HELP TOPICS

 

  1. Information about the program

  2. Flowsheeting data file preparation

  3. Physical properties data selection

  4. Feed streams data requirements

  5. Processing units selection and data requirements

  6. Running Flowcalc

  7. Results presentation

  8. Physical properties presentation

  9. Flowsheeting data modification

10. Physical properties data modification

 

1. Information about the program

 

«Flowcalc» is a flow-sheeting computer program, which provides the user with:

  1. The ability to perform mass and energy balances calculations, mainly for units processing agricultural products, with the least input data requirements.
  2. A user-friendly environment for data introduction and results presentation.
  3. An internal data bank for the most widely used chemical compounds and many agricultural products existing in industries, where there are processes causing changes in concentrations of soluble or suspended solids.
  4. The ability for the user to feed the program with his own physical properties data or to modify the existing ones.
  5. Microsoft Widows environment, which enables the user to use all its conveniences.

 

 

Main Page

2. Flowsheeting data file preparation

 

Steps for data file preparation:

  1. Click on sub menu "Data Preparation" of menu "File".

 

 

  1. From "Components Selection" form, select the type of components existing in flow diagram (chemical compounds or agricultural products).
  2. From the specific physical properties form, select the required components, existing in the flow diagram. Up to 14 components is allowed to be selected. (see "Physical properties data selection" in Help Topics).
  3. Click on "End of Selection" button in "Components Selection" form, when components selection is finished.

 

 

  1. Write a title and select a number of feed streams to the flow diagram in the "Block Flow Diagram Preparation and Units Selection" form, which appears. Up to 9 feed streams are allowed.

 

 

  1. Select the required unit types, from the unit types list. Up to 10 units is allowed to be selected. When the units selection is finished, click "End of Units Selection" button. (see "Processing units selection and data requirements" in Help Topics).

 

 

  1. The letter "F" in the feed streams block becomes orange coloured. Click on the block to introduce data for each feed stream. (see "Feed streams data requirements" in Help Topics).

 

 

  1. The ascending number of each unit block becomes orange coloured. Click on the unit block to introduce data for each unit  (see "Processing units selection and data requirements" in Help Topics).

 

 

  1. Click on "Data Completion" button to complete data preparation procedure.
  2. Click on “Data File Creation” button to create the data file. You may also modify units data or units selections, by clicking on “Modify Units Data” or “Modify Units Selections” button. (see "Flowsheeting data modification" p. 40, in Help Topics).

 

 

  1. Select the desired path in the "Data File Creation" form, which appears.
  2. Type the name of the new data file. Then click on "OK" button to create the data file.

 

 

Main Page

3. Physical properties data selection

 

Physical properties data bank includes the following physical properties data:

  1. Molecular weights (for chemical compounds).
  2. Melting and boiling points (for chemical compounds).
  3. Heats of formation, melting and evaporation (for chemical compounds).
  4. Critical temperatures and pressures (for chemical compounds).
  5. Specific heat capacity equation constants for solid, liquid and gas phases (for chemical compounds and agricultural products).
  6. Antoine vapour pressure equation constants (for chemical compounds).

Components are selected by clicking on "Select" button of the proper physical properties form and it is added to the selected components list of the flow diagram.

 

 

 

Main Page

4. Feed streams data requirements

 

The required feed streams data are:

  1. Feed stream number.
  2. Destination unit number.
  3. Feed stream phase.
  4. Feed stream temperature.
  5. Feed stream pressure.
  6. Feed stream enthalpy.
  7. Flow rate of each component in the feed stream.

 

 

Main Page

5. Processing units selection and data requirements

 

The following types of processing units are available:

5.01: Mixer or stream temperature set

5.02: Stream pressure set

5.03: Stream divider

5.04: Products separator

5.05: Flow products partial separator

5.06: Purge or make-up stream as n.p.s.

5.07: Heat exchanger without phase change

5.08: Water cooler without phase change using water as n.p.s.

5.09: Evaporator or condenser

5.10: Water heater or steam boiler using water or sat. steam as n.p.s.

5.11: Evaporator using sat. steam as n.p.s.

5.12: Condenser using water as n.p.s.

5.13: Evaporator or evaporator stage

5.14: Evaporator or evaporator stage using sat. steam as n.p.s.

5.15: Hot air drier

5.16: Drier using hot air as n.p.s.

5.17: Water cooler (cooling tower)

5.18: Water cooler (cooling tower) using air as n.p.s.

5.19: Light and heavy phase separator

5.20: Absorber or stripper or liq/liq extractor or sol/liq extractor

5.21: Vap/liq flasher

5.22: Simple reactor

 

n.p.s. = non-process stream

 

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5.01. Mixer or stream temperature set

 

 

Subject Page

5.02. Stream pressure set

 

 

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5.03. Stream divider

 

 

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5.04. Products separator

 

 

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5.05. Flow products partial separator

 

 

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5.06. Purge or make-up stream as n.p.s.

 

 

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5.07. Heat exchanger without phase change

 

 

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5.08. Water cooler without phase change using water as n.p.s.

 

 

Subject Page

5.09. Evaporator or condenser

 

 

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5.10. Water heater or steam boiler using water or sat. steam as n.p.s.

 

 

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5.11. Evaporator using sat. steam as n.p.s.

 

 

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5.12. Condenser using water as n.p.s.

 

 

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5.13. Evaporator or evaporator stage

 

 

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5.14. Evaporator or evaporator stage using sat. steam as n.p.s.

 

 

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5.15. Hot air drier

 

 

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5.16. Drier using hot air as n.p.s.

 

 

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5.17. Water cooler (cooling tower)

 

 

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5.18. Water cooler (cooling tower) using air as n.p.s.

 

 

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5.19. Light and heavy phase separator

 

 

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5.20. Absorber or stripper or liq/liq extractor or sol/liq extractor

 

 

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5.21. Vap/liq flasher

 

 

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5.22. Simple reactor

 

 

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6. Running Flowcalc

 

To run program "Flowcalc":

  1. Click on sub menu "Run..." of menu "Tools".

 

 

  1. Select the desired path of the data file in the "Data File Selection" form, which appears.
  2. Select the name of data file. Then click on "OK" button.

 

 

  1. “Block Flow Diagram Presentation” form, representing the block flow diagram of the process, appears on screen.

 

 

  1. Follow the instructions of "Program running information" form, which appears, by clicking on "Flowcalc" icon, existing on the wallpaper or the programs bar.

 

 

  1. Click on "Program run properly" button of "Program running information" form, to create the results file, containing all the calculations results, if program run properly. Otherwise click on “Program did not run properly” button and try to correct the mistakes existing in data file.

 

 

  1. Select the desired path of the results file in the "Results File Creation" form, which appears.
  2. Type the name of the new results file. Then click on "OK" button to create the results file.

 

 

Main Page

7. Results presentation

 

To see the calculations results:

  1. Click on sub menu "Flow Characteristics" of menu "View".

 

 

  1. Select the desired path of the results file in the "Results File Selection" form, which appears.
  2. Select the name of results file. Then click on "OK" button. “Block Flow Diagram Presentation” form, representing the block flow diagram of the process, appears on screen.

 

 

  1. All feed streams, which are represented as product streams from the feed streams block, become orange coloured.
  2. All product streams from each processing unit block, become orange coloured too.

 

 

  1. Click on every orange coloured stream, to see the corresponding stream characteristics in “Stream Characteristics” form, which appears.

 

 

  1. Special cases concerning feed streams, stream starting and destination units and non-process streams, are shown in the following scheme.

 

 

Main Page

8. Physical properties presentation

 

To start presentation of physical properties data:

  1. Click on sub menu "Physical Properties" of menu “View”.

 

 

  1. From "Components Selection" form, select the required type of components (chemical compounds or agricultural products).

 

 

  1. Select from the list or type the name of required component in the “Physical Properties of Agricultural Products” form or in the “Physical Properties of Chemical Compounds” form and then click on “OK” button.
  2. The required component’s physical properties data will appear in the corresponding form.

 

 

 

Main Page

9. Flowsheeting data modification

 

To start modification of flowsheeting data:

  1. Click on sub menu "Flowsheeting Data" of menu “Edit”.

 

 

  1. Select the desired path of the data file in the "Data File Selection" form, which appears.
  2. Select the name of data file. Then click on "OK" button.

 

 

  1. “Preparation of Block Flow Diagram and Units Selection” form, representing the block flow diagram of the process, appears on screen.

 

 

  1. Click on "Modify Units Data" button to modify existing units data. The corresponding units number will be orange coloured, allowing data modification.

 

 

  1. Click on “Modify Units Selections” button to modify units selection, by adding, removing or changing units or by changing the feed block. Units will be selected (if required) from unit types list.

 

 

 

Main Page

10. Physical properties data modification

 

To start modification of physical properties data:

  1. Click on sub menu "Physical Properties" of menu “Edit”.

 

 

  1. From "Components Selection" form, select the type of components existing in flow diagram (chemical compounds or agricultural products).

 

 

  1. Type the name of required component in the “Physical Properties of Agricultural Products” form or in the “Physical Properties of Chemical Compounds” form and then click on “OK” button.
  2. If the required component name does not exist in list, then “Add” button will allow the user to add it in the list and to introduce the required physical properties data. Remember that all components names must begin with a capital letter or a number.
  3. Otherwise, if the required component name exists in list, the “Delete” or “Update” button will allow the user to delete it from the list or to modify its physical properties data, existing in the data bank.

 

 

 

Main Page