Industrial Plant Process Flow/Energy Analysis

In this chapter the process flow/energy analysis is discussed and described in detail. This is a significant tool for use by utility account representatives and industrial consultants to understand the industrial process and to provide a basis for implementing opportunities for plant improvement. The process flow/energy analysis for a specific plant is composed of a number of steps: 1) conduct a plant walk-through, 2) develop a process flow diagram, 3) complete an energy and mass balance for each process step, 4) prepare a profile of energy and energy costs by process step, 5) develop process performance parameters, and 6) prepare a list of process improvement opportunities. A complete analysis is presented for a fluid milk process.