Thermal parametric pumping is a cyclic adsorptive process based on cyclic changes in the bed temperature simultaneously with flow reversal. Simplified models are adequate to describe these cyclic processes with long cycle times. Two simplified models are used here: Model I is an equilibrium model plus axial dispersion and Model II accounts for intraparticle mass transfer with LDF approximation. Simulations used parameter values obtained for the system phenol/water/ adsorbent resin Duolite ES861. Model validation is carried out by performing experiments in a pilot plant with the system phenylalanine/water/polymeric adsorbent SP206 and using published experimental data for the system phenol/water/adsorbent resin Duolite ES861. A user-friendly package ＇Visual Pumping＇ (VP) is developed in Visual Basic for the simulation of thermal parametric pumping processes with educational and training purposes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.