Aspen Plus V11 Masterclass : From beginner to advanced user

Explore Aspen Plus, the engineering simulation software for modeling chemical processes from upstream to refinery, and build steady-state simulations using unit operation models to design, optimize, and analyze properties.

Begin the Aspen Plus v11 masterclass with hands-on practice across eight sections. Use downloadable inputs and solutions to work through each chemical process example.

Master the fundamentals of Aspen Plus version 11 on Windows, focusing on features that stay consistent across releases and building from basic computer operation skills.

Aspen Plus offers a powerful engineering simulation platform with a strong thermodynamic foundation, enabling reliable data, rigorous equipment models, and what-if analyses to design and optimize plant performance.

Aspen Plus is used by process and chemical engineers across the full process life cycle—from concept to plant operations—and in university research, making this course ideal for students and professionals.

Learn to translate a complex chemical process into an Aspen Plus model. Define components, choose a property method, build the flow sheet, connect streams, and set operating conditions.

Start Aspen Plus on Windows version 11 to begin a simulation, using the window search to launch the software. Explore the basics and fundamental features that remain consistent across versions.

Explore the Aspen Plus v11 interface, access online/offline resources and video tutorials, create new files from chemical process templates with metric units, and review run modes and data banks.

Learn to search, find, and enter components in Aspen Plus V11. Explore six major classes and refine searches by name, formula, or properties using data banks.

Choose the right property method in Aspen Plus by using the property method wizard, comparing activity coefficient and equation of state models for accurate simulations.

Improve the accuracy of a property method in Aspen Plus by estimating missing binary interaction parameters with Unifac and using regression or evaluation steps, aided by analysis and NIST data.

Learn practical flow sheeting strategies for Aspen Plus v11, starting small, validating inputs, and troubleshooting convergence by deactivating and reactivating blocks to ensure realistic, convergent process simulations.

Perform an Aspen Plus v11 session to plot the pressure profile of a 90°C acetone–methyl isobutyl ketone mixture and determine dew point and bubble point pressures at 0.5 mole fraction.

Learn the basics of running Aspen Plus and building a process flow sheet. Explore essential features to complete a simple acetone–water separation simulation using mibc, aiming for >95% purity.

Create your first Aspen Plus model by starting a new case, selecting the chemical processes template, adding water, acetone, and methyl isobutyl ketone, and renaming compounds.

Check the three binary interaction data sets for water, acetone, and MIBC using PV 110 VLE sources. If data are missing, use Unifac or regression tools to estimate parameters.

Switch to the simulation environment to add blocks and input/output streams by clicking the simulation button, then open process flow sheet and dashboard with economics, energy, and exchanger feasibility analysis.

Add equipment to Aspen Plus v11 flow sheet from the model palette, place them, exit insert mode, delete blocks, and rename units such as mixers and distillation columns.

Add material streams in Aspen Plus V11 by using the material icon, connect red required arrows to the mixer, and distinguish blue optional streams.

Master basic to advanced Aspen Plus features by renaming streams and blocks, resizing and relocating blocks, highlighting and adjusting streams, and exchanging icons within the same group to complete simulations.

Enter the first feed stream properties in the Aspen Plus v11 masterclass: temperature 25°C, pressure 1 atm, and 100 kg/h with 50% acetone and 50% water, and note blue checkmarks.

Access the setup and specifications to tailor how Aspen Plus presents results. Set the simulation title, choose the global unit set (metric), and configure report options for stream conditions.

Run the steady-state simulation in Aspen Plus V11 after confirming input data, monitor convergence in the control panel, and view stream results to verify model consistency.

Aspen Plus presents results in a multi-tab table, with the material tab active and a detailed mass balance for each stream. Users can customize properties, order, and export to Excel.

Explore how the recommended property methods—NRTL, Wilson, and Uniquac—affect mixer mass and energy balance and enthalpy flows, with parameter completion via Unifac in Aspen Plus.

Check simulation result convergence and verify that Aspen Plus solutions are reasonable. Explore Aspen Plus features for presenting simulation results, using prior videos' simulations as examples.

Reset the simulator to its initial state using the reset button, purge converged properties, and verify convergence with the control panel and stream material and heat balance checks.

Modify property sets in Aspen Plus v11 to export density, viscosity, surface tension, and diffusivity in stream summaries, and learn to select built-in sets and adjust exports.

Explore how to add process conditions to streams on the Aspen Plus V11 flow sheet, including temperature and pressure, customize units, colors, shapes, and apply display changes.

View your results summary by generating the input file in Aspen Plus, then open it in notepad to save or print. Access it via the home ribbon, summary tab.

Generate your report from the home ribbon, selecting items like flow sheet balance and block streams to include, then customize details using report options in setup.

Select a stream in the flow sheet and open stream properties to view thermodynamic and transport properties, then run analysis to obtain temperature-dependent results at fixed pressure.

Navigate implementing a flash three separator to split a three-stream output into overhead acetone, middle MIBK, and bottom water, using vapor-liquid-liquid equilibrium for separation.

Aspen Plus guides you to specify two variables for the flash separator, while automatically calculating missing properties and warning about convergence problems if the thermodynamic method isn't appropriate.

Add a mixer and flash separation unit to split a mixture into aqueous and organic streams; partition acetone by solubility, then use a distillation tower with detailed column models.

Add a second mixer and a second flash separator in Aspen Plus V11, connect the MIBK2 stream, and assess water purity toward 95%, with Aspen Plus performing the iterations.

Use design specifications and sensitivity analysis in Aspen Plus to target 0.95 water mass fraction with 0.001 tolerance by varying the mib k2 flow rate.

Understand Aspen Plus V11 distillation column options, from simple two-outlet separation units to rigorous red frac Cullen models, including minimum stages, reflux, condenser and reboiler duties.

Learn to build a DSTWU distillation column in Aspen Plus and connect it to a mixer-enabled flow sheet.

Master Aspen Plus v11 by building a red frac distillation column, linking feeds and streams, and optimizing stages and reflux to achieve acetone purity near 0.95.

Learn how Aspen Plus generates charts and diagrams from the red flag simulation, plotting the acetone profile across column stages and its response to varying reflux ratios.

Explore distillation modeling in Aspen Plus v11 by starting simple with DSTWU and moving to RadFrac Cullen, using initial results as inputs and accessing cases in the downloadable resources.

Learn liquid–liquid solvent extraction with Aspen Plus, modeling a water and methyl ethyl ketone system using octanol to achieve two streams with over 90% purity of water and MEK.

Explore how thermodynamic method selection hinges on liquid mixture properties, pressure, and temperature, using activity coefficient models (NRTL, Uniquac, Unifac) for extraction simulations in Aspen Plus.

Set up a single-stage extraction in Aspen Plus v11, configure rtl/nrtl with binary interactions, estimate mec-octanol data via unifac, and compare uniquac and unifac models for octanol-water partition.

Define a new property set in Aspen Plus v11, named mc, to capture the molar concentration of mec in a liquid mixture, using mole per liter units.

Compare three property methods (NRTL, Unifac, Uniquac) against experimental data via sensitivity analysis of the meq mass flow, evaluating molar concentrations and partition coefficients in extract and raffinate.

Model a multistage extraction column in Aspen Plus using Unifac, set up feeds and key components (water, octanol), define ten stages and pressures, and interpret raffinate and extract results.

Explore how to check for azeotropic conditions using the Aspen Plus triangle diagram, selecting components water, meq, and octanol, with Unifac, at 1 atm and 25 °C.

Design a red flag distillation column in Aspen Plus V11 (Unifac) to split a 130 kg/h extract into water, MEC and octanol at 95% purity, with sensitivity analysis.

Explore chemical reactor design in Aspen Plus through two parts: power-law kinetics first, then LHHW kinetics, designed to avoid overwhelm while applying these concepts to chemical reaction engineering.

Model and simulate an acetone-to-acetic anhydride process in Aspen Plus using a plug flow reactor, rectifying and distilling columns, and a stirred tank reactor, with reaction kinetics and sensitivity analysis.

Enter acetone, ethanol, methane, acetic acid, and acetic anhydride, select the Wilson AH property method, and estimate binary parameters with Unifac before modeling a reactor.

Explore seven reactor designs in Aspen Plus V11, including stoichiometric, yield, R equal, equilibrium, RC star, plug flow, and batch reactors, and learn their ideal use cases and conditions.

Add a plug flow reactor in Aspen Plus V11 by creating feed and product streams for pure acetone, and set the feed to 1035 K, 1.6 atm, and 7850 kg/h.

Learn to configure a plug flow reactor in Aspen Plus v11, using adiabatic gas-phase conditions, a single-tube design, and a power-law model for acetone cracking to ethanol, ketene, and methane.

Run the Aspen Plus simulation to evaluate acetone cracking, achieve ~23% conversion, and adjust reactor length to 3 m for ~21% conversion; observe product composition and endothermic temperature drop.

Add a compressor and a rectifier to separate acetone from ketene and methane in Aspen Plus, with a 3 bar discharge, 18 stages, and bottom rate 6250 kg/h.

Run a reactor, compressor, and rectifying column model to isolate acetone from methane and ketene. The acetone-rich bottom recycles to the reactor; methane-rich top goes to storage; distillation follows.

Use Aspen Plus pure component analysis to plot vapor pressure curves for methane, ketene, and acetone, identify light and heavy keys, and determine distillation outcomes.

Add a red flag distillation column to the rectifier stream to separate methane from ketene, with 12 stages, feed at stage six, 1.8 bar condenser, distillate 150 kg/h, reflux 3.

Verify Aspen Plus V11 results by checking the run control panel for errors, then confirm red flag distillation column methane top stream and ketene bottom stream purities signal successful separation.

Add an Aspen Plus continuous stirred tank reactor to convert ketene and acetic acid into acetic anhydride, set up an equilibrium R2 reaction at 50°C and 0.1 bar.

Aspen Plus v11 masterclass teaches running a global steady-state model, checking results for errors, and analyzing a continuous stirred tank reactor’s heat duty, residence time, and acetic anhydride purity.

Explore reactors with LHHW kinetics in Aspen Plus, focusing on adsorption terms and adsorption by water and hydrogen that affect CO2 to methanol conversion and selectivity for methanol over CO.

Explore the lhhw type reaction in Aspen Plus, computing rate via the kinetic factor, driving force, and adsorption term, with concentration bases like mole fraction, molarity, and partial pressure.

Master specifying the driving force for a non-reversible reaction in Aspen Plus v11, including hhw reaction sets, stoichiometry, and kinetic inputs.

Learn to specify the driving force for a reversible reaction in Aspen Plus, define stoichiometry, set kinetic factors (K=1, E=0), and enter concentration exponents and A/B/C/D constants for each term.

Set the adsorption expression exponent n in Aspen Plus, enter reactants and products, and define five terms with concentration exponents and adsorption constants A, B, C, and D.

Determine the kinetic parameters for the methanol reaction, including kinetic factor, driving force constants A, B, C, D, and adsorption terms, and enter them in Aspen Plus.

Explore the final results for the water-gas shift reaction and learn how to express kinetic data in Aspen Plus format to pass the test and build accurate models.

Model methanol production in Aspen Plus using a multi-tubular packed-bed reactor with shell-side heat transfer, and optimize temperature and pressure to maximize methanol selectivity and minimize undesired byproducts.

Model a methanol reactor in Aspen Plus using the SRK equation of state for high pressure, set steam and BS water method, and estimate binary interactions with unifac.

Configure a multi tubular non-adiabatic reactor in Aspen Plus v11 using the R plug model, entering feed conditions, a temperature profile, vapor-phase operation, and catalyst properties.

Define r1 for methanol synthesis from CO2 and H2, set vapor-phase kinetics on a weight-based rate basis, and specify driving-force and adsorption parameters in Aspen Plus v11.

Master Aspen Plus V11 by entering and configuring the kinetic data for the water gas shift reaction, including stoichiometry, driving force, and adsorption coefficients.

Learn practical steps to handle complex reaction kinetics in Aspen Plus v11 masterclass by meticulously breaking down rate expressions, documenting coefficients and exponents, and organizing data to ensure accurate simulations.

Run the RPlug simulation, verify convergence and interpret the negative heat duty; use reactor profile plots to track methanol formation along reactor length and explore geometry and heat-transfer variations.

Identify reactor optimum operating temperature and pressure to maximize methanol selectivity using Aspen Plus sensitivity analysis, varying temperature and pressure to 325 °C and 197 atmosphere.

Model pipe pumps, valves, and fittings in Aspen Plus to calculate pressure drops, friction factors, and pump work; assess valve CV and pressure drop, and conduct sensitivity analysis.

Simulate water flow through a piping network in Aspen Plus V11 Masterclass, from a tank to another two kilometres apart, using a pump, valves, and fittings.

Learn to configure Aspen Plus for water piping simulations using steam nbs properties, select the steam nbs method, add water as a component, and run a successful properties analysis.

Switch to the simulation environment and set up flow sheet to model piping systems with tanks, pipes, pumps, and valves. Connect equipment with material streams to form the flow network.

Set up a piping system in Aspen Plus v11 by defining feed water at 25°c, 1 atm, a 2 km pipe with 0.15 m diameter and six inch size, fittings.

Explore pipe results in Aspen Plus V11 Masterclass, including 1.43 atm and 1.45 atm pressure drops, equivalent length of 1014m from fittings, Reynolds number indicating turbulence, and erosional velocity check.

Analyze the pump results: fluid power 0.68 kW, 42% efficiency, 2.4 atm pressure rise, viscous dissipation heat, and cavitation risk tied to 5.17 m net positive section head.

Assess valve results from Aspen Plus v11, confirming no choking across four valves at 50% opening, and evaluate cavitation risk with indices below one, with valve three most vulnerable.

Check the final pressure in tank two and learn how discharge pressure influences cavitation risk and pumping costs to maintain smooth flow from tank one to tank two.

Explore how to perform a sensitivity analysis in Aspen Plus to identify cavitation and valve choking by varying water flow and comparing available and required NPSH.

Learn to determine the optimum economic pipe diameter under turbulent conditions by modeling total annual cost, combining annual fixed and operational costs, and using Aspen Plus iterations to minimize cost.

Determine the optimum economic diameter for a carbon steel water piping system between tanks, using a centrifugal pump and valves, starting from six inches and planning Aspen Plus modeling.

Learn to set water as the only component, apply the steam and BS property method, and build a piping system with tanks, a pump, and streams in Aspen Plus.

Configure the feed stream, pipe parameters, fittings, and thermal profile in Aspen Plus V11 to enter piping system specifications, including pump, NPSH checks, and vapor fraction validation.

Master Aspen Plus optimization by defining key variables, building a total cost equation in Fortran, and using the complex method to minimize cost and identify the optimum diameter.

Perform a sensitivity analysis in Aspen Plus by creating a new sensitivity case, varying pipe diameter from 0.2 to 0.5 m, and identify total annual cost minimum near 0.28 m.

Design heat exchangers in Aspen Plus using shortcut and rigorous methods to model a shell and tube exchanger, view results and risks with the exchanger feasibility panel.

Design a shell and tube heat exchanger in Aspen Plus for R 12, heating 250 to 300 with ethylene glycol at 370 K, five psi pressure drop in carbon steel.

Explore Aspen Plus heat exchanger models, including heater, Heat X, M Heat X, and HX flux, with energy balance, two process streams, and shell-and-tube exchanger design and EDR capabilities.

Demonstrates using the heater model to estimate heat duty for Freon and ethylene glycol, then compute the heat transfer area with the heat ex model using NRT and Unifac parameters.

Apply the heat X model to calculate heat transfer area from an 180 kW duty and adjust ethylene glycol flow to achieve a 315 K outlet in a heat exchanger.

Set ethylene glycol flow to reach the outlet temperature and model heat transfer and pressure drop with Aspen EDR, using feasibility panel and rigorous mode.

Explore modeling a heat exchanger in Aspen Plus V11 with EDR, converting a shortcut to a rigorous exchanger, and evaluating risks on the activation dashboard.

Learn to use the EDR navigation pane to edit rigorous exchangers, adjust tube counts, rerun simulations, and monitor risks while balancing heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop.

Initiate a detailed heat exchanger model in Aspen Plus V11 using the rigorous mode in the Heat X block, selecting shell and tube and proceeding through the rigorous exchange window.

Start with the heater model to estimate heat duty and pressure drop, then refine in the rigorous mode; use multi-pass, EDR sizing, exchanger tools, ensuring convergence and Reynolds above 200.