Process ow diagram

A process ow diagram (PFD) is a diagram commonly Operational data (temperature, pressure, mass ow
used in chemical and process engineering to indicate the rate, density, etc.), often by stream references to a
general ow of plant processes and equipment. The PFD mass balance.
displays the relationship between major equipment of a
plant facility and does not show minor details such as pip- Process stream names
ing details and designations. Another commonly used
term for a PFD is a owsheet. Process ow diagrams generally do not include:

Pipe classes or piping line numbers

1 Typical content of a process ow
Process control instrumentation (sensors and nal
diagram elements)

Minor bypass lines

Isolation and shuto valves

Maintenance vents and drains

Relief and safety valves

Flanges

Process ow diagrams of multiple process units within a

large industrial plant will usually contain less detail and
may be called block ow diagrams or schematic ow di-
agrams.

2 Process ow diagram examples

The process ow diagram below depicts a single chemi-
cal engineering unit process known as an amine treating
plant:

2.1 Multiple process units within an indus-

Some typical elements from process ow diagrams, as provided trial plant
by the open source program, Dia. Click for image legend.
The process ow diagram below is an example of a
Typically, process ow diagrams of a single unit process schematic or block ow diagram and depicts the various
will include the following: unit processes within a typical oil renery:

Process piping
Major equipment items
3 Other items of interest
Control valves and other major valves A PFD can be computer generated from process simu-
Connections with other systems lators (see List of Chemical Process Simulators), CAD
packages, or ow chart software using a library of chemi-
Major bypass and recirculation (recycle) streams cal engineering symbols. Rules and symbols are available

1
2 7 EXTERNAL LINKS

4 Standards
ISO 10628: Flow Diagrams For Process Plants -
General Rules
ANSI Y32.11: Graphical Symbols For Process
Flow Diagrams (withdrawn 2003)

SAA AS 1109: Graphical Symbols For Process

Flow Diagrams For The Food Industry

5 See also
Hazop
Piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID)
Flow diagram of a typical amine treating process used in indus-
trial plants

6 Further reading
Raymond E. Kirk & Donald F. Othmer (2001).
Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology
(4th ed.). Wiley-Interscience. ISBN 0471419613.
M.S. Ray & M.G. Sneesby (1998). Chemical Engi-
neering Design Project: A Case Study Approach (2nd
ed.). Gordan and Breach Science Publishers. ISBN
9056991361.

R. Turton; R.C. Bailie; W.B. Whiting; J.S. Shaei-

witz (2002). Analysis, Synthesis, and Design of
Chemical Processes (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN
0-13-064792-6.

Fritz Ullmann (2002). Ullmans Encyclopedia of In-

dustrial Chemistry (6th ed.). Wiley-VCH. ISBN 3-
527-30385-5.
Srikumar Koyikkal (2013). Chemical Process Tech-
nology and Simulation (1st ed.). Prentice Hall India.
ISBN 978-81-203-4709-0.

7 External links
A typical oil renery-SL
Process Flow Sheet
The PFD at The Engineering Tool Box

Simplied process owsheets and ow diagrams of

process industries. Development of new integration
from standardization organizations such as DIN, ISO or methods and model ow diagrams.
ANSI. Often PFDs are produced on large sheets of paper.
PFDs of many commercial processes can be found in the
literature, specically in encyclopedias of chemical tech-
nology, although some might be outdated. To nd recent
ones, patent databases such as those available from the
United States Patent and Trademark Oce can be use-
ful.
 3

8 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1 Text
Process ow diagram Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_flow_diagram?oldid=796505041 Contributors: Jdpipe, Kku, An-
dreas Kaufmann, Mdd, Norro, BD2412, Dirkbike, Leeannedy, SmackBot, Chris the speller, Andrew c, Mbeychok, RHB, Atlien, Dgw,
Gproud, RichardVeryard, Emitozzi, Thermbal, Bhanks, Hermann Luyken, Blood Oath Bot, Bitjungle, Eubulides, Jojalozzo, Addbot, MrOl-
lie, , TaBOT-zerem, Legobot II, KamikazeBot, Rubinbot, Daniele Pugliesi, Materialscientist, Citation bot, Coretheapple, Rick-
proser, Con-struct, FrescoBot, Mean as custard, Dcirovic, ZroBot, CocuBot, Madeupwithit, MerlIwBot, BG19bot, Ele boz, BattyBot,
Dexbot, Dirk Kossmann, Michipedian, YiFeiBot, Enggyd, Monkbot, KDTW Flyer, Mela widiawati, Miriam-Mueller, EEcunning and
Anonymous: 41

8.2 Images
File:AmineTreating.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/AmineTreating.png License: CC-BY-SA-3.0
Contributors: No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims). Original artist: No machine-readable
author provided. Mbeychok assumed (based on copyright claims).
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: PD Contributors: ? Origi-
nal artist: ?
File:Pfd-symbols.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Pfd-symbols.png License: GPL Contributors:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pfd-symbols.png Original artist: en:User:Jdpipe
File:RefineryFlow.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/RefineryFlow.png License: CC-BY-SA-3.0
Contributors: ? Original artist: ?

8.3 Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0