BioSTEAM / QSDsan MCP validation and limitations

How the wrapper, foreground impact arithmetic, and uncertainty path were checked.

What is being checked

The validation work checks whether the MCP layer preserves BioSTEAM results and whether its foreground-impact arithmetic behaves correctly in controlled cases. BioSTEAM is primarily a process-simulation and TEA framework, not a replacement for a background-database LCA engine.

Reference-model fidelity

The reliability suite compares the MCP engine path with a separate direct BioSTEAM API run for the published cornstover model. The recorded FCI, FOC, VOC, NPV, and minimum selling price values match for that fixture.

Foreground impact arithmetic

text

100 kg/h × 7,920 h × 2.5 = 1,980,000

The MCP engine returns the same feed contribution for the controlled fixture. A separate electricity case also matches the hand calculation.

What the checks do not validate

Physical validity of an arbitrary process model.
Scale-up validity.
Project-specific cost accuracy.
Completeness of supplied characterization factors.
Equivalence to openLCA or Brightway.
Correctness of every optimization problem or uncertainty distribution.