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Aspen Plus V14: From Fundamentals to Advanced Simulation

Name: Aspen Plus V14: From Fundamentals to Advanced Simulation
Rating: 4.7 (38 reviews)

Learn Aspen Plus from fundamental concepts to advanced steady-state process simulations, including Aspen EDR.

Highest Rated

Created byVítor Vanzolin Bento

Last updated 2/2026

English

What you'll learn

Steady-state process simulation: from basics to advanced applications using Aspen Plus V14.
Understand the difference between heat exchanger design and rating, and apply both approaches in practice.
Perform process simulations involving solid streams, including dryers and solid–gas separation units.
Simulate cyclones and analyze solid separation efficiency and pressure drop.
Heater and HeatX.
Aspen Plus V14.
Define thermodynamic property methods, operating conditions, and equipment parameters for complete process simulations.
Simulate and analyze shell-and-tube heat exchangers using Aspen Plus and the EDR module.
Simulation applied to petroleum processes, including crude oil assay characterization, preflash operations, and atmospheric distillation.
Pumparounds and sidestrippers.
Learn how to write an effective prompt for Artificial Intelligence to choose thermodynamic models.
Aspen Properties.

Course content

19 sections • 94 lectures • 10h 0m total length

Welcome to the Course!0:09
Launch into Aspen Plus V14 to explore fundamentals and advanced simulation. Begin your journey with a warm welcome to the course.
Introduction9:26
Learn to use Aspen Plus v14 to build a flow sheet, select components, and calculate heat duty for a 5,000 kg/h ethanol–acetic acid feed from 20 to 40 C.
Download the course material0:02
Models for heat exchangers in Aspen Plus with example (Heater)5:53
Explore heater and heatX models in Aspen Plus, linking to EDR, by heating an equimolar ethanol–acetic acid feed until saturated vapor, using NRTLHOC and vapor fraction control.
HeatX model (The vapor fraction of the hot stream at the outlet must be zero)11:51
Use the HeatX model to simulate a two-stream heat exchanger (hot and cold) and fully condense the hot stream to zero vapor fraction, comparing results with the heater model.
Exchanger specification0:02
TEMA and Aspen Exchanger Design & Rating (EDR)3:42
Explore shell and tube heat exchangers transferring heat between fluids using counter current flow. Learn TEMA nomenclature and design rules, fouling considerations, baffles, and sizing in the EDR module.
Selecting the most suitable thermodynamic model in Aspen Plus5:07
Learn to choose the right thermodynamic property method in Aspen Plus, contrasting activity coefficient methods for subcritical, non-ideal liquids with equation of state methods for high-pressure or near-critical systems.
Introduction to Aspen Plus Interface and Mixer Example13:48
Explore the Aspen Plus interface by building a mixer simulation with acetone, water, and MIBK, using the NRTL model to handle non-ideal liquid mixtures and analyze the outlet stream.
Important notice0:16
About Aspen Plus0:16
Component specifications and additional Aspen Plus features5:04
Explore how to specify components in Aspen Plus v14, using search criteria and CAS numbers, add ethanol and water to a list, and classify components by type and external databases.
Saving the simulation file7:16
Navigate the Aspen Plus v14 flow sheet by adding streams and unit operation blocks, configuring heat exchangers and separators, and saving the simulation as APW, backup, or template files.
Fouling factors3:18
Investigate fouling factors and their effect on heat exchanger performance as deposits raise thermal resistance and reduce heat transfer. Use the illustrated fluid-specific table to guide design and equipment selection.

Cooling of anhydrous ethanol in sugar and alcohol plants (EDR) – Part 110:03
Simulate cooling of anhydrous ethanol from 65 to 35 Celsius with water from 20 to 30 Celsius using a shell and tube exchanger in Aspen Plus EDR, applying NRTL model.
Cooling of anhydrous ethanol in sugar and alcohol plants (EDR) – Part 213:37
Convert the shortcut ethanol cooling model to a rigorous shell and tube exchanger in EDR, define flows, pressure drops, fouling factors, and review the temperature-length graph and sizing results.
Results analysis13:55
Analyze the results obtained through the EDR and review the full exchanger report, including geometry, temperature profiles, and materials. Compare unit-system updates and note ASME code references and design data.
EDR (Rating) – Checking if an existing heat exchanger works properly6:48
Switch to design or sizing mode to generate ideal exchanger values. Use rating mode to verify an existing exchanger meets the heat duty under the same pressure drop and fouling.
Unknown, OK and Risk0:53
A frequently asked question0:37
Design Specs – Finding the exact value of the cold water flow rate6:14
Use design specs in Aspen Plus to determine the cold inflow rate that yields a 30 degrees Celsius cold-out temperature, refining from 350,000 to 361,000 liters per hour.
Flowsheeting Options – Design Specs0:09

Shell-and-tube heat exchanger with length constraint – Part 19:06
Model a shell-and-tube heat exchanger with a 9-foot length limit in Aspen Plus, using the steamnbs model with heater and heatx to determine heat duty and required transfer area.
Shell-and-tube heat exchanger with length constraint – Part 211:24
Convert to edr mode and refine pressure drop and sizing with the bem model to meet heat duty within space constraints for a shell and tube exchanger.
Shell-and-tube heat exchanger with length constraint – Part 35:29
Revisits the rigorous shell-and-tube exchanger sizing, upgrading from 47 to 246 tubes with 1,800 mm length to meet thermal goals and maintain low pressure drops in an 8.58 ft footprint.

Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers (ACHEs)5:00
Explore air-cooled heat exchangers, or fin-fan coolers, and examine components, design considerations such as fan coverage, API 661 guidance, and heat duty calculations with Aspen EDR and Aspen Plus.
Air-cooled heat exchanger using Aspen Exchanger Design and Rating (EDR) - Part 15:59
Execute a two-component air-water cooling simulation using the ideal model and heater then HeatX, transfer the heat duty, and preview rigorous EDR sizing for an air-cooled exchanger.
Air-cooled heat exchanger using Aspen Exchanger Design and Rating (EDR) - Part 210:29
Convert a shortcut model to Aspen Exchanger Design and Rating (EDR) design for an air cooled heat exchanger, setting fixed outside flow and incorporating tube geometry and fin parameters.

DSTWU and RadFrac1:32
Aspen Plus v14 introduces DSTWU, a shortcut distillation model estimating stages and reflux via Fenske-Underwood-Gilliland. RadFrac provides rigorous stage-by-stage simulations for energy balances and design verification after initial DSTWU estimates.
DSTWU and RadFrac in Aspen Plus0:48
LK (Light Key) and HK (Heavy Key)0:29
Aspen Plus – Tray Distillation of Ethane and Ethylene (DSTWU)9:22
Use Aspen Plus v14 DSTWU to design a tray distillation for ethane and ethylene, with vapor and liquid phases, 30 theoretical stages, and a total condenser and reboiler.
Aspen Plus – Tray Distillation of Ethane and Ethylene (RadFrac)6:45
Use RadFrac to refine ethane-ethylene distillation in Aspen Plus, building on a DSTWU estimate of 68 stages under vapor-liquid equilibrium with a total condenser, and set feed stage to 41.
Aspen Plus – Separation of an Alkane Mixture (DSTWU and RadFrac)14:08
Aspen Plus uses DSTWU for initial estimates and RADFRAC for rigorous design, with F, D, W streams and Peng Robinson hydrocarbon separation.
Aspen Plus – Multicomponent flash distillation using Flash26:11
Use Flash2 in Aspen Plus to simulate multicomponent flash distillation based on vapor-liquid equilibrium, setting up a four-component system and examining feed, vapor, and liquid molar fractions.
Distillation of benzene and toluene – DSTWU simulation8:08
Distill an equimolar benzene-toluene at 1 atm using DSTWU and NRTL in Aspen Plus to estimate reflux ratio and stages, yielding 90% benzene in distillate and 98% toluene in bottoms.
Frequent Aspen Plus modeling mistakes3:41
Select the right property method in Aspen Plus, such as NRTL for ethanol–water, to ensure accurate vle and column performance; verify feed streams have defined temperature, pressure, flow, and composition.
Repeating the simulation with sensitivity analysis (DSTWU) - Part 13:48
Apply sensitivity analysis to a DSTWU distillation column with Rxsoft, varying reflux ratio to observe changes in required stages for meeting 99.6% light key and 99.9% heavy key.
Repeating the simulation with sensitivity analysis (DSTWU) - Part 27:52
Perform a sensitivity analysis in Aspen Plus V14 by varying the reflux ratio in a DSTWU block and tabulating how the number of stages changes from 8 to 40.
Aspen Plus Help (F1)6:16
Open the Aspen Plus help with F1 to view RadFrac feed conventions—above stage, on stage, on stage liquid, on stage vapor, decanter—and reboiler guidance for your current field.
An example with recycle14:55
Explore an Aspen Plus V14 example with a recycle stream, mixer, T, pump, and vapor-liquid separator, using SRK for light hydrocarbons and a 0.5 split.

Limits of stable operation in a trayed tower5:58
Explore the hydraulic limits of a trayed distillation column, defining the stable operating window where vapor and liquid flow rates maintain mass transfer efficiency, avoiding entrainment, flooding, weeping, and dumping.
RadFrac Simulation of Benzene-Toluene Distillation16:51
Simulate benzene-toluene distillation in Aspen Plus v14 using a RadFrac column. Set equimolar streams with an ideal thermodynamic model and analyze hydraulics with stage-by-stage plots and warnings.

Extractive distillation without solvent recycling - Part 19:29
Explore extractive distillation without solvent recycling (part 1) to separate an equimolar n-heptane–toluene mixture using n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) at 110 kPa, with a ten-stage column and a second atmospheric column.
Aspen Plus: Sensitivity Analysis - Part 26:02
In Aspen Plus sensitivity analysis of column C1, vary the NMP feed stage from 2 to 8 to observe distillate n-heptane mole fraction, with stage five giving highest purity (0.995815).

Water pumping simulation in Aspen Plus19:36
In Aspen Plus V14, simulate pumping water from one tank to another with pipes, four valves (including butterfly valves) and a pump, analyzing pressure drops, discharge pressure, and 50% openings.
Modeling a water pump in Aspen Plus3:39
Model a water pump in Aspen Plus v14 to calculate electricity needed to raise water from 1 to 6 bar at 40 t/h with 70% efficiency, ~8 kilowatts.

Requirements

Basic knowledge of chemical engineering concepts, such as heat transfer, mass balance, and process equipment.
Familiarity with common chemical processes (optional, but helpful).
No prior experience with Aspen Plus is required — this course starts from the basics and builds up to advanced-level simulations.
Willingness to follow along with hands-on exercises and practical examples.

Description

In-depth course with 10 hours of content, from basic to advanced.

This course is a practical and in-depth guide to steady-state process simulation, design, and analysis using Aspen Plus V14. It covers essential unit operations and advanced simulation workflows widely used in professional chemical engineering practice.

The course provides high-quality, straight-to-the-point content, including exclusive simulations built specifically for it.

All course captions are personally created and edited by me to ensure the highest quality.

You will learn how to simulate, design, and analyze key process equipment, including shell-and-tube heat exchangers, distillation columns, chemical reactors, and processes involving solid streams. The course is designed for chemical engineers, process engineers, and engineering students who want to develop strong, industry-relevant simulation skills.

Rather than briefly introducing many unrelated topics, this course focuses on core unit operations and complete process systems. This approach allows you to build a deep technical understanding and gain real hands-on experience with steady-state simulations. The content progresses logically from fundamental modeling concepts to advanced applications, ensuring a consistent and realistic learning curve.

In this course, you will use the Exchanger Design and Rating (EDR) module to simulate and evaluate shell-and-tube heat exchangers under realistic operating conditions. You will learn how to define geometry, operating parameters, and thermal specifications, as well as how to analyze heat transfer performance, pressure drop, and design feasibility within steady-state process simulations.

Throughout the course, you will learn how to:

• Simulate, size, and rate shell-and-tube heat exchangers
• Design and simulate distillation columns with emphasis on vapor–liquid equilibrium and separation performance
• Model chemical reactors using steady-state approaches
• Perform process simulations involving solid streams
• Define operating conditions, thermodynamic property methods, and equipment geometry
• Analyze pressure drops, heat transfer performance, reaction conversion, separation efficiency, and overall process performance
• Interpret key simulation results and engineering performance indicators

You will also work with realistic industrial-style case studies, applying Aspen Plus to problems that closely reflect real-world engineering practice in chemical and process industries.

Learn how to write an effective prompt for Artificial Intelligence systems, such as ChatGPT, to select appropriate thermodynamic models.

Course Scope

This course focuses exclusively on steady-state process simulation using Aspen Plus. Dynamic or transient simulations, process control studies, and Aspen Dynamics are not included.

No prior experience with Aspen Plus is required. Through clear and hands-on lessons, you will progress from basic process modeling to advanced steady-state simulation workflows. By the end of the course, you will be able to simulate complete processes, design unit operations, and analyze complex systems with confidence.

Who this course is for:

Chemical engineers and process engineers.
Chemical engineering students who want to gain practical skills in process simulation using Aspen Plus V14.

Aspen Plus V14: From Fundamentals to Advanced Simulation

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Heat Exchangers in Aspen Plus14 lectures • 1hr 6min

Cooling of Anhydrous Ethanol in Sugar and Alcohol Plants (EDR)8 lectures • 52min

Shell-and-tube Heat Exchanger With Length Constraint3 lectures • 26min

Cooling of Methanol Using a Shell-and-tube Heat Exchanger1 lecture • 13min

Air-cooled Heat Exchanger Using Aspen Exchanger Design and Rating (EDR)3 lectures • 21min

Simulating a Plate Heat Exchanger Using EDR1 lecture • 10min

Distillation13 lectures • 1hr 24min

Design and Specify Column Internals for Distillation2 lectures • 23min

Extractive Distillation Without Solvent Recycling2 lectures • 16min

Water Pumping Simulation in Aspen Plus2 lectures • 23min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: