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Problem Statement: How to purchase three Sweet Crudes in the ratio of 3:2:1 in Aspen PIMS?

Solution: At times, Refinery Planners / Procurement Committee might want to purchase different crudes in a specific ratio. This can be achieved in Aspen PIMS by following a very simple step of including Table Ratio. Let us consider Volume Sample Model, where you can purchase three light crudes - Alaskan N Slope (ANS), North Sea Forties (NSF) and Tiajuana Light (TJL) in the ratio of 3:2:1. In this scenario, we can create Table Ratio in the following fashion: Once we give this as the input and execute the model, PIMS will create the following matrix structure consisting of two E-rows to achieve the given ratio: You can also review the FullSolution Report: Here, we can notice that the three crudes are being purchased in the same ratio mentioned by the user in Table Ratio. The Sample model has been attached along with the KB article for your further reference. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: How to identify if any of the tanks in an APS Model are breeching minimum / maximum capacity?

Solution: The users can identify the tanks breeching minimum / maximum capacity by the following ways: Go to “Events” à “Inventory Problems” and see the entire log of tanks: 2. Apart from this, APS will highlight the value above Max (with red dots) and below Min (with green dots) on the trend: Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: Why do I receive Error code 18 after disabling TLS 1.0 and enabling TLS 1.2 settings in APS Application Server?

Solution: You might be receiving Error code 18 after disabling TLS 1.0 and enabling TLS 1.2 settings in your APS Application Server because you may be selecting “SQL Server” while creating the .dsn file. This is happening while using TLS 1.2 settings because “SQL Server Native client” is supported whereas “SQL Server” driver is not supported. Therefore, this issue can be resolved by choosing “SQL Server native client” while creating the .dsn file if your computer only supports TLS 1.2. The problem can be easily rectified by changing the ODBC driver to the SQL server native client. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: This video

Solution: outlines how to add a new Cim-IO logical device on the IP.21 server using the application Cim-IO Test API. Solution Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: How can we report the Catalytic Cracker Conversion for a FCCU unit in Aspen PIMS?

Solution: Most of the Refineries consist of a FCCU unit which will be modelled into your PIMS LP structure. Economists / Refiners are usually interested in calculating and reporting the Cat Cracker conversion. There might be different ways to calculate the same, this KB article outlines one of the methods. • Usually, the Conversion is calculated in terms of the Feed throughput minus the Unconverted fractions with respect to the overall feed in terms of percentage. Let us consider the following formula: Cracker Conversion % = [Feed – (LCO Yield + Slurry Yield)] * 100 / Feed • The above equation can be incorporated into the FCCU submodel by introducing control rows and Parameter rows. • We can introduce two E-Rows – for equating (i) LCO yield and (ii) Slurry into new user defined columns – lco and slr: Note: Here all the coefficients in the E-Rows are same as that of the Yields of LCO and SLR. • Lastly, we can add a Numerator and Denominator type of Parameter Rows to report the Cat Cracker Conversion %: Note: Here, CFP is the vector which consists of the activity of all the feeds to the unit. Once you execute the model, you will be able to find the Conversion% calculated and reported in the FullSolution Report as follows: The model is attached along with the KB article for your further reference. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: How to control the Atmospheric Residue to Feed Ratio in a FCC unit in Aspen PIMS?

Solution: Most of the Refiners wish to control the Atmospheric Residue to Feed Ratio in their FCC units to control the Carbon content entering the unit. When too much carbon from the vacuum resid portion of the Atmos Resid enters the Cat regenerator, excessive heat is caused since more Coke is now burnt off. This condition might not be good for the Regenerator as well as the environment. This ratio can be controlled in the Planning stage itself by incorporating into our FCCU submodel in PIMS. Let us assume that the AR to Feed should not exceed 5%. There are two methods to achieve this. Method 1: Usage of Control Rows We can introduce a L (Less than or equal to) - type row in the following manner: This equation will help PIMS to maintain the percentage of 5. After executing the model, we can check the imposition by analyzing the Feed pattern in the FullSolution Report: Method 2: Usage of Process Limit Rows We can introduce a ZLIMxxx row to incorporate the Atmospheric Residue to Feed % calculation as mentioned below: Now, we need to give a corresponding entry in Table PROCLIM to control this percentage less than or equal to 5: After executing the model, we can check this in both the Process Limit Summary and Submodel Summary of the FullSolution Report: The PIMS model is attached along with the KB article for your further reference. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: How to accommodate the batch cycle time and what are the different ways in the Batch reactor?

Solution: For Batch process, aspen plus provides couple of unit operations in order to facilitate batch process environment. BatchProcess BatchSep In the BatchOp, we have multiple ways to specify the Batch cycle. The options will be available in the specifications tab. Start batch empty. Batch Charge Batch feed time Batch discharge time Down time Choosing the type of parameter depends on the data availability or the appropriate assumptions during the process of Batchop Configuration. Start batch empty option enables the user to define only down time and batch discharge time by assuming batch feed time at the Oth hour. Initially, the unit operation would be empty and exception for pad gas if the option to use it is specified. Batch charge option enables the user to specify the initial quantity either in moles or mass. Users must note that this parameter is batch charge upon the batch charge stream’s flowrate. Batch feed time let users to add the batch charge for the accumulation. It is to be noted that this parameter is as same as the batch feed times the batch charge stream’s flowrate. In this, batch down time and batch discharge time are available. Key words Batchcycle time, Batch process, Aspen Plus Keywords: None References: https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000084096

Problem Statement: Which AspenTech folders should be given exception for an Antivirus Software?

Solution: We recommend to give exception to all the below folders to allow AspenTech application as Antivirus software can falsely block AspenTech software. Antivirus software scanning AspenTech application can also affect the performance of our application. Exclude executable files and folders in following AspenTech directories: the machines where Aspen ENG products are installed C:\Program Files(x86)\AspenTech\ C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\AspenTech Shared\ C:\Program Files\AspenTech\ C:\Program Files \Common Files\AspenTech Shared\ C:\Program Data\AspenTech\ C:\Users\Public\Documents\AspenTech C:\Users\All Users\AspenTech C:\ProgramData\SafeNetSentinel\Sentinel RMS Development Kit\System the machines where the License server installed C:\Program Files\Common Files\SafeNet Sentinel\ C:\Windows\SysWOW64\servdat.slm Keywords: Antivirus Firewall Exception Exclusion Exclude Security software References: AspenTech Security Notifications Email List What network security settings are required to access AspenTech web content or receive email from AspenTech?

Problem Statement: Is it possible to model Vinyle Acetate ( VAC) monomer production in Aspen Plus?

Solution: The attached example is a model of a process for the production of vinyl acetate from its raw materials acetic acid and ethylene. The model provides an example of how to model the different areas starting from set of components and physical property parameters. The model is not intended for equipment design or for specifying other engineering documents without further review by a process engineer with experience of VAC processes. The model includes: A nominal set of chemical species and property parameters for this process. Typical process areas including: preheating, VAC reactions, CO2 separation, VAC purification and the main streams connecting these units. Key process control specifications such as pure acetic acid flow rate, ethylene flow rate, and specifications for distillation column. This model is based upon information included in the following paper: Luyben, M; Tyreus. B.; Industrial Design and control study for the Vinyle acetate monomer Process.? Computers Chemical Engng. 1998, 22,867 1. Components and Chemical Reactions: The following components represent the chemical species present in the process: Table 1. Components Used in the VAC Model ID Type Component Name Name CO2 CONV Carbon dioxide CO2 C2H4 CONV Ethylene C2H4 O2 CONV Oxygen O2 ACE CONV Acetic Acid C2H4O2-1 VAC CONV Vinyl Acetate C4H6O2-1 WATER CONV WATER H2O There are seven components in the VAC process. Ethylene ( C2H4), pure oxygen ( O2) and acetic acid (ACE) are converted into the vinyl acetate ( Vac). Carbon dioxide and water were produced as by products. The reactions modeled are: C2H4 + ACE+1/2O2 ---> VAC + Water 25% conversion of C2H4 C2H4 + 3O2 ---> 2CO2 + 2 WATER 5% conversion of C2H4 This model assumes fixed fractional conversions for each reaction. A more detailed model could model the reaction kinetics. This would require fitting of kinetic parameters to experimental data. 2. Process Description This process model includes the following units: Table 2. General Unit Operations Used in the VAC Process Unit Purpose Preheater Feed preheated to a certain temperature before feeding into the reactor Simplified simulation with stoichiometric reactions CO2 Separation By product CO2 removal from then process VAC purification Purify VAC ACE recycle Unconverted acetic acid was recycled back to the reactor 3. Physical Properties The WILS-LR property method has been used in vapor liquid thermodynamic calculations. It involves: a) The Wilson activity coefficient model for the liquid phase b) The ideal gas equation of state for the vapor phase, c) Enthalpies with liquid as reference state for all components d) The Rackett model for liquid molar volume and e) Henry's law for supercritical components 4. Simulation Approach Unit Operations - Major unit operations in this model have been represented by Aspen Plus blocks as shown in Table 3. Table 3. Aspen Plus Unit Operation Blocks Used in the VAC Model Unit Operation ASPEN-PLUS Block Comments / Specifications preheating HEATER Feed was preheating before feeding into the reactor using simple preheating block VAC productions RSTOIC Simplified simulations with stoichiometric reactions. CO2 separations SEP2 Simplified operations demonstrated the need to separate CO2 from the process. More rigorous adsorption based model need to be developed VAC Purification RadFrac Rigorous multi-stage distillation model. 20 theoretical stages. VAC/ACE separation Decanter 3 phase decantation Streams - Streams represent the material and energy flows in and out of the process. Streams can be of three types: Material, Heat, and Work. 5. Simulation Results The Aspen Plus simulation flowsheet is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. VAC Flowsheet in Aspen Plus Key simulation results are presented in Table 5. Table 5. Key Simulation Results Plant capacity (VAC) 10950 kmol/day Acetic Acid feed 11760 kmol/day Ethylene feed 21360 kmol/day Oxygen feed 12562 kmol/day Product VAC purity 0.86 Mole fraction 6. Conclusion The VAC model provides a useful description of the process. The model demonstrates the use of various unit operations as a guide for understanding the process and the economics. It is a starting point for more sophisticated models for plant design and specifying process equipment. Keywords: VAC, Ethylene, monomer, Wilson-LR References: None

Problem Statement: What is the difference in between the Evaluation process of Aspen Plus User-Defined Components?

Solution: Aspen Plus provides an option in Components to define the custom (user-defined) components, in order to develop components which were not present in the current available databanks. During this process of creating components, user can find couple of options. Evaluate using NIST TDE Estimate using Aspen Property Estimation system. While Evaluating the User-Defined Component, you can use both the options to create custom components. However, there is a slight difference when it comes to accuracy. When you click on Evaluate using NIST TDE, it will evaluate based on National Institute of Standards and Technology database only. But if you select the 2nd option Estimate using Aspen Property Estimation system, Aspen property estimation system is based on the following. Molar volume data vapor pressure data Extended Antonie vapor pressure coefficients Ideal gas heat capacity data Ideal gas heat capacity polynomial coefficients The more data you will give as an input, the more accurate the component will generate as the output. For more accuracy, the following property data also helps in user-defined component. Molecular weight Normal Boiling Point Specific gravity at 60 deg F Ideal gas Enthalpy of formation Ideal gas Gibbs energy of formation Keywords: NIST, Aspen Plus Properties, User defined components References: https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000055648 https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000084089

Problem Statement: What are the differences between Tables UPOOL and VPOOL?

Solution: In our Refinery PIMS model, we might sometimes use the tables UPOOL and VPOOL for creating different types of Pooling structures. This article outlines the different usages of both the tables. 1) Table UPOOL: LP Modelers generally make use of Table UPOOL to set up a quick User Defined Pooling / Shorthand Pooling structure. Let us consider an example of setting up a Pool for different Naphtha streams which are ultimately going to be fed to a Reformer Unit. You may want to setup this Pooling structure as this might be the actual Design setup in your refinery. In this case we will have to setup the following UPOOL table: PIMS will now setup the matrix structure for the above setup similar to that of a Pooling type of submodel, wherein, a Recursed Pool – RFD consisting of the components – MT1, DCT and HCH will be setup: The above structure shows that the properties NPA and SPG are being recursed for the pool RFD. This can also be verified in the Validation Summary or FullSolution Report: 2) Table VPOOL: On the other hand, Table VPOOL is setup when Modelers want to achieve virtual pooling. Virtual pools are compositional pools of real streams in the model that travel together (as if in a pipe) to common destinations. Let us consider an example of two Process streams – LCN and ALK which are traveling together to form different blends – URG and UPR. If we want to achieve the same composition of both the streams to URG and UPR, then, we can proceed to setup the following VPOOL table: Based on the above input table, the following matrix structures will be triggered by PIMS: The above structure denotes that Aspen PIMS automatically creates table Svpl to recurse on the pool composition. This will be added to the internal submodel list (but not to the model tree). In addition to this, PIMS also automatically builds a special submodel table Sxxx for each blended product XXX receiving VP1 as blending pool – this is created to maintain the ratio of the pool members to the blend XXX. This can also be verified in the Validation Summary: In conclusion, both the tables are used for creating Pooling structures, however, the modeling requirements that call for these structures are different. If you would like to learn further, you may also refer Weight Sample AspenTech PIMS Sample Refinery model. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: How can we blend one Gasoline Blend into another Gasoline Blend in Aspen PIMS?

Solution: In our refinery operations, there are instances where blending one gasoline/diesel blend into another blend (known as cascaded blending) becomes necessary due to real-time factors. This knowledge base article outlines the table setup needed in the Aspen PIMS model. For illustration, consider the following design requirement involving two gasoline blends, URG and UPR: This can be achieved in Aspen PIMS by following the below mentioned steps: 1) We first need to declare both the blends – URG and UPR as Specification blends in Table BLENDS: 2) Secondly, we need to mention the components / Blend stocks of both the blends in Table BLNMIX: 3) We can now give the specifications for both the blends in Table BLNSPEC: Keep in mind that both the blends must have similar specs though different limits, otherwise, can lead to potential infeasibility. 4) Lastly, we need to provide initial estimates for all specs of URG identified in Table BLNSPEC in Table PGUESS: This is done because properties of URG must be visible to spec blending rows for UPR, PGUESS entry forces URG properties to be recursed. We can then provide the necessary constraints and price in Table SELL as per our Business requirements. Once we execute the Model, we can notice that URG is now blended into UPR: The PIMS model with this type of modeling is attached along with the KB article for your further reference. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: How to simulate special baffle (partial baffle or ear baffle) for the vibration analysis in Shell and Tube heat exchanger?

Solution: In Aspen Shell and Tube exchanger rating and design, there is no direct option to select partial baffle or ear baffle. EDR is not capable of these baffles for vibration analysis. However, as a workaround, we have special inlet nozzle support option available in EDR for vibration analysis as depicted in the following image: Exchanger Geometry | Baffles/Supports | Tube Support | Special inlet nozzle support – Select Yes The special inlet nozzle support provides additional support to the tubes nearest to the inlet nozzle. It only affects Vibration: Natural Frequency. This is a special support applied only to the first tube row after the inlet nozzle. Unlike Intermediate Supports, this support can be applied for either Tubes in Window or no Tubes in Window bundles. Similar to intermediate supports, it is assumed that the support does not affect fluid flow. User should enter a sensible Distance to Shell Side Nozzle (at inlet) to locate the support. It is to be noted that for some exchangers, the inlet nozzle may be furthest from the front head. The support is positioned along the first tube row after the inlet nozzle, on the center-line of the nozzle. It is common to have the support attached to an Impingement Plate. From Vibration: Entry conditions, this location can suffer from specific vibration problems. This item may help to reduce or remove vibration problems in the inlet area. Keywords: Special nozzle, tube, support, partial baffle, ear baffle References: None

Problem Statement: Detailed description of vulnerability CVE-2023-44487 as advised on the https://nvd.nist.gov/ website: The HTTP/2 protocol allows a denial of service (server resource consumption) because request cancellation can reset many streams quickly, as exploited in the wild in August through October 2023. This article describes AspenTech response to vulnerability CVE-2023-445487.

Solution: CVE-2023-445487, AKA the Rapid Reset vulnerability is described as: The HTTP/2 protocol allows a denial of service (server resource consumption) because request cancellation can reset many streams quickly, as exploited in the wild in August through October 2023. To protect against vulnerability, concerned customers can disable HTTP/2 protocol. Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) HTTPS can be disabled for Default Web Sites supporting HTTPS from the Edit Site Binding such as below. (Earlier Windows Servers may not support this dialog setting. For earlier Windows Servers, the user should check with Microsoft documentation). Note: At this time, IIS only supports HTTP2 for HTTPS. Apache Tomcat The Aspen deploymemnt of Tomcat 9 is not configured to support HTTP2. To have enabled HTTP2, the HTTP Connector would require configuration of an Upgrade Protocol implementation such as org.apache.coyote.http2.Http2Protocol' in the HTTP Connector. If unknown modifications have been made to the deployed Tomcat configuration, customer can confirm HTTP2 is not supported by verifying there is no UpgradeProtocol (e.g <UpgradeProtocol className=org.apache.coyote.http2.Http2Protocol/>) in the Tomcat's conf/server.xml configuration file. Keywords: Vulnerability Security CVE-2023-44487 IIS HTTP HTTPS HTTP/2 References: None

Problem Statement: What is the difference in between Sensitivity Analysis and Design Spec

Solution: Design specifications and sensitivity analyses are various features used in various use cases. They both are part of manipulators in Aspen Plus and they can be available in model palette and navigation pane. Both options can be hidden and displayed on the flowsheet. Design Specification: The design specifications are used to attain a desired output by setting targets on key process parameters. This option can be found in Flow sheeting options and model palette. This function is based on targeted constraints, is used to lead the simulation path towards a specific condition during the optimization phase. This function is an object driven, it could include reaching product purity, increasing yield, or meeting regulatory constraints. Example: You can utilize a design specification to setup a target for the conversion rate in a reactor or you can give the desired purity of a product stream. This feature is implemented to ensure that the process satisfies specific requirements. Sensitivity Analysis: Sensitivity analysis is used to assess the impact of variations in input parameters on output variables or key performance indicators. It let us understand how the modifications in certain factors influence the process in overall picture. This option can be found in the Model analysis tools and model palette This analysis is often used while the design and optimization stages to recognize the critical parameters and assess the robustness of the process. Example: You can perform a sensitivity analysis to know how changes in the composition of the feed, temperature, or pressure affect the yield or selectivity of a specific product. Sensitivity analysis is implemented to involve systematically changing input parameters and observing the resulting changes in output variables. In summary, design specifications are employed to set specific targets or constraints, leading the simulation towards a desired outcome. Sensitivity analysis, on the other hand, is a broader tool used to explore the sensitivity of the process to changes in input parameters, helping to identify influential factors and assess the overall robustness of the system. Both tools are valuable in the process simulation and optimization workflow, each serving a distinct purpose in achieving the desired process performance. Keywords: Sensitivity Analysis, Design Specifications, Aspen Plus Manipulators References: s 1. https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000055515 2. https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000056792

Problem Statement: Quick Template to check the Freezing point for the

Solution: s using Sensitivity Analysis in Aspen Plus Solution This is a quick template to check the Freezing point for theSolutions using Sensitivity Analysis in Aspen Plus. The temperature point where the liquid changes its phase from liquid to solid at certain pressure (Atmospheric Pressure) is called as Freezing point or Solidification point. In this Template, Benzene, EthylBenzene and 1,4-DiethylBenzene components were taken in Peng robin son fluid package. A simple heater is utilized for cooling purpose and sensitivity analysis is done among the parameters. Liquid Phase is a determining factor, where it is a liquid or solid. User can customize according to the requirement. Inputs were taken at the atmospheric pressure. Sensitivity inputs would change according to the requirement. Keywords: Freezing Point, Condensate point, Sensitivity Analysis Template References: https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000082885

Problem Statement: What are the process template functions in Aspen HYSYS?

Solution: Process templates functions in Aspen HYSYS are: Allow for the implementation of sub-flowsheets and template files into a given HYSYS simulation Can build from a blank sub-flowsheet for modularized construction of a process model Open template files or import flowsheet files (.hfl) to incorporate other process models Can have a distinct Fluid Package, different from parent flowsheet Define Fluid Packages and assignments in the from Fluid Package Associations button on the Home tab Make sure transfer basis between flowsheets is reasonable Keywords: Process, Template, Aspen HYSYS References: None

Problem Statement: What is the LNG Exchanger functions in Aspen HYSYS?

Solution: LNG Exchanger can be used to represent heat transfer between multiple hot and cold streams Allows for application of different Fluid Packages to the various sides of the exchanger Overall material and energy balance is assured, but exchanger geometry is not accounted for Outlet specifications can be specified for the streams to fulfill the degrees of freedom Or choose to define other heat transfer conditions like minimum approach temperature and UA Can be integrated with Aspen Plate-Fin Exchanger for rigorous modeling of wound-coil heat exchanger equipment Keywords: LNG, Exchanger, Aspen HYSYS References: None

Problem Statement: What is the piping-specific unit operations available in Aspen Hydraulics?

Solution: The piping-specific unit operations in Aspen Hydraulics are: - Pipe Segment - Complex Pipe Segment - Tee Junction Mixer - Tee Junction Splitter - Various Fittings Keywords: Hydraulics, Piping, Aspen HYSYS References: None

Problem Statement: What are the hydrates structures in Aspen HYSYS?

Solution: Structure I Hydrate Can hold only small gas molecules such as CO2, methane and ethane inside the lattice Structure II Hydrate Hold intermediate sized gas molecules such as N2 and O2 as well as hydrocarbons such as propane and iso-butane Structure H Hydrate Require two different types of molecules Large species such as 2-methylbutane and cyclo-octane and light gases such as H2S, methane and ethane Keywords: Hydrates, Structure, Aspen HYSYS References: None

Problem Statement: How many approach available for saturating a dry gas with water in Aspen HYSYS?

Solution: There are two approaches: Manually mixing the dry gas with sufficient water using a Mixer or Balance operation, separating out the excess liquids, then tuning with an Adjust operation Using the Saturate unit operation extension to automatically saturate the gas stream with water For the Manual Saturation Approach: Add a stream of 100% water with a flow rate of approximately 1% of the inlet gas stream flow rate Mix the gas and water streams using a Mixer or Balance (Component Mole Flow) operation Specify the temperature and pressure for the combined stream (if using a Balance) Feed the two phase mixture to a Separator Use an Adjust operation to manipulate the flow rate of inlet water until the liquid flow from the Separator is a small non-zero value The vapor stream leaving the Separator is now saturated with water For using the Stream Saturator Unit Operation: Add to the flowsheet like any other unit operation from the Model Palette Requirements for use: Attach streams for inlet gas, outlet saturate gas, and a pure water stream Ensure water is included component list Keywords: Saturation, Dry Gas, Aspen HYSYS References: None

Problem Statement: How many column options in Aspen HYSYS?

Solution: In Aspen HYSYS, there are: Six standard templates: Distillation Column Refluxed Absorber Absorber Reboiled Absorber Three phase distillation column Liquid-liquid extraction Short Distillation Column Use for simplified calculation Customer Column Template Build a customized Column Keywords: Column, Distillation, Aspen HYSYS References: None

Problem Statement: How to get rid of the following error message “Please insert the desk: 1” while installing the ENG package?

Solution: Please insert the disk: 1 means the existing iso file has been corrupted or it might be blocked. In order to get rid of the following message: Our suggestion for you: 1-) Please re-download ENG iso media from esupport.aspentech.com on your desktop. After you complete downloading the media, please right-click the media folder and select “Properties” and uncheck “Unblock” security option. Then, press “Apply” and finally “Ok”. Once done, please start the installation. Keywords: SLM, Installation, Desk References: None

Problem Statement: Clickjacking, also known as a “UI redress attack”, is when an attacker uses multiple transparent or opaque layers to trick a user into clicking on a button or link on another page when they were intending to click on the top-level page. Thus, the attacker is “hijacking” clicks meant for their page and routing them to another page, most likely owned by another application, domain, or both. Using a similar technique, keystrokes can also be hijacked. With a carefully crafted combination of stylesheets, iframes, and text boxes, a user can be led to believe they are typing in the password to their email or bank account but are instead typing into an invisible frame controlled by the attacker.

Solution: Aspen Unified supports iframe by design, but to avoid Clickjacking attacks you may add a mitigation in IIS settings by adding X-Frame-Options header to responses with the “SAMEORIGIN” option value. Steps for adding header: Select Start, select Administrative Tools, and then select Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. In the connections pane, expand the node for the server, and then expand Sites. Select the web site where you want to add the custom HTTP response header. In the web site pane, double-click HTTP Response Headers in the IIS section. In the actions pane, select Add. In the Name box, type X-Frame-Options. In the Value box, type SAMEORIGIN. Select OK. Keywords: Aspen Unified Clickjacking Iframe References: s https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/Clickjacking_Defense_Cheat_Sheet.html https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers/Content-Security-Policy/frame-ancestors

Problem Statement: On Aspen Unified Scheduling V14 CP1 or below, the events strategy table in the results database was flawed in that it did not allow a strategy with duplicate assets, for example a fixed series strategy where tanks are repeated. Additionally, the table also did not specify the sequence of assets in the strategy. In CP2 the issue was fixed, however the new schema conflicts with existing data.

Solution: If you want to upgrade Aspen Unified to CP2 and you have an active AUSResults DB which is used for Aspen Unified Scheduling (not an AUPResults DB, which is used for Aspen Unified PIMS), please open SQL Server Management Studio and expand your AUSResults DB, then expand tables, right-click aus.EventsStrategy table and click on Select Top 1000 Rows. And write the next query, SELECT TOP (1000) FROM [AUSResults].[aus].[EventsStrategy] This will empty the table, but not erase it. You may have more than 1000 rows to delete so rerun the query with the appropriate number of records to delete. The table must be empty before you install the CP2. Once you complete this step, you will be able to install CP2 and update the AUSResults DB via the Aspen Unified Configuration Manager. If you did not delete the EventsStrategy table and you update to CP2, when trying to update the AUSResults DB, you will get the next error: Failed to apply database migrations: The CREATE UNIQUE INDEX statement terminated because a duplicate key was found for the object name aus.EventsStrategy and the index name 'PK_EventsStrategy. The duplicate key value is (1, 64c7f6dde98ca6f01900dfcf, 0, 1). Could not create constraint or index. See previous errors. The statement has been terminated. If so, please create a new AUSResults DB and drop the old one. If it is not possible, contact esupport@aspentech.com. Keywords: AUS, Aspen Unified Scheduling, AUSResults DB, error, update, CP2, V14, PK_EventsStrategy, 1, 64c7f6dde98ca6f01900dfcf, 0, 1. References: None

Problem Statement: This article described the steps that can be taken to revert the collinearity fix of a Master Model

Solution: On the following example, we have a Master Model that has a Collinearity Fixed implemented. The following tables will show the differences between a Master Model with and without Collinearity. AI-2020 AI-2021 AI-2022 FIC-2001SP -0.412672 -0.237160832 0.131835 FIC-2002SP 0.00547831 0.36489 -0.168775 FIC-2004SP -0.465937 -0.267772 0.148851399 AI-2020 AI-2021 AI-2022 FIC-2001SP -0.436086 -0.251996 0.141995 FIC-2002SP 0.00547831 0.36489 -0.168775 FIC-2004SP -0.436086 -0.251996 0.141995 Unfortunately, there is not a direct way to un-done the collinearity. However, there is a way to revert the changes. The main thing about the collinearity fix is that the changes get implemented as a rotation of the gains. This rotation of the gain be implemented and edited from the Curve operations feature. On the model show above a collinearity fix has been implemented. In this case we will follow the next steps to revert some of the changes. 1.- Select a Curve from the Master Model , do right click and Select Curve Operations 2.- Once the Curve Operation Panel is open you will observer that there is to Operations. Keywords: DMC3 Builder, Collinearity, Master Model References: and Rotate. The Reference operation is the original Master Model. The Rotate operation is the Collinearity fix that has been implemented. 3.- On the panel select the Rotate operation and Delete it. You will notice that by selecting the Rotate operation a Gain value will be display, changing this value will not fix the problem unless you use the original value. Once the reference is done click OK. By doing this you will see the original Gain of the Model This approach will solve the problem of revert collinearity. Unfortunately, the approach cannot be applied to the full model at once, the fix has to be apply on every curve of the Master Model that has a Collinearity fix implemented.

Problem Statement: This article described what are the recommended steps to address connection problems from DMC3 when it shows error 10053

Solution: Error 10053 can be related to different causes on the Server. One problem that seems to be consistent on DMC3 could be relating to the packages of information that CIMIO send from the Online Server. The problem can be addressed in different scenarios: 1.- The communication does not happen on DMC3 multi–Test Connection but is successful with one tag on Test API. In this case, if the server can respond with one tag. This could indicate that communication is ok on both sides, and both sever can talk to each other. Nevertheless, can only process a couple of tags in every request. 2.- The communication works both on DMC3 and Test API, but on DMC3 there are intermittent and sometimes Test API fails. In this case sometimes Test Connection is successful in some cases and fails in some cases. The network may not be as loaded by still present problem. In both cases most likely the problem can be related to the loading of the network. In the case of DMC3 some parameters can be adjusted to work with this problem. If you open the Configure Online Server application and select the IO tab. You will see the list of IO Sources that could be used to connect the controller. If you select one of them and click on edit it will bring all parameters that can be adjusted for the communication: Normally adjusting the Timeout parameter can give time to all connection be successful. We normally suggest a value of 30 to 45 as we have seen these values work for most systems. Also, if your system may require you can increase the frequency parameter to 5 or 10 seconds. They will trigger a cache file well the information can be read when working Asynchronously. Another important parameter is the List size, this will control the CIMIO package size. For TDC OPC normally a value of 300 works fine. In the case of Yokogawa 400 would be good value. This parameter most likely will be different for every OPC. The number of Clients. A good number of clients to work is always 1. This will also prevent on overloading of information from the DMC3 side. The next picture will show a good configuration for a Yokowaga system. Keywords: DMC3, OPC, CIMIO References: None

Problem Statement: How to disable or enable automatic name generation for block or stream in utilities planner?

Solution: In Aspen Utilities planner, you can enable or disable automatic name generation for blocks or streams. To access this option, follow the below steps: Select Tools | Settings | Check or uncheck the automatic name generation option for Blocks and Streams | Click OK or Apply Keywords: Name, Block, Stream, Tools References: None

Problem Statement: What will happen when we assign Initial as the variable specification in Aspen Utilities Planner?

Solution: In Aspen Utilities planner, you can assign a specification to a variable either when you declare it, or after its declaration. Parameters do not have specifications, as their values are always known. You can also specify a value for a variable or parameter when you declare it or afterward. There are three options for variable specifications: Free: A variable whose value is being solved for. If you do not specify a value, Free is assumed. Fixed: A variable whose value is not being solved for Initial: A variable whose value is known and fixed at time zero for an initialization or dynamic run. This option is not recommended to use. Even if we assign spec as initial, the variable will behave as a free variable. Keywords: Spec assignment, initial, free, fixed, variable, parameter References: None

Problem Statement: How to add a water stream in Aspen Utilities Planner V14.0?

Solution: In Aspen Utilities planner, there are different types of streams available. (Air Stream, Steam Stream, Fuel Stream etc.). Steam stream is used to represent both steam and water. Steam is the gaseous form of water. Steam is chemically the same as water. Steam differs from liquid water because it has more energy than water, and also increases in volume. Hence, in Aspen Utilities model liquid steam is considered as water. Keywords: Steam, Stream, Model, Utilities References: None

Problem Statement: What is the significance of Area column while entering the demand and availability profile in Aspen Utilities Planner V14.0?

Solution: In Aspen Utilities planner, we can use the Profiles Editor option to enter data for utility demands and equipment availability. Profile data is grouped in cases. Each case contains an equipment Availability profile, a utility Demand profile, and a period set. A period set contains any number of periods, each with its own start and end time. In general, the Demand profile shows the demand for utilities external to the utility system flowsheet, from the process units. Demands are usually linked to feed or demand blocks in the flowsheet. The Availability profile shows availability and constraints on equipment modelled in the flowsheet. Data for demands and availabilities are entered in the form of a range – Min and Max. If the value is fixed, enter the same value for the minimum and maximum. Area column is only used for documentation purpose and we must enter something in the area column in order to run the optimization without any error. For instance, we can simply enter the word “Area” in the column to keep the column occupied. If we leave the column empty, system will generate some bugs. It will stop optimization. Keywords: Demand, Availability, Periods, Utility, Planner, Area References: None

Problem Statement: This

Solution: outlines how to perform a clean restart of an Aspen Cim-IO Interface with Store and Forward enabled. Solution The following are general guidelines for stopping and starting an Aspen Cim-IO Interface with Store and Forward enabled. The exact procedures may vary depending on the version of the Cim-IO, the interface type and configuration. Here we assume all the tags are being updated by Cim-IO client tasks running on the Aspen InfoPlus.21 server and are connected to a single Cim-IO server hosting a single Cim-IO Interface. You can extend this for your own particular requirements (multiple logical devices and multiple Cim-IO servers etc). SHUTDOWN THE ASPEN CIM-IO CLIENT AND SERVER CLIENT: Set IO_RECORD_PROCESSING=OFF for the IO Transfer records. Examples of IO Transfer record types can be seen in this linked article: Is it better to have a lot of small IoGetDef records or fewer large IoGetDef records? Stop the Aspen Cim-IO client tasks using the Aspen InfoPlus.21 Manager. The specific name of the client tasks will differ due to configuration. They are usually named according to the device TSK_x_device. Where x can be M for Main tasks, A for Asynchronous tasks, or U for Unsolicited tasks. Example: TSK_A_CIMIO_1, TSK_M_CIMIO_1, TSK_U_CIMIO_1 Rename the CIMIO_MSG.LOG files in the .\CIM-IO\log directory (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\AspenTech\CIM-IO\log). A new CIMIO_MSG.LOG will be created after this point containing only new (relevant) messages. SERVER: Shutdown the Aspen Cim-IO Interface server: This procedure can vary depending on the configuration. In most cases Aspen Cim-IO is configured to start / stop as a service. In this case stop the Aspen Cim-IO Manager service in services.msc, along with any additional Aspen Cim-IO Interface services if present. If using the Aspen Cim-IO Interface Manager, this can be done by right-clicking on the green circle next to the interface name and selecting “Stop”. Make sure all the Aspen Cim-IO processes have stopped. When problems exist with Aspen Cim-IO, it is possible for some Aspen Cim-IO processes to remain running after Aspen Cim-IO service(s) has been shut down. These processes may be hung or unresponsive. At this point, any running Aspen Cim-IO or asyncdlgp process should be killed manually using Task Manager. Go to the .\Cim-IO\IO directory (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\AspenTech\CIM-IO\io) and delete the Aspen Cim-IO list and lock files. Updated versions of these files will be regenerated when the transfer record is re-activated in a subsequent step. Example filenames: CIMIO_SCAN_LIST.I_OPC_1, CIMIO_STORE_LIST.I_OPC_1, CIMIO_UNSOL_LIST.I_OPC_1 *Note: If the store file or folders mentioned here contain any data then deleting them will result in loss of data. For Cim-IO Interfaces version up to V10.1, delete (or move) the Aspen Cim-IO Store file (the Cim-IO Store file could be recovered by using the approach described in this linked article: How to recover an Aspen Cim-IO Store file that will not forward by standard forwarding processes). The file is located in the .\Cim-IO\IO folder or another location specified in the Interface configuration. Example filename: CIMIO_STORE_MES.TSK_A_CIMIO_1_200 For Cim-IO Interfaces version V11.0 and above, delete (or move) the Store Queue folders (note, the ability to recover data from these folders was only available since V12.2 (also with V12.0 ECR) - see General Data Recovery with the RECOVER Utility section in the Aspen Cim-IO User's Guide). These can be found as sub-folders of .\Cim-IO\IO folder and also in another location specified in the Interface configuration. The folder names will either have a reference to the name of the logical device or the Interface and it is best to sort the folders by date modified order in File Explorer given that all these folders would have likely been modified relatively recently - compared to install date). Example folder names where logical device is named CIMIO_1, Interface named I_OPC_1: CIMIO_STORE_MES.TSK_A_CIMIO_1_200, I_OPC_1 Rename the CIMIO_MSG.LOG files in the .\CIM-IO\log directory (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\AspenTech\CIM-IO\log). A new CIMIO_MSG.LOG will be created after this point containing only new (relevant) messages. RESTART THE ASPEN CIM-IO SERVER AND CLIENT SERVER: Start the Aspen Cim-IO Interface server: This procedure can vary depending on the configuration. In most cases Aspen Cim-IO is configured to start / stop as a service. In this case start the Aspen Cim-IO Manager service in services.msc, along with any additional Aspen Cim-IO Interface Service (if present). If using the Aspen Cim-IO Interface Manager, this can be done by right-clicking on the green circle next to the interface name and selecting “Start”. Look in the CIMIO_MSG.LOG for the Interface and Store & Forward startup messages. CLIENT: Start the Aspen Cim-IO client tasks using the Aspen InfoPlus.21 Manager. Set IO_RECORD_PROCESSING=ON for the same IO Transfer records you switched off earlier. Note, you can use SQLplus to update these fields and the knowledge base has an example of doing so which you could customize for your own requirements, see this linked article: How do I stagger the scheduling of asynchronous get records with the same frequency evenly throughout the scanning period? At this point new Aspen Cim-IO scanlist files would have been created on the server. During this initial period the records may scan slow while the interface is rebuilding the scanlist files on the server. Additionally, the new scanlist files will contain a tag list corresponding to all tags present in the newly activated transfer records. Verify that the IO Transfer records start scanning at the specified frequency. Look for current data in the data records. After a clean startup, your records should all start scanning normally. At this point it may be a good idea to test Store and Forward by following instruction in this linked article: How to test Aspen Cim-IO Store and Forward Keywords: wait for async This article is referenced in many articles simply as 103176 or 103176-2 References: None

Problem Statement: This article described what are the Deployment Model Options on DMC3 Builder.

Solution: The different Model Options on the Deployment node of DMC3 Builder is a new feature that was included starting from V12.1. The main reason of having this deployment option is to decrease the size of the file when a snapshot of the controller is taken as well as reduce the memory used for DMC3 Builder when the Controller applications are deployed. This could be helpful to avoid further memory issues on the server, if the deployment is happening directly on the Online Server. The three supported options are: Retain no Case Models Retain only Case Models referenced in the Master Model Retain all Case models (Requires loading all models into memory) Retain no Case Models – it allows to deploy the Master Model without saving any results from Model ID. The Cases of the Controller will still appear on the application but they will appear as if they havent been run. Retain only Case Models referenced in the Master Model – this option will keep only cases that we used to built the Master Model, the rest of Cases will be deleted. Show model ID results but only the one that was used to update master model. Retain All Cases – this option will keep All cases saved, regardless were used on the Master Model or Not (full project snapshot). This is the Classic DMC3 Deployment. This is the option that will consume more memory. Keywords: DMC3, Deployment, Models References: None

Problem Statement: How to check if there is idle user connection on the server Versions 2006.5 CP3, V7.1 CP1 and higher

Solution: Idle Users Timeout Some customers found that after ending all Aspen Basic Engineering sessions, the Administration tool showed that users were still connected - therefore the licenses were not being freed. At 2006.5 CP3 we have implemented an idle session timeout capability which checks for idle users on a workspace and shuts them down, freeing the license. This capability is deactivated by default, and may be activated by updating the following parameters in Workspace.cfg or *LibrarySet.cfg: ServerMonitor::IdleTimeout The time (in minutes) that a session can be idle before it is closed by the Server Monitor. A value of zero means that sessions will not be disconnected. Default = 0 minutes. ServerMonitor::Interval The frequency (in minutes) that the server will execute monitoring activities, such as checking for idle sessions. Default = 0 minutes. We have also enhanced journaling capabilities to help diagnose issues related to session connections and disconnections TraceLevel::Connections (None/Normal/High/Low) Outputs trace associates with session connections and disconnections. This will control the extra session logging. New information printed only on High. The default is Normal. Example change to StandardLibrariySet.cfg ServerMonitor::Interval = 10 ServerMonitor::IdleTimeout = 30 This would check every 10 minutes and end sessions which have been idle for 30 minutes. Keywords: Administration Session References: None

Problem Statement: Is it possible to model an oil shale retorting process in Aspen Plus?

Solution: Attached is an example of a model for a fluidized-bed oil shale retorting process. It is intended to: Provide an example of how to model the various areas of this process Supply a starting set of components and physical property parameters for modeling oil shale retorting processes This model is not intended for equipment design or for specifying other engineering documents without further review by a process engineer with experience of oil shale retorting processes. This model is based on the 1986 Department of Energy (DOE) report on oil shale retort/combustion process prepared by Ammer. The DOE report covers the development of an Aspen Plus model for the fluidized-bed retort/combustion of an eastern oil shale. In the DOE report, Ammer also identified the data needs and created a simple structure for a further, more definitive model. This model uses Ammer's input data as a simulation basis to generate the preliminary results. This model includes: A nominal set of chemical species and property parameters for this process Typical process areas including oil shale preheating, oil shale retorting, spent shale combustion, separation for product oil and gas, and main streams connecting these units Reaction kinetics of oil shale retorting Key process control specifications such as recycled spent shale flow rate, spent shale combustor temperature, and stoichiometric coefficients for the spent shale combustion reaction The attached example file attached will run in V11 and higher. This example is also shipped with Aspen Plus , and the most recent version can be found in the following directory of the Aspen Plus installation: C:\Program Files\AspenTech\Aspen Plus Vx.x\GUI\Examples\Energy\Oil Shale Aspen_Plus_Model_for_Oil_Shale_Retorting.apwz is a compound file containing these five files: Aspen_Plus_Model_for_Oil_Shale_Retorting.bkp Aspen_Plus_Model_for_Oil_Shale_Retorting.pdf PYROLKIN.f USRPYROL.dll USRPYROL.opt Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: What is included in the Aspen In Plant Cost Estimator cost base?

Solution: The Basis for Capital Costs includes: Units of measure customization. General mechanical design rules for equipment, piping (general, material and custom), civil, steel, instrumentation, electrical, insulation and paint. Project costs for field supervision, domestic freight, taxes, permits, engineering, construction overhead, fees and contingency. Workforce wage rates (globally and by craft), productivities, workweek, overtime, crew mixes, and craft names. Code of account (COA) re-definitions, additions, and allocations. Indexing of material costs and man-hours by COA. Construction equipment rental items, rates, and durations. Indirect costs. Keywords: Cost Base, Capital Cost References: None

Problem Statement: How do I find the Cost Basis in Aspen Process Economic Analyzer (APEA) V14?

Solution: To find the Cost Base with which APEA works in V14. It is necessary to open APEA and look in the Help tab, and then click on Show Cost Basis You will get a table showing the Cost Basis for that version: .KeyWords: Cost Basis, Firs Quarter 2022, Show Cost Basis Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: After performing a migration or an upgrade of the Aspen Watch server, when trying to delete an ACO controller application in Aspen Watch Maker, a message error shows up saying something like “The requested task was not performed. Error writing to IO_PUT_CBPUB_01 63 IO_VALUE_RECORD&FLD: Field is not changeable”, and the controller does not get deleted. This name can change depending on the controller that is pretended to be deleted.

Solution: The error message points to a specific record we need to identify in IP.21. To do this, go to InfoPlus.21 Administrator, and using the ribbons of the top, click on Find > InfoPlus.21 Record, then search for the record as shown in the image below: Then, the status of the IO_RECORD_PROCESSING value must be turned from ON to OFF. When attempting to delete unused controllers, additional records can cause similar problems, so it is necessary to identify them and change the IO_RECORD_PROCESSING value to OFF on each one. After performing this procedure, the controller can now be deleted successfully from the Aspen Watch Maker application. Keywords: Aspen Watch Performance Monitor, InfoPlus.21, Watch Maker References: None

Problem Statement: How to map the equipment that we miss in auto map and size in Economic Analyser tab of Aspen Plus?

Solution: For Economic Analyser, it is important to size the equipment. Sometimes, we miss to do sizing in simulation Environment. This quick work around helps us to do auto sizing for the equipment we missed during simulation in Aspen Plus. For a good practice, always run the model before activating Economic Analyser. After a successful run and ensuring that there are no errors in the results, please activate the analyser. You can see the Analyser is being Active, post running. Navigate to Equipment in the Economics Ribbon. While mapping, make sure that you select the following options for auto sizing. Map the equipment properly and name it and cross check the descriptions. You will see that the Sizing step has a warning message, to finish the evaluation click on the Size button and then Evaluate the project. If you wish to change some equipment specs before evaluating, you can click on View Equipment and modify the desired. Cross check the sizing is done for all the equipment. If not, remap the equipment, do sizing and reevaluate. Evaluation is in progress. You will see the Evaluation is completed and explore the results now. Keywords: Mapping, Economic Analyzer, Auto sizing, Aspen Plus Economic analyser References: None

Problem Statement: When the Windows operating system is upgraded from one version to another (for example, from Windows 10 to Windows 11) it could potentially impact the proper operation of any existing software, including AspenTech's. Does AspenTech support the continued normal operation of its software when the Windows OS is upgraded?

Solution: No, AspenTech recommends the re-installation of its software. Here is the text of a note which is found in the Platform Specifications: AspenTech does not support the in-place upgrade of the Operating System (for example: upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10) with AspenTech software already installed. Our recommendation is to uninstall Aspen Software before upgrading the OS and reinstall it after the upgrade. In addition, the following is a link to where the platform specs may be found. Attached to thisSolution is the V14 AIOT platform specs. The note referenced above can be found on page 5 of the attached document. https://www.aspentech.com/en/platform-support Keywords: Upgrade Windows OS Operating System Over-the-top In-place re-install update References: None

Problem Statement: Unable to start an external task in Aspen InfoPlus.21 Manager with error message similar to below screenshots. The output file (for example screenshot above, the output file is called TSK_U_CIMIO_1.OUT) of the task in question logged the following error message. “EXTSKINI failure. ERRCODE = -26 System error -1 interfacing external task”

Solution: For external task, the checkbox beside External Task need to be ticked. Launch Aspen InfoPlus.21 Manager. Double-click on the task name which is unable to start under the Defined Tasks section. Tick the checkbox beside External Task highlighted in above screenshot. (E.g. TSK_U_CIMIO_1) Click on UPDATE button. Select the task name under Defined Tasks section again. Click on RUN TASK button. Keywords: <Path to executable> exited with error code = 1 Please check task output log and event log. Error while starting <task name References: None

Problem Statement: A critical part of any Aspen InfoPlus.21 upgrade is the snapshot upgrade. Sometimes the snapshot may fail to upgrade successfully from one version to another, and the Upgrade.out file has messages like this: Unable to write ' 939.091' to the field: 'XB_6DI4E01 2 Q_SUBGROUP_VALUE ' ** Invalid key time stamp ** (and the same write error in higher occurrence(s)) How can this problem be resolved?

Solution: There are a couple of potentialSolutions. Option 1 This particular Upgrade Wizard failure can be solved by first running the snapshot through the Wizard for its own version. For example, if upgrading a version 2006 system, and this failure occurs, first upgrade it from 2006 to 2006. This will not fix a corrupt snapshot, but instead resolves inconsistencies in the snapshot. When failures like the above have been seen, once that step is taken, the snapshot file created can then be successfully upgraded to the newer InfoPlus.21 version. Option 2: Reset the repeat area of a tag such as IP_#_OF_TREND_VALUES by turning off IP_ARCHIVING and changing the value of a repeat area such as IP_#_OF_TREND_VALUES to 0, and then to the previous value (typically 2). Turn on IP_ARCHVING again. This will clear the values stored in memory while leaving history already stored on disk unaffected. This process can be applied to alarm history and best fit (BF) history as well. If after applying the above methods the snapshot still cannot be updated, please contact Aspen Support, logging a new incident with a zip file attached containing both the problem snapshot, the Upgrade.out file generated by the Wizard, and a description of the steps taken to that point. Keywords: Invalid key timestamp Invalid key time stamp or level--made occurrence(s) 2-100 of history repeat area: 'XB_6DI4F01 Q_SBGRPS_IN_MEMORY ' undefined Could not move all records and data. ERROR encountered during the upgrade process. References: None

Problem Statement: On the Results | Thermal/Hydraulic Summary | Heat Transfer | Heat Transfer Coefficient Tab, there are two results for the film coefficient for the tube side, Tube Side Bare area (OD) / ID area. It is not clear on the difference between these two values and how are they calculated.

Solution: The overall coefficient for tubes is defined on the basis of the area using the outer diameter (OD) of the tube, following the next equation. Based upon the outside area, then the overall heat transfer coefficient (U) becomes: Where The subscripts o, i and w refer to the outer, inner and wall respectively. The tube side film coefficient referred to tube inner diameter (ID) reports the overall coefficient for tubes base on the area of the tube using the inner diameter. The relation between these two film coefficients is defined as following: Refer to the ID and OD respectively: Since and Then Keywords: Heat Transfer Coefficient Tube Side Bare Thermal Summary References: None

Problem Statement: When modeling a highly non-ideal mixture that forms two liquid phases on some stages using a DSTWU model to get an initial estimate and RadFrac for more rigorous modeling, the results are vastly different between the two models. RadFrac provides a much poorer separation than DSTWU. What is causing the difference in calculations between DSTWU and RadFrac? In another case, DSTWU converges easily to a high purity, but RadFrac fails to achieve this specification.

Solution: DSTWU is a short cut method used to calculate the minimum number of stages or the minimum reflux ratio. It is not recommended for highly non-ideal mixtures. It doesn't do mass balance or energy balance. It assumes that the liquid and vapor flow rates are constant throughout the column and the relative volatility is also constant. Therefore, for non-ideal mixtures, the results from DSTWU might be off by a lot. Also, since DSTWU is a shortcut model and does not use rigorous stage by stage equations, it can achieve separation across distillation boundaries created by azeotropes, which is impossible. RadFrac uses rigorous methods to calculate mass balance, energy balance and vapor-liquid equilibrium. RadFrac will not cross distillation boundaries and may never achieve some purities no matter how many stages the column has. The results from RadFrac are much more reliable, especially when the mixture to be separated is highly non-ideal. Keywords: None References: : DSTWU is a shortcut model and doesn't use rigorous stage by stage equations. It can achieve separation across distillation boundaries, which is impossible. Reference: VSTS 976701

Problem Statement: How to see the assay created in the feeder block in Aspen HYSYS?

Solution: The Feeder block will only display the assays that use the same Fluid Package that the feeder itself is using. So if the assay uses a different fluid package than the rest assays, you won't be able to see it. You would need to either change the fluid package of the assay, or change the fluid package for the block. In the following image you can see where you can change the fluid package for the block. Keywords: Aspen HYSYS, Feed Block, Fluid Package References: None

Problem Statement: How to resolve Aspen Simulation Workbook issue that is taking to so much time to link Aspen HYSYS model?

Solution: In order to resolve Aspen Simulation Workbook issue that is taking to so much time to link Aspen HYSYS model, you will need to change the setting following “Update Excel Functions When Open Workbook” to False, save the file and try again. Keywords: Aspen Simulation Workbook, Aspen HYSYS, Link References: None

Problem Statement: How do I create a user-defined unit operation block?

Solution: The attached example shows how to develop a simple coal combustor User Model with CI, NC,and MIXED substreams. Illustrates use of IFCMNC, PQ FLASH, KFORMC, IRRCHK, ERRPRT, RPTHDR, IPASS, NRPT, CPACK, NCPACK, AVEMW, User Calculated HCOMB, HCOALGEN, NTHGEN. The Fortran subroutines is attached. The original example is not setting correctly the retention arguments in the flash call. Use the file usrcom-updated.f for correct version. Keywords: user block solids substreams References: None

Problem Statement: Checklist: everything you need to start your v14 aspenONE deployment today

Solution: The checklist below will assist you with adopting aspenONE v14. A PDF version of the checklist is attached to this article. Review product documentation Hardware and software requirements- AspenTech Platform Support Page If deploying in the cloud, review AspenTech Cloud Support Portal Product Release notes and installation guides Visit the Upgrade Journey page for best practices to upgrade Develop v14 deployment plan. Request v14 license using License Request form. Download v14 media from Download Center. Note: If you do not have access to the media when logged into AspenTech Support Website, please submit a Media Upgrade form. Preparing the deployment Download and upgrade SLM Server to v14 - This is a requirement for v14 Create a v14 silent deployment package Note: Starting with v14, aspenONE Engineering or Petroleum Supply Chain products are now supported with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) such as Windows Virtual Desktop. You may choose this option over creating a silent deployment package. aspenONE v14 Desktop Installation, for reference use aspenONE v14 Unattended Installation Guide Testing and validation Verify installation is successful with the Aspen Diagnostic Tool If installing aspenONE Engineering products, run the Aspen Version Comparison Assistant to validate the models. Other resources AspenTech offers Remote Upgrade Services and Consulting AspenTech offers 120+ training courses, check out our Product training offerings. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: When attempting to open the AspenAPC Webpage, http://<servername>/ASPENAPC, it shows the error: Http failure response for http://<server>/AspenAPCService/Configuration/GetUserProfile: 500 Internal Server Error

Solution: Before trying these steps, check if you can access the Production Control Web Server Interface, http://<servername>/atcontrol. If the following error appears, please refer to KB 000099683 instead. Server Error in ‘/ATControl’ Application. Could not load type ‘System.ServiceModel.Activation.HttpModule’ from assembly ‘System.ServiceModel, Version=3.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089’. If the PCWS Interface loads appropriately, but only the AspenAPC site is showing the Internal Server Error, there is likely an issue with the defined IIS Application Pool. To confirm this, you can look for “IIS APPPOOL\DefaultAppPool” and “Class not registered” messages in the log.txt file from C:\ProgramData\AspenTech\APC\Web Server\Log. The correct Application Pool should be AspenAPCAppPool, as the DefaultAppPool does not support 32-bit applications. To fix this, follow these steps: 1. On the Web Server, open IIS Manager: 2. Then, go to the AspenAPCService node: 3. From the right menu, select Advanced Settings... and then click on the three dots ... next to DefaultAppPool: 4. In the next window, choose AspenAPCAppPool and click OK: 5. Click OK again and verify you can access the AspenAPC webpage. You don't need to restart any services or IIS. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: How to edit the demand forecasting editor in Aspen Utilities Planner V14.0?

Solution: Demand profile / availability profile can be set by profile editor. Click on update. Demand forecast editor allow user to set number of periods. Change number of periods, and click calc, and then save. After that pop-up show, click ok. When going back to profile editor, you can see the update demand/availability profile with periods. This is a way, but MS excel is recommended to use, which is easier than this interface. Open AUP add in in MS Excel and attach your case In Optimization group in Excel Ribbon, click Specify Periods Set Number of Periods Keep period length (hours) for each period Click OK Keywords: Demand Forecast, Editor, Periods, Utility, Planner References: None

Problem Statement: After setting up a subscriber IP.21 as a part of the tag replication process, when using Aspen Process Explorer to view the tag in a graphic, the tag value will appear for several seconds before changing to ***.

Solution: The map record for a tag’s definition record may be mapped to the incorrect field on the subscriber. Change the value of the map record field MAP_CurrentValue from IP_INPUT_VALUE to IP_VALUE. The standard map records for tags created via IP_AnalogDef, IP_DiscereteDef and IP_TextDef are IP_AnalogMap, IP_DiscreteMap and IP_TextMap respectively. By default, the IP_INPUT_VALUE field in a tag is displayed in Process Explorer at the “Value” field (red box below). However, a subscriber machine receives new values in the IP_VALUE field in a replicated tag and these should be the values displayed in Process Explorer when connected to a subscriber machine. Since IP_INPUT_VALUE field is not updated in the subscriber for the replicated tags, Process Explorer will not display the value if its time stamp is too old and the value of the tag will appear as ***. Aspen Process Explorer uses map records within IP.21 to match a field in Process Explorer to a field in a tag in IP.21. For example, the map record IP_AnalogMap has the field called MAP_CurrentValue and MAP_CurrentValue dictates what is displayed in the “Value” field in Process Explorer for graphics and plots for a tag. By default, this field has the value IP_INPUT_VALUE. In the screenshot below, the tag with the correct value in MAP_CurrentValue shows 8.80 whereas the tag with the incorrect map record shows ***. In the screenshot below, IP_AnalogMap is highlighted on the left side. On the right inside the red box is the field MAP_CurentValue, which corresponds to the Value field in Process Explorer, and IP_INPUT_VALUE, which should be changed to IP_VALUE in the subscriber so replicated tag values can appear normally in graphics and plots. Once MAP_CurentValue has been updated, be sure to restart any instances of Aspen Process Explorer, Process Graphics Editor and/or Aspen Process Graphic Studio. The effect of the change in the field may also not be apparent immediately. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: Reset IP.21 Historian repository configuration to help resolve unusual behavior in history repositories, such as having multiple active filesets as shown in the screenshot below.

Solution: Resetting the history repository via this process does not delete history. However, this process will temporarily remove the ability to access historical data until the procedure is fully completed. 1) With IP.21 database running, open IP.21 Administrator, expand the Historian object (screenshot below) and review the names and number of repositories. Any repository not named TSK_DHIS or TSK_DHIS_AGGR will need to be recreated during the reset process. 2) Right click any repository and click Properties. 3) Write down or take screenshots of the repository settings under each tab (screenshot below). This will should be done for every repository to ensure the settings are restored the same way. Even for the default TSK_DHIS and TSK_DHIS_AGGR, this is recommended in case the default settings for those two repositories have been changed. 4) Check the number of filesets in each repository. This is the number of filesets that will need to be recreated. 5) Close the IP.21 Administrator and shutdown IP.21 using the IP.21 Manager (screenshot below) 6) Navigate to “C:\ProgramData\AspenTech\InfoPlus.21\c21\h21\dat” and move or delete config.dat and tune.dat. Back up map.dat but do NOT move or delete map.dat. What information is contained in Config.dat, Map.dat, and Tune.dat? https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000099690 7) Open the IP.21 Manager and start IP.21 database. A new config.dat and tune.dat file will be generated. 8) Open IP.21 Administrator, right click the Historian object and select Add Repository... 9) Review the previously recorded repository settings and make sure to configure the new repository exactly the same way. This is also a good time to check if there are multiple repositories saving to the same folder on disk. Such a scenario should be prevented. 10) Right click the newly created repository (should have a grey icon) and click Add File Sets.... 11) Be sure the values in Next File Set to Create and Number of File Sets to Create (first screenshot below) are correct for the existing filesets. If unsure, verify by navigating to the location on disk of the filesets (second screenshot below). 12) Once the appropriate number of filesets has been created for all the repositories, restart the IP.21 database. 13) Upon restarting IP.21 database, open the IP.21 Administrator, expand the Historian object, verify that all repositories have a green icon and that filesets within each repository include the proper Start Date and End Date. Note that information about individual filesets is determine by the arc files corresponding to each fileset, Keywords: Config.dat Map.dat Tune.dat Historian References: None

Problem Statement: Why is the vapor composition Y needed in the physical property monitor user subroutine calls for liquid fugacity as given below? CALL PPMON_FUGLY (T, P, X, Y, N, IDX, NBOPST, KDIAG, KPHI, PHI, DPHI, KER)

Solution: The vapor composition (Y) was added years ago to accommodate user K-values routines (PPMON_KVL) which may require both X and Y in estimating the K-values. In Aspen Plus, the K-values (KVL) are calculated by the ratio of the fugacity coefficients KVL(i)=PHILMX(i)/PHIVMX(i). If the vapor fugacity coefficient is set to 1 by using ideal gas, then the liquid fugacity coefficient is the same as the K-value. In most cases, you can call PPMON_FUGLY with both X and Y pointing to the same composition vector (X). Keywords: fortran subroutine fugly fugacity References: : VSTS 458264

Problem Statement: Reporting the upper and lower flammability data of pure components at specific temperatures is important since there are published temperature correction correlations for explosive limit data. How do you determine the explosive point for components in Aspen Plus?

Solution: The flammability limits for each component are available in the databanks as FLML (Lower Flammability Limit) and FLMU (Upper Flammability Limit). FLML and FLMU can be retrieved in the graphical user interface (GUI) with the following steps: On the Properties Customize | User Parameters form, add FLML and FLMU to the Parameter name list (they will show as Pure Component Parameters). Click on Retrieve Parameters in the Tools area of the Home ribbon and the scalar values will be written back to the forms. FLML and FLMU are volume % in air. Note that the conditions for FLML and FLMU are at 25oC and 1 atm pressure. Furthermore, the flammability limits are for a single fuel. When interest in the flammability limits is at conditions removed from the standard conditions, these values must be corrected for temperature and pressure. Correlations exist to modify flammability limits, for example in Crowl's Chemical Process Safety, but these correlations are based on few data points and only on light gases like methane, ethane, propane, and ethylene. The only true way to know the flammability limits at elevated temperature and pressure is by experiment. As stated above, flammability limits are for a single fuel. When considering a mixture of fuels, LeChatlier's Equation is used to develop the flammability limits for the gas mixture based on the standard condition single fuel values. Again, this is a situation where an equation is available, but the results tend to be poor. Experimental determination of gas mixtures at elevated temperature and pressure is the only way to be certain of safe conditions. Another approach is to use an RGIBBS to predict the flammability limit. See knowledge document 56274 or the standalone Excel calculation for the adiabatic flame temperature knowledge document 56156 for more information. Note that the temperature definition of FLML and FLMU is something we did not capture in our databank yet. There is a temperature corresponding to FLML and one for FLMU that will be added to the databank in the future. The reference temperature is important because there are published temperature correction correlations for explosive limit data. If everyone using Aspen Plus assumes that the databank volume percent data values for a pure component are reported at the standard temperature of 77 F (25 C), then there is a good chance that error may be introduced into an explosive hazards analysis. Since the lower and upper explosive limits are generally used to evaluate the relative safety of a system, (i.e., is a gas or gas mixture an explosive hazard), this would be particularly important. To use these parameters in a fortran user-routine, you must complete step 1 (from above) and then use the following code: #include dms_plx.cmn #include ppexex_user.cmn C Locate PLEX offset LFL = DMS_IFCMNC('FLML') C Locate offsets for component I LFLI = FL + I C Access property data from the Plex FLML = B(LFLI) Keywords: FLML FLMU explosive Plex References: None

Problem Statement: Can I use the Aspen Plus reactor models for electrolyte systems? Are there any restrictions?

Solution: There are some restrictions applicable to the usage of reactors in electrolytic systems. In general, the apparent approach can be used for a wider range of reactor models. Apparent Approach RGIBBS can be used for vapor phase reactions only. All other reactors can be used freely. Reactions should be among apparent components. True Approach RSTOIC and RYIELD can be used freely. REQUIL cannot be used. RBATCH can be used if kinetic reactions are not present. When modeling electrolyte systems with the true component approach, RBatch calculations will be incorrect, or you may encounter convergence difficulties, if there are components that participate in both reactions and chemistry. RGIBBS can be used in electrolyte systems for liquid-phase reactions only. It cannot be used for vapor or solid-phase reactions. For RGIBBS, there will be an error message similar to the following: *** SEVERE ERROR ATOM E- IS PRESENT IN THE FEED BUT NOT AMONG THE PRODUCTS THE BLOCK MASS BALANCE WILL BE INCORRECT E- refers to the electron, and is part of the atoms which make up an ion. RCSTR and RPLUG can be used with restrictions. The following restrictions apply: 1. No electrolytic equilibrium reactions are allowed in the Reactions. This is NOT allowed: REACTIONS : H2O <----> H+ + OH- 2. The reactions specified cannot involve electrolyte species. (Either there is no Chemistry paragraph or there is no species that participates in both Chemistry and Reactions.) This is allowed : CHEMISTRY : H2O <----> H+ + OH- REACTIONS : A ----> B This is NOT allowed : CHEMISTRY : H2O <----> H+ + OH- REACTIONS : H2O ----> B To work around these restrictions, it is possible to use Reactions only instead of Chemistry. Using a RCSTR, it is possible to combine kinetic reactions and equilibrium chemistry into one reaction ID (Either of type GENERAL or POWERLAW) and not use Chemistry for that block. Along with the kinetic reactions, define the chemistry reactions in the reaction paragraph as EQUILIBRIUM reactions and set the Concentration basis to Mole Gamma to use the parameters from the Chemistry. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: The BIODIESEL databank has components with names such as TAG-AAL and TAG-LMP. What do these mean?

Solution: The components in the biodiesel databank are mostly glycerol derivatives. These are named based on the one, two, or three fatty acid groups attached to glycerol. These fatty acids are used in these components: Name Formula of isolated fatty acid Combining form Abbreviation in TAG Lauric Acid CH3(CH2)10COOH -laur- L Myristic Acid CH3(CH2)12COOH -myrist- M Palmitic Acid CH3(CH2)14COOH -paltmit- P Stearic Acid CH3(CH2)16COOH -stear- S Arachidic Acid CH3(CH2)18COOH -arachid- A Oleic Acid CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COOH -ole- O Linoleic Acid CH3(CH2)4CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH -linole- LI α-Linolenic Acid CH3CH2CH=CHCH2CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)7COOH -linolen- LN Components with only one fatty acid (possibly appearing two or three times) are named with a prefix (mono-, di-, or tri-), where necessary digit prefixes indicating the positions, and the combining form for the fatty acid, such as 1-monolaurin, 1,2-dilaurin, and trilaurin. Components with two fatty acids each appearing once are named in the format SN-1-lauro-2-myristin, using the digit prefixes for the positions and the combining forms of the fatty acids. Components with three fatty acids not all the same are named in the format TAG-LMP (representing lauric, myristic, and palmitic acids in that order) using the abbreviations from the table above, where TAG stands for triacylglyceride. The help has been updated for V14. Keywords: None References: : VSTS 802923

Problem Statement: What is the HTC Database in AEA?

Solution: The Heat Transfer Coefficient (HTC) Database view contains a list of default heat transfer coefficient (HTC) values from some common fluids. By default, AEA calculates the Overall U based upon the stream side film coefficient (HTC), which in turn is calculated by using stream properties. For further details, refer to the article How can I specify the Overall U for a Heat Exchanger on Aspen Energy Analyzer (AEA)? https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000094241 In addition, User can select the HTC value from the HTC database, and User can modify the default HTC values already available, or make available some of your own HTC values by adding them in the HTC Database view. The default values for the heat transfer coefficients (HTC) in the utility database are taken from Table 3.3 - Film coefficient used for shell-and-tube heat exchangers on page 146 of the User Guide on Process Integration for the Efficient Use of Energy, Institution of Chemical Engineers. Rugby, UK (1994). Keywords: AEA, HTC Database, Heat Integration References: None

Problem Statement: Can I add utilities such as high pressure steam in Aspen plus?

Solution: In Aspen plus, users may tag and designate material and energy streams as utilities. With this information Aspen Plus can calculate the utility consumption per utility type as well as total hot/cold utility consumption in the flowsheet. Aspen HYSYS provides a number of built-in utilities with defined heat capacity and temperature ranges as well as other physical properties. Users can customize this feature by adding user-defined utilities. To support this functionality, a process utility manager user interface is provided (Home tab | Process Utility Manager). This functionality is provided through the flowsheet summary (Home tab | Flowsheet). Can I add a process utility stream such as high pressure steam in Aspen HYSYS? https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000088782 How are utilities specified? https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000058495 Keywords: utility, steam, cooling water, utility stream References: None

Problem Statement: Is there anything that can be done if an .apwz is corrupted and does not open in Aspen Plus? Sometimes there is a message: Unknown format for Aspen Plus Document.

Solution: Aspen Plus Compound (.apwz) files are essentially .zip files. Often the files can be unzipped and the files can be recovered. Often there is a corrupt .apw files; however, there is usually a backup file that can be opened. Steps: Make a copy of the .apwz and rename it to .zip. Open the .zip file using Winzip or 7-Zip and extract the backup file and any other referenced files. If the .bkp file has an extra .backup extension get rid of it and keep just the .bkp extension. Try to open the .bkp file It is recommended that the .bkp file is used as the reference file type rather than the .apw file. In File | Options, use the radio button to select .bkp for the Compound file default reference file type: Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: How to Bulk Close Stale Alerts in Aspen Mtell Using PowerShell When to Use This Method This method is ideal when you have a large number of open alerts in Aspen Mtell that are considered stale and need to be closed quickly and efficiently. It's particularly useful in scenarios where manually closing each alert would be time-consuming and impractical. Overview The

Solution: involves a PowerShell script that interacts with the Aspen Mtell API. This script allows users to close multiple alerts simultaneously by defining specific criteria such as time range and asset ID. The script will be provided attached to this KB article as a file called Bulk close alerts script How It Works Defining the Time Range: The script begins by allowing the user to specify a time range. This range is used to identify the alerts that are considered stale and are eligible for closure. For example, you might choose to close all alerts older than 30 days. Specifying the Asset ID: After defining the time range, the next step is to specify the asset ID. This step ensures that the closure process is targeted to alerts related to specific assets, providing an additional layer of control and precision. Confirmation Process: Before executing the closure of alerts, the script requires user confirmation. This step is crucial to prevent accidental closure of alerts that are still relevant or under investigation. Execution: Once the user confirms, the script interacts with the Aspen Mtell API to close the specified alerts. The process is automated, ensuring a quick and efficient closure of multiple alerts. Prerequisites PowerShell: Ensure that PowerShell is installed on your system. API Access: You must have the necessary permissions and access to the Aspen Mtell API. Script Configuration: The script may require initial configuration to suit your specific environment and Aspen Mtell setup. Usage Instructions Open PowerShell on your system. Navigate to the directory containing the script. Execute the script with the necessary parameters (e.g., time range and asset ID). Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm the closure of alerts. Important Notes Backup Data: Always ensure that you have a backup of your alert data before running the script, in case you need to revert any changes. Test Environment: It's recommended to test the script in a non-production environment to understand its impact and to fine-tune any parameters. Keywords: Alert management clean up References: None

Problem Statement: When using ABE web explorer, the software communicates with a database on a server. But, this server connection can fail due to multiple reasons. In this article, you will find a troubleshooting suggestions for the server connection for HTTP Error 503

Solution: The HTTP Error 503 is occurring because the ABEAppPool is not running. The following is recommended to check to solve these errors. Open IIS (Internet Information Service Manager) from windows start page Select the Application Pools node You will see the ABEAppPool and the status is most likely Stopped Right click on the ABEAppPool and select the start option Then try to connect again If you still have the error below, then it is because the ABEAppPool has stopped again and this is likely to incorrect credentials The user account running the ABEAppPool most likely had a password changed. You can update the identity on the ABEAppPool by right clicking and selecting Advanced settings from the context menu Click on the button in the identity field and re-enter the username and password and then try to start the application pool again. Here is an image of what the App pool looks like: Always ensure that the latest Cumulative Patch is installed, And also, see the following KB article for server connection: https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000100761 Keywords: ABE server, workspaces, connection, HTTP Error 503 References: None

Problem Statement: Aspen Shell & Tube Exchanger can be linked to Aspen Plus to perform detailed analysis of heat exchangers. Calculations may be performed to determine a Design for a given duty, Check/Rate a given heat exchanger for a duty to see if it is over/under surfaced or perform simulation calculations for an exchanger to determine the outlet conditions (temperatures and Pressure drops) if the inlet conditions (temperature, pressure and mass flowrate) are known. As in the standalone program of Aspen Shell & Tube Exchanger, the Advanced or Standard calculation methods can be set. This

Solution: describes how this may be changed for a file embedded in Aspen Plus.Solution For a HeatX block within Aspen Plus, in the Setup | Blocks | Specification form, the Shell & Tube program can be used for different types of calculations (Design, Rating, Simulation, and Maximum Fouling). When a Shell&Tube exchanger has been set, then for the Setup | Blocks | Specification | EDR Option | Calculation Options tab, the calculation mode can be set and if necessary some of the convergence parameters set. There are three Calculation Methods available: Standard, Decided by EDR, and Advanced. The Calculation Method and Convergence Options can be seen inside the EDR Browser | Input | Program Options | Calculation Options. However, note that if the Calculation Method and Convergence Option are changed within the EDR Browser of Aspen Plus, then when the simulation is run again within Aspen Plus, the input items are reset as given in the EDR Options. If you want to run with the local values set within EDR, then you can check the enable run and then from the drop down scroll bar to the right select run, where EDR will run locally and not cause the whole Aspen Plus simulation to resolve. Keywords: Aspen Plus Aspen Shell and Tube Aspen EDR Heat Exchanger References: None

Problem Statement: How do I connect a stream from the main flowsheet to feed into the Hierarchy and transfer only a subset of the components into the hierarchy? I have tried creating a Component List (COMP-LIST), but there are parameter errors about some of the components not in the list.

Solution: It is possible to use a Component List to limit the number of components *displayed* in the input and results within the hierarchy. The Component List should include all of the components present. Component List is a feature in the User Interface and does not affect the engine calculations. This means that Aspen Plus does not delete the compositions of the components not in the list that are in feed streams to the hierarchy since this would cause a mass imbalance. These components are not seen in the Stream Report in the Hierarchy; however, they can be seen when viewing the streams in the Plant level if the stream is selected. This can cause confusion if all of the components present are not in the Component List (COMP-LIST). In the attached simulation as an illustration of the issue, the VAPOR stream is sent to a Hierarchy that uses the Steam Tables for properties where WATER is the only component in the Component List even though HCl is present in the VAPOR stream. If the HCl or any other component is not desired in the Hierarchy, a SEP or SEP2 block can be used to remove all of the undesired components. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: This is a corollary to another KB article: https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000101141, where the error 1920 was caused by a port already being taken by a different service. First, confirm that user performing the installer has administrator privileges. Secondly, confirm that this issue is not due to the default Process Pulse ports being taken by executing (for Data Collector) the following command in Command Prompt: netstat -na | find 8005 If no service is listening on this port, then proceed with this article, otherwise refer to https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000101141 and change the default ports during the installation process. During the Process Pulse installation of services, you may come across: Error 1920 Service Aspen Process Pulse - Data Collector UPPDCFService failed to start. Verify that you have sufficient privileges to start system services.

Solution: Open Services Search for Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service > Right-click Start (or Restart if it is already running) Right-click Net.Tcp Port Sharing Serivce > Properties > Change Startup type to Automatic Go through the installer again and it should succeed Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: Is it possible to turn off mass balance checking in a User unit operation block? Sometimes the USER or USER2 unit operation block intentionally does not mass balance, and it would be nice to not have warnings every time that the block executes.

Solution: It is possible in the subroutine Fortran code to set the the USER_BALMAS integer variable in the PPEXEC_USER common block to a value of -1 to skip the mass balance check. USER_BALMAS Integer Variable in PPEXEC_USER Common Whether Aspen Plus should perform a mass balance check on completion of user unit operation model and report warnings on mass balance errors 0 = Perform mass balance check (default) -1 = Do not perform mass balance check The default of zero will trigger a mass balance check and will result in a warning in case of mass imbalance. E.g. * WARNING BLOCK B1 IS NOT IN MASS BALANCE: MASS INLET FLOW = 0.12599788E-03, MASS OUTLET FLOW = 0.12599788E-02 RELATIVE DIFFERENCE = 0.90000000E+01 CHECK USER SUBROUTINE If the user model sets the variable to -1, the call will be skipped and no message will be issued. Attached is an example based on our USER model of a flash that multiplies the flow by the third Real Variable REAL(3) in the USER block and skips the mass balance check with USER_BALMAS = -1 in the code. #include ppexec_user.cmn c turn off mass balance checking user_balmas = -1 c multiply by REAL(3) mult=1 if (REAL(3) .LT. 1e20 .AND. REAL(3) .ge. 0) mult=real(3) C Write a single confirmation line back to the control panel. WRITE(MAXWRT_MAXBUF(1), *) ' Mult = ',mult CALL DMS_WRTTRM (1) DO I=1, NCOMP_NCC SOUT1(I)= mult*SIN1(I) END DO Keywords: USER USER2 CQ00452260 References: None

Problem Statement: How to toggle between the default APM license type and token licenses in Aspen Fidelis? When setting up Aspen Fidelis licensing it is required to specify the license type in order for the correct license to get checked out. In order to do these users will need to utilize the Fidelice License Declaration utility. If user do not select the correct license type they are going to get an error that tells them “License Checkout Failed” even if the correct license is installed

Solution: Open Fidelis License Declaration from within the Windows Menu Select the correct License type Open Aspen Fidelis and it will now checkout the correct License and no longer show the error message Keywords: License failed Wrong license Buckets SLM References: None

Problem Statement: How to clean the data in a historian before importing it into Aspen ProMV? It is often required to clean the data available in a data historian before importing it into Aspen ProMV. Using Aspen One Process explorer ranges of undesired data can be excluded in order to import only the desired data into Aspen Promv Desktop

Solution: Open Aspen ProMV Online Select AspenONE Process Explorer from the option in the top right corner visible when selecting the wrench icon On the dashboard select the Process Explorer icon Type the tag name into the tag selection filter and select all the required tags from the menu and the tag will be trended below Activate the Cleaning rules menu by clicking on the pencil symbol in the bottom left corner above the tag list, followed by the last icon with the brush symbol. Eliminate unwanted data using the Manual range editor and marking the unwanted data as Bad Select Add once satisfied with the selection range, the excluded data will show in yellow In the next menu confirm the selection by clicking OK Select the export data option and use the export to csv option Csv files with be generated with the clean data and can be downloaded. This data can now be used to import into ProMV Desktop using the usual workflow. Keywords: Data audit Data clean up Removing bad data Selecting data References: None

Problem Statement: When viewing agents in Aspen ProMV Online, all models show: Calculation error. Read tag data failure The RabbitMQ error logs show: [Error] Executor.cs::PublishRunningState Failed to publish running state: RabbitMQ.Client.Exceptions.ChannelAllocationException: The connection cannot support any more channels. Consider creating a new connection Logging into the RabbitMQ Management site shows the following: All connections are either blocking or blocked No messages are being passed, and the measured disk space is extremely low, even though the available storage space on the machine is enough

Solution: The lack of perceived disk space found by RabbitMQ causes it to block all connections due to lack of resources. In this case, this was due to a machine using a non-English machine with non-ASCII codes as paths. This issue was fixed in RabbitMQ V3.9.13 (https://github.com/rabbitmq/rabbitmq-server/releases/tag/v3.9.13): Upgrading from V3.9.12 to V3.9.13 resolves the issue. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: For Mtell Alert Manager, the URL used to access the MAM dashboard is set during the configuration process, which is displayed in the alert emails. But for users who want both Mtell View and Mtell Alert Manager links in their emails, these two links may be different depending on how the server name is defined. For example, the Mtell View link may be http://server-name/Aspentech/AspenMtell/MtellView/, while the MAM link is http://server-name.corp/MAM. Clicking the Mtell View link will lead to an error and require manually adding .corp or a different suffix behind the server name.

Solution: By default, Mtell View uses the Server Name defined under System Manager > Settings > System Settings > General. But different corporate networks may require extensions such as *.corp or other customized versions to be added onto the server name in order to access certain URLs. This is automatically done for MAM through the configuration app. For Mtell View, go to System Manager > Settings > System Settings > Reporting, and then change the field Server Name for Email Links to the full server name, for example server1.aspentech.corp instead of just server1. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: Often occurring after upgrades, you may see a dialog box after trying to login to Process Pulse which simply says 'Failure'.

Solution: This error typically occurs when a previous Process Pulse installation is uninstalled, then a new version is installed without going through the upgrade process. Part of the upgrade involves updating the SQL database which a clean installation bypasses. You can verify if this database update took place by navigating to C:\ProgramData\AspenTech\CAMO\EPP\DatabaseCreationLog, then open the Database text file which should show something similar as shown below. In this example, a V12.2 Process Pulse database is successfully migrated to V14. If your Database file is missing logs indicating an upgrade to your newest version, then you will need to move to the next step. Uninstall the most recent version of Process Pulse, then install the previous version. Go through the new version installer you plan to upgrade to and choose the Upgrade/Repair option. This should launch the database migration process and resolve the login 'Failure' error. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: When configuring Mtell Alert Manager through the configuration app, you may see: There was an error please try again: Exception of type 'APMSeeCommon.Exceptions.APMServicesNotRunningException' was thrown

Solution: This error means one or both of the MAM services are not running. Open Services Find APM See Data Collector Service and APM See Data Transformer Service Right-click > Start if either is not running, or Right-click > Restart on both services The configuration app should now complete successfully Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: The ENVI (Environment for Visualizing Images) format is the standard format for hyperspectral images in Aspen Unscrambler HSI. It contains general raster data arranged as a binary sequence. When opening the ENVI data files through Unscrambler HSI, they must be accompanied with an associated header file (extension .hdr) containing metadata for the image in ASCII format (in the same directory). However, some instruments or processing packages may not have ENVI as an export format.

Solution: It is recommended to first verify if the processing or instrumentation software used to generate the hyperspectral imaging data can output to ENVI format. However, if this is not an option, there are a number of available third-party software packages which may be capable of converting to ENVI. Note that AspenTech is not associated with the following software products. GDAL is a translator library for raster data formats, and the gdal_translate command is capable of converting between formats listed on their webpage here: https://gdal.org/drivers/raster/index.html. The MATLAB command enviwrite can be used to write hyperspectral data to the ENVI format: https://www.mathworks.com/help/images/ref/hypercube.enviwrite.html There are also a number of open-source Python projects capable of reading/writing ENVI files such as Spectral Python Once converted, make sure to import the data with both the ENVI data file and its associated .hdr file in the same location. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: Where can I find the Aspen Mtell Alert Manager logs?

Solution: The Mtell Alert Manager logs can be found in the directory: C:\Program Files\AspenTech\Aspen Mtell Alert Manager\Logs Here you should see logs from the different MAM services, such as the Data Collector, Data Provider, and Data Transformer logs. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: How do I uninstall PyCamo for Aspen Unscrambler?

Solution: Open Command Prompt as administrator, or open a code editor terminal Execute pip uninstall PyCamo or py -m pip uninstall PyCamo if Python is not in the system PATH Wait for command to complete and PyCamo is uninstalled Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: When querying a tag either from Map Sensors in Mtell System Manager or quick SPC in Mtell Agent Builder, tag data will be in a loading state for a long time before it gets timed out. Live agents could not be processed and appears to be in a 'Awaiting Data Acquisition' status. When looking through the logs in System Health, a connection timeout error message was found. When checking the data source connection in System Manager and the Honeywell PHD adapter, both shows Connection Test Successful.

Solution: Firstly, the above connection timeout error message suggests that the query to the historian was made but no response was received. Both data source connection in System Manager and the Honeywell PHD adapter shows Connection Successful indicating that Mtell is able to communicate with the adapter, but does not suggest a good connection to the historian. A possible cause for this problem is the application pool configuration in IIS. Check if AspenMtell_Phd application pool is used by an application. If it is, it will show 1 under Applications; if not it will show 0. Below is an example when the AspenMtell_Phd application pool was not properly configured. Next, browse to Sites/Default Web Site/AspenTech/AspenMtell/Adapter/HoneywellPHD and click on Advanced Settings... to open the Advanced Settings window. Make sure AspenMtell_Phd is selected in the Application Pool box. After that, check if AspenMtell_Phd in the application pool is now showing 1 under Applications. Verify if this has been resolved by browsing historian tags with quick SPC. Keywords: Honeywell PHD Agents not processing Connection issue System.ApplicationException: Connection Timeout Agent Service References: None

Problem Statement: Aspen Process Pulse uses .NET 4.8 as a dependency, and reinstalling it may help to resolve certain issues. However, on newer versions of Windows Server, where this particular issues was observed on Windows Server 2022, uninstalling .NET 4.8 and then reinstalling leads to the message .NET framework 4.8 is already installed on this computer, which disallows the user from installing .NET 4.8 properly.

Solution: Both Server Manager and Powershell depend on the .NET Framework 4.8, so uninstalling it leads to a dependency conflict, as trying to reinstall .NET 4.8 the system will try to launch Server Manager, which no longer has all of its dependencies. In order to properly reinstall .NET 4.8 , download the offline installer (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/microsoft-net-framework-4-8-offline-installer-for-windows-9d23f658-3b97-68ab-d013-aa3c3e7495e0), then execute the following commands through Command Prompt in the same directory with the offline installer: ndp48-x86-x64-allos-enu.exe /q /norestart /ChainingPackage ADMINDEPLOYMENT DISM /online /enable-feature /featurename:NETfx4ServerFeatures /all DISM /online /enable-feature /featurename:NETfx4 Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: What are the general performance benchmarks for running Aspen Mtell?

Solution: Guidance for Mtell servers: Remove old log files every few months, especially the agent service log folder which generates the most log entries. Log files are created on a daily basis allowing deletion of older logs while preserving the latest. Check the Message Retry section in the Aspen Mtell System Manager at regular intervals to manage pending or undelivered messages, especially after a network outage. Check the runtime statistics and ensure the total execution time of the different execution cycles does not exceed the rate at which the cycles are scheduled to execute. Guidance for optimizing performance: For systems with large numbers of agents, best practice is to delete unused and/or redundant agents if they are no longer needed. It is also recommended to exclude Aspen folders from antivirus scans by following this KB article: https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000096542 Consider partitioning services between separate machines, such as dedicated servers for the Mtell server and the SQL server Example customer benchmark #1: Server configuration and workload: Server CPU with 16 virtual processors 64GB RAM 1000+ live machine learning agents 3000+ sensors 500GB storage This is considered a large and mature Mtell implementation, processes are able to run comfortably without bottlenecking. Example customer benchmark #2: Server configuration and workload: Server CPU with 8 virtual processors 32GB RAM 400+ live machine learning agents 2400+ sensors 250GB storage This is from a new implementation where the customer is just starting to deploy and apply Mtell in production, may be considered moderately sized Minimum specifications: In order to find what the minimum specifications are for Aspen Mtell, go to https://www.aspentech.com/en/platform-support > Click on the appropriate version number > Click on Asset Performance Management (APM). This will download a PDF file which contains the minimum requirements for running Mtell depending on the application. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: What is the purpose of these two CompQueryDef records, CooperativeQuery and TriggerChange?

Solution: These two records are used in the routine operation of the Aspen Enterprise IP.21 Historian (formerly the Collaborative). These would be present on a member of the Enterprise IP.21 Historian or on a system where someone has recloaded the cooperative.rld file. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: Error message when launching Aspen Process Explorer: Security Initialization Error: Init Cache COM Error, Number: -2147467259

Solution: To resolve this error, please check the following: 1. Make sure that the default web site is running within IIS. If the default website is not started, this could be the cause of the problem (check in IIS manager). 2. Enable WRITE access for all users to the following folder: C:\ProgramData\AspenTech\AFW . In some cases it may also be necessary to look at the permissions of the folder inetpub\wwwroot\aspentech and add Authenticated Users to the folder permissions. 3. Open AFW Tools (click the Start icon and type AFW Tools), Client Registry Entries tab, and double-click on the 'URL' line. This should be pointing to the Aspen Local Security security server (e.g., http://<security server name>/AspenTech/AFW/Security/pfwauthz.aspx ). If the URL is blank, or if the node name of the security server is wrong, please change it immediately. Also refer toSolution #107935 ( https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?key=107935 ). 4. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to C:\ProgramData\AspenTech\AFW . This is the location of the security cache files. Are there four files in this folder? If the cache files are missing (or if there is only one file here), please check the security server URL in AFW Tools, or run the SSTEST diagnostic utility as explained below. Note: Sometimes these four cache files become corrupt. It may be necessary to delete these cache files in order to resolve the InitCacheCOM error message. They will be regenerated the next time APEx starts up. 5. Run the SSTEST utility you can find inSolution #106497 ( https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?key=106497 ). This utility will report any errors it finds on security, and dump the results into the sstestresults.txt file. If in doubt, please forward the results to your nearest Support Center. 6. Open Internet Explorer and try accessing the security server URL found in the AFW Tools (e.g. http://MyLocalSecurityServerName/AspenTech/AFW/Security/pfwauthz.aspx). Under normal circumstances, you should see a blank page. If an error page is returned, please check the point 7 below, and run SSTEST to diagnose the problem. If you have changed AFW server ensure that this AFW server is also the correct user for the user you are configured as there maybe multiple AFW servers in your environment. 7. Open Internet Services Manager, select Sites and verify the TCP Port number of the Default Web Site: * Look at the TCP Port number. If this port number is anything other than 80, you will need to amend the security server URL to read: http://MyLocalSecurityServerName:xxxx/AspenTech/AFW/Security/pfwauthz.aspx, where xxxx is the port number you found in the TCP Port field. * Dynamic content, such as that in PHP and ASP.NET applications, needs IIS script permission and read access. If executables need to be run as well, they need to have the IIS execute permission and they need to be properly configured in the CGI Restriction List. 8. Open the Windows Task Manager and see if you have Apache.exe running in the list of running processes. It usually gets installed with Oracle and it uses Port 80 which interferes with IIS since IIS is also configured to use that port. Shutting down the Apache.exe service should fix the problem as long as there are no other Security Access related issues. 9. Some users have also noticed the following case. Suddenly, the Aspen InfoPlus.21 clients receive a 'security cache com' error and roles and applications are no longer shown in the AFW Security Manager. The problem disappears by itself a short time later, without doing any reconfiguration of the machine. They just noticed an unusual high CPU-load while the problem was there. This can be a network-related issue (resolving users & groups from trusted domains). Indeed there are a lot of network services that have to work correctly in order for our software to work, especially when security is used. Another thing to think about is that the Microsoft ADSI components (Active Directory Service Interfaces), which are used to read group information from the network, may be intermittently failing. This isn't so common, but we have seen it once or twice. The Microsoft ADSViewer can be used to troubleshoot ADSI connectivity issues. 10. UPDATE - June 2023 - For one customer the problem was caused by the 'AFW Security Client Service' service not running on the end user system. In that specific instance the service was not starting because a named account was being used to start the service and the password associated with the account had been changed at the operating system level but not changed in the Windows services applet. To fix the problem the customer needed to double-click on the service and change the password via the 'Log On' tab and then start the service. Note: Named accounts can be used to start additional AspenTech services; the following screenshot illustrates sorting the services according to logon type (and in this instance the named account being used is an account called InfoPlus.21 on the local machine (the .\ refers to the local machine): If the account needs to be changed for the AFW Security Client Service service it will likely need to be changed for additional services. If you have followed every single step above and are still experiencing the same problem, then please check in the Windows Event Viewer log file to see if you are getting any type of DCOM error. If so, then please follow the link below to a Microsoft Knowledge Base Article for a list of DCOM errors. If the DCOM error you got in your Windows Event Viewer matches the DCOM error listed in the Microsoft KB Article, then please follow the reSolution provided within the article to resolve the problem. ****** The link to this Microsoft Knowledge Article is: ****** https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd542643(v=vs.85).aspx Keywords: -2147467259 111391 init cache com process explorer security APE DCOM References: None

Problem Statement: Query example to change the Repository for an individual tag or all tags within a Definition Record

Solution: Before changing the repository of a Tag take a look to the following Kb article What are the consequences of moving a tag from one repository to another repository? 1.- Change Repository for all tags within a Definition Record: UPDATE IP_ANALOGDEF SET IP_ARCHIVING = 'OFF'; UPDATE IP_ANALOGDEF SET IP_REPOSITORY = 'REPOS1'; UPDATE IP_ANALOGDEF SET IP_ARCHIVING = 'ON'; Where REPOS1 is the new Repository. 2.- Change Repository for an individual tag within a Definition Record: UPDATE IP_ANALOGDEF SET IP_ARCHIVING = 'OFF' WHERE NAME = 'A1113A'; UPDATE IP_ANALOGDEF SET IP_REPOSITORY = 'REPOS1' WHERE NAME = 'A1113A'; UPDATE IP_ANALOGDEF SET IP_ARCHIVING = 'ON' WHERE NAME = 'A1113A'; Where REPOS1 is the new Repository and A1113A is the Tag Name. Note: You can also use the statement WHERE NAME LIKE. For example WHERE NAME LIKE 'ATCL%' will do the change for all the tags that have a Name that starts with ATCL. Keywords: Repository References: None

Problem Statement: This Knowledge Base article provides steps to configure Aspen InfoPlus.21 Data and Tag Replication for V8.0 and above.

Solution: Following are the steps to configure the Replication SUBSCRIBER (Central IP.21 Database) & PUBLISHER (Plant-Level IP.21) machines. PUBLISHER – Plant-Level IP21: Before beginning this procedure, determine which Aspen InfoPlus.21 plant-based systems will replicate data and tag information onto the central Aspen InfoPlus.21 system. Also, please note that replication leverages ‘Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ)’, a messaging protocol that allows applications to communicate in a failsafe manner. Please make sure the MSMQ is installed and the MSMQ service is running on the Publisher and Subscriber machines. On each of the plant Aspen InfoPlus.21 systems, you must: 1. Load the Replication.rld file. Please follow KB # 77937 on loading the record using RLD file. 2. Create a RepSubscriberDef record and configure the IP_HOST with the name of the subscriber system. 3. Add the TSK_PUBR task. 4. Set the RepSubscriberDef record's Active SW to on. 5. Start the TSK_PUBR task. 6. Enable tags to be replicated. 7. Enable database replication. 2. Creating a RepSubscriberDef Record Create a subscriber record based on RepSubscriberDef on each publisher system (individual InfoPlus.21 system). The subscriber record will define the subscriber (central InfoPlus.21 system) as the IP_HOST. 1. Create the record. 2. Make the record unusable. 3. Define the subscriber IP_HOST_NAME. This is the central InfoPlus.21 that the replicated data and tags will be published to. 4. Make the record usable. 3. Adding TSK_PUBR to the Individual InfoPlus.21 Systems The individual Aspen InfoPlus.21 systems are the publishers of real-time process data and tag replication content to the centralized InfoPlus.21 system. For real-time process data and tag replication to take place, each of the individual plant level Aspen InfoPlus.21 systems must be running TSK_PUBR. Warning: This applies to the smaller, individual Aspen InfoPlus.21 plant systems. Do not perform this procedure on the larger, central Aspen InfoPlus.21 system. 1. On each of the individual plant-level Aspen InfoPlus.21 systems, use the Adding a Task topic instructions in conjunction with the following information to create the TSK_PUBR task: Field Setting External Task Selected Auto restart Selected Task name (TSK_XXXX) TSK_PUBR SubSystem Base Executable <ASPENROOT>\InfoPlus.21\db21\code\ReplicationPublisherNG.exe Output file <Default (TSK_PUBR.OUT)> Error file <Default (TSK_PUBR.ERR)> When complete, the fields of the New Task Definition group box will contain the following settings: 2. Click Add. 3. Click START InfoPlus.21 to restart the Aspen InfoPlus.21 database. 4. Turn on the RepSubscriberDef record’s ACTIVE_SW Using InfoPlus.21 Administrator, set the RepSubscriber Def record’s ACTIVE_SW to ON. 5. Start TSK_PUBR Using InfoPlus.21 Manager, start the TSK_PUBR. 6. Enabling Database Level Replication 7. Enabling Definition Level Replication 8. Enabling Tag Level Replication SUBSCRIBER - Central Database: For data and tag replication, you must identify the central Aspen Infoplus.21 database that will subscribe to information that is replicated from the smaller individual plant-level Aspen InfoPlus.21 databases. On the central Aspen InfoPlus.21 database: 1. Load the Replication.rld file. Please follow KB# 77937 on loading the record using RLD file. 2. Create a RepPublisherDef record for each publisher system and configure the IP_HOST with the name of the publisher system. Optionally, assign the IP_REPL_PREFIX. 3. Add the TSK_SUBR task. 4. Set the RepPublisherDef record's Active SW to on. 5. Start the TSK_SUBR task. 2. Creating a RepPublisherDef record Create a publisher record based on RepPublisherDef on each subscriber system (typically, a single, central InfoPlus.21 system). The publisher record will define the publisher (individual InfoPlus.21 system) as the IP_HOST. 1. Create the record. 2. Make the record unusable. 3. Define the publisher IP_HOST_NAME. This is the individual InfoPlus.21 system that will publish the replicated data and tags to the subscriber. 4. Optionally, assign the IP_REPL_PREFIX. This is the prefix that identifies that publisher system and will be pre-pended to each record that is replicated from that publisher system. 5. Make the record usable. 3. Adding TSK_SUBR to the Central InfoPlus.21 System The central Aspen InfoPlus.21 system is the subscriber of real-time data and tag replicated content that the individual or plant-level Aspen InfoPlus.21 systems contribute. For data and tag replication to take place, the central Aspen InfoPlus.21 system must be running TSK_SUBR. Warning: This applies to the central Aspen InfoPlus.21 system. Do not perform this procedure on the individual, plant-level Aspen InfoPlus.21 systems. 1. On the central Aspen InfoPlus.21 system, use the Adding a Task topic instructions in conjunction with the following information to create the TSK_SUBR task: Field Setting External Task Selected Auto restart Selected Task name (TSK_XXXX) TSK_SUBR SubSystem Base Executable <ASPENROOT>\InfoPlus.21\db21\code\ReplicationSubscriberNG.exe Output file <Default (TSK_SUBR.OUT)> Error file <Default (TSK_SUBR.ERR)> 2. Click Add. 3. Click START InfoPlus.21 to restart the Aspen InfoPlus.21 database. 4. Turn on the RepPublisherDef record’s ACTIVE_SW Using InfoPlus.21 Administrator, set the RepPublisher Def record’s ACTIVE_SW to ON. 5. Start TSK_SUBR Using InfoPlus.21 Manager, start the TSK_SUBR. Keywords: Replication SUBSCRIBER PUBLISHER Central References: None

Problem Statement: The need for creating a deployment package for installing Aspen Online and selecting a specific SQL Database instance for Aspen Online to use without manually intervening in that process. When running the Aspen Online Service with the Local System account, you'll need to run the selectinstance.bat to select a specific SQL Database instance for the application to use. You can see more on this via the Knowledge Based article here: https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000094631 This is the manual way of doing so. This KB article will go through on the scripting switches you can use with V12.1 Aspen Online to automate and deploy this to multiple clients without user intervention.

Solution: Two arguments have been added to SelectInstance.bat to help automate for deployment packaging. When you run SelectInstance.bat, you can optionally add one of these arguments to the command to specify the SQL server instance, instead of selecting it in step 5. If you specify both, the first one specified will be used. /InstanceName:name allows you to specify the name of the SQL server instance /InstanceIndex:index allows you to specify the 1-based integer index of the SQL server instance. You must know the integer index if you have multiple SQL instances installed on the machine. Example: SelectInstance.bat /InstanceName:ASPENDB or SelectInstance.bat /InstanceIndex:1 Example of how it would look in command prompt: Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: This article describes how to create an animated gauge using the new AspenONE Process Explorer feature, Process View Authoring.

Solution: Open AspenONE Process Explorer on the web browser of your preference and go to the Process View Authoring page. Click the plus sign (+) to create a new project and give it a new name on the Description field. If you´d like to add a title for your dashboard, click on the text icon (A) under Basic Shapes. You may customize it using the Text Properties tab on the right. Next, click on the gauge symbol under the Control panel. Add a name for the gauge. Go to the Data tab and add the Data Source where the tag you´d like to view is located. Type the tag next to the Name and select the attribute you´d like the gauge to work with. In this case, we´ll be using the tag´s value. Go to the Limits tab and select the Limit you´d like to view on the gauge (High, High-High, Low, Low-Low, etc). You may change the color you´ll view if the tag value reaches the limit you chose on the previous step. Type the name of the tag next to Name and select the attribute (it should match the one selected in step 7). If you would like to add the value to the dashboard next to the gauge, click on the real data icon (0.2) under the Control panel. Give the object a name and customize it to your preference. Open the Animation tab and enable the Animation On button. Click the plus sign, write a condition for the tag, and choose the Fg color. Open the Data tab, select the Data Source, tag name, and attribute. Save your graphic clicking the Save icon on the upper right corner. Once this is done, go back to A1PE to view your newly created dashboard. Note: the values chosen for the conditional on step 12 were set according to what´s stablished for the High Limit value on Aspen InfoPlus.21. Key Words New Features AspenONE Process Explorer A1PE Process View Authoring Animation Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: When working on an APC server it can be hard to figure out which Emergency Patch has been installed.

Solution: Version V14 and newer: Starting V14, there is a new program called aspenONE Manager which contains a Installed Updates/Patches section where you can see which Emergency Patch or Cumulative Patch has been installed, this program can be accessed from the Windows Start menu, under the Aspen Configuration Folder: Version 12.0 and 12.1: There is aSolution proposed on KB article https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000099481 , this is an easy way to check if a Cumulative Patch has been installed but there is the disadvantage that the AspenTech Uninstaller doesn’t show if an Emergency Patch has been installed. The way to check if an Emergency Patch is currently installed is by opening the Registry Editor (either searching it on the Windows apps or running a command Win + R -> regedit) and navigating to the following path: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\AspenTech\Setup\Products There are several folders under Products, this is how they correspond to each APC product/server: Folder Name APC Product APCBDV8 Desktop (DMC3 Builder) APCONLINE Online APCPFM Performance Monitor (Aspen Watch) APCWEBSERVER Production Control Web Server If you select any of these, the two keys that we are interested in are CurrentEPVersion and ProductVersion: CurrentEPVersion shows the number of the last Emergency Patch installed, ProductVersion shows if a Cumulative Patch has been installed, the third position indicates the CP number, 20.1.1.0 means CP1 has been installed. Version 11 or earlier: An alternative but more complex method of checking if an Emergency Patch has been installed is by opening a patch release notes and reviewing the Functional Areas Affected, then searching that specific .dll or .exe under C:\Program Files (x86)\AspenTech and reviewing the file details to see if the file version matches the version stated on the release notes. For example, the EP14 for V11 CP1 release notes shows that applying this patch will update the ApcInfrastructure.dll file to version 19.0.1.5498: So on a V11 CP1 Online Server machine we need to navigate to the file path that was previously mentioned and search ApcInfrastructure.dll, once we find it right click on it -> Properties -> Details and see if the File version matches the Release Notes: The previous screenshot confirms that V11 CP1 EP14 has been installed on this machine. Keywords: APC, DMC, DMC3, EP, CP, emergency patch, cumulative patch References: None

Problem Statement: This document describes how to capture memory snapshots for finding memory leaks using Microsoft’s User-Mode Dump Heap (UMDH) tool. WARNING !!! System reboot will be required. The process described in this document involves changes to the behavior of the Windows operating system which can lead to severe performance degradation of the program being monitored. It is critical that all steps be reversed (undone) after conducting the memory leak detection session.

Solution: Step 1: Install the Windows Debugging Tools The latest Windows SDK can be found using this link: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-sdk/. When installing you only need to choose the debugging tools option. Note: For Windows Server 2016/2019, please obtain Windows 10 SDK (the remainder of this article assumes Windows 10 SDK was selected and you installed into default folder) Step 2: Optionally, Learn About the UMDH Tool If desired, you can learn about the UMDH tool by opening the WinDbg help file named debugger.chm from folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Debuggers\x64. Find the documentation for UMDH by using the Search panel to search for “using UMDH”. More details can also be found under the “Tools Included in Debugging Tools for Windows” section. Step 3: Set Environment Path to the Debug Tools Folder From the Control Panel, navigate to Control Panel\System and Security\System, then click Advanced system settings. Click Environment Variables, then from the System variables panel, find and select the variable named Path. Click Edit. Select the Variable value field, the move to the end and add a semicolon (;). Then enter (or paste) the folder path to the debugging tools, such as: C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Debuggers\x64 Click OK, three times to save the changes. Note: For Aspen 32-bit installs, specify the x86 folder, such as C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Debuggers\x86 Step 4: Set Environment Variable for Symbol Path Use steps as above to return to the System variables panel. Add the following system variable: _NT_SYMBOL_PATH = c:\appSymbols;srv*c:\symCache*https://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols Create the folder c:\symCache. (downloaded symbols can be stored here) Create the folder c:\appSymbols (additional Aspen PDB files may be provided and can be copied into this location - note, symbols provided directly from the developers are better because they are the ones who will analyze the logs and it will help them to get the correct call stacks) For more information, see: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/preparing-to-use-umdh Step 5: Set Environment Variable to Disable BSTR Caching Use steps as above to return to the System variables panel. Add the following system variable: OANOCACHE = 1 Note: The computer must be rebooted for these settings to take effect. Step 6: Unzip the AspenMemoryLeakCheck.zip File Log onto the computer that is suspected of having an application with a memory leak. Copy the AspenMemoryLeakCheck.zip file to a local disk folder. Unzip the file. Step 7: Stop the Problem Executable Stop the executable program that is having problem. In this example, the CalcScheduler.exe program is to be stopped by using the Window Services control panel. Depending on the type of executable, you may have to use different techniques to stop it. For example, for an Aspen InfoPlus.21 external task you would use the Aspen InfoPlus.21 Manager to stop (and later re-start) it. Step 8: Run GFLAGS Open an elevated security command prompt window (run as Administrator), then navigate to the folder where the AspenMemoryLeakCheck ZIP file was extracted. Type GFLAGS from command line, then press ENTER key. The follow window will appear. In the Global Flags dialog, select Image File tab and type application exe name, such as CalcScheduler.exe (followed by TAB key to refresh), then enable the “Create user mode stack trace database” check box. Click Apply to save the changes. Click OK to close the window. Step 9: Start the Problem Executable For example, if the problem application is a Windows background service, then use the Windows Services control panel to start the service. Step 10: Run Tests Let the executable run for enough time for the process to finish any first time initializations and to eventually stabilize. Once stabilized, it is time to perform the first process memory snapshot command: _UMDH 1 Obtain the Process ID of the problem executable, such as by using the Windows Task Manager. When prompted in the next step, specify that Process ID. Let the executable run for a while. Also perform tasks associated with the executable such that a variety of logic paths are exercised in the process. It is important to attempt to invoke logic in the executable that might contain a memory leak. Depending on the site conditions, you may need wait several minutes, hours, or even days. However, there is no need to wait too long such that an overabundance of leakage occurs. Once you are certain that a sufficient amount of memory has leaked (such as by viewing the Windows Tasks Manager), then run the second snapshot command: _UMDH 2 Finally, generate a comparison of the two files using this command: _Compare Send all the log files to your Aspen Support representative for analysis. Step 11: Cleanup IMPORTANT ! After the memory detection session is finished, it is critical to return the customer’s system to its original operating condition. This means that all previous steps must be reversed. 1. Note: This step is optional if you intend to continue using the GFLAGS tool in the future. From the Control Panel, navigate to Control Panel\System and Security\System, then click Advanced system settings. Click Environment Variables, then from the System variables panel, find and select the variable named Path. Click Edit. Select the Variable value field, then move to the end and remove the path that was added earlier in step 3. Delete variables that were added in step 4 and 5. 2. From an elevated security command prompt, run the GFLAGS tool. In the Global Flags dialog, select Image File tab and type application exe name, such as CalcScheduler.exe, then clear (un-check) the “Create user mode stack trace database”. Click Apply to save the changes. Click OK to close the window. 3. It is important to verify cleanup steps just above. a. From an elevated security command window, launch the Windows Registry Editor. Type: regedit.exe b. Navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options, and ensure that the executable that was being checked no longer appears in the list of other executables. If it does, delete it from the list. c. Close regedit. 4. If it was originally running, then restart the executable that was being checked. Keyword: diagnostic Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: After installing the Aspen Plus family V14 Cumulative Patch 1,document (.apw) files need to be re-run. Aspen Process Definition Files (.appdf and .aprpdf) files no longer work.

Solution: The V14 Cumulative Patch 1 makes changed to the recdef system definition files. This means that the Aspen Process Definition Files (.appdf and .aprpdf) files will be different and will need to be regenerated if they are referenced in other products such as Aspen Custom Modeler (ACM) or Aspen Utilities Planner (AUP). In addition, any user interface customizations will need to be redone and .apw files will need to be re-run. In Aspen Plus, users will see a message when opening an .apw file: Aspen Plus can handle this automatically. Other products do not automatically fix the problem; therefore, users need to regenerate APPDF or APRPDF using File Export in the updated version. Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: How to use the Collection Server settings for the Auto Upload Tool and usage logs uploads.

Solution: The Collection Server Option allows you to collect usage log files by transmitting them to a shared collection server from multiple SLM servers within your organization. The collection server will then be configured to transmit usage logs from these servers to AspenTech. This article will provide instructions on how to configure a collection server and how to upload usage logs from license servers to the collection server. Using a Machine as a Collection Server (Using Server Mode) On the Custom Configuration (Step 2 of 2) screen, when you select either the HTTPS, SFTP, or Email option for the Upload Method, you can select the Use this machine as a collection server check box to enable this server to act as a Collection Server. Any log files it receives from other servers are sent to AspenTech along with any log files from this server. AUT uses the HTTPS, SFTP or Email option to send the collected log files to AspenTech. Server Mode supports two options: Network Share HTTP Server Network Share Select the Network Share option to share a folder on this machine, so that AUT or other SLM Servers can deposit files into this shared folder. Specify a Shared Folder Location. This will open a regular folder share dialog box. Share the folder and click permissions to grant the required users read/write permissions to the required set of users. AUT on other SLM Servers will now point to this shared folder location through UNC convention \\MyCollectionServer\UsageUpload\ and deposit files in this shared folder. HTTP Server The HTTP Server option is enabled only if HTTP Server feature has been installed from the AUT installer. Note: The HTTP Server feature requires IIS be installed on the Collection Server. In addition, it also requires the HTTP Activation and Non-HTTP Activation features of Microsoft .NET Framework. The AUT installer will check for these dependencies if you select the HTTP Server feature. In the Server Mode section, select the HTTP Server option. In the Upload files to folder field, specify a directory. The collection server uses this directory to collect log files from AUT on other SLM Servers. Select an authentication mechanism as appropriate. The user ID should have read/write access privilege to the directory specified above. Uploading to a Collection Server (Client Mode) 1. On the Custom Configuration (Step 2 of 2) screen, from the Upload Method drop-down list, select To Collection Server to configure the Auto Upload Tool to transmit usage log files from one server to another on your network in Client Mode. In the client mode, the AUT sends files to a Collection Server, whereas in the Server Mode, it accepts log files from AUT on other SLM Servers In this mode, AUT transfers the log files from this server to the server specified. AUT should be installed and configured on the Collection Server (for example: MyCollectionServer or MyHttpServerName). AUT uses HTTPS, SFTP or Email option to send the collected log files to AspenTech. 2. In the Client Mode section, select one of the following options: o Network Share: If you select the Network Share option, perform the following tasks: a. Specify the Shared folder location. b. Specify a user name and password with read-write access privilege to the shared folder on the Collection Server. o HTTP Server: Use this option to transmit files through HTTP protocol to an internal Collection Server. This option is found to be firewall friendly in many user environments. HTTP Server feature of the AUT must be installed on the Collection Server (for example: MyHttpServerName) for this option to work. If you select the HTTP Server option, perform the following tasks: a. Specify the HTTP Server name. b. Select the Enter User Credentials check box if you want to specify a user name and password. User name/password is optional, and depends on the authentication method specified on the HTTP Server end. 32 4 Post Installation Configuration 3. Click Continue. 4. Click Finish. Related Articles: Auto Upload Tool Configuration Settings Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: Some customer wants to extract the HH (Hour), MM (Minute), and SS (Seconds) separately from the THISTM parameter for use in calculations. They only require the hour and minute values not the date for a particular calculation they perform.

Solution: To extract the hour, minute, and second values from THISTM, you can use the LSTDAY and LSTSEC parameters to perform the necessary calculations. LSTDAY: The LSTDAY parameter represents the day for which the calculations are being performed. LSTSEC: The LSTSEC parameter represents the integer number of seconds since midnight of the day specified by LSTDAY. It provides the time information in seconds. So, by retrieving the values LSTSEC, you can calculate the number of hours, minutes, and seconds that have passed since midnight (LSTDAY) using the LSTSEC value. Keywords: DMCplus, Calculation, THISTM, LASTDAY, LSTSEC, Time References: None

Problem Statement: This knowledge base article illustrates how to Configure CIM-IO Test API Software to Run as an Administrator

Solution: The CIM-IO Test API software is a valuable tool for testing and troubleshooting industrial control systems. However, sometimes users may encounter issues with the software prompting them to log in as an administrator. This can be due to insufficient privileges or permissions on the user's machine. To help resolve this issue, we recommend checking the application's configuration settings to ensure that the necessary privileges and permissions have been granted. To configure the CIM-IO Test API software to run as an administrator, please follow the steps below: Go to the directory where the software is installed. Right-click on the application executable and select Properties. In the Properties window, check the Compatibility tab. Under Settings, ensure that the Run this program as an administrator box is checked. Click Apply and then OK to save the changes. By following these steps, you can configure the CIM-IO Test API software to run as an administrator, which should resolve any issues related to insufficient privileges or permissions. It is important to note that these steps may vary slightly depending on the version of the software and the operating system being used. If you continue to experience issues with the CIM-IO Test API software, we recommend contacting technical support for further assistance. Keywords: CIM-IO Test API, Administrator, privileges References: None

Problem Statement: Aspen Production Control Web Server provides users with options to select how the final calculation result for the current custom calculation will be obtained and displayed in a KPI Plot. With multiple options available, users may face difficulty in choosing the appropriate option that meets their specific reporting needs.

Solution: Aspen Production Control Web Server offers six calculation result options that users can choose from when determining how the final calculation result for the current custom calculation is obtained and displayed in a KPI Plot cell. These options are as follows: Average - This is the default option that displays the average of all calculation results that occurred within the specified aggregate type and time range. Users can choose from Current Averages, Hourly, Daily, and Monthly aggregate type and time range options. Standard Deviation - This option displays the standard deviation of all calculation results that occurred within the specified aggregate type and time range. Maximum - This option displays the maximum value of all calculation results that occurred within the specified aggregate type and time range. Minimum - This option displays the minimum value of all calculation results that occurred within the specified aggregate type and time range. Accumulate - This option counts all calculation results that occurred within the specified aggregate type and time range. It is useful for reporting the number of times a true-or-false result occurs within the specified aggregate type and time range. Summation - This option displays the sum of all values for a particular variable category. Users can select from CVs, MVs, FFs, or MVs+FFs variable categories using the Var Group list. The Summation option is only available if the Scope is set to General. Users can choose from Average, Standard Deviation, Maximum, Minimum, Accumulate, and Summation methods, depending on their specific reporting needs. By understanding these options, users can effectively analyze and report their data using Aspen Production Control Web Server. Keywords: Aspen watch, Custom Calculation, Methods, KPI plot, Average, Standard Deviation, Maximum, Minimum, Accumulate, and Summation References: None

Problem Statement: The performance of the APC Performance Monitor on Windows can be impacted by several factors, such as inconsistent network time protocols, enabled screen savers, disk fragmentation, virus scanner interference, and enabled tracing in Data Sources (ODBC). These factors can degrade the server performance, negatively affecting the Aspen InfoPlus.21 database, and the APC Performance Monitor products hosted on Aspen Watch or Aspen RTO Watch servers.

Solution: Implement a Network Time Protocol (NTP) Ensure all computers on the network use a consistent Network Time Protocol (NTP) to accurately obtain, analyze, and process data with consistent timestamps. Use the Windows Time service (W32tm.exe), which is included with the operating system, to accomplish this. Disable Screen Saver Disable the screen saver on the server while running Aspen InfoPlus.21 to save CPU cycles and enhance server performance. Defragment Disks Defragment the disks periodically after shutting down Aspen InfoPlus.21 to maintain optimal disk performance. Avoid attempting disk defragmentation while Aspen InfoPlus.21 is running. Configure Virus Scanners Configure virus scanners to exclude scanning the following directories: H21 and subdirectories that contain history repositories. For details, see Changing the InfoPlus.21 Historian Repository Locations. PROGRAMDATA\app and subdirectories that contain application files. For details, see Copy Online Configuration Files and Model Files to the Server. Overview of Firewall, Antivirus and Windows permission requirements for Manufacturing Execution Systems Products AspenTech: Knowledge Base Disable Tracing in Data Sources (ODBC) Ensure that Tracing in Data Sources (ODBC) is disabled by following these steps: Access the Windows Control Panel. From Control Panel, access Administrative Tools. From Administrative Tools, access Data Sources (ODBC). In the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box, click the Tracing tab. Verify that the left When to trace button displays Start Tracing Now. If the When to trace button displays Stop Tracing Now, it indicates that Tracing is currently enabled. Click the button to disable Tracing. Keywords: APC Performance Monitor, Aspen RTO Watch, Aspen InfoPlus.21, CPU, configuration, Tracing, Defragment, Anti-Virus scanning References: None

Problem Statement: The APC DMC Controller has a low limit of -9999 for variables. However, this value is considered a bad value due to historical reasons, as it signifies an out-of-range value or a connectivity issue between the instrument and the DCS. This limitation poses challenges when dealing with instruments that can measure different flow magnitudes.

Solution: To overcome the limitation of the low limit of -9999 and prevent the variable from being marked as bad, the following steps can be taken: Scale the Variable: Try scaling the value of the variable so that it falls within the range of -9997 or higher. For example, you can divide the value by 1000 and use K-units instead of regular units for the variable. Maintain Consistent Scaling: It is important to ensure that the scaling applied does not have a wide magnitude variation between variables. This is because the SS Optimizer performs better when variables have similar scaling ranges. Adjust the scaling factor accordingly to maintain consistency across variables. By scaling the variable, you can bring it within a valid range that avoids triggering the bad value check. This allows the variable to be considered valid and included in the calculation process. Keywords: APC DMC Controller, Low Limit, Bad value, limitation, scale, -9999 References: None

Problem Statement: When running Aspen Watch Maker and attempting to execute the Install Database Configuration, some users are experiencing crashes. This issue prevents the successful installation of the Database Configuration, causing frustration and hindering workflow.

Solution: To overcome the crashing issue during the execution of the Install Database Configuration in Aspen Watch Maker, a workaround has been identified. Follow the steps below: Open the Command Prompt (cmd) as an administrator. To do this, right-click on the Command Prompt icon and select Run as administrator. Navigate to the following directory: C:\ProgramData\AspenTech\APC\Performance Monitor\etc\cfg Run the InstallDBConfig.bat file. This can be done by typing InstallDBConfig.bat in the Command Prompt and pressing Enter. By following this workaround, the Command Prompt and Aspen Watch Maker will not crash, allowing for the successful completion of the Database Configuration installation. Keywords: Aspen Watch Maker, Install Database Configuration, crashing, IDBC References: None

Problem Statement: This Knowledge Base article aims to provide insights into the user’s utilization of Aspen One Process Explorer and address common questions regarding user access.

Solution: Regarding the User’s utilization of Aspen One Process Explorer in IP.21, the number of tokens consumed depends on the Maximum Point Count that is set, each 4000 points equal to 1 token. To check your IP.21 database maximum point count navigate to the following: Open the Infoplus.21 administrator. Expand the Infoplus.21 node on the left. Right-click on your server's name and select Properties. Navigate to the Record Utilization tab. At the bottom of the tab, you will find the total number of points under License points. In Aspen One Process Explorer, each token allows up to 3 users to connect to IP.21. If a 4th user wants to use Aspen Process Explorer, it will consume an additional token. Token usage and can be monitored by follow these steps: Open Aspen SLM License manager. Look for the Token Used column, which displays the token usage information. In WLMAdmin, you can find the token license feature SLM_RN_PME_PRCEXPL_TK and observe the number of tokens being consumed. Ensure that users' machines are configured to obtain the necessary license from the SLM server. Use the SLM License Manager to export a report containing user login/access details under User tab then Export to Excel The Usage log report provides desired user login/access details and usage information. Configure the Auto Upload Tool (AUT) on the SLM Server to submit logs for generating the Usage log report. For instructions on configuring the Auto Upload Tool (AUT), refer to the following KB article video tutorial: AspenTech: Knowledge Base Note; Once the logs are uploaded, you can request access to the usage reports from the support website. Software License Manager (SLM) V12 Token Usage Logs and Reports User's Guide AspenTech: Knowledge Base Keywords: IP.21, Utilization, User access, Aspen One Process Explorer References: None

Problem Statement: Many customers want to implement animation on a text box object in Aspen Process Graphic Studio based on multiple conditions.

Solution: To achieve this animation effect, follow the steps below: Open Aspen Process Graphic Studio and select the text box object you want to animate. Enable animation for the text box: Go to the Animation tab in the properties panel. Check the Animation On checkbox to enable animation for the text box. 3. Define the conditions for the animation: Switch to the Data tab in the properties panel. In the Name field, enter the following ad hoc calculation: =IF (Analog1 > 30) OR (Analog2 > 29) OR (Analog3 > 31) THEN 1 ELSE 2 Replace Analog1, Analog2, and Analog3 with the names of your tags or variables. This calculation will evaluate the conditions and return either 1 or 2 based on the result. 4. Configure the animation conditions and colors: Switch back to the Animation tab in the properties panel. Under Conditions, click the + button to add a new condition. Set the condition to ==1 (equals 1). Choose the desired animation effect, such as changing the font color to red. Click the + button again to add another condition. Set this condition to ==2 (equals 2). Choose the desired animation effect for this condition, such as keeping the font color black. 5. Save and apply the changes: Save your changes in Aspen Process Graphic Studio. Apply the modified graphic to your process visualization. Now, when any of the three tags (Analog1, Analog2, or Analog3) meet the specified conditions, the text font color will be red. Otherwise, the font color will remain black. Keywords: Aspen Process Graphic Studio, Condition, Multiple, Animation References: None

Problem Statement: How to use the Miller Charts method for pressure drop calculation in a Bend?

Solution: Miller Charts method is not available for Bends in Aspen Hydraulics. Nevertheless, using a Tee block (which supports Miller Charts) and ignoring one of its tee branches can be a workaround. In the image below the TEE-101 works as an elbow because PIPE-104 is ignored. Note: We can not set zero flow in one of the arms of the TEE 101 because Hydraulics does not support having outlet flows as a constraint. Keywords: Miller Charts, Elbow, Branches, Zero Flow, Tee. References: None

Problem Statement: What can be done in this situation to get the entirety of the tag name to appear in the results?

Solution: TheSolution is to add a width nn command after the name field is requested. The nn would be equal to or greater than the longest tag name being requested. In this example the tag is 65 characters long and 65 is used for the width command (but IP_AnalogDef tags could be up to 256 characters long so a number up to 256 could be used). Here's the adjusted query followed by a screenshot: Select name width 65, ip_description, ip_input_value from ip_analogdef where name like 'DA%' Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: When aspenONE Process Explorer (A1PE) e-mail alerts are not working what are some troubleshooting steps that can be done?

Solution: --Make sure that the Aspen products are at least V12.2 or V14 or higher (versions older than that may not allow the e-mails to work). --Start by reviewing thisSolution which includes basic configuration steps: What is the procedure to configure alerts in aspenOne Process Explorer (A1PE) and send the alerts to user? https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000082129 --It's always a good idea to double-check the tags involved and make sure the alarm limits are okay (don't double-up on the limits, for example, don't make the 'High' and 'High High' both be 75). --Make sure that the traditional alerts functionality works correctly (tags appear and disappear on Alerts page according to their status) before investigating the e-mail functionality. --ThisSolution explains why tags might show up more than once in the A1PE Alerts. It probably won't affect the operation of sending e-mails but it is something to be aware of: a1PE Alerts page lists the tags twice if there are two data sources pointing to the same InfoPlus.21 system. https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000095076 --One thing that can be overlooked is that a task in the Aspen InfoPlus.21 Manager called TSK_ALRT needs to run and stay running. If it is not running - please try to start it. If it exits then check the TSK_ALRT.out file, which is accessible via the button in the IP.21 Manager: That output file can potentially hold good information about why it is not running. If additional information is needed in the TSK_ALRT.out (or if no information appears) then add this debug switch: -d:2 to the 'Command line parameters' for TSK_ALRT, apply the change, and start the task. You may need to walk through the steps of configuring an alert to get helpful information to appear. Don't leave the -d:2 in there permanently - when the issue is resolved then remove it. --Please also check the profile records - these are defined by AlertUserDef and they will be created as the e-mail settings are configured. Generally speaking these records do not need to be modified manually but they could need adjusting if bad data is in there but is not getting cleared out (the output from TSK_ALRT might point to that as a culprit). --The following threeSolutions have some helpful details about this: AlertUserDef definition record fields description. https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000094239 Where is the AspenONE Process Explorer Alerts list saved? https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000088168 Which account is used to create AlertUserDef records in InfoPlus.21 when aspenONE Process Explorer alerts are used? https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000100878 In a worst-case scenario the records can be made unusable and deleted and recreated by re-configuring the e-mail settings. --Please also check if e-mails can be sent at all. Try implementing thisSolution Sample SQLplus query that shows sending a high importance e-mail message with an attachment https://esupport.aspentech.com/S_Article?id=000068638 --If aspenONE Process Explorer is accessed via a proxy server please see if the proxy server can be removed from the equation temporarily (to see if the proxy server is blocking the functionality). --Open a web browser and navigate to this location (but swap out the server name in place of localhost): http://localhost/aspentech/ProcessData/Samples/Sample_Admin_Query.aspx If you can get in to that screen please choose Admin/FlushCache from the 'Request Type' drop down box and then click the 'Issue Request' button. It will hopefully produce a message like this: InfoSuccessfully flushed cacheError Number0Error Code0Error String Then try the e-mail functionality again. --Make sure that a record called TSK_ALRT is present. It should be defined by ExternalTaskDef. In the Processed Records' section look for the AlertUserDef records to be listed (they should be filled in automatically by the system). --Launch the Process Explorer Graphics Editor using 'Run As' and then specify the account that starts the Aspen InfoPlus.21 task service. Then, on a new graphic, try to read in fields from the AlertUserDef child record. Try to read in fields like Record_&_Field_Name. If it is not successful there is a permissions problem. --Finally, there is a file in group 200 called dbclock.config which has a setting that is usually not modified (but could be) that may impact the ability to send e-mail. Here is the default full path and file name: C:\ProgramData\AspenTech\InfoPlus.21\db21\group200\dbclock.config In the file there is a section that looks like this: <DBCLOCK> <Subscriptions Enabled=No> If it says No for Subscriptions Enabled then change it to Yes and stop and start the IP.21 database. If it is Yes then leave it as-is. <DBCLOCK> <Subscriptions Enabled=Yes> Keywords: None References: None

Problem Statement: The definition of property sets for liquid-liquid equilibrium properties require careful definition by the user. In particular, the parameter KLL2 (Liquid-liquid K-value), and the mixture molar volumes are considered, as they are required for the calculation of the commonly reported ‘partition coefficient’ (check Articles ID 85570 and 85567).

Solution: The partition coefficient is calculated from the distribution coefficient KLL2. Please seeSolution 85570 for details on this property. While KLL2 is based on activity coefficients (and through the equilibrium condition on molar fractions), (1) the partition coefficient is usually defined based on molar concentrations: (2) Particularly, values of are often reported in the literature. Since these values usually refer to very dilute systems, a relationship with phase molar volumes can be used: (3) The parameters required to calculate the partition coefficient can be accessed in Aspen Plus streams as described below. 1. Create a property set (e.g. PS-1), Property Sets folder in the navigation pane. 2. Include the parameter KLL2 in the Properties menu. In the ‘Qualifiers’ tab, choose the solute i as the component. Leave other fields empty. Since we are using the Calculator block later on, it is easier to define one Property Set for each individual property. 3. Create a second property set (e.g. PS-2), add the parameter VMX. In the ‘Qualifiers’ tab, select ‘1 st Liquid’ as Phase (other fields empty). 4. Create a third property set (e.g. PS-3), with Qualifier ‘2 nd Liquid’ as phase. Other fields can be left at default/empty status, and we will accept the default second liquid phase definition (densest phase). 5. Create desired stream(s), define conditions and composition in the Mixed tab. In the Flash Options tab, choose ‘Vapor-Liquid-Liquid’ as ‘Valid Phases’. 6. To display these properties on the Stream results, please follow the procedure given inSolution 85570. 7. To perform the calculation given by Eq.(3), a Calculator block can be used. Add it to your simulation file, with the following variable definition: 8. In the ‘Calculate’ tab, introduce the following Statement F PARTC=DISTRIBC*VMX2/VMX1. 9. Run the simulation and access Results for the calculator block. To find the partition coefficient perform the calculation shown above (for example, using the Calculator block) and exemplified below. Calculation example The distribution coefficient for lactic acid in octanol-water system (from a stream with solute mole fraction of 0.1%) is predicted by the UNIQUAC thermodynamic method as being . Using the molar volumes for the mixtures in both phases (see equation above, where is the molar volume for the organic phase while refers to aqueous phase), the partition coefficient is calculated as It can be reported as . The Results tab for the Calculator is shown as below: Using the NRTL method, . Both results are in agreement with reported values in the literature. For benzene in octanol-water system, KLL2 is 692 and 716, using NRTL and UNIQUAC, respectively. This corresponds to , which is very close to available experimental data. Keywords: Calculator, KLL2, Partition Coefficient, Liquid-Liquid equilibrium, Properties, Thermodynamics, Solubility References: None

Problem Statement: What does Mat_cost.dat file contain in Aspen OptiPlant 3D layout?

Solution: Column 1, Material Name: This is the name of the material which is listed in the mat_prop.dat file. Column 2, Cost: This is the relative cost factor for this material. Keywords: Mat_cost.dat, Aspen OptiPlant 3D layout References: None