processtroomschemas

Processtroomschemas (singular: processtroomschema) are schematic representations used in process engineering to document and analyze the flows of materials and energy through a system of process units. Each schema maps the process streams—feeds, products, recycle streams, purge streams, and utilities—between equipment such as reactors, separators, heat exchangers, pumps, and distillation columns. A stream is described by properties such as flow rate, chemical composition, temperature, pressure, and phase; a unit is described by its function and operating conditions. Together, the streams and units form a network that supports mass and energy balance calculations, process design, optimization, and operation.

Processtroomschemas serve several purposes. They provide a basis for mass balance and energy balance calculations; they enable safety and hazard analyses by showing how streams can vary; they help coordinate engineering data across teams and software tools; and they act as documentation for changes in configuration or operation. In practice, processtroomschemas are often captured as part of larger process flow diagrams (PFDs) or piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), and may be stored in data models or process simulation repositories. They can be created in conceptual form during early design and refined as detailed design proceeds, potentially integrating with standards and data exchange formats to ensure interoperability.

See also: process flow diagram, piping and instrumentation diagram, mass balance, energy balance, process simulation, process data model.