SELECTION OF PROCESS STEPS

Before developing a certain chemical process, process engineer (PE) needs to identify
the different steps involved in between overall input and overall output of that process.
So these individual steps need to be identified and then PE has to decide the
equipments like reactors, separators, heat exchangers, distillation columns etc. required
to carry out these individual steps and finally sequencing and grouping these
equipments to develop the entire flowsheet for that process.

Basic Steps in PFD (Process Flow Diagram) Synthesis

Following are the steps involved in PFD synthesis:

(i) Gathering information:

 References, technical journals, encyclopedias, handbooks, chemical
abstract
 E-search engines
 Consultants
(ii) Representing alternatives:
 Block diagram
 PFD
(iii) Criteria for assessing preliminary design:
 Cost of equipments
 Cost of utilities
 Environment and safety concerns
 Flexibility

The single most important task that process engineer must perform is preparing the
different types of diagrams required to depict the project to the various levels of
responsibility of the project. An overall view of the process is presented as distinct
sections in block diagrams. These diagrams are usually employed for presentation to
upper management in order to provide quick explanations of the process and are
generally included in portions of a process description.

Diagrams are used extensively by all discipline engineers to convey ideas and data.
Process Engineers use and in some cases develop three types of flow diagrams to
project their work and responsibilities:

(i) The Process Flow Diagram (PFD)

(ii) The P & I Diagram (also called mechanical flow diagram)
(iii) The Utilities Diagram

Compiled By Prof. Prasad Parulekar

The PFD originated by process engineer who retains sole responsibility for its future
development and update. The mechanical flow diagram may also be initiated by the
process engineer or it may be developed by others from the PFD. In many companies,
however, the process engineer remains responsible for its technical content,
development and completeness. The utilities diagram shows the routing, sizing, and
specification of all the utility flow lines between units and within units of a process. The
piping engineers usually initiate the utilities drawing and administer it. The process
engineer in this case is responsible for sizing the flow lines, establishing flow conditions
of temperature and pressure, and ensuring that all lines have been included.

Block Diagrams

There are essentially no hard-and-fast rules for preparing block diagrams. The format
varies from simple to elaborate and is limited only by the imagination of the process
engineer. Regardless of format, however, the function of the diagrams to depict each of
the main processing steps involved in a given process.

The simple format, and the most commonly used is a series of rectangles or blocks each
of which is labeled to represent a step in the process. The various utilities are not
usually represented as separate elements in a block diagram.

PFD – Objectives

The PFD is usually the first drawing that will be produced for an engineering or
development project. In some cases it may be preceded by a process block diagram but
it is the PFD that is the basis for
 A process definition
 Economic-feasibility studies and a budget cost estimate
 An equipment list
 A P&I diagram
 Process equipment data sheets

PFD – Presentation

Essential Constituents:

 Equipment symbols
 Process stream flow lines
 Equipment numbers
 Equipment names
 Utilities designations
 Temperature & pressure designations on process lines

Compiled By Prof. Prasad Parulekar

  Selected volumetric and molar flow rates
 Major instruments

Optional Constituents:

 Energy exchange rates

 Physical properties of process streams

The PFD supports the material and energy balances for the process and establishes the
sequence and direction of the process flow. It also shows the control philosophy that
will be adopted for the process and salient temperature and pressure conditions within
the process. As a minimum, therefore PFD should contain:

Vessels: The outline of all major vessels, such as columns, drums, tanks are shown. Their
equipment item number and their overall dimensions are indicated on the diagram.
Where vessel contain special internals such as packing, trays, etc. those should be
indicated on vessel drawing. The no. of trays in a tower may be indicated. The main
temperature and pressure conditions are also shown on the vessel drawing. For
example, on the fractionation towers the tower top and bottom operating temperatures
will be shown but only the top pressure is normally given.

Heat exchangers: Heat exchangers are shown as single shells on the PFD. The no. of
passes or the type is not shown in the diagram. The exchanger item no. is indicated on
the PFD adjacent to the equipment drawing. The process flows to and from these items
are shown as flowing through the shell side or the tube side. The heat duty of the
exchanger is also shown on the PFD adjacent to the equipment drawing and below the
equipment number. The temperature conditions for the exchangers are shown on the
process lines in and out of the equipment. No pressures are normally indicated for this
equipment.

Pumps: Most companies carry their own symbols for equipment. Many, however, show
a centrifugal pump as a circle with the suction line preceding to the center of the circle
and the discharge line leaving tangentially from the top. Other symbols are used for
positive displacement pump types. Only these two types are differentiated on the PFD.
The various types within these categories are not indicated. The pump item number and
an indication as to whether the pump is spared is shown adjacent to the pump drawing
on the PFD. If the pump is spared then the item number will be followed by “A+B”. If it is
not spared then the letter “A” will follow the item number only. The capacity of the
pump will be shown under the item number. This is the normal or operating capacity.

Compressors: These are shown as either centrifugal or reciprocating machines. The

centrifugal type are shown similar to the centrifugal pump and the reciprocating type as
two small square boxes connected by a double line. The item number appears below
the item and in some cases indicates the number of stages. The capacity in standard or

Compiled By Prof. Prasad Parulekar

normal units is given below the item number while the temperature and pressure
conditions to and from the item is shown on the process lines to and from it.

Process Lines: All major process lines interconnecting equipments, recycle, or bypass are
shown on the PFD. These lines will show direction of flow as black arrows on the lines.
The temperature and pressure conditions of the flowing material are given on the lines
at appropriate position in the drawing, that is in a location on the diagram which
establishes the operating parameters of equipment that handles the material. Details of
the material flowing in the process lines are given in the material balance.
Utility lines are not shown on the process diagram but indication of utility streams are
made by showing short length of lines with the utility symbols marked on them.

Instruments: Only major control instruments are shown and the instrument symbols are
kept as simple as possible. Details of instrument ‘hook-ups’ are confined to showing the
control valve being activated from either a level, flow, pressure or temperature
elements by a dotted line to the valve. The measurement instruments that affect
control are shown as circles with the type of instrument (e.g. FC for flow controller, TC
for temperature controller, etc.) printed in the circle.

The material balance: The material balance for the process represented by the PFD is
shown either in the table form on the bottom of the flow sheet or on an attached but
separate table. Preferably it should appear on the flow sheet itself. The table should
contain at least the following:

The stream number: This is the number given to the process stream and
referenced on the respective process line in the diagram. This initiates the
columns that will make up the table.

The stream identification: The next line should identify the stream.

The items following down the title column consists of the flow rate for each
stream as weight per unit time, the stream temperature, the specific gravity at a
standard temperature for liquid, the molecular weight for gas streams,
volumetric flow rate at standard temperature (and pressure for gases), stream
pressure for gases.

Common characteristics of all commercial PFDs

(i) Flow is from left to right with raw materials entering from the left and
finished products or waste streams leaving at the right.
(ii) Process streams are designated with heavy lines. If streams cross without
mixing, one line (usually the vertical line) is broken to allow space at the
crossing points. Arrow heads are drawn at each line angle to indicate flow

Compiled By Prof. Prasad Parulekar

 direction. To prevent ambiguity, arrowheads are drawn on all streams
entering the intersection when flow lines merge.
(iii) The flow sheet is oriented horizontally with equipment elevations in the
diagram resembling those in the real process. Some freedom is permitted
with vertical spacing to allow adequate room for flow lines, to provide
efficient use of paper, and to give visual balance. Horizontal spacing of
equipment give adequate space for the material balance table, equipment
information, and stream designation.

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Compiled By Prof. Prasad Parulekar