Product Lifecycle Announcement for Aspen Batch Modeler

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Products: Aspen Batch Modeler 
Last Updated: 11-Mar-2019
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Article ID: 000075898
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Aspen Technology announces plans for the End of Life for Aspen Batch Modeler (formerly known as Aspen Batch Distillation). Version 10 of the aspenONE® Engineering suite will be the final version to include a stand-alone version of Aspen Batch Modeler. Aspen Plus v10 includes a new batch modeling option “Aspen Plus® Batch” which supersedes Aspen Batch Modeler.  The existing Aspen Plus “BatchSEP” unit operation has been significantly enhanced in v10; the upgraded model is faster, easier to use, and it supports rigorous reaction kinetics (previously available only in the stand-alone tool).
 
A file conversion utility is being developed to convert Aspen Batch Modeler simulation files (.bspf files) to Aspen Plus backup (.bkp) files. The conversion utility will be released through aspenONE Exchange as soon as it successfully passes internal quality testing.
 
The new “Aspen Plus® Batch” option offers expanded capabilities beyond those of Aspen Batch Modeler; in addition to simulating batch reactors and columns, Aspen Plus® Batch enables simulation of batch crystallization units, and simulation of complex batch flowsheets – including batch flowsheets with internal recycle streams.

When Does the Change Take Place?

MilestoneDefinitionTiming
End of New LicensingNo new licenses will be granted for this product.3/11/2019 
End of Updates and ReleasesNo Updates and Releases will be issued for the product.  All other Software Maintenance and Support services will be provided as per the terms of existing agreements. 
3/11/2019
End of SupportAspenTech provides no Software Maintenance and Support (including technical support and bug fixes) for this product after this date. Expiration of customer’s license for this product.

What Does Aspen Plus Batch Support?
The table below compares the features available in Aspen Batch Modeler with those available in the new Aspen Plus® Batch option.


*Electrolytes with apparent component approach

Migration
A file conversion utility is being developed to convert Aspen Batch Modeler simulation files (.bspf files) to Aspen Plus backup (.bkp) files. The conversion utility will be released through aspenONE Exchange as soon as it successfully passes internal quality testing.
User-defined reaction kinetics developed in Aspen Batch Modeler will not port over to Aspen Plus. Some manual intervention is required to recast the custom kinetics using the new “Custom” rate expression option in the General reaction model in Aspen Plus v10.
 

Questions & Answers

1. Will my copy of Aspen Batch Modeler still work?
Yes, the product will continue to run provided you have a license key for it and it remains installed on a supported operating system.

2. Why is AspenTech retiring this product?
AspenTech has made a strategic decision to improve modeling tools to support batch processing industries including specialty chemicals, fine chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Discussions with internal and external Advisory Boards and key customers indicate that Aspen Plus is a better platform to deliver batch modeling. We are discontinuing the stand-alone Aspen Batch Modeler tool to focus on solving a wider range of problems through the Aspen Plus® Batch option. We believe this improvement will make batch modeling more readily available and easier to use for most of our customers.

3. Will I have an opportunity to compare simulation results?

Aspen Batch Modeler and the new Aspen Plus® Batch option will co-exist in v10. This provides plenty of opportunity for our customers to migrate existing cases and to compare results and features within a single release of the engineering suite.

4. Does Aspen Plus® Batch require additional license keys or tokens?

The new Aspen Plus® Batch option is a layered product of Aspen Plus, and as such it draws a token-bearing license key. This is consistent with the current behavior of the batch distillation model (BatchSep) which draws the AspenBatchSep license key when it used inside Aspen Plus.