Structured modeling for processes: A thermodynamical network theory

We review the use of bond graphs for modeling of physico-chemical processes. We recall that bond graphs define a circuit-type language which root on a thermodynamical consistent definition of its network elements. We present the bond graph basic elements in the light of lumped models arising from chemical engineering. We first illustrate it on the historical example of the diffusion process through a membrane. The examples of a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor and an adsorption process illustrate how the network structure and the choice of variables ease the reusability of submodels and localize the changes in models to some network elements. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.