Getting Started With Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Getting Started with Relative Economics
in Aspen Plus
A Brief Tutorial (and supplement to training and online documentation)
By David Tremblay, Senior Product Manager; Dan McCarthy, Product Manager;
and Ron Beck, Product Marketing Manager, Aspen Technology, Inc
2011 Aspen Technology, Inc. AspenTech, aspenONE, the Aspen leaf logo, OPTIMIZE, and the 7 Best Practices of Engineering Excellence are trademarks of Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights
reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus
Introduction
The new integrated economics workflow provided by AspenTech enables process modelers to incorporate rigorous
relative costs in their process modeling studies. This provides the business benefit of better process designs that take into
account capital and operating costs together with technical and process parameters.
Integrated economics brings the power of AspenTechs rigorous economic modeling products (the ICARUS family) to the
process model (Aspen Plus or Aspen HYSYS). This enables the process designer to rapidly assess the relative costs of a
proposed process design, thereby providing the means to screen alternatives based on a balance of technical, safety,
environmental, and economic factors.
This document serves as a simple getting started guide, taking you through the most common progression of how the
process designer will use this integrated functionality. This is not meant to be used as a stand-alone reference document.
We would recommend that a range of other resources be called upon to give the new user a comprehensive view of how
to use this capability. This may include:
Online documentation which can be accessed through the Aspen Plus and Aspen Process Economic Analyzer
software user screens
AspenTech support website (support.aspentech.com) which contains a wide range of knowledge base items, provides
answers to frequently asked questions
AspenTech courseware available in in-person and on-line versions, which provide formal training on process modeling
and economic evaluation
AspenTech business consultants
Pre-recorded tutorials and webinars that provide another view of the information contained in this document (go to
http://www.aspentech.com/solutions/industry_solutions/epc/integrated-economics.aspx for many of these resources)
This document covers Aspen Plus. This guide assumes that the user has Aspen Plus V7.2 and Aspen Process Economic
Analyzer V7.3 installed.
A companion document to this one, providing similar information for users of Aspen HYSYS, will be available shortly.
The Work Flow

The integrated economics solution is flexible in terms of the work flows that it supports. The work flow that we follow in
this guide is as follows:
Step One: evaluate operating costs in the Aspen Plus model
Step Two: converge the model
Step Three: activate relative costing
Step Four: select cost basis
Step Five: unit to equipment mappings
Step Six: sizing selections
Step Seven: evaluate economics and report
This entire workflow can be performed from WITHIN the familiar Aspen Plus user interface.
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Definition of Operating Cost Parameters within Aspen Plus

The current release of Aspen Plus (V7 and newer) provides the means to define utility streams and costs, and feedstock
and product pricing.
Defining stream costs is a purely optional step. Feedstock and product stream pricing parameters are only needed if an
ROI for the plant is desired. For estimating and comparing capital and operating costs, the stream costs are not needed.
Utility cost definition is a RECOMMENDED but not required step. If utility costs are not defined as described below, the
economics engine will assign the utilities and associated prices using built-in values, which is not as accurate as
specifying them if known, but is adequate at the conceptual design level.
The utility costs can be conveniently reviewed and modified using an easy-to-use summary grid and the operating costs
can be examined in summary form.
Figure 1: Utility Stream Specification Screen in Aspen Plus
Figure 1 shows the utility specification interface. Utility sources, state conditions, and utility cost of supply can be specified
in the appropriate fields on this form, all within Aspen Plus.
For each unit operation requiring heat, cooling or power utilities, the utility source can be selected (see Figure 2).
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Figure 2: Unit Operations Utility Assignments
In most cases, a design case will involve multiple utility sources and multiple unit operations. The unit operation summary
grid has been provided as a convenient way to quickly review the utilities selected and to review and modify utility
selections and cost parameters (see Figure 3).
Figure 3: Model Summary Grid in Aspen Plus V7.2
Note: The model summary grid can be easily accessed through the costing toolbar, via the
summary grid button see next section The Costing Toolbar and Costing Menu
After the user performs a model run, the utility flow rates and costs are summarized in several places in the Aspen Plus
output screens and reports.
One of the best ways to review this information is via the operating cost summary screen (see Figure 4). This provides an
overview of the total energy cost incurred by your selected process. This summary view makes it clear which utilities drive
operating costs.
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Figure 4: Operating Cost Summary Screen in Aspen Plus V7.2
Important note: Once you have specified utility selections and costs and feed and product pricing within Aspen Plus, the
resulting operating cost information produced by the Aspen Plus model run automatically updates the economics module
in the subsequent steps in the integrated workflow.
The Costing Toolbar and Costing Menu

Integrated economics is accessed two ways in Aspen Plus. First, there is a costing toolbar which is used to perform
integrated cost evaluation (see Figure 5). The same functionality may also be accessed from the costing pull-down menu
which appears just to the right of the library menu (see Figure 6).
Figure 5: Costing Toolbar in Aspen Plus
Figure 6: Pull-down Costing Menu in Aspen Plus
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Each step in the integrated economic evaluation is initiated through the toolbar or the menu. First you activate the costing
engine, next you map unit operations to equipment and perform sizing, then you perform the evaluation and review the
results. The results can be easily exported to Excel or reviewed within Aspen Plus.
Depending on the level of control that the process engineer would like to maintain over the economics evaluation, steps
can be individually performed or can be skipped in favor of a quick and automatic evaluation based on defaultassigned mappings and sizing algorithms.
Figure 7: This view enumerates the work flow actions that each button in the toolbar governs These will each be explained
during the course of this tutorial
Converge the Aspen Plus Model

The user must have run an Aspen Plus model to convergence in order to proceed to the integrated economics step of the
workflow. If you forget to perform a model run, you will get the error message shown in Figure 8, which will remind you to
run the model first before initiating the economics workflow.
Figure 8: Perform the simulation before initiating the economics workflow
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Activate Costing Module

Integrated economics functions by linking Aspen Plus with Aspen Process Economic Analyzer. The APEA license key is
checked out when you activate the integrated economics feature. The APEA license key is released when you de-activate
integrated economics or exit Aspen Plus.
Figure 9: Costing Activation Button
Note: The activation enables the other buttons/functions within economics

(load simulation data, map, size, evaluate, equipment summary, deactivate)
Select a Standard Basis File or Custom Template

The economics module functions through use of what estimators call standard basis files. These provide companystandardized, project-standardized, or default cost basis information on which the entire costing is built. For example,
Gulf Coast Standard is the most commonly used generic process plant standard basis for developing estimates.
Beyond these standard basis files, the mappings, sizing, and other costing decisions described in the ensuing sections of
this guide can all be captured in re-usable templates to save time and increase consistency in the way that an organization
applies this relative economics workflow.
Templates are useful at an organization level, a project level, a location level, and a technology level to ensure that best
practices are applied consistently by all process engineering in an organization.
Figure 10: Project Description and Units of Measure Choice Box
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The process of creating templates is beyond the scope of this Getting Started Guide. What we do show here is how to
access and use templates in the workflow, assuming that they have been created, for instance, by the estimating group
within your organization.
If your estimating group has established company-specific basis or more involved templates, they can make these
available to your group as pull-down options within the integrated economics workflow.
Standard Basis also appears in the workflow as template choices.
After activating the costing module by pushing the cost activation button, a Costing Options window will appear (see
Figure 10).
Next, click on the Browse button to the right of the templates field, and you will be presented with the available list of
templates (see Figure 11). These may be simply the standard basis provided with the system or specific templates
provided by your organization. In the example shown in Figure 11, the available templates are standard, representing the
different out-of-the-box geographic cost basis (US Gulf Coast, Europe, Middle East, UK, Japan) and units of measure
(metric or imperial).
Figure 11: Select Standard Basis File
Having made that selection, next provide descriptors for the scenario you are analyzing and a text description (as shown
on Figure 10).
Also on this screen, select the project investment options that will govern the calculation of project ROI and profitability,
namely design operating life of the plant, duration of plant startup, onset date for basic engineering, and the design
operating hours per year (all shown in Figure 10).
The default currently used by the system for all costing is US dollars. If your project requires another currency, there is a
second tab on the costing options dialog. Click on that second tab (see figure 12).
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In the currency tab, select a currency (the currency symbol column) and provide a conversion factor (the conversion
factor column).
After making these selections a costing file will be created (see Figure 13)
Figure 12: If Required, Choose a Currency Other than US Dollars
Figure 13: Create Costing Scenario File
Load Simulation Data

The simulation run data must be loaded from Aspen Plus into the costing engine.
When you click on the "load simulation data" button, key process information is transferred to the economics software to
help define process flow schema and perform mapping and sizing operations.
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Economic Evaluation Status Indicators

When the simulation data loading task, and other aspects of the economics workflow, are being performed, status
messages are presented in the menu bar status window. During the workflow, you may need to wait for the background
model calculations to complete before proceeding (see Figure 14 for examples of these messages).
Figure 14: Workflow Status Indicator
Map Unit Operations to Equipment Models

A key step in integrated economics is mapping of unit operations models from the simulation to equipment models in
Aspen Process Economic Analyzer.
The economic workflow is flexible and has both the ability to automatically establish default mappings, representing
best-engineering judgment contained within the software models, as well as the capability to over-ride these mappings
and substitute your own mappings, based on your engineering decisions as to which equipment models you select at this
stage of the design process.
Figure 15: Unit Operation to Equipment Model Mapping Scenario
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Figure 15 summarizes conceptually the operation which is performed during this mapping workflow. Each unit operation
that has been defined during the process modeling is mapped to an item of equipment, or a group of equipment items,
that most feasibly represent that unit operation. The sample depicted in the example figure is a distillation column unit
(the radfrac unit operation in Aspen Plus), which maps into the economics software as a collection of equipment
models, including a column, pumps, and other complementary equipment items.
In each case, there is a default mapping, but there are also other mappings that the engineer can select instead.
Mapping workflow is invoked by the mapping button.
This brings up a map dialog box (see Figure 16).
Figure 16: Using Default or Already Used Mappings
Here are a few key points to remember when executing the mapping workflow:
(1) Always select map all items, unless you have already established a mapping in a prior simulation run and are rerunning a scenario or a process schema thats already been mapped. Map selected items is for changing/updating
mappings when you have changed part of a process design.
(2) When you are first using economics for a model run you should always select Default AND Simulator Data. If you
dont select this option, the sizing performed in the simulation will not be carried across to the economics software.
(3) The integrated functionality remembers the mappings already established for a given simulation model. To keep the
mapping for subsequent runs/scenarios with that process schema, select last mapping.
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If you have made some custom mapping selections during a previous simulation run, and have modified some process
parameters, your prior selections will persist in the software, and you can choose last mapping to re-use those already
selected mappings (See Figure 16, right side display).
(4) Even if you are planning to change some mappings, select, default and simulator data. Then a second dialog box will
come up (see Figure Sixteen), which will allow you to change mappings.
(5) Click on size ICARUS project components, activating the sizing algorithms.
(6) Click OK.
(7) The project components map preview dialog box will appear (see Figure 17).
Figure 17: Project Components Map Preview Dialog Box
(8) To change mappings (away from the default mapping assigned by the system) follow these steps:
All items which have been mapped appear in the simulator item window with an asterisk in front of their designation.
Select the item in the simulator item window (see Figure 18).
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Figure 18: Project Component Map Preview Dialog Box
Delete the current mapping (select delete one mapping button).

Click on new mapping button.
ICARUS Project Component selection dialog box comes up (See Figure 19).
Figure 19: ICARUS Project Component Selection Dialog Box
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Navigate to the tree of available equipment models/components.

Select a component(s).
A mapping, or course, can be to more than one component (i.e. to a column, pumps, etc).
Click OK to complete the mapping of each component.
Repeat for each item mapped to a given unit operation.
Sizing Activity
Clicking on the sizing button initiates the sizing evaluation. The system performs the sizing with best available
information.
Equipment sizes are determined from the simulation data if they are available. Missing data are estimated by the system.
You can also override estimate sizes in the equipment grid.
To access the equipment sizing grid click on the equipment grid button:
You can review the sizing and materials of construction (MOC) that were assigned during the economic evaluation in the
summary grid. The default MOC for all equipment is carbon steel.
Figure 20: Equipment Summary Grid enables process designer to review and change sizing
and materials of construction
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For example, in Figure Nineteen, we can see the materials of construction and geometry for a heat exchanger. We can use
pull down menus to select other materials of construction. The tube materials selection pull-down menu is open in this
example.
If you have better engineering information or assumptions available, or have company-specific sizing algorithms to apply,
these can be entered at this point.
The equipment grid has one tab sheet for each type of equipment. The columns represent individual equipment items. The
rows contain the key variables for that equipment. After changing the data you should re-size and re-evaluate the costing.
NOTE: At this juncture, you may also interface with custom sizing programs that your company may be using that have
been developed in MS Excel or equivalent. This is an advanced topic beyond the scope of this introductory tutorial. For
more information regarding Advanced Topics, please see the Additional Resources section of this document.
Materials of Construction
Capital costs are very sensitive to the materials of construction selected. Process engineers often have a good idea of the
material of construction that may be required due to the chemistry of a particular process that is being selected. The
process modeler can make that change at this point if he has that information (see Figure 21).
Figure 21: Changing Material of Construction from Carbon Steel to InconelRelative Cost Evaluation
Click on the evaluate button for the economic evaluation to be calculated.
Note: After you change sizing or materials of construction data, re-run the
sizing and evaluation steps to update the economic results correctly.
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Reporting
The results of the economic evaluation can be reviewed and manipulated in several ways.
Summary and detailed economics can be reviewed by clicking on the equipment grid button.
This will give you access to most of the economic information that you would need at this point to rapidly review the
economic feasibility of a modeling scenario and to compare process alternatives.
The report summary tab displays net results as shown in Figure 22.
Figure 22: Summary View
Further details of the equipment costs can be reviewed in the equipment summary table (see Figure 23). The individual
tables by equipment type contain information about the design of each piece of equipment. The equipment summaries are
presented in a grid form. The equipment grid can be copied-and-pasted into external Excel spreadsheets for further
manipulation.
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Figure 23: Equipment summary displays bare equipment costs and indicates errors identified during the evaluation
For a more formal relative economics report, you may then click on the report button.
This button creates a relative costing report in Excel format (see Figure 24). This is a complete project economics report.
If, for example, you have put in feedstock pricing at the initial stages, you can get an initial look at a project ROI within this
report.
To understand the information available in this report, run through a scenario, produce a costing report, and explore the
contents of the report.
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Figure 24: Relative economics report for your process scenario
Managing and Transferring Cost Files

The costing scenario created by Integrated Economics can be opened directly by Aspen Process Economic Analyzer or by
Aspen Capital Cost Estimator for further development.
When you save the Aspen Plus model case, you are given the option to save the file as a compound file type, which is
really just a zip file. This action saves the economics (APEA) file together with the Aspen Plus file. The resulting APEA file
can be handed over to the estimating department and can be directly opened in the APEA and ACCE estimating software
products from AspenTech, for further development or fine tuning of the preliminary cost estimate that has been produced
during this conceptual design workflow.
Completion of the Integrated Economics Session

At the completion of your integrated economics session, you can deactivate and release the APEA economics software
license. Click the activation button to save the project.
Or click the deactivation and delete project button if you do not wish to save the economics (APEA) file with the Aspen
Plus file.
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Additional Resources
For further information on this workflow, or any of the individual products or elements covered briefly in this written
tutorial please consult:
Public website:
The following web page provides links to a number of useful resources on integrated economics http://www.aspentech.com/solutions/industry_solutions/epc/integrated-economics.aspx
Support website:
The support website provides an extensive and growing knowledge base on simulation, economics and the integrated
website.
The following knowledge base article provides a getting-started location:
http://support.aspentech.com/webteamasp/KB.asp?ID=130806
Recorded tutorials are available at:
Brief Tutorial on relative costing during conceptual design with Aspen Plus
[ https://www.brainshark.com/aspentech1/vu?pi=zH0zPx7dIz29bpz0 ]
Brief Tutorial on relative costing during conceptual design with Aspen HSYSY
[ https://www.brainshark.com/aspentech1/vu?pi=zGyzaPKdKz29bpz0 ]
Technical webinars on integrated economics can be viewed on-demand at:
DSM Presents how to achieve better process designs with integrated economics
https://aspentechevents.webex.com/aspentechevents/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=44018127&rKey=d72d973107d91bb9
Step-by-step Technical Webinar: Getting started with Integrated Economics with Aspen Plus
https://aspentechevents.webex.com/ec0605lb/eventcenter/enroll/register.do?siteurl=aspentechevents&formId=444416
92&confId=44441692&BU=&formType=1&loadFlag=1&eventType=1&accessType=viewRecording
Step-by-step Technical Webinar: Getting started with Integrated Economics with Aspen HYSYS
https://aspentechevents.webex.com/ec0605lb/eventcenter/recording/recordAction.do?siteurl=aspentechevents&theAct
ion=poprecord&ecFlag=true&recordID=45724697
Or email us at AspenEconomicEvaluation@aspentech.com for additional information or questions.
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About AspenTech
AspenTech is a leading supplier of software that optimizes process manufacturingfor energy, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, engineering and construction, and other industries that manufacture and produce
products from a chemical process. With integrated aspenONE solutions, process manufacturers can
implement best practices for optimizing their engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain operations.
As a result, AspenTech customers are better able to increase capacity, improve margins, reduce costs,
and become more energy efficient. To see how the worlds leading process manufacturers rely on
AspenTech to achieve their operational excellence goals, visit www.aspentech.com.
Worldwide Headquarters
Aspen Technology, Inc.
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Burlington, MA 01803
United States
phone: +17812216400
fax: +17812216410
info@aspentech.com
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phone: +97317503000
2011 Aspen Technology, Inc. AspenTech, aspenONE, the Aspen leaf logo, OPTIMIZE, and the 7 Best Practices of Engineering Excellence
are trademarks of Aspen Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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Getting Started with Relative Economics

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

The Work Flow

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Definition of Operating Cost Parameters within Aspen Plus

Figure 1: Utility Stream Specification Screen in Aspen Plus

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Figure 2: Unit Operations Utility Assignments

Figure 3: Model Summary Grid in Aspen Plus V7.2

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Figure 4: Operating Cost Summary Screen in Aspen Plus V7.2

The Costing Toolbar and Costing Menu

Figure 5: Costing Toolbar in Aspen Plus

Figure 6: Pull-down Costing Menu in Aspen Plus

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Converge the Aspen Plus Model

Figure 8: Perform the simulation before initiating the economics workflow

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Activate Costing Module

Figure 9: Costing Activation Button

Note: The activation enables the other buttons/functions within economics

Select a Standard Basis File or Custom Template

Figure 10: Project Description and Units of Measure Choice Box

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Figure 11: Select Standard Basis File

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Figure 12: If Required, Choose a Currency Other than US Dollars

Figure 13: Create Costing Scenario File

Load Simulation Data

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Economic Evaluation Status Indicators

Figure 14: Workflow Status Indicator

Map Unit Operations to Equipment Models

Figure 15: Unit Operation to Equipment Model Mapping Scenario

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

This brings up a map dialog box (see Figure 16).

Figure 16: Using Default or Already Used Mappings

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Figure 17: Project Components Map Preview Dialog Box

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Figure 18: Project Component Map Preview Dialog Box

Delete the current mapping (select delete one mapping button).

Figure 19: ICARUS Project Component Selection Dialog Box

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Navigate to the tree of available equipment models/components.

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Figure 22: Summary View

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

Figure 24: Relative economics report for your process scenario

Managing and Transferring Cost Files

Completion of the Integrated Economics Session

Getting Started with Relative Economics in Aspen Plus

For a complete list of offices, please visit

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