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Chemical Engineering vocabulary · Process Fundamentals and Balances

Steady state

Meaning in chemical engineering, with examples

/ˌstɛdi ˈsteɪt/nounCore term

In chemical engineering, steady state means: The condition in which temperatures, pressures, flows and compositions at every point in a process stay constant over time.

In Turkish: kararlı hal, yatışkın hal, kararlı durum

How it is used

Used in calculations (most balances assume steady state) and in operations: after a change, operators wait for the unit to 'reach' or 'settle at' steady state. The opposite is 'transient' or 'dynamic' conditions, such as start-up.

Example sentences

  1. Wait until the column reaches steady state before you take samples.

  2. This is a steady-state simulation, so it won't show what happens during start-up.

Common collocations

  • reach steady state
  • steady-state operation
  • steady-state simulation
  • at steady state
  • mass balanceA calculation based on the rule that mass is not created or destroyed: everything that goes into a system must come out, react or build up inside it.
  • continuous processA way of producing in which feed enters and product leaves without stopping, usually for months at a time at nearly constant conditions.
  • start-upThe process of bringing a unit or plant from a shut-down state to normal operating conditions, following a written procedure step by step.
  • process simulationUsing software to build a computer model of a process, with its equipment, streams and thermodynamics, in order to calculate balances, size equipment and test changes.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Process Fundamentals and Balances

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