Course detail

Balancing of Process and Energy Systems

FSI-KBPAcad. year: 2025/2026

The subject introduces to students the issue of balancing in process and energy systems. Students will learn to apply balance equation of the mass and energy conservation laws to a wide array of processes:
• Steady state processes
• Single component and multicomponent processes
• Processes with chemical reactions
• Transient processes
To solve the balances, the subject will provide compotational approaches and methods and student will practice on a number of practical examples. Emphasis will be put on the computer implementation of procedures in a widely available software MS Excel. The hot topics as energy security and energy production from renewable sources are addressed in the lectures.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

5

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Martin Pavlas, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Process Engineering (ÚPI)

Entry knowledge

Required is the knowledge of mathematics, physics and thermomechanics from the bachelor’s degree.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

SEMINARS: Regular and active attendance is required and checked, delivering all assignments is obligatory and written tests must be passed successfully. The criterion of successful completion of the seminar is obtaining more than half points in tests.

EXAM: The exam is written. Maximum overall number of points that can be obtained within the course is 100. The course evaluation is performed by a standard procedure, according to the number of obtained points (0-50 points …F, 51-60 points …E, 61-70 points …D, 71-80 points …C, 81-90 points …B, more than 90 points …A).

The attendance at seminars is obligatory, 2 absences are allowed. Apology for absence is required. Participation at the lectures is not checked, but completion of assignments in the seminars requires knowledge from the lectures.

Aims

The aim of the course is to prepare students for effective use of balancing as a basic tool of process engineer. The subject will at the same time highlight the interdependence of knowledge in other selected courses.
Students will learn that balancing is a general method of working with the conservations laws of mass, energy or species. They will acquire a systematic analytical approach towards balanced process diagram. They will learn, how to apply balancing to a mathematical description of various types of processes. The students will also learn to solve balance equations in the studied types of processes.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Ditl. P, Netušil M. Bilancování a simulace systémů v MS Excel, 1. vydání, Praha : Česká technika - nakladatelství ČVUT, 2018. (CS)
Felder R. M. and Rousseau R. W., Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes, 3rd Update Edition. Wiley, 2004 (EN)
D. W. Green, M. Z. Southard(eds.): Perry´s Chemical Engineers´Handbook, 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education 2019 (EN)

Recommended reading

Ditl. P, Netušil M. Bilancování a simulace systémů v MS Excel, 1. vydání, Praha : Česká technika - nakladatelství ČVUT, 2018. (CS)
Klapka, J., Dvořák, J., Popela, P. Metody operačního výzkumu. Brno: VUTIUM, 2001 (CS)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme N-PRI-P Master's 1 year of study, winter semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Martin Pavlas, Ph.D.

Syllabus

1. week: Classification of balances and basic terminology
2. week: Mass balance of a steady state system (without chemical reactions and with chemical reactions)
3. week: Energy balance of a steady state system, procedures for calculating energy flows of selected process streams
4. week: Introduction to pipe networks, balance of processes with recycle or bypass, computer implementation of algorithms for the solution of balances
5. week: Introduction to economic process assessment in the pre-investment phase
6. week: Balance based on operating data (overdetermined system)
7. week: Environmental impact balances
8. week: Emissions dispersion calculation methods, emissions and immisions
9. week:  Balance of transient process, mass acculumation
10. week: Balances with phase change (gaseous-liquid, one and multi-components systems)
11. week: Balances with phase change (solid-liquid) and its use in energy-storage applications
12. week: Basics of balances of low-carbon energy producing technologies
13. week: Softwares for mass and energy balances

Computer-assisted exercise

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Martin Pavlas, Ph.D.

Syllabus

Computer aided seminars. Solution of problems related to the lectured topics, based on information from the lectures.