Aspen Plus is one of the most popular process simulation software programs used industrially and academically. The book is designed to enable chemical engineers to go through a step-by-step process of learning the basic ideas underlying chemical process simulation, by studying the primary functions of the Aspen Plus software. Because of the major changes Aspen Technology has made in the user's interface in release 8.x, parts of the first edition which is based on release 7.x have become obsolete. However much of the scientific and engineering material has not changed; for example the material describing the distillation modules is completely suitable for self-study however some of the displays have changed. New chapters include Equation-Oriented Simulation, Electrolytes, and an appendix on The NIST Thermo Data Engine as a data source.

Each chapter starts with the equivalent of a classroom lecture followed by workshops which provide experience in the chapter's subject matter. The downloadable files contain solutions, both in Aspen Plus and text formats, to examples imbedded in the text as well as to all the workshops. There are also notes at the end of each chapter designed to aid readers that have difficulty with the workshops.

Ralph Schefflan has been an adjunct professor at Stevens Institute of Technology for the past thirty-five years. He has taught four graduate courses, thermodynamics, process simulation, numerical methods, and equilibrium stage operations during his time there as well as being SIT's representative to Aspen Technology. Dr. Schefflan introduced process simulation at SIT evolving from Flowtran to Aspen Plus and taught it for thirty years.