found (here).
Acknowledgements
The first version of ORCHESTRA was developed at the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
During 2001-2002 development was continued at Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Center, The Netherlands.
From September 2002, development is being continued at the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands, (ECN).
The following people have contributed significanty to the development and testing of ORCHESTRA:
Willem van Riemsdijk, Wendy van Beinum, David Kinniburgh, David Lumsdon, Jeanine Geelhoed, Jeroen Filius, Vincent Meeussen, Ed Paterson, Nelleke Domburg, Joris Dijkstra, Li Ping Weng, Thomas Schroeder, Jos Vink.
Downloads
Download the Orchestra program.(runnable .jar file, ca. 300 kb)
Documentation
References
ORCHESTRA: An Object-Oriented Framework for Implementing Chemical Equilibrium Models
Johannes C. L. Meeussen, (2003) Environmental Science & Technology 37 (6) 1175-1182.
Publications in which ORCHESTRA is used (here)