Examples Library
The Examples Library holds 38 ready-to-run process models: four tutorials built into FlowState, and 34 models that reproduce published process and techno-economic studies. Each example shows the study it reproduces and that study’s headline figures, so you can compare the FlowState result with the published one directly.
Opening an example
- File ▸ Examples Library…, or 📚 Browse the examples library… on the Welcome screen.
- Search with Search examples, products, studies… (it matches titles, summaries and citations), or filter by category on the left: All examples, Tutorials, Biopharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals & Fine Chemicals, Food & Nutrition, Starch & Sweeteners, Bio-based & Commodity Chemicals, Materials & Minerals, Environmental.
- Each card shows the title, category, summary, headline figures and citation. Click Open example.
- From a terminal:
FlowState --example <id>, using the ids below.
An example opens as a new process. Save it under your own name before changing it.
All 38 examples
Tutorials
In the app, Getting Started is in the Tutorials category, and the other three tutorials are filed under their industry (Biopharmaceuticals, Pharmaceuticals & Fine Chemicals, Bio-based & Commodity Chemicals). Likewise, the tables below group the studies by field, which does not always match the app’s category filter.
| Example | id | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Getting Started (A + B → C) | getting-started | Batch reaction in heptane, cake filtration and washing; scheduling and economics. See Your first flowsheet. |
| Recombinant Enzyme (Yeast) | recombinant-enzyme | Aerobic yeast fermentation with Monod kinetics; centrifugation, UF, chromatography, freeze drying. |
| API Intermediate (Kinetics & Solvent Recovery) | api-intermediate | Arrhenius kinetics, EPA venting, FUG solvent recovery, a storage tank, an operator limit, campaigns and debt financing. |
| Bioethanol Recovery (NRTL & MVR) | bioethanol-recovery | A 30-stage NRTL column towards the ethanol–water azeotrope and a 3-effect MVR stillage evaporator. |
Biopharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals
| Example | id | Process |
|---|---|---|
| Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) Manufacturing | adc-bioconjugation | THIOMAB-type IgG1 conjugated with MC-VC-PAB-MMAE (DAR 2) in single-use mixers; three TFF exchanges, CEX bind-and-elute |
| Continuous mAb Manufacturing (Perfusion + PCC) | continuous-mab-perfusion | 30-day CHO perfusion in a 2,000 L single-use bioreactor; Protein A PCC, viral inactivation in a PFR, AEX, CEX PCC, virus filtration |
| Polysaccharide Vaccine (Pneumonia / Meningitis) | polysaccharide-vaccine | Capsular polysaccharide for a 23-valent vaccine: fermentation, ethanol precipitations, UF/DF, depth filtration, tray drying |
| Semaglutide API (Final Assembly, Line 4) | semaglutide-api | Final assembly from a recombinant GLP-1 precursor and SPPS fragments: couplings, deprotection, two RP-HPLC steps, freeze drying |
| Vitamin B12 via Fermentation | vitamin-b12-fermentation | Fed-batch P. denitrificans, lysis and cyanidation, chromatography, acetone antisolvent crystallisation, filter-drying |
| Retinol (Retinyl Acetate) via Precision Fermentation | retinol-precision-fermentation | Hybrid plant: Y. lipolytica fed-batch fermentation, continuous recovery, acetylation and short-path evaporation |
Food and nutrition
| Example | id | Process |
|---|---|---|
| Cultured Meat (Cultivated Beef) | food-cultured-meat | Bovine satellite cells on microcarriers: seed train, proliferation, differentiation in staggered fermentors, diafiltration, screw pressing |
| Mycoprotein (Fungal Meat Analogue) | food-mycoprotein | Six-week chemostat in a 200 m³ airlift fermentor, RNA reduction, rotary vacuum filtration, texturisation |
| Insect (Cricket) Protein Concentrate | food-insect-protein | Continuous plant for 5 t/h of crickets: blanching, drying, grinding, ethanol defatting, NRTL ethanol recovery |
| Egg White Protein (Recombinant Ovalbumin) | food-egg-white-protein | K. phaffii precision fermentation, MF, UF, ammonium-sulfate precipitation, spray drying |
| Bio-Collagen (Recombinant Collagen Peptide) | food-bio-collagen | Methanol-induced Pichia fed-batch fermentation, UF/DF, acetone precipitation, ion exchange, freeze drying |
| Cocoa Butter Equivalent (Microbial Oil) | food-cocoa-butter-equivalent | Oleaginous yeast fermentation, hexane oil extraction, refining and fractionation into CBE and olein |
| Tequila (Agave to Bottles) | food-tequila | Agave cooking, milling, fermentation, two NRTL batch distillations, barrel ageing, bottling |
| Pectin from Citrus Peels | food-pectin | Continuous plant for 35 t/h of orange peels: acidic extraction, carbon and ion-exchange polishing, IPA precipitation, drum drying |
Chemicals
| Example | id | Process |
|---|---|---|
| Aspirin (Acetylsalicylic Acid) | aspirin | Salicylic acid acetylation, antisolvent recrystallisation, basket centrifuges, rotary drying, solvent recovery in two rigorous columns |
| Erythritol from Glycerol (Yarrowia Fermentation) | erythritol | Glycerol fermentation, ion exchange, SMB chromatography, cooling crystallisation, rotary drying |
| Isobutanol from Corn Stover | isobutanol | Pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, E. coli fermentation, Wilson columns with a decanter, lignin-fired boiler and turbine |
| Malonic Acid by Fermentation (Calcium-Salt Route) | malonic-acid | Yeast fermentation with calcium-malonate precipitation, acidification, ion exchange, nanofiltration, crystallisation |
| Malonic Acid — Process Synthesis & TEA (Processes 2024) | malonic-acid-processes | The calcium-salt plant of a peer-reviewed process-synthesis study (Processes, 2024) |
| Formic Acid from CO2 (Homogeneous Hydrogenation) | formic-acid-co2 | CO₂ capture from steel-plant flue gas, Ru-catalysed hydrogenation in a PFR, distillation in rigorous columns |
| Formic Acid by CO2 Hydrogenation (Tzitzili et al., Case A) | formic-acid-co2-hydrogenation | Case A of a peer-reviewed study of the same route (Processes, 2025) |
| Vitamin C by Two-Step Fermentation | vitamin-c | Sorbitol to 2-KGA by fermentation, bipolar-membrane electrodialysis, esterification and lactonisation, crystallisation |
Starch and sweeteners
Seven continuous flowsheets of the SWEET project’s LCA study of bulking agents (Suckling et al., Journal of Cleaner Production, 2025), imported from its published process files.
| Example | id |
|---|---|
| Glucose Syrup 95 % from Wet Starch | starch-wet-glucose |
| Glucose Syrup 95 % from Dry Starch | starch-dry-glucose |
| High-Maltose Syrup from Wet Starch | starch-wet-maltose |
| High-Maltose Syrup from Dry Starch | starch-dry-maltose |
| HFCS 42 from Glucose Syrup | starch-hfcs42 |
| Spray-Dried Sorbitol from Glucose Syrup | starch-sorbitol |
| Maltitol from High-Maltose Syrup | starch-maltitol |
The processes cover jet cooking and α-amylase liquefaction, glucoamylase or maltogenic saccharification, rotary vacuum filtration, carbon and ion-exchange polishing, evaporation, fixed-bed isomerisation, catalytic hydrogenation with hydrogen compression, SMB chromatography, crystallisation, centrifugation and drying.
Materials and environmental
| Example | id | Process |
|---|---|---|
| Cellulose Nanocrystals from Kraft Pulp | cellulose-nanocrystals | Batch sulfuric-acid hydrolysis, centrifugation, diafiltration, RO water recovery, spray drying |
| Kraft Pulp and Tissue Paper Mill | kraft-pulp-tissue | Integrated continuous mill: kraft digester, bleaching, tissue machine with Yankee dryer, chemical and energy recovery |
| Lithium Carbonate from Geothermal Brine | lithium-carbonate-brine | Evaporation ponds, boron solvent extraction, purification, carbonation and Li₂CO₃ crystallisation |
| Microalgal Biostimulant from Municipal Wastewater | microalgal-biostimulant | Activated-sludge treatment feeding raceway ponds, algae harvesting, enzymatic hydrolysis to a peptide biostimulant |
| PHA from Food Waste in a Photobiorefinery | pha-photobiorefinery | Acidogenic fermentation, photofermentation to PHA, solvent extraction, PSA biohydrogen, anaerobic digestion with CHP |
How the models compare with the studies
Most examples come within about 10 % of the published annual production, capital investment, operating cost and unit cost.
How to read the tables.
- TCI is usually calibrated. Many studies publish no capital factors or equipment list. In those cases one documented constant (an equipment-cost scale or a DFC factor) was fitted to the published total capital investment, so TCI agrees by construction. These are marked (cal).
- The other columns are model results. Production, operating cost and unit cost were not fitted. Fitted shares, such as labour, are stated in the comparison notes.
Each table gives the study value, then the FlowState value, then the deviation.
Biopharmaceuticals
| Example | Production | TCI | Operating cost | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADC | 101.7 → 105.9 kg/yr (+4.2 %) | $29.7 M → $29.6 M (cal) | $46.3 M → $46.1 M (−0.3 %) | $454,913 → $435,145/kg (−4.3 %) |
| Continuous mAb | 1,865 → 1,833 kg/yr (−1.7 %) | $134.6 M → $136.5 M (cal) | $56.2 M → $55.8 M (−0.7 %) | $30,141 → $30,449/kg (+1.0 %) |
| Polysaccharide vaccine | 31.6 → 33.7 kg/yr (+6.5 %) | $85.9 M → $86.0 M (cal) | $23.2 M → $25.6 M (+10.3 %) | $732,680 → $758,788/kg (+3.6 %) |
| Semaglutide (line 4) | 500 → 498 kg/yr (−0.3 %) | $58.0 M → $57.9 M (cal) | $52.7 M → $56.5 M (+7.2 %) | $105,500 → $113,335/kg (+7.4 %) |
| Vitamin B12 | 18,852 → 19,066 kg/yr (+1.1 %) | $94.7 M → $94.6 M (−0.1 %) | $51.9 M → $47.8 M (−7.8 %) | $2,750 → $2,509/kg (−8.8 %) |
| Retinol | 349,131 → 369,519 kg/yr (+5.8 %) | $94.2 M → $94.0 M (cal) | $39.4 M → $39.5 M (+0.3 %) | $112.80 → $106.90/kg (−5.2 %) |
Food and nutrition
| Example | Production | TCI | Operating cost | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cultured meat | 3,054 → 3,085 t/yr (+1.0 %) | $288.6 M → $291.8 M (cal) | $109.4 M → $109.0 M (−0.4 %) | $35.83 → $35.32/kg (−1.4 %) |
| Mycoprotein | 8,000 → 7,712 t/yr (−3.6 %) | $119.5 M → $119.3 M (cal) | $39.8 M → $39.8 M (+0.2 %) | $4.97 → $5.17/kg (+3.9 %) |
| Insect protein | 10,346 → 10,348 t/yr (0.0 %) | $33.7 M → $32.9 M (−2.2 %) | $98.6 M → $99.0 M (+0.5 %) | $9.53 → $9.57/kg (+0.4 %) |
| Egg white protein | 1,000 → 1,000 t/yr (0.0 %) | $92.0 M → $92.0 M (cal) | $39.0 M → $36.5 M (−6.4 %) | $38.99 → $36.48/kg (−6.4 %) |
| Bio-collagen | 50.0 → 49.5 t/yr (−1.1 %) | $142.9 M → $142.5 M (cal) | $47.0 M → $46.5 M (−0.9 %) | $938.96 → $940.32/kg (+0.1 %) |
| Cocoa butter equivalent | 4,394 → 4,335 t/yr (−1.3 %) | $154.9 M → $154.5 M (−0.3 %) | $52.6 M → $53.4 M (+1.5 %) | $11.97 → $12.32/kg (+2.9 %) |
| Tequila | 1.178 M → 1.045 M bottles/yr (−11.3 %) | $17.2 M → $17.5 M (+1.3 %) | $12.9 M → $12.8 M (−1.1 %) | $10.95 → $12.21/bottle (+11.5 %) |
| Pectin | 5,111 → 4,885 t/yr (−4.4 %) | $115.8 M → $112.5 M (cal) | $52.9 M → $50.1 M (−5.2 %) | $10.35 → $10.26/kg (−0.8 %) |
Chemicals
| Example | Production | TCI | Operating cost | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspirin | 2,421 → 2,415 t/yr (−0.2 %) | $24.2 M → $24.1 M (−0.5 %) | $17.7 M → $17.5 M (−1.0 %) | $7.31 → $7.25/kg (−0.8 %) |
| Erythritol | 10,405 → 10,598 t/yr (+1.9 %) | $94.8 M → $94.3 M (cal) | $54.3 M → $49.6 M (−8.6 %) | $5.20 → $4.68/kg (−10.0 %) |
| Isobutanol | 40,000 → 39,951 t/yr (−0.1 %) | $98.0 M → $97.8 M (cal) | $61.0 M → $60.3 M (−1.2 %) | $1.53 → $1.51/kg (−1.0 %) |
| Malonic acid (fermentation) | 8,483 → 8,318 t/yr (−1.9 %) | $106.1 M → $105.5 M (−0.6 %) | $49.1 M → $44.5 M (−9.5 %) | $5.79 → $5.35/kg (−7.7 %) |
| Malonic acid (Processes 2024) | 7,950 → 8,338 t/yr (+4.9 %) | $155.9 M → $155.4 M (cal) | $62.4 M → $61.0 M (−2.1 %) | $7.92 → $7.32/kg (−7.6 %) |
| Formic acid from CO₂ | 60,000 → 60,046 t/yr (+0.1 %) | $149.6 M → $149.3 M (−0.2 %) | $62.1 M → $66.2 M (+6.6 %) | $1.03 → $1.10/kg (+7.0 %) |
| Formic acid (Tzitzili, case A) | 13,030 → 14,608 t/yr (+12.1 %) | $26.7 M → $23.0 M (−14.1 %) | $15.4 M → $10.9 M (−29.4 %) | $1.18 → $0.74/kg (−37 %) |
| Vitamin C | 15,044 → 14,693 t/yr (−2.3 %) | $299.7 M → $294.4 M (−1.8 %) | $108.6 M → $106.6 M (−1.8 %) | $7.22 → $7.26/kg (+0.5 %) |
For aspirin, malonic acid (fermentation), formic acid from CO₂ and vitamin C, the studies publish an equipment list, and FlowState reproduces the equipment purchase cost and DFC within a few percent without fitting.
Materials and environmental
| Example | Production | TCI | Operating cost | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellulose nanocrystals | 100.0 → 100.4 t/yr (+0.4 %) | $18.99 M → $18.94 M (−0.2 %) | $8.48 M → $8.36 M (−1.4 %) | $84.75 → $83.25/kg (−1.8 %) |
| Kraft pulp and tissue | 187,065 → 186,190 t/yr (−0.5 %) | $657.4 M → $654.9 M (−0.4 %) | $238.8 M → $243.1 M (+1.8 %) | $1.28 → $1.31/kg (+2.0 %) |
| Lithium carbonate | 22,043 → 21,997 t/yr (−0.2 %) | $510.7 M → $507.2 M (cal) | $280.4 M → $255.9 M (−8.7 %) | $12.72 → $11.63/kg (−8.5 %) |
| Microalgal biostimulant | 87,732 → 87,515 t/yr (−0.2 %) | $301.0 M → $300.4 M (−0.2 %) | $82.4 M → $83.6 M (+1.4 %) | $0.94 → $0.96/kg (+1.7 %) |
| PHA photobiorefinery | 5,000 → 4,790 t/yr (−4.2 %) | $75.9 M → $76.0 M (cal) | $25.1 M → $25.4 M (+0.9 %) | MSP $4.41 → $4.27/kg (−3.2 %) |
Starch and sweeteners
The starch examples are compared on the mass balance, since they were built to reproduce the study’s process files. Cost evaluation is switched off for them (see Economics).
| Example | Main product, study model (kg/h) | FlowState (kg/h) | Deviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glucose syrup, wet starch | 12,229.27 | 12,235.43 | +0.050 % |
| Glucose syrup, dry starch | 12,268.54 | 12,274.72 | +0.050 % |
| High-maltose syrup, wet starch | 12,090.33 | 12,096.16 | +0.048 % |
| High-maltose syrup, dry starch | 12,125.83 | 12,131.67 | +0.048 % |
| HFCS 42 | 7,186.64 | 7,186.64 | 0.000 % |
| Sorbitol | 3,762.08 | 3,762.13 | +0.001 % |
| Maltitol | 2,135.66 | 2,135.89 | +0.011 % |
The inventory ratios match the article as well:
| Ratio | Article | FlowState |
|---|---|---|
| Starch per kg glucose syrup | 0.651 | 0.6511 |
| Starch per kg high-maltose syrup | 0.659 | 0.6587 |
| Glucose syrup per kg sorbitol | 1.33 | 1.3290 |
| Maltose syrup per kg maltitol | 2.34 | 2.3409 |
| By-product syrup per kg maltitol | 1.43 | 1.4307 |
Product specifications also match: syrups at 71 % dry matter, 95 % glucose on dry matter, and HFCS at 42 % fructose. The ion-exchange and carbon waste streams are 6–13 % larger than in the source model, because the source’s column balances do not close and FlowState conserves mass. The product streams are unaffected.
Known differences
Where an example misses by more than about 10 %, the cause is understood.
- Tequila. Production is −11 % and cost per bottle +11.5 %. FlowState’s shortcut batch distillation puts more ethanol into the heads cut than the study’s rigorous dynamic model does.
- Lithium carbonate. The study’s utilities, about $31 M/yr, are not broken down by consumer. FlowState charges only the evaporators, crystallisers and dryer. Operating cost is −8.7 %, but the IRR and NPV are not reproduced: both come out higher than the study’s.
- Formic acid (Tzitzili, case A). The study’s supplement, with its stream tables, equipment list and prices, was not available. Prices are therefore borrowed from the companion formic-acid example, and the operating and unit costs come out much lower than published.
- Polysaccharide vaccine. The study’s facility-dependent cost factors are not published, so operating cost is +10 %.
- Erythritol, malonic acid, vitamin B12. Operating costs are 8–10 % low. These studies do not itemise their utilities or consumables.
Smaller differences in batch time come from steps that the studies run in parallel and FlowState runs in series. They do not affect cycle time or the annual figures.