Getting Started

1. Navigate to the Aspen Plus User Interface program which will generally be found
under the following sequence of program menus Aspen Tech ! Aspen
"ngineering #uite ! Aspen Plus $%%&.1 ! Aspen Plus User Interface.
$. The first dialog bo' you encounter as(s you to select either a new simulation or
choose among e'isting simulations saved to a dis() the latter choice including a
listbo' of past simulations. *ere we assume you are starting a new simulation.
+ou may choose either a blan( simulation or a template. *ere we assume you
want to choose a template. #elect Template and ,-. .igure 1 illustrates this
dialog bo' with some of the important selections discussed above highlighted
with red ovals.
Figure 1Opening dialog box in Aspen Plus

/. The ne't dialog bo' has two tabs 0 one for simulations and one for refineries.
1hoose the simulation tab for this primer. Also) the lower right corner has a drop
down list bo' labeled 2un Type. 1hoose .lowsheet for this primer 3see Appendi'
for other options4. .inally) choose a process type and units in which you want to
wor( from the list of options in dialog bo'. *ere we suggest a 5eneric #imulation
with "nglish Units. All of these choices can be modified later in the program if
desired. The essential difference among the process types is that Aspen preselects
the thermodynamic models most appropriate for the given process. *owever) you
are able to override these preselected choices if you choose to do so. .igure $
illustrates this dialog bo' with some of the important selections discussed above
highlighted with red ovals.
Figure 2Second dialog box in Aspen Plus with selection of process type and run type.
&. +ou should now have a blan( process simulation window open. Also) there should
be series of unit operations choices called the 6odel 7ibrary along the bottom of
the dialog bo'. If the 6odel 7ibrary does not appear) select 6odel 7ibrary under
the 8iew menu at the top of the page. This page is illustrated in .igure /.
9. +ou are now ready to construct a simulation.
:. .rom this point on) you can step through the minimally required input fields by
selecting the Ne't button at the top of the page 3an uppercase) blue N with a right
pointing arrow 0 highlighted with a red oval near the top of .igure /4. The Ne't
function can alternatively be accessed by pressing .& or by selecting it from the
Tools menu. This will lead you through the various stages of setting up a
simulation.
;. *elp files are available at any point from the help menu or) for conte'tsensitive
help) by pointing at the item with which you want help and pressing .1. *owever)
Aspen includes several separate help files. They are each accessible from the
same menu) but searches and lists of help topics in the help interface are limited to
the help file that is open. .or e'ample) the default help file for the flowsheet is the
Aspen Plus *elp file. It contains few details beyond the name and typical
application for the thermodynamic models used within Aspen. .or detailed
thermodynamic information 3form of equations) temperature and pressure
dependence) etc.4) you must select the Aspen Physical Property #ystem *elp file.
This 3or any of several other help files4 can be found by navigating to the Topics
tab in any help file and selecting the topmost choice 3a document) not a folder4
labeled Accessing ,ther *elp in the treestructured illustration of the help file
found in the left panel. The right panel will then include lin(s to all help files
loaded in your software.
Figure 3An exaple of a blan! flowsheet" the starting point for process siulation" with se#eral of
the ites discussed abo#e highlighted with red o#als.