CHAPTER 2

MATERIAL AND ENERGY BALANCES

Material quantities, as they pass through food processing operations, can be described by
material balances. Such balances are statements on the conservation of mass. Similarly, energy
quantities can be described by energy balances, which are statements on the conservation of
energy. If there is no accumulation, what goes into a process must come out. This is true for
batch operation. It is equally true for continuous operation over any chosen time interval.

Material and energy balances are very important in the food industry. Material balances are
fundamental to the control of processing, particularly in the control of yields of the products. The
first material balances are determined in the exploratory stages of a new process, improved
during pilot plant experiments when the process is being planned and tested, checked out when
the plant is commissioned and then refined and maintained as a control instrument as production
continues. When any changes occur in the process, the material balances need to be determined
again.

The increasing cost of energy has caused the food industry to examine means of reducing energy
consumption in processing. Energy balances are used in the examination of the various stages of
a process, over the whole process and even extending over the total food production system from
the farm to the consumer’s plate.

Material and energy balances can be simple, at times they can be very complicated, but the basic
approach is general. Experience in working with the simpler systems such as individual unit
operations will develop the facility to extend the methods to the more complicated situations,
which do arise. The increasing availability of computers has meant that very complex mass and
energy balances can be set up and manipulated quite readily and therefore used in everyday
process management to maximise product yields and minimise costs.

BASIC PRINCIPLES

If the unit operation, whatever its nature is seen as a whole it may be represented
diagrammatically as a box, as shown in Fig. 2.1. The mass and energy going into the box must
balance with the mass and energy coming out.
 Figure 2.1. Mass and energy [email protected]

The law of conservation of mass leads to what is called a mass or a material balance.

Mass In = Mass Out + Mass Stored

Raw Materials = Products + Wastes + Stored Materials.

mR =  mP + mW + mS

(where  (sigma) denotes the sum of all terms).

mR = mR1 + mR2 + mR3 = Total Raw Materials.

mP = mP1 + mP2 + mP3 = Total Products.
mw = mW1 + mW2 + mW3 = Total Waste Products.
ms = mS1 + mS2 + mS3 = Total Stored Products.

If there are no chemical changes occurring in the plant, the law of conservation of mass will
apply also to each component, so that for component A:

mA in entering materials = mA in the exit materials + mA stored in plant.

For example, in a plant that is producing sugar, if the total quantity of sugar going into the plant
is not equalled by the total of the purified sugar and the sugar in the waste liquors, then there is
something wrong. Sugar is either being burned (chemically changed) or accumulating in the
plant or else it is going unnoticed down the drain somewhere. In this case:

(mAR ) = ( mAP + mAW + mAS+ mAU )

where mAU is the unknown loss and needs to be identified. So the material balance is now:

Raw Materials = Products + Waste Products + Stored Products + Losses

where Losses are the unidentified materials.

Just as mass is conserved, so is energy conserved in food-processing operations. The energy

coming into a unit operation can be balanced with the energy coming out and the energy stored.

Energy In = Energy Out + Energy Stored

ER =  EP + EW + EL + ES
where:
ER = ER1 + ER2 + ER3 + ……. = Total Energy Entering
EP = EP1 + EP2 + EP3 + ……. = Total Energy Leaving with Products
EW = EW1 +EW2 + EW3 + …… = Total Energy Leaving with Waste Materials
EL = EL1 + EL2 + EL3 + …….. = Total Energy Lost to Surroundings
ES = ES1 + ES2 + ES3 + …….. = Total Energy Stored

Energy balances are often complicated because forms of energy can be interconverted, for
example mechanical energy to heat energy, but overall the quantities must balance.

MATERIAL BALANCES

The first step is to look at the three basic categories: materials in, materials out and materials
stored. Then the materials in each category have to be considered whether they are to be treated
as a whole, a gross mass balance, or whether various constituents should be treated separately
and if so what constituents. To take a simple example, it might be to take dry solids as opposed
to total material; this really means separating the two groups of constituents, non-water and
water. More complete dissection can separate out chemical types such as minerals, or chemical
elements such as carbon. The choice and the detail depend on the reasons for making the balance
and on the information that is required. A major factor in industry is, of course, the value of the
materials and so expensive raw materials are more likely to be considered than cheaper ones,.
and products than waste materials.

Basis and Units

Having decided which constituents need consideration, the basis for the calculations has to be
decided. This might be some mass of raw material entering the process in a batch system, or
some mass per hour in a continuous process. It could be: some mass of a particular predominant
constituent, for example mass balances in a bakery might be all related to 100 kg of flour
entering; or some unchanging constituent, such as in combustion calculations with air where it is
helpful to relate everything to the inert nitrogen component; or carbon added in the nutrients in a
fermentation system because the essential energy relationships of the growing micro-organisms
are related to the combined carbon in the feed; or the essentially inert non-oil constituents of the
oilseeds in an oil-extraction process. Sometimes it is unimportant what basis is chosen and in
such cases a convenient quantity such as the total raw materials into one batch or passed in per
hour to a continuous process are often selected. Having selected the basis, then the units may be
chosen such as mass, or concentrations which can be by weight or can be molar if reactions are
important.

Total mass and composition

Material balances can be based on total mass, mass of dry solids, or mass of particular com-
ponents, for example protein.

EXAMPLE 2.1. Constituent balance of milk

Skim milk is prepared by the removal of some of the fat from whole milk. This skim milk is
found to contain 90.5% water, 3.5% protein, 5.1% carbohydrate, 0.1% fat and 0.8% ash. If the
original milk contained 4.5% fat, calculate its composition, assuming that fat only was removed
to make the skim milk and that there are no losses in processing.

Basis: 100 kg of skim milk. This contains, therefore, 0.1 kg of fat. Let the fat which was
removed from it to make skim milk be x kg.

Total original fat = (x + 0.1) kg

Total original mass = (100 + x) kg

and as it is known that the original fat content was 4.5% so

x + 0.1 = 0.045
100 + x

whence x + 0.1 = 0.045(l00 + x )

x = 4.6 kg

So the composition of the whole milk is then:

fat = 4.5% , water 90.5 = 86.5 %, protein = 3.5 = 3.3 %, carbohydrate = 5.1 = 4.9%
104.6 104.6 104.6
and ash = 0.8%
Total composition: water 86.5%, carbohydrate 4.9%, fat 4.5%, protein 3.3%, ash 0.8%

Concentrations

Concentrations can be expressed in many ways: weight/ weight (w/w), weight/volume (w/v),
molar concentration (M), mole fraction. The weight/weight concentration is the weight of the
solute divided by the total weight of the solution and this is the fractional form of the percentage
composition by weight. The weight volume concentration is the weight of solute in the total
volume of the solution. The molar concentration is the number of moles (molecular weights) of
the solute in a volume of the solution, in this book expressed as kg mole in 1 m 3 of the solution.
The mole fraction is the ratio of the number of moles of the solute to the total number of moles
of all species present in the solution. Notice that in process engineering, it is usual to consider kg
moles and in this book the term mole means a mass of the material equal to its molecular weight
in kilograms. In this book, percentage signifies percentage by weight (w/w) unless otherwise
specified.

EXAMPLE 2.2. Concentrations

A solution of common salt in water is prepared by adding 20 kg of salt to 100 kg of water, to
make a liquid of density 1323 kg m-3. Calculate the concentration of salt in this solution as a (a)
weight fraction, (b) weight/volume fraction, (c) mole fraction, (d) molal concentration.

(a) Weight fraction:

20 = 0.167
100 + 20

% weight/weight = 16.7%

(b) Weight/volume:
3
A density of 1323kgm-3 means that 1m of solution weighs 1323kg, but 1323kg of salt solution
contains:

20 x 1323 kg salt = 220.5 kg salt m-3

100 + 20
and so 1 m3 solution contains 220.5 kg salt.

Weight/volume fraction = 220.5 = 0.2205.

1000

and so % weight/volume = 22.1%

(c) Moles of water = 100 = 5.56

18
Moles of salt = 20 = 0.34.
58.5
Mole fraction of salt = 0.34___
5.56+0.34
and so mole fraction of salt = 0.058.
3
(d) The molar concentration (M) is 220.5/58.5 = 3.77 moles in 1 m .

Note that the mole fraction can be approximated by the (moles of salt/moles of water) as the
number of moles of water are dominant, that is the mole fraction is close to 0.34/5.56 = 0.061.
As the solution becomes more dilute, this approximation improves and generally for dilute
solutions the mole fraction of solute is a close approximation to the moles of solute/moles of
solvent.

In solid/liquid mixtures, all these methods can be used but in solid mixtures the concentrations
are normally expressed as simple weight fractions.

With gases, concentrations are primarily measured in weight concentrations per unit volume, or
as partial pressures. These can be related through the gas laws. Using the gas law in the form:

pV = nRT

where p is the pressure, V the volume, n the number of moles, T the absolute temperature, and R
the gas constant which is equal to 0.08206 m3 atm mole-1 K-1, the molar concentration of a gas
is then

n/V = p/RT

and the weight concentration is then nM/V where M is the molecular weight of the gas.

The SI unit of pressure is N m-2 called the Pascal (Pa). As this is of inconvenient size for many
purposes, standard atmospheres (atm) are often used as pressure units, the conversion being 1
atm = 1.013 x 105 Pa, or very nearly 1 atm = 100kPa.

EXAMPLE 2.3. Air composition

If air consists of 77% by weight of nitrogen and 23% by weight of oxygen calculate:
(a) the mean molecular weight of air,
(b) the mole fraction of oxygen,
(c) the concentration of oxygen in mole m-3 and kg m-3 if the total pressure is1.5 atmospheres
and the temperature is 25oC.

(a) Taking the basis of 100 kg of air: it contains 77 moles of N2 and 23 moles of O2
28 32

Total number of moles = 2.75 + 0.72 = 3.47 moles

So mean molecular weight of air = 100 = 28.8.

3.47
Mean molecular weight of air = 28.8

(b) The mole fraction of oxygen = 0.72 = 0.72 = 0.21

2.75 + 0.72 3.47

Mole fraction of oxygen = 0.21

(Note this is also the volume fraction)
(c) In the gas equation, where n is the number of moles present: the value of R is 0.08206 m3 atm
mole-1 K-1 and at a temperature of 25oC = 25 + 273 = 298 K, and where V = 1 m3

pV = nRT

and so 1.5 x 1 = n x 0.08206 x 298

n = 0.061 moles
weight of air in 1 m3 = n x mean molecular weight
= 0.061 x 28.8
= 1.76 kg
and of this 23% is oxygen, so weight of oxygen in 1 m3
= 0.23 x 1.76
= 0.4 kg

Concentration of oxygen = 0.4kgm-3

or 0.4 = 0.013 mole m-3
32

When a gas is dissolved in a liquid, the mole fraction of the gas in the liquid can be determined
by first calculating the number of moles of gas using the gas laws, treating the volume as the
volume of the liquid, and then calculating the number of moles of liquid directly.

EXAMPLE 2.4. Carbonation of a soft drink

In the carbonation of a soft drink, the total quantity of carbon dioxide required is the equivalent
of 3 volumes of gas to one volume of water at 0oC and atmospheric pressure. Calculate (a) the
mass fraction and (b) the mole fraction of the CO2 in the drink, ignoring all components other
than CO2 and water.

Basis 1 m3 of water = 1000 kg.

Volume of carbon dioxide added = 3 m3

From the gas equation pV = nRT

1 x 3 = n x 0.08206 x 273.
And so n = 0.134 moles

Molecular weight of carbon dioxide = 44

And so weight of carbon dioxide added = 0.134 x 44 = 5.9 kg

(a) Mass fraction of carbon dioxide in drink = 5.9/(l000 + 5.9) = 5.9 x 10-3

(b) Mole fraction of carbon dioxide in drink = 0.134/(l000/18 + 0.134) = 2.41 x 10-3
 Types of Process Situations

Continuous processes

In continuous processes, time also enters into consideration and the balances are related to unit
time. Consider a continuous centrifuge separating whole milk into skim milk and cream. If the
material hold-up in the centrifuge is constant both in mass and in composition, then the quantities
of the components entering and leaving in the different streams in unit time are constant and a
materials balance can be written on this basis. Such an analysis assumes that the process is in a
steady state, that is flows and quantities held up in vessels do not change with time.

EXAMPLE 2.5. Materials balance in continuous centrifuging of milk

If 35,000kg of whole milk containing 4% fat is to be separated in a 6 hour period into skim milk
with 0.45% fat and cream with 45% fat, what are the flow rates of the two output streams from a
continuous centrifuge which accomplishes this separation?

Basis 1 hour’s flow of whole milk

Mass in

Total mass = 35,000 = 5833 kg

6

Fat = 5833 x 0.04 = 233 kg

And so water plus solids-not-fat = 5600 kg

Mass out

Let the mass of cream be x kg then its total fat content is 0.45x. The mass of skim milk is
(5833 - x) and its total fat content is 0.0045(5833 - x).

Materials balance on fat:

Fat in = Fat out

5833 x 0.04 = 0.0045(5833 - x) + 0.45x

and so x = 465 kg

So that the flow of cream is 465 kg h-1 and skim milk (5833 – 465) = 5368 kgh-1

The time unit has to be considered carefully in continuous processes as normally such processes
operate continuously for only part of the total factory time. Usually there are three periods, start
up, continuous processing (so-called steady state) and close down, and it is important to decide
what material balance is being studied. Also the time interval over which any measurements are
taken must be long enough to allow for any slight periodic or chance variation.

In some instances a reaction takes place and the material balances have to be adjusted
accordingly. Chemical changes can take place during a process, for example bacteria may be
destroyed during heat processing, sugars may combine with amino acids, fats may be hydrolysed
and these affect details of the material balance. The total mass of the system will remain the
same but the constituent parts may change, for example in browning the sugars may reduce but
browning compounds will increase. An example of the growth of microbial cells is given. Details
of chemical and biological changes form a whole area for study in themselves, coming under the
heading of unit processes or reaction technology.

EXAMPLE 2.6. Materials balance of yeast fermentation

Baker's yeast is to be grown in a continuous fermentation system using a fermenter volume of
20m3 in which the flow residence time is 16 h. A 2% inoculum containing 1.2 % of yeast cells is
included in the growth medium. This is then passed to the fermenter, in which the yeast grows
with a steady doubling time of 2.9h. The broth leaving the fermenter then passes to a continuous
centrifuge, which produces a yeast cream containing 7% of yeast, 97% of the total yeast in the
broth. Calculate the rate of flow of the yeast cream and of the residual broth from the centrifuge.

The volume of the fermenter is 20m3 and the residence time in this is 16 h so the flow rate
through the fermenter must be:
20/16 = l.25 m3h-1
Assuming the broth to have a density substantially equal to that of water, i.e. 1000 kgm-3,
Mass flow rate = 1250kg h-1

Yeast concentration in the liquid flowing to the fermenter

= (concentration in inoculum)/(dilution of inoculum)
= (1.2/l00)/(l00/2)
= 2.4 x 10-4kgkg1

Now the yeast mass doubles every 2.9 h, so in 2.9h, 1kg becomes 1 x 21kg (1 generation)
In 16h there are 16/2.9 = 5.52 doubling times
1kg yeast grows to 1 x 25.5kg = 45.9 kg
Yeast leaving fermenter = 2.4 x 10-4 x 45.9 kgkg-1
Yeast leaving fermenter = initial concentration x growth x flow rate
= 2.4 x l0-4 x 45.9 x 1250
= 13.8 kgh-1

From the centrifuge flows a (yeast rich) cream with 7% yeast, this being 97% of the total yeast:
The yeast rich cream = (13.8 x 0.97) x 100/7 = 191 kgh-1
and the broth (yeast lean) stream is (1250 - 191) = 1059kgh-1
which contains (13.8 x 0.03 ) = 0.41 kgh-1 yeast
and the yeast concentration in the residual broth = 0.41/1059
= 0.039%
Materials balance over the centrifuge
Mass in (kgh-1) Mass out (kgh-1)
Yeast-free broth 1236.2 Residual broth 1062
Yeast 13.8 (Yeast in broth 0.4)
Yeast cream 188
(Yeast in cream 13.4)
Total 1250.0 Total 1250.0

A materials balance, such as in Example 2.6 for the manufacture of yeast, could be prepared in
much greater detail if this were necessary and if the appropriate information were available. Not
only broad constituents, such as the yeast, can be balanced as indicated but all the other
constituents must also balance.

One constituent is the element carbon: this comes with the yeast inoculum in the medium, which
must have a suitable fermentable carbon source, for example it might be sucrose in molasses.
The input carbon must then balance the output carbon, which will include the carbon in the
outgoing yeast, carbon in the unused medium and also that which was converted to carbon
dioxide and which came off as a gas or remained dissolved in the liquid. Similarly all of the
other elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus can be balanced out and calculation of the
balance can be used to determine what inputs are necessary knowing the final yeast production
that is required and the expected yields. While a formal solution can be set out in terms of a
number of simultaneous equations, it can often be easier both to visualize and to calculate if the
data are tabulated and calculation proceeds step by step gradually filling out the whole detail.

Blending

Another class of situations that arises are blending problems in which various ingredients are
combined in such proportions as to give a product of some desired composition. Complicated
examples, in which an optimum or best achievable composition must be sought, need quite
elaborate calculation methods, such as linear programming, but simple examples can be solved
by straightforward mass balances.

EXAMPLE 2.7. Blending of minced meat

A processing plant is producing minced meat, which must contain 15% of fat. If this is to be
made up from boneless cow beef with 23% of fat and from boneless bull beef with 5% of fat,
what are the proportions in which these should be mixed?

Let the proportions be A of cow beef to B of bull beef.

Then by a mass balance on the fat,
A(0.23 - 0.15) = B(0.15 -0.05).
A(0.08) = B(0.10).
A/ B = 10/8
or A/(A + B) = 10/18
= 5/9.

i.e. 100kg of product will have 55.6 kg of cow beef to 44.4kg of bull beef.
It is possible to solve such a problem formally using algebraic equations and indeed all material
balance problems are amenable to algebraic treatment. They reduce to sets of simultaneous
equations and if the number of independent equations equals the number of unknowns the
equations can be solved. For example, the blending problem above can be solved in this way.

If the weights of the constituents are A and B and proportions of fat are a, b, blended to give C of
composition c:

then for fat Aa + Bb = Cc

and overall A + B = C

of which A and B are unknown, and say we require these to make up 100 kg of C then

. A+B = 100
or B = 100 - A
and substituting into the first equation
Aa + (100 - A)b = l00c
or A(a - b) = 100(c - b)

A = 100 (c-b)
(a-b)

and taking the numbers from the example

A = 100 (0.15 – 0.05)
(0.23 –0.05)
= 100 0.10
0.18
= 55.6kg
and B = 44.4
as before, but the algebraic solution has really added nothing beyond a formula which could be
useful if a number of blending operations were under consideration.

Layout

In setting up a material balance for a process a series of equations can be written for the various
individual components and for the process as a whole. In some cases where groups of materials
maintain constant ratios, then the equations can include such groups rather than their individual
constituents. For example in drying vegetables, the carbohydrates, minerals, proteins etc., can be
grouped together as ‘dry solids’, and then only dry solids and water need be taken through the
material balance.

EXAMPLE 2.8. Drying yield of potatoes

Potatoes are dried from 14% total solids to 93% total solids. What is the product yield from each
1000 kg of raw potatoes assuming that 8% by weight of the original potatoes is lost in peeling.
Basis 1000kg potato entering
As 8% of potatoes are lost in peeling, potatoes to drying are 920 kg, solids 129 kg

Mass in (kg) Mass out (kg)

Raw potatoes Dried Product
Potato solids 140 Potato solids 129
Water 860 Associated water 10
Tota1 product 139
Losses
Peelings 80
solids 11
water 69
Water evaporated 781
Total losses 861
Total l000 Total 1000

Product yield 139 x 100 = 14%

1000
Notice that numbers have been rounded to whole numbers, as this is appropriate accuracy.

Often it is important to be able to follow particular constituents of the raw material through a
process. This is just a matter of calculating each constituent.

EXAMPLE 2.9. Extraction

1000 kg of soya beans, of composition 18% oil, 35% protein, 27.1% carbohydrate, 9.4% fibre
and ash, 10.5% moisture, are:

(a) crushed and pressed, which reduces oil content in beans to 6%;
(b) then extracted with hexane to produce a meal containing 0.5% oil;
(c) finally dried to 8% moisture.

Assuming that there is no loss of protein and water with the oil, set out a materials balance for
the soya bean constituents.

Basis 1000kg

Mass in:
Oil = 1000 x 18/100 = 180 kg
Protein = 1000 x 35/100 = 350 kg
Other non-oil constituents = 470 kg
Carbohydrate, ash, fibre and water are calculated in a similar manner to fat and protein.

Mass out:
(a) Expressed oil.
In original beans, 820kg of protein, water, etc., are associated with 180 kg of oil.
In pressed material, 94 parts of protein, water, etc., are associated with 6 parts of oil.
 Total oil in expressed material = 820 x 6/94 = 52.3 kg
Loss of oil in press = 180 - 52.3 = 127.7 kg
(b) Extracted oil.
In extracted meal 99.5 parts of protein, water, etc., are associated with 0.5 parts of oil.
Total oil in extracted meal = 820 x 0.5/99.5 = 4.1 kg
Loss of oil to hexane = 52.3 - 4.1 = 48.2 kg
(c) Water.
In the extracted meal, 8 parts of water are associated with 92 parts of oil, protein, etc.
Weights of dry materials in final meal = 350 + 271 + 94 + 4.1 = 719.1 kg
Total water in dried meal = 719.1 x 8/92 = 62.5 kg
Water loss in drying = 105 - 62.5 = 42.5 kg

MATERIALS BALANCE. BASIS l000 kg SOYA BEANS ENTERING

Mass in (kg) Mass out (kg)

Oil 180 Expressed oil 127.7
Protein 350 Oil in hexane 48.2
Carbohydrate 271 Total oil 175.9
Ash and fibre 94 Total meal 781.6
Water 105 Consisting of:
Protein 350
Carbohydrate 271
Ash and fibre 94
Water 62.5
Oil 4.1
Water lost in drying 42.5
Total 1000 Total 1000.0

ENERGY BALANCES

Energy takes many forms such as heat, kinetic energy, chemical energy, potential energy but
because of interconversions it is not always easy to isolate separate constituents of energy
balances. However, under some circumstances certain aspects predominate. In many heat
balances, other forms of energy are insignificant; in some chemical situations, mechanical energy
is insignificant and in some mechanical energy situations, as in the flow of fluids in pipes, the
frictional losses appear as heat but the details of the heating need not be considered. We are
seldom concerned with internal energies.

Therefore practical applications of energy balances tend to focus on particular dominant aspects
and so a heat balance, for example, can be a useful description of important cost and quality
aspects of a food process. When unfamiliar with the relative magnitudes of the various forms of
energy entering into a particular processing situation, it is wise to put them all down. Then after
some preliminary calculations, the important ones emerge and other minor ones can be lumped
together or even ignored without introducing substantial errors. With experience, the obviously
minor ones can perhaps be left out completely though this always raises the possibility of error.

Energy balances can be calculated on the basis of external energy used per kilogram of product,
or raw material processed, or on dry solids. or some key component. The energy consumed in
food production includes:
direct energy which is fuel and electricity used on the farm, and in transport and in factories, and
in storage, selling, etc.; and
indirect energy which is used to actually build the machines, to make the packaging, to produce
the electricity and the oil and so on.

Food itself is a major energy source, and energy balances can be determined for animal or human
feeding; food energy input can be balanced against outputs in heat and mechanical energy and
chemical synthesis.

In the SI system there is only one energy unit, the joule. However, kilocalories are still used by
some nutritionists, and British thermal units (Btu) in some heat-balance work.

The two applications used in this book are heat balances, which are the basis for heat transfer,
and the energy balances used in analysing fluid flow.

Heat Balances

The most common important energy form is heat energy and the conservation of this can be
illustrated by considering operations such as heating and drying. In these, enthalpy (total heat) is
conserved. As with the material balances, so enthalpy balances can be written round the various
items of equipment, or process stages, or round the whole plant, and it is assumed that no
appreciable heat is converted to other forms of energy such as work.

Figure 2.2. Heat balance.

Enthalpy (H) is always referred to some reference level or datum, so that the quantities are
relative to this datum. Working out energy balances is then just a matter of considering the
various quantities of materials involved, their specific heats, and their changes in temperature or
state (as quite frequently, latent heats arising from phase changes are encountered). Fig. 2.2
illustrates the heat balance.

Heat is absorbed or evolved by some reactions in food processing but usually the quantities are
small when compared with the other forms of energy entering into food processing such as
sensible heat and latent heat. Latent heat is the heat required to change, at constant temperature,
the physical state of materials from solid to liquid, liquid to gas, or solid to gas. Sensible heat is
the heat which when added or subtracted from food materials changes their temperature and thus
can be sensed. The units of specific heat (c) are J kg-1 oC-1 and sensible heat change is calculated
by multiplying the mass by the specific heat and the change in temperature, m c T and the unit
is J. The unit of latent heat is J kg-1 and total latent heat change is calculated by multiplying the
mass of the material, which changes its phase, by the latent heat. Having determined those
factors that are significant in the overall energy balance, the simplified heat balance can then be
used with confidence in industrial energy studies. Such calculations can be quite simple and
straightforward but they give a quantitative feeling for the situation and can be of great use in
design of equipment and process.

EXAMPLE 2.10. Heat demand in freezing bread.

It is desired to freeze 10,000 loaves of bread, each weighing 0.75 kg, from an initial room
temperature of 18oC to a final store temperature of –18oC. If this is to be carried out in such a
way that the maximum heat demand for the freezing is twice the average demand, estimate this
maximum demand, if the total freezing time is to be 6 h.
If data on the actual bread is unavailable, in the literature are data on bread constituents,
calculation methods and enthalpy/temperature tables.

(a) Tabulated data (Appendix 7) indicates specific heat above freezing 2.93 kJ kg-1 oC-1, below
freezing 1.42 kJ kg-1 oC-1, latent heat of freezing 115 kJ kg-1 and freezing temperature is –2oC.

Total enthalpy change (H) = [18 - (-2)] 2.93 + 115 + [-2 - (-18)] 1.42 = 196kJkg-1.

(b) Formula (Appendix 7) assuming the bread is 36% water gives:

specific heat above freezing
4.2 x 0.36 + 0.84 x 0.64 = 2.05kJkg-1 oC-1
specific heat below freezing
2.1x 0.36 + 0.84 x 0.64 = l.29kJkg-1 oC-1
latent heat
0.36 x 335 = 121kJkg-1

Total enthalpy change (H) = [18 - (-2)]2.04 + 121 +[-2-(-18)]1.29 = 183kJkg-1

(c) Enthalpy/temperature data for bread of 36% moisture (Mannheim et al., 1957) suggest:

H18.3 oC = 210.36 kJkg-1

H-17.3 o C = 65.35 kJkg-1
 So from + 180C to - 180C total enthalpy change (H) = 145kJkg -1.

(d) The enthalpy/temperature data in Mannheim et al. 1957 can also be used to estimate
"apparent" specific heats as H /Δt = c and so using the data:

T oC -20.6 -17.8 15.6 18.3

H kJkg-1 55.88 65.35 203.4 210.4

Giving c–18 = H = 65.35 –55.88 = 3.4 kJkg-1oC-1,

t 20.6 –17.8
Giving c18 = H = 210.4 –203.4 = 2.6 kJkg-1 oC-1
t 18.3 –15.6

Note that the "apparent" specific heat at -18oC, 3.4 kJkg-1oC-1, is higher than the specific heat
below freezing in (a) 1.42 kJkg-1oC-1 and in (b) 1.29 kJkg-1oC-1. The reason for the high apparent
specific heat at -18oC is due to some freezing still continuing at this temperature. It is suggested
that at –18oC only about two-thirds of the water is actually frozen to ice. This implies only two-
thirds of the latent heat has been extracted at this temperature. Making this adjustment to the
latent-heat terms, estimates (a) and (b) give 158 kJkg-1 and l42 kJkg-1 respectively, much
improving the agreement with (c) 145 kJkg-1 for the total enthalpy change.

Taking H as l50kJ kg-1 then:

Total heat change = 150 x 10,000 x 0.75 = 1.125 x l06kJ
Total time = 6h = 2.16 x 104s

(H /t) = 52 kJs-1 = 52kW on average.

And if the maximum rate of heat removal is twice the average:

(H /t)max = 2 x 52 = 104kW.

Example 2.10 illustrates the application of heat balances, and it also illustrates the advisability of
checking or obtaining corroborative data unless reliable experimental results are available for the
particular system that is being considered. The straightforward application of the tabulated
overall data would have produced a result about 30% higher than that finally calculated. On the
other hand, for some engineering calculations to be within 30% may be as close as you can get.

In some cases, it is adequate to make approximations to heat balances by isolating dominant

terms and ignoring less important ones. To make approximations with any confidence, it is
necessary to be reasonably sure about the relative magnitudes of the quantities involved. Having
once determined the factors that dominate the heat balance, simplified balances can then be set
up if appropriate to the circumstances and used with confidence in industrial energy studies. This
simplification reduces the calculation effort, focuses attention on the most important terms, and
helps to inculcate in the engineer a quantitative feeling for the situation.

EXAMPLE 2.11. Dryer heat balance for casein drying.

In drying casein, the dryer is found to consume 4m3/h of natural gas with a calorific value of
800kJ/mole. If the throughput of the dryer is 60kg of wet casein per hour, drying it from 55%
moisture to 10% moisture, estimate the overall thermal efficiency of the dryer taking into
account the latent heat of evaporation only.

Basis: 1 hour of operation

60 kg of wet casein contains
60 x 0.55 kg water = 33kg moisture
and 60 x (1-0.55) = 27kg bone dry casein.

As the final product contains 10% moisture, the moisture in the product is 27/9 = 3kg

So moisture removed = (33 - 3) = 30 kgh-1

Latent heat of evaporation = 2257 kJ kg (at 100oC from Appendix 8)
-1

So heat necessary to supply = 30 x 2257

= 6.8 x l04kJh-1.

Assuming the natural gas to be at standard temperature and pressure at which 1 mole occupies
22.4 litres
Rate of flow of natural gas = 4 m3 h-1 = 4 x 1000 = 179 moles h–1
22.4
Heat available from combustion = 179 x 800 = 14.3 x 104 kJh-1

Approximate thermal efficiency of dryer = heat needed = 6.8 x 104 / 14.3 x 104
heat used
= 48%

To evaluate this efficiency more completely it would be necessary to take into account the
sensible heat of the dry casein solids and the moisture, and the changes in temperature and
humidity of the combustion air, which would be combined with the natural gas. However, as the
latent heat of evaporation is the dominant term the above calculation gives a quick estimate and
shows how a simple energy balance can give useful information.

Similarly energy balances can be carried out over thermal processing operations, and indeed any
processing operations in which heat or other forms of energy are used.

EXAMPLE 2.12. Heat balance for cooling pea soup after canning
An autoclave contains 1000 cans of pea soup. It is heated to an overall temperature of 100oC. If
the cans are to be cooled to 40oC before leaving the autoclave, how much cooling water is
required if it enters at 15oC and leaves at 35oC?
The specific heats of the pea soup and the can metal are respectively 4.1 kJ kg-1oC-1 and 0.50 kJ
kg-1 oC-1. The weight of each can is 60g and it contains 0.45 kg of pea soup. Assume that the heat
content of the autoclave walls above 40oC is 1.6xl04 kJ and that there is no heat loss through the
walls.

Let w = the weight of cooling water required;

and the datum temperature be 40oC, the temperature of the cans leaving the autoclave.

Heat entering
Heat in cans = weight of cans x specific heat x temperature above datum
= 1000 x 0.06 x 0.50 x (100-40)kJ
= 1.8 x l03kJ.
Heat in can contents = weight pea soup x specific heat x temperature above datum
= 1000 x 0.45 x 4.1 x (100 - 40)kJ
= 1.1 x l05kJ.
Heat in water = weight of water x specific heat x temperature above datum
= w x 4.21 x (15 - 40) (see Appendix 4 for specific heat of water)
= - 105.3w kJ

Heat leaving
Heat in cans = 1000 x 0.06 x 0.50 x (40 - 40) (cans leave at datum temperature)
= 0
Heat in can contents = 1000 x 0.45 x 4.1 x (40 – 40)
= 0
Heat in water = w x 4.186 x (35 - 40)
= -20.9 w

HEAT BALANCE OF COOLING PROCESS; 40oC AS DATUM LINE

_________________________________________________________________________
Heat entering (kJ) Heat Leaving (kJ)
___________________________________________________________________________

Heat in cans 1,800 Heat in cans 0

Heat in can contents 110,000 Heat in can contents 0
Heat in autoclave wall 16,000 Heat in autoclave walls 0
Heat in water - 105.3w Heat in water -20.9w
Total heat entering 127.800 – 105.3w Total heat leaving -20.9w

Total heat entering = Total heat leaving

127,800 – 105.3w = -20.9w
w = 1514kg

Amount of cooling water required, w = 1514 kg.

Other Forms of Energy

The most common mechanical power is motor power and it is usually derived, in food factories,
from electrical energy but it can be produced from steam engines or waterpower. The electrical
energy input can be measured by a suitable wattmeter, and the power used in the drive estimated.
There are always losses from the motors due to heating, friction and windage; the motor
efficiency, which can normally be obtained from the motor manufacturer, expresses the
proportion (usually as a percentage) of the electrical input energy which emerges usefully at the
motor shaft and so is available.

When considering movement, whether of fluids in pumping, of solids in solids handling, or of

foodstuffs in mixers, the energy input is largely mechanical. The flow situations can be analysed
by recognising the conservation of total energy whether as energy of motion, or potential energy
such as pressure energy, or energy lost in friction. Similarly, chemical energy released in
combustion can be calculated from the heats of combustion of the fuels and their rates of
consumption. Eventually energy emerges in the form of heat and its quantity can be estimated by
summing the various sources.

EXAMPLE 2.13. Refrigeration load in bread freezing

The bread-freezing operation of Example 2.10 is to be carried out in an air-blast freezing tunnel.
It is found that the fan motors are rated at a total of 80 horsepower and measurements suggest
that they are operating at around 90% of their rating, under which conditions their manufacturer's
data claims a motor efficiency of 86%. If 1 ton of refrigeration is 3.52 kW, estimate the
maximum refrigeration load imposed by this freezing installation assuming (a) that fans and
motors are all within the freezing tunnel insulation and (b) the fans but not their motors are in the
tunnel. The heat-loss rate from the tunnel to the ambient air has been found to be 6.3 kW.

Extraction rate from freezing bread (maximum) = 104 kW

Fan rated horsepower = 80

Now 0.746 kW = 1 horsepower (Appendix 2) and the motor is operating at 90% of rating,

And so (fan + motor) power = (80 x 0.9) x 0.746

= 53.7 kW

(a) With motors + fans in tunnel

heat load from fans + motors = 53.7 kW
heat load from ambient = 6.3 kW
Total heat load = 104 + 53.7 + 6.3 kW
= 164 kW
= 164/3.52 (see Appendix 2)
= 46 tons of refrigeration
(b) With motors outside, the motor inefficiency = (1 - 0.86) does not impose a load on the
refrigeration.
Total heat load = 104 +[0.86 x 53.7] + 6.3
= 156kW
= 156/3.52
= 44.5 tons refrigeration

In practice, material and energy balances are often combined, as the same stoichiometric
information is needed for both.
 SUMMARY

1. Material and energy balances can be worked out quantitatively knowing the amounts of
materials entering into a process, and the nature of the process.

2. Material and energy balances take the basic form

Content of inputs = content of products + wastes/losses + changes in stored materials.

3. In continuous processes, a time balance must be established.

4. Energy includes heat energy (enthalpy), potential energy (energy of pressure or position),
kinetic energy, work energy, chemical energy. It is the sum over all of these that is conserved.

5. Enthalpy balances, considering only heat, are useful in many food-processing situations.

PROBLEMS

1. If 5 kg of sucrose are dissolved in 20kg of water estimate the concentration of the solution in
(a) w/w, (b) w/v, (c) mole fraction. (d) molal concentration. The density of a 20% sucrose
solution is 1070kgm-3, molecular weight of sucrose is 342.
((a) 20% (b) 21.4% (c) 0.018 (d) 0.63moles m-3)

2. 1 m3 of air at a pressure of 1 atm is mixed with 0.1 m3 of carbon dioxide at 1.5 atm and the
mixture is compressed so that its total volume is 1 m3. Estimate the concentration of the
carbon dioxide in the mixture in (a) w/w, (b) w/v, (c) mole fraction at a temperature of 25 oC.
Mean molecular weight of air is 28.8 and of carbon dioxide 44.
((a) 18.6% (b) 27% (c) 0.13)

3. It is convenient to add salt to butter, produced in a continuous buttermaking machine, by

adding a slurry of salt with water containing 60% of salt and 40% of water by weight. If the
final composition of the butter is to be 15.8% moisture and 1.4% salt, estimate the original
moisture content of the butter prior to salting.
(15.2%)

4. In a flour mill, wheat is to be adjusted to a moisture content of 15% on a dry basis. If the
whole grain received at the mill is found to contain 11.4% of water initially, how much water
must the miller add per 100kg of input grain as received, to produce the desired moisture
content?
(1.8kg per 100kg)

5. (a) In an analysis, sugar beet is found to contain 75% of water and 17.5% of sugar. If of the
remaining material, 25% is soluble and 75% insoluble, calculate the sugar content of the
expressible juice assumed to contain water and all soluble solids pro rata.