APEA Workshop 1

Start a Project
(Skills: Start a project with no simulator data – manually add components)
This example is designed to familiarize you with Aspen Process Economic Analyzer’s interface and the various
methods of defining scope that are available.
1. Right-click the desktop, select New | Folder, and name the folder “APEA Course”.
2. Double-click the Aspen Process Economic Analyzer icon on the Windows desktop to start Aspen Process
Economic Analyzer. Alternatively, select the menu items as follows: Start | Programs | Aspen Tech |
Economic Evaluation V10.0 | Aspen Process Economic Analyzer and create a desktop shortcut.
3. The main Aspen Process Economic Analyzer window opens. Notice the Windows standard features such as the:
• Title bar
• Menu bar
• Button bar
• Explorer window
• Status bar
4. Select Tools | Options | Preferences, and then select the Locations tab. Click the Add button and navigate to
the “APEA Course” folder in the desktop. This is the location where we will store our projects throughout the
course. Click OK and then OK again. The messages displayed can be ignored since we are creating a new
project and any changes we make in the default path specifications will not impact any existing projects.
5. Select File | New from the menu bar. When the new project window appears, highlight the APEA Course
directory created on the desktop in the explorer portion of the window. This will direct your current project to
this location.
6. Enter Denat for the Project Name and Base Case for the Scenario. Click OK. In the next window, enter a brief
description, for example, “Storage Area for Denaturate”, and select the desired units of measure (I-P or Metric).
7. The Input Units of Measure window will appear. This is where special units are defined for a project. Accept
the default units by clicking Close.
8. The General Project Data window appears next. This is where general information on the project is entered,
such as Country Base, Currency, Estimation Date, etc. Enter your initials in the Prepared By field and click
OK.
9. Go to the Project View tab in the Project Explorer window, and double-click the Main Area icon. Define the
area name as “Denat Storage” and set the area type as Grade. Specify the dimensions of the area to be 200 ft. 
150 ft. [60 m x 45 m]. Then click the OK button.
10. To add a component to the area, right-click the Denat Storage area and select Add Project Component. Then
name the component, in this case “Denat Storage Tank.” After naming the component, double-click the Process
Equipment text in the lower scrollable window. Find the tank by double clicking down the tree structure as
follows:
Project Components → Process Equipment →Vessels – pressure, storage (HT VT) → Vessel → Vertical Tank
Then double-click the Flat Bottom Storage Tank, Optional Roof model.

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When specifying equipment items, you can easily go back to the previous sub-category by clicking the preceding
square block in the upper half of the Component Selection window.
11. After specifying the addition of the Denat Storage Tank, you must specify certain minimum parameters. These
parameters are indicated by the display of a red field such as in the case of the Item Description field, and the
indication of the yellow Liquid Volume field. The yellow field can be substituted for the two green vessel
dimension fields (Diameter and Height) below it, or a combination of specifying liquid volume or one of the
vessel dimensions. These are the minimum specifications for this equipment model.
Click in the Liquid Volume field and note the Properties window at the bottom right of the screen. This is
where to find additional information on an input field, such as a description, default values, or minimum and
maximum input.
12. Enter a value of 30,000 gallons [115 m3] in the Liquid Volume field. Then click OK from the menu near the
upper left to save the entered information and close the window.
13. Right-click the storage tank just added in the Project View tab of the Explorer window and select Copy and
then right-click the Denat Storage area and select Paste from the context window.
14. Right-click the copy of the storage tank and select Edit Name from the context menu. Rename the copy of the
component as “ETOH Storage Tank” in the Item Description field and click OK. Double click the ETOH
Storage Tank in the Explorer, and change the volume to 140,000 gallons [550 m3]. Again, make sure to click
OK after changing the volume to save the new volume and close the window.
15. Paste the copied storage tank again into the Denat Storage area, but name it as “Blended Storage Tank”, and
change the volume to 175,000 gallons [660 m3].
16. Repeat the elements of steps 10–14 (simple component addition coupled with copy/paste) to add the following
components to the Denat Storage Area:
• Item: ANSI Magnetic Drive Pump for Denaturant
Name: Denat Pump
Path: Process Equipment → Pumps → Pumps-Centrifugal → Standard ANSI Magnetic Drive Pump
Liquid Flow Rate: 4 GPM [0.25 L/S]

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• Item: ANSI Magnetic Drive Pump for Ethanol Product

Name: ETOH Pump
Path: Process Equipment → Pumps → Pumps-Centrifugal → Standard ANSI Magnetic Drive Pump
Liquid Flow Rate: 100 GPM [6.3 L/S]
• Item: ANSI Magnetic Drive Pump for Blended Product
Name: Blended Pump
Path: Process Equipment → Pumps → Pumps-Centrifugal → Standard ANSI Magnetic Drive Pump
Flow rate: 104 GPM [6.55 L/S]
• Item: Static Mixer to Blend Denaturant with Ethanol
Name: Mixer
Path: Process Equipment → Agitators-mix, react, knead → Mixer → Static mixer
Liquid Flow Rate: 104 GPM [6.55 L/S]
17. Verify all components added to the Denat Storage Area. This can be done by right-clicking each component in
the Process View tab, and then selecting Verified from the context window. Alternatively, you can click on the
Denat Storage area in the Process View tab, then use the Shift key and mouse to select all components from
the List View window, then right click Verified.
Verifying is a process of indicating that the item or items have been examined, and all known specifications and
adjustments have been input into the component specification form. This allows users to quickly account for the
items in a project that still require definition.
Items in the List View can be selected by holding the Shift key and mouse to select a continuous range, or
holding the Control key down and using the mouse to select multiple non-sequential items.
18. Run an estimate on the Denat Storage Tank. This can be done by selecting this component in the Project
View tab, then right-clicking the mouse, and selecting Evaluate Item from the context menu. Alternatively,
the estimate can be performed from the List View window by selecting the tank with the mouse, then right-
clicking the mouse and selecting Evaluate Item from the context menu. The Installed Cost is presented in the
List View window. Navigate within this window to see the type of information presented by Aspen Process
Economic Analyzer.
19. Now determine the Installed Cost for each item. This can be done by selecting each item in the Project View
and right-clicking, then selecting Evaluate Item. In this case, the Installed Costs are presented in the List View
window for the single evaluated item. Alternatively, from the List View, use the mouse coupled with the Shift
or Control key to mark the components, then right click on the marked list and select Evaluate Item. In this
situation, all components are evaluated and the CCI report window opens. The CCI report window contains an
ASCII report of results. The format is large and perhaps complex to new users. It is often easier to close this
report window, and then select a component from either the Project View or List View, right click, and select
Item Report. Even though all items were evaluated, we are reviewing the component results on an individual
basis.
20. Items can be sorted based on any of the List View header labels. Click various item labels to see how the List
View is sorted in ascending or descending order. This allows the user to focus on any high ticket items in the
project.
21. From the main menu, select File | Save As and keep the Project and Scenario names previously entered. The
default location should be the course folder on the Desktop. Click OK and accept the option to overwrite the
existing project. After a successful save, select File | Close.
22. End of Exercise.

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Group Mission:
1) What is the hot key for Project Explorer, Palette, Properties Window?

2) In installation option, please chose any component and use Installation option SPAR and WHSP make
examples and compare the difference in Item Report | Summary Costs.

3) Select any component and click Option | Load Default Volumetric Model and explain its capability.

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4) Select Tools | Options | Preferences | Locations | Item Report, please explain the difference between
HTML item Report, Capital Cost Item Report, and Reporter Report. Which report format you prefer?

5) Select Tools | Report Editor, Options | Preferences… | General, check Open maximized.

Tools | Options | Preferences | General | Item Report, select Reporter Report and click OK. After
Evaluating project and click Capital costs button and select Evaluation Report (*.ccp/prp, *.irp/cci,
*.srp/*.scn) and click OK.
Question:
1) please find the CS, FIELD MATERIAL A53 Bolts & Nuts 0.500 IN price?
2) Please find the most expensive Item top 3 and their total prices?
6) Please evaluate Denat Storage project and then click Decision Analyzer and change Plant Location and
Engineering Location to Indonesia Jakarta. Please evaluate project again and check report if it is in Rupia
instead of USD.
Question, where to change currency? Please find it and fill in correct currency of today.

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7) In Project Basis View | Basis for Capital Costs | General Specs,

8) In Main Project, add new area Denat Unit with PAD (150 ft x 150 ft) as type. And API 610 PUMP and
name it as C-100. Specifying Liquid flow rate as 5 GPM and click OK.
Question, if need to scale up Denat Unit 120% only, what should I do? After scaling up, how much
increase for Equipment cost and bulk cost individually?

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9) Under the Investment Analysis folder, right-click the Raw Material Specifications icon and select Edit
from the menu. The Develop Raw Material Specifications window will appear. Select the Create radio
button and enter “Sugarcane - Solution” as the name. Ensure that the basis is mass and the phase is liquid.
Then click the Create button.
Enter the values below in the raw material specification form for the Sugarcane-Solution stream and then
click the OK button. Repeat the same procedure to create a new stream called “Chemical Injection” and
include the information provided below:
New raw material name Sugarcane – Solution Chemical Injection
Basis Mass Mass
Phase Liquid Liquid
Process stream Feed (1000) Tower-In (1000)
Unit Cost $0.033/LB [0.073/KG] $0.01/LB [0.022/KG]
After both raw material specifications are complete, click the Close button in the Develop Raw Material
Specifications window to return to the Project Basis View.
Under the Investment Analysis folder, right-click the Product Specifications icon and select Edit from
the menu. The Develop Product Specifications window will appear. Select the Create radio button and
enter “Ethanol-Liquid” as the name. Ensure that the basis is mass and the phase is liquid. Then click the
Create button.
Enter the values below in the product specification form for the “Ethanol-Liquid” stream, then click the
OK button. Repeat the same procedure to create a product specification called “Disposal Costs.” Note that
disposal costs count toward project income since your company is no longer incurring costs to dispose of
the waste.
New product name Ethanol – Liquid Disposal Costs
Basis Mass Mass
Phase Liquid Liquid
Process stream Product (1000) Feed (1000)
Unit Cost $0.45/LB[0.992/KG] $0.01/LB[0.022/KG]
After both product specifications are complete, click the Close button in the Develop Product
Specifications window to return to the Project Basis View. Evaluating project and check ROI.