CHAPTER 5

INPUT-OUTPUT STRUCTURE
OF THE FLOWSHEET
5.1 DECISIONS FOR THE
INPUT-OUTPUT STRUCTURE
Process
Feed
streams
Product
By-Product
Process
Feed
streams
Product
By-Product
Purge
Flowsheet Alternative
TABLE 5.1-1 Hierarchy of decisions
1. Batch versus continuous
2. Input-output structure of the flowsheet
3. Recycle structure of flowsheet
4. General structure of the separation system
a. Vapor recovery system
b. Liquid separation system
5. Heat-exchanger network
TABLE 5.1-2 Level-2 decisions
1. Should we purify the feed streams before they
enter the process?
2. Should we remove or recycle a reversible by-
product
3. Should we use a a gas recycle and purge
stream?
4. Should we not bother to recover and recycle
some reactants?
5. How many product streams will there be?
6. What are the design variables for the input-
output structure, and what economic trade-offs
are associated with these variables?
Level 2 Decisions
Guideline
If feed impurity is not inert and it present in significant
quantities, remove it
If a feed impurity is present in a gas feed, as a first guess
process the impurity
If a feed in the a liquid feed stream is also a by-product or
product component, usually it is better to feed the process
through the separation system.
If a feed impurity is present in large amounts, remove it


Purification of Feed
If feed impurity is present as azeotrope with a reactant,
often it is better to process the impurity.

If a feed impurity is inert but is easier to separate from
the product than the feed, it is better to process the
impurity.

If a feed impurity is a catalyst poison, remove it.


PROCESS ALTERNATIVE
If we not certain that our decision is correct, we list the
opposite decision as a process alternative.
ECONOMIC TRADE-OFFS FOR FEED
PURIFICATION.
Our decision of purifying the feed streams before they
are processed involves an economics trade-off between
building a preprocess separation system and increase the
cost of process be cause we handling the increased flow
rate of inert materials. Ofcourse, the amount of inert
materials present and where they will enter and leave the
process may have a great impact on the processing costs.
Therefore, it is not surprising that there is no simple
design criterion that always indicates the correct decision.
Recover or Recycle Reversible By-
products
Toluene+H
2
Benzene+CH
4
(4.1-3)


2Benzene Diphenyl+H
2
The reactions to produce benzene from
toluene are
The second reactions is reversible, we could
recycle diphenyl black to the reactor and let
it build up in recycle loop until it eventually
reached an equilibrium level .
Gas Recycle and Purge
Whenever a light reactant and either a
light feed impurity or a light by-
product boil lower than propylene(-55
F, -48 C), use a gas recycle and
purge stream
A membrane separation process also should always
be considered
Do Not Recover and Recycle
Some Reactant
We should recover more than 99% all valuable
materials
Since some materials, such as air and water,
normally do not bother to recover and recycle
unconverted amount of these component.
Number of Product
Streams
It is never advantageous to separate two streams and then mix
them together.
The common sense design guideline
TABLE 5.1-3 Destination codes and component
classifications
Destination code Component classification
1. Vent
Gaseous by-products and feed
impurities
2. Recycle and purge
Gaseous reactants plus inert gases
and/or gaseous by products
3. Recycle Reactants
Azeotropes with reactants (sometimes)
Reversible by-products (sometimes)
4. None
Reactant-if complete conversion or
unstable reaction intermediates

TABLE 5.1-3 Destination codes and component
classifications
Destination code Component classification
5. Excess-vent
Gaseous reactant not recovered and
recycled
6. Excess-waste
Liquid reactant not recovered or
recycled
7. Primary product Primary product
8. Valuable by-
product (I)

Separate destination for different by-
products

9. Fuel By-products to fuel
10. Waste By-products to fuel waste treatment

Example 5.1-1 Suppose we have the 10 components
listed in order of their boiling points and with destination
codes indicated. How many product streams will there
be.
A Waste F Primary product
B Waste G Recycle

C Recycle H Recycle

D Fuel I
Valuable by-
product 1
E Fuel J Fuel

Component Destination Component Destination

Solution. The product stream are

1. A+B to waste (do not separate them and
then mix them in the sewer)
2. D+E to fuel (do not separate them and then
mix them to burn)
3. F-primary product (to storage for sale)
4. I-valuable by product I (to storage for sale)
5. J to fuel (j must be separated from D and E
to recover components F,G,H and I, so we
treat J as a separate product stream)
Example 5.1-2 Hydroalkylation of toluene to
produce benzene. Find the number of product
stream for the HAD process; i.e, see Example 4.1-
1.

Solution.- List all component
-arrange these components in order of
their normal boiling point
-Destination code
Example 5.1-4 Toluene to benzene
H
2
-253 C Recycle and purge
CH
4
-161 C Recycle and purge

Benzene 80 C Primary product
Toluene 111 C Recycle
Diphenyl 253 C Fuel
Component Boiling point Destination Code

The initial flowsheet
Process
H
2
, CH
4
Benzene
Diphenyl
Purge H2, CH4
Toluene
Fig. 5.1-2 Input-output structure of HDA process.
Evaluation of the Flowsheet
Be certain that all products, by products
and impurities leave the process
5.2 DESIGN VARIABLES, OVERALL
MATERIAL BALANCES, AND STREAM
COST
TABLE 5.2-1 Possible design variables for level 2
Complex reactions: Reaction conversion
molar ratio of reactant
reaction temperature and/or pressure
Excess reactions: Reactants not recovered or gas
recycle and purge
Design Variables
TABLE 5.2-2 Procedures for developing overall material
balances
1. Start with the specified production rate.
2. From the stoichiometry (and, for complex reactions, the
correlation for product distribution) find the by-product
flows and reactant requirements (in terms of the design
variables)
3. Calculate the impurity inlet and outlet flows for the feed
streams where reactants are completely removed and
recycle

Material Balances Procedure
TABLE 5.2-2 Procedures for developing overall material
balances
4. Calculate the outlet flows of in terms of a specified
amount of excess (above the reaction requirements) for
streams where the reactants are not recovered and
recycled
5. Calculate the and outlet flows for the impurities entering
with the reactant stream in step 4.
Example 5.2-1 Toluene to benzene. Develop the
overall material balances for HDA process.
Solution. The reactions of interest are
Toluene+H
2
Benzene+CH
4

2Benzene Diphenyl+H
2
(4.1-3)
From Ex. 4.1-1 The desired production rate of
benzene is P
B
=265 mol/hr.
If use a gas recycle and purge stream for the H
2
and
CH
4
and remove diphenyl, then there are three
product stream
Process
H
2
, CH
4
Benzene
Diphenyl
Purge H2, CH4
Toluene
Fig. 5.1-2 Input-output structure of HDA process.
SELECTIVITY AND REACTION STOICHIOMETRY
S
converted Toluene Moles
Outlet Reactor at Benzene Moles
y Selectivit = =
S
P
F
B
FT
=
Recover and remove all this benzene. Hence
for the production P
B
mol/hr, the toluene fed to
the process F
FT
must be
(5.2-1)
From Eq. 4.1-3
The amount of methane produced P
R
,
CH4
must be
S
P
P
B
CH R
=
4
,
Toluene+H
2
Benzene+CH
4

2Benzene Diphenyl+H
2
(4.1-3)
(5.2-2)
From Eq. 4.1-3
The amount of diphenyl produced P
D
must be
2
1
2
1 S
S
P S
F P
B
FT D

=

=
Toluene+H
2
Benzene+CH
4

2Benzene Diphenyl+H
2
(4.1-3)
(5.2-3)
RECYCLE AND PURGE
If we feed an excess amount of H
2
, F
E
, into
the process,.
The total amount of H
2
fed to the process will
be
G FH
B
E
F y S
S
P
F = + + ) 1 (
2
(5.2-4)
y
FH
F
G
: The amount of H
2
in the makeup gas
stream
The methane flow rate leaving the process
S
P
F y P
B
G
H
F CH
+ = ) 1 (
4
(5.2-5)
Methane Produced
Methane entering the
process
The total purge flow rate P
G
will then be the
excess H
2
, F
E
, plus the total methane P
CH4
or
S
P
F y F P
B
G H F E G
+ + = ) 1 (
(5.2-6)
Using F
E
as a design variable, we nornally
use the purge composition of the reactant
y
PH
, where
G
E
PH
P
F
y =
(5.2-7)
0<y
PH
<1
y
PH depends on the feed composition of reactant
and the conversion

Expressions for the makeup gas rate, F
G
and purge
rate P
G
explicitly in terms of the purge composition
of reactant y
PH
G PH
B B
G FH
P y
S
S
P
S
P
F y +

=
2
1
(5.2-8)
And the methane in the feed plus the methane
produced must all leave with the purge

G PH
B
G FH
P y
S
P
F y ) 1 ( ) 1 ( = +
(5.2-9)
Adding these expressions give

2
1 S
S
P
F P
B
G G

=
(5.2-10)
Then solve for F
G
) (
1
) 1 ( 1
PH FH
PH B
G
y y S
S
S
y P
F

=
(5.2-11)
MATERIAL BALANCE IN TERMS OF EXTENT
OF REACTION. (in term of the extent of reaction)

2 2 2
2
2
2

+ H Diphenyl Benzene
1 1 1 1
4 2
-
+ + CH Benzene H Toluene
16) - (5.2 - comsumed Hydrogen
15) - (5.2 comsumed Toluene
14) - (5.2 produced Diphenyl
13) - (5.2 produced Methane
12) - (5.2 2 - produced benzene Net
2 1
1
2
1
2 1
=
=
=
=
=
Generalize expressions
The number of moles(moles/hr) of any component is
Given by;

1
0

ij j j
v n n + =
) reactant(- ), product(
ts coefficien tric stoichiome the :
+
ij
v
(5.2-17)
EXTENT VERSUS SELECTIVITY.

(5.2-18)
a
S
converted reactant limiting the of amount the
component desired of production the
y Selectivit = =
b
S
compronent undesired the of production the
component desired of production the
y Selectivit = =
1
2 1
a
2 -
S

=
2
2 1
b
2 -
S

=
(5.2-19)
Example 5.2-2 Toluene to benzene. Develop the
expressions relating the extents of reaction to
production rate and selectivity for the HDA process.

(5.2-20)
S
P
B
=
1

B
P =
2 1
2 -
|
.
|

\
|

= =
S
S 1
2
P
) P - (
2
1
B
B 1 2

(5.2-21)
From Eq. 5.2-15 and 5.2-1 we find that

Also from Eq. 5.2-12 , we find that

(5.2-22)
Stream Tables.

Process
H
2
, CH
4
Benzene
Diphenyl
Purge H
2
, CH
4
Toluene
Production rate =265
Design variable: F
E
and x
5
3
4
1
2
Compo-
nent
1 2 3 4 5
H
2
F
H2
0 0 0
F
E
CH
4
F
M
0 0 0
F
M
+P
B
/
S
Benzene 0 0
P
B
0 0
Toluene 0 P
B
/S 0 0 0
Diphenyl 0 0 0 P
B
(1-S)/(2S) 0
Temp. 100 100 100 100 100
Pressure 550 15 15 15 465
H2 E B
1.544
G H2 M
0.0036 (1 S)
S 1- F F P
(1-x) 2
(1 )
(1 ) F F H
M FH E B HM
where
S
S
F y F P y
S
+
= = +

(
= + = +
(

Stream Cost: Economic Potential

For HDA process
23) - (5.2 ($/yr) , Cost Mat. Raw -
Value product - By - Value Product P
2
= E
24) - (5.2 Cost Gas Makeup -
cost Toluene - Purge of Value Fuel
Diphenyl of Value Fuel Value B P
+
+ = enzene E