BALANCES ON MULTIPLE

UNIT PROCESSES
Asst.Prof.Dr.Ceren Haktanır
■ Industrial chemical processes rarely involve just one unit.

■ There are several units like; reactors, mixers, separators, heat

exchangers, etc.

■ In general “a system” is any portion of a process that can be enclosed

within a hypothetical box (boundary).

■ The system may be the entire process, or combination of several units, or

a single unit or a point at which two or more process streams come
together or split.
■ In this figure you can see a two unit process.
■ There are five boundaries. All of them are referred to as a system.
■ The procedure for material balance calculations on a multiple unit process is basically the same as
for a single unit process.
■ The difference is that with multiple unit processes you may have to isolate and write balances on
several subsystems of the process to obtain enough equations to determine the unknowns.
 When analyzing the multiple unit systems:

■ Choose a basis of the system.

■ Draw and label the flowchart.
■ Carry out degree of freedom analysis on the overall process and on each subsystem. Consider only
the inlet and outlet streams crossing the corresponding system boundary.
■ DO NOT BEGIN TO WRITE AND SOLVE THE EQUATIONS FOR A SUBSYSTEM UNTIL YOU HAVE
VERIFIED THAT IT HAS ZERO DEGREE OF FREEDOM.
■ Start solving the problem from the subsystem that has zero degree of freedom.
EX:
A labeled flowchart of a continuous steady-state two-unit process is shown below. Each stream
contains two components, A and B, in different proportions. Three streams whose flow rates
and/or compositions are not known labeled 1,2, and 3. Calculate the unknown flow rates and
compositions of streams 1,2, and 3.
■ Basis: Given Flow Rates
■ Flow chart labeling
■ Degree of Freedom Analysis:
■ We have overall process and 3 subsystems. Unit 1, Unit 2, Mixing Point. We should
do the degree of freedom analysis to all of the four systems.
■ Overall System:
Unknowns: m!̇ , x! (2)
Indep. Bal.: 2 species => 2 balances (2)
DOF= 2-2=0
̇
Determine m! and x!
■ Mixing Point:
Unknowns: m"̇ , x", m#̇ , x#
Equations: 2 species => 2 balances (2)
DOF= 4-2=2
We have two many unknowns for the number of available equations. Try another unit.
■ Unit 1:
Unknowns: m"̇ , x" (2)
Indep. Bal.: 2 species => 2 balances (2)
DOF= 2-2=0
Determine m"̇ , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 x"
We may analyze either the mixing point or unit 2 each of which have 2
unknowns.

■ Miixing Point:
Unknowns: m#̇ , x#
Equations: 2 species => 2 balances (2)
DOF= 2-2=0
Determine m#̇ , x#
 Procedure:
■ Write overall system balances to determine m!̇ , x! .
■ Write balances for Unit 1 to calculate m"̇ , x"
■ Write balances for the mixing point to find m#̇ , x#

Process is a steady state, non-reacting process therefore;

Input = Output

Calculations:
Overall Process:
Overall Mass Balance:
$% $%
100.0 + 30.0 = 40.0 + 30.0 + 𝑚̇ ! ⟹⟹ 𝑚̇ ! =60.0 kg/h
& &

Overall Balance on A:

0.500 100.0 + 0.300 30.0 = 0.900 40.0 + 0.600 30.0 + 𝑥! 60.0

𝑥! = 0.0833 kg A/kg
Unit 1:
Total Mass Balance on Unit 1
100 = 40 + 𝑚̇ ! ⟹ 𝑚̇ ! =60.0 kg/h
A Balance on Unit 1
0.500 100 = 0.900 40.0 + 𝑥! (60.0) ⟹ 𝑥! =0.233 kg A/kg

Mixing Point:
Total Mass Balance on Mixing Point
30.0 + 𝑚̇ ! = 𝑚̇ " 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑚̇ ! =60.0 kg/h
𝑚̇ " =90.0 kg/h
A Balance on Mixing Point
30.0(0.03) + 𝑥! 𝑚̇ ! = 𝑥" 𝑚̇ " since 𝑥! = 0.233 , 𝑚̇ ! = 60.0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚̇ " = 90.0
𝑥" =0.255 kg A/kg
EX:
150 kg/h of saturated solution of AgNO3 at 100ºC is cooled to 20ºC in a crystallizer. The crystals are
filtered out. The solution leaving the filter has the same composition as the solution entering the filter.
The wet filter cake exiting the filter contains 80 % solid crystals and 20 % saturated solution of AgNO3 by
mass. This stream is then sent to a dryer. Calculate the amount of water that must be removed to get
moisture free product. Also, calculate the weight of dry AgNO3 obtained.
Information: Solubility of AgNO3 at 100 ºC = 952 g AgNO3 / 100 g H2O
Solubility of AgNO3 at 20 ºC = 222 g AgNO3 / 100 g H2O

𝑚!̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂" (s)

150 kg solution 𝑚"̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑚#̇ kg solution
Crystallizer Filter
20 ºC
100 ºC

𝑚$̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂" (s)

𝑚%̇ kg solution

𝑚'̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂" ( s) 𝑚&̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝐻# 𝑂

Dryer
Basis: 150 kg of solution

34# 56 7689'
Mass Fraction of AgNO3 in the feed stream at 100ºC : = 0.905 𝑘𝑔 AgNO3/ kg soln
34#:";; 56 <=>?

Mass Fraction of H2O in the feed stream= 1-0.905=0.085 kg H2O/kg soln

Mass Fraction of AgNO3 in the product stream of crystallizer stream at 20ºC :

### 56 7689'
###:";; 56 <=>?
= 0. 689𝑘𝑔 AgNO3/ kg soln

Mass Fraction of H2O in the product stream of crystallizer stream= 1- 0.689= 0.311 kg H2O / kg soln,
 20 ºC
150 kg/h solution, 100 ºC 𝑚!̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂" (s)
Crystallizer 𝑚"̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
Filter
𝑚#̇ kg solution kg AgNO3
0.905 kg AgNO3/ kg soln kg AgNO3 0.689 () *+,-
0.095 kg H2O / kg soln 0.689 kg .#/
() *+,-
kg .#/ 0.311
() *+,-
0.311 𝑚$̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂" (s)
() *+,-
𝑚%̇ kg solution
kg AgNO3
0.689
() *+,-
Degree of Freedom Analysis kg .#/
0.311
() *+,-
Crystallizer:
𝑚'̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝐴𝑔𝑁𝑂" ( s) 𝑚&̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝐻# 𝑂
Unknowns: 𝑚!̇ , 𝑚#̇ (2) Dryer
Balances: AgNO3, H2O (2)
DOF=2-2=0

Filter:
Dryer: Overall System:
Unknowns: 𝑚!̇ , 𝑚#̇ , 𝑚"̇ , 𝑚$̇ , 𝑚%̇ (5)
Unknowns: 𝑚$̇ , 𝑚%̇ , 𝑚&̇ , 𝑚'̇ Unknowns: 𝑚"̇ , 𝑚&̇ , 𝑚'̇
Balances: AgNO3, H2O (2)
Balances: AgNO3, H2O (2) Balances: AgNO3, H2O (2)
̇
Add.Info: 𝑚$̇ / 𝑚% = 0.8/0.2 DOF=4-2=2 DOF=3-2=1
DOF=5-3=2
So we will start to solve the problem from the crystallizer unit since DOF=0

Crystallizer:

H2O Balance:
150 0.095 = 𝑚̇ # (0.311) => 𝑚̇ # =45.82 kg soln

Total Mass Balance:

150 = 𝑚̇ ! + 𝑚̇ #
150 = 𝑚̇ ! + 45.82
𝑚̇ ! =104.18 kg AgNO3(s)

After finding 𝑚̇ ! and 𝑚̇ # ; filter unit can be solved !

Filter:

Total Mass Balance:

𝑚̇ ! + 𝑚̇ # = 𝑚"̇ + 𝑚$̇ + 𝑚%̇
Info from the problem: 𝑚$̇ =4 𝑚%̇
150= 𝑚"̇ + 5 𝑚%̇
𝑚% = 26.05 ̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛
H2O Balance:
𝑚̇ # (0.311)= 𝑚"̇ (0.311) + 𝑚%̇ (0.311) 𝑚$̇ = 4 𝑚%̇
45.82=𝑚"̇ + 𝑚%̇ 𝑚$̇ = 104.18 kg AgNO3
𝑚"̇ = 45.82 − 𝑚%̇ 𝑚$̇ = 19.77 kg soln
Dryer:

H2O Balance:
𝑚̇ % (0.311)=𝑚̇ &
26.05 (0.311) = 𝑚̇ &
𝑚̇ & =8.1 kg H2O

Total Mass Balance:

𝑚$̇ + 𝑚%̇ = 𝑚&̇ + 𝑚'̇
104.18 + 26.05 = 8.1 + 𝑚'̇
𝑚'̇ =122.17 kg AgNO3 (s)

Let's check our calculation from the overall mass balance

150 = 𝑚"̇ + 𝑚&̇ + 𝑚'̇

150 = 19.77 + 8.1 + 122.13
150=150
 Recycle and Bypass
Recycle
• It is rare that a chemical reaction A→B proceeds to completion in a reactor.
• No matter how little A present in the feed or how long the reaction mixture
remains in the reactor, some A is normally present in the product.
• A should be fed back to the reactor unit.

Fresh Feed Unreacted A 𝑚"̇ 𝑘𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

Crystallizer Filter
B

Mostly A and B
Recycle Stream
OR pure A
Reasons for Using Recycle in a Chemical Process

1)Recovering and reusing unconsumed reactants

2)Recovery of catalysts
3)Dilution of a process stream
4)Control of a process variable
5)Circulation of a working fluid
Bypass

• A fraction of the feed to a process unit is diverted around the unit and combined
with the output stream from the unit.
• By varying the fraction of the feed that is bypassed, we can vary the composition
and properties of the product.
EX:

Fresh air containing 4.00 mole % water vapor is to be cooled and dehumidified to a water content of 1.7
mole % H2O. A stream of fresh air is combined with a recycle stream of previously dehumidified air and
passed through the cooler. The blended stream entering the unit contains 2.30 mole % H2O. In the air
conditioner, some of the water in the feed stream is condensed and removed as liquid. A fraction of the
dehumidified air leaving the cooler is recycled and the remainder is delivered to a room. Taking 100 mole
of dehumidified air delivered to the room as a basis of calculation, calculate the moles of fresh feed,
moles of water condensed, and dehumidified air recycled.
Basis: 100 mol of dehumidified air delivered to the room

Degree of Freedom Analysis

Overall System: Cooler:

Unknowns: n1, n3 (2) Unknowns: n2, n4 (2)

Balances: dry air, H2O (2) Balances: dry air, H2O (2)
DOF=2-2=0 DOF=2-2=0

Mixing Point: Siplitting point:

Unknowns: n2, n5 (2) Unknowns: n4, n5 (2)

Balances: dry air, H2O (2) Balances: dry air or H2O (1)
DOF=2-2=0 DOF=2-1=1
EX:

The flowchart of a steady-state process to recover crystalline potassium chromate (K2CrO4) from an
aqueous solution of this salt is shown below.
Forty-five hundred kilograms per hour of a solution that is one third K2CrO4 by mass is joined by a recycle
stream containing 36.4 % K2CrO4, and the combined stream is fed into an evaporator. The concentrated
stream leaving the evaporator contains 49.4 % K2CrO4; this stream is fed into a crystallizer in which it is
cooled (causing crystals of K2CrO4 to come out of solution) and then filtered. The filter cake consists of
K2CrO4 crystals and solution that contains 36.4 % K2CrO4 by mass; the crystals account for 95 % of the
total mass of the filter cake. The solution that passes through the filter, also 36.4 % K2CrO4, is the recycle
stream. Calculate the rate of evaporation, the rate of production of crystalline K2CrO4, the feed rates that
the evaporator and the crystallizer must be design to handle, and the recycle ratio (mass of recycle/mass
of fresh feed)
1) Calculate the rate of evaporation, the rate of production of crystalline K2CrO4, the feed rates that the evaporator
and the crystallizer must be design to handle, and the recycle ratio (mass of recycle/mass of fresh feed)
2) Suppose that the filtrate were discarded instead of being recycled. Calculate the production rate of crystals.

Basis: 4500 kg/h Fresh Feed

Degree of Freedom Analysis

Crystallizer: Evaporator:

Unknowns: 𝑚#̇ , 𝑚$̇ , 𝑚%̇ (3) Unknowns: 𝑚!̇ , 𝑚"̇ , 𝑥1 (3)

Balances: K, W (2) Balances: K, W(2)
Add. Info: (𝑚$̇ =95% of the total filter cake DOF=3-2=1
DOF=3-2-1=0

Recycle- fresh feed mixing point: Crystallizer/Filter:

Unknowns: 𝑚!̇ , 𝑚&̇ , 𝑥1 (3) Unknowns: 𝑚"̇ , 𝑚&̇ (2)

Balances: K, W (2) Balances: K, W (2)
DOF=3-2=1 DOF=2-2=0

Start from the additional information !!!