ANALYSIS OF THE MATERIAL BALANCE PROBLEM

Our study of the application of the conservation law to open steady-state systems has focused on the individual components that make up the material balance problem : the stream variables,the balance equation, the directly specified information, and the imposed subsidiary relations. When dissected into these elements, the problem of calculating the material flows leaving or entering the system is revealed  as simple one of solving a set of algebraic equations, which are usually linear, but may involve nonlinearities, for a certain number of unknown variables. As in any algebraic problem, two question must be reseolved prior to blindly submerging into the details of algebraic manipulation. First, we must decide whether in fact the equations we have assembled can yield a proper solution. if no solution is possible, then clearly we must return to reexamine the underlying physical system to determine whether any important features have been neglected, any false assumptions made, any incorrect or inaccurate information usud,or,perhaps,how any important engineering design parameters left free for our choice can best be specified. Second, if the algebraic problem can be solved, then it behooves us to determine a strategy which will lead to an accurate solution in an efficient manner. Both of these question are considered in the following two sections.

TAKEN FROM : Introduction To MATERIAL and

ENERGY BALANCES

By: G.V Reklaitis