1Introduction

'
the
1.1Steady-state
process
finWSheetlng
and design

aids
be
as
to
defined
of.
the
Flowsheetingmay
'use computer perform

for
, steady-stateheatand massbalancing,
Sizingand costing-calculations
a chemical
shall
now
term
our
definition
by
detail
process.We
of this
for
which
it
is
Figure
design
"usedwithinf
investigating
the
process;
steps
_1.1 illustratesthe partitioning of the designstep.This diagram.is in fact
_-_~

, usefulfor designin any field if the word flowsheetis replacedby

structure, and it is useful for morethan viewing steady-statedesign.

'
chemicalHowever, here we shall restrict our viewpoint to steady-State

later
1n
this
more
we
shall
process
discuss
a
design;
comprehenchapter

sive_view
it
not
but
shall
(e..gto consider
dynamic
behaviour)
pursue
.
that
beyond
discussion.

basic
1.1partitions
into
theprocess
effort
three
Figure
steps:
design

synthesis, analysis and. optimisation. Synthesis is the step where the

flowsheet structure is chosen, i.e. the particular equipment to be used

and its interconnectionare selected,Also in the synthesisstep one

values
initial
for
the
provides
variables'which'one

is free to set. The

second step is analysis audit is often broken into three parts: solving
'
the heat and material balances, sizing and costing the equipment,- and

and
so
of
worth
(and
forth)
evaluating
the
perhaps
safety,operability
the flowsheet analysed.
just

in
aretermed
Thefinalsteps
and,
paramete
optimization particular,

and structural optimization. In the course of analysing a given flowsheet,

one usuallydiscoverssomeparticular pressureor temperaturelevel can

and
thus
the
influence
the
flowresulting
eQuipmentsizes
profoundly

,sheet evaluation. Or, one may decide to alter the equipment and/or its

is
or
the
current
an
obvious
because improvement
interconnection
versionappears
be
and/or
costly.
equipment
type
_to very
Changingthe
is
While
structural
interconnection
simply altering
optimization
its

or
levels
within
a
is
fixed
flowsheet
pressure
parameter
temperature

a
more
The
to
do
latter
15
in
the
optimization.
theory
automatically
'
the
than
former.
advanced state

.The final flowsheetwith its decisionvariablevaluesandresulting

the final