Build a first mass balance

Define the system and check units to identify missing data before investment.

Define the boundary

List inputs and outputs and state whether operation is steady. The general balance includes accumulation and reaction generation or consumption.

Track one component

Without reaction at steady state, incoming solute mass flow equals outgoing mass flow. Apparent disappearance can mean transfer onto a solid, not degradation.

Practical example

CATAL exercise: 100 L/h at 50 mg/L gives 5,000 mg/h = 5 g/h. This does not size equipment.

References

DOE — Fundamentals: Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow

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