Process Flow Arrangements– Recycle, Bypass, Purge and Combinations

Recycle – Material (part of the product) that leaves a process unit is returned and mixed with the feed
for processing again.

By-pass stream – A stream that skips one or more units of the process, and goes directly to a
downstream unit.

Purge – A stream bled off from the process to remove the accumulation of inerts of unwanted material
that might otherwise build up in the recycle stream.

Recycle
Recycle (R)

Total (or Gross

Fresh Feed (F) Gross) Reactor Product Net Product (P)
Mixer Feed
Separator

𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠−𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠

Overall Conversion: 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠

𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟−𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟

Single-Pass Conversion: 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟

Bypass

Bypass (B)

Fresh Feed (F)

Process Product (P)
Divider Mixer

Purge

Recycle (R) Divider

Purge

Fresh Feed (F)

Process
Product (P)
Mixer Separator