BFD, PFD, P&ID

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Lab5 ofProcessSystemsEngineering MasterDegreeinChemicalEngineering PolitecnicodiMilano

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Diagrams in process engineering

Therearethreemaindiagramsusedbychemicalengineerstodesignand
describetheprocesses
BlockFlowDiagramBFD
Startingfromaninputoutputdiagramoftheprocesswedivideitintoitsmain
functionalblockssuchas:thereactionsection,theseparationsection,etc
Thenweaddtherecyclestreamsandthepreliminarymaterialbalances.

ProcessFlowDiagramPFD
Thenextstepistoevaluateandquantifyefficientlythematerialandenergy
balancesforalltheprocessstreams.Thenweaddthepreliminarydesign
specificationsoftheequipment.

PipingandInstrumentationDiagramP&ID
Weintroducethespecificdetailsdescribingthemechanicsandtheprocess
instrumentation.

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Diagrams in process engineering

Themostefficientwaytocommunicateinformationrelatedtoachemical
processistouseflowcharts.Visual informationisthebestwaytopresent
designdataanditavoidsmisunderstandingsandambiguities.

WhenpossibleitshallbeadoptedtheEnglishterminologyandsymbologysince
inmostcasesthedocumentationproducedbyanengineeringcompanyisfor
foreignorders.

Werefertosymbolsanddiagramsfromthetext:

R.Turton,R.Bailie,W.Whiting,J.Shaeiwitz
Analysis,SynthesisandDesignofChemicalProcesses
PrenticeHall,NewJersey,1998

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BDF: Block Flow Diagram

Reaction:C7H8+H2=C6H6+CH4

InternationalconventionsandrecommendedformatsfortherealizationofBFDs

Theunitoperationsareindicatedbyblocks

Themainstreamsareidentifiedbylineswitharrowsindicatingtheflowdirection

Whenpossible,thedirectionofthestreamsisfromlefttoright

Lightcurrents(gas)upwards,heavycurrents(liquidsandsolids)downwardsoftheblocks
representingthesingleportionsoftheplant

Providebasicandmostimportantinformationoftheprocess

Iftheprocesslinesintersect,thehorizontalonesareheldwhilsttheverticalonearebroken

Providesimplifiedmaterialbalancesandmainreactions

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PFD: Process Flow Diagram

ThePFDisgreatlyenhancedcomparedtotheBFD.Itisthemostimportantandused
diagramtodescribewithanadequatelevelofdetailthestructureoftheprocess.

Thereisnotauniversallyacceptednomenclature.Ingeneral,aPFDcontainsthe
followinginformation:
1.

Theimportantequipmentisshowntogetherwithashortdescription.Eachdeviceis
identifiedbyacode.

2.

Thestreamsareshownandidentifiedwithanumber.Everystreamshowstheprocess
conditionsandcomposition.ThesedatacanbeentereddirectlyonthePFDorina
summaryattachedtable.

3.

Theutilities oftheequipmentareshownanddescribed

4.

Themaincontrolloopsareshown

TheinformationprovidedbyaPFDcanbesummarizedasfollows:

Topologyoftheprocess

Informationonstreams

Informationonequipment

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PFD: Process Flow Diagram

PFDfortheproductionofbenzenebythehydrodealkylationoftoluene(HDA)

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PFD: Process Flow Diagram

Wedefineastopologyoftheprocessthepositionandtheinteractionamongthe
unitsandthestreamsoftheprocess.
Theequipmentisrepresentedbyicons.TheASME (AmericanSocietyofMechanical
Engineers)periodicallypublishesalistofsymbolstobeusedintheproductionofthe
PFD.Nevertheless,engineeringcompaniesareusedatadoptingcustom symbolsin
ordertomaketheirownPFDrecognizableanddistinguishablefromthoseoftheir
competitors.
EachpieceofequipmentisidentifiedbyanumberonthePFD.
Forexample,thetoluenepumpP101A/B providesthefollowinginformation:

P101A/Bmeansthattheequipmentasapump
P101A/Bmeansthatthepumpislocatedinthearea100 oftheplant
P101A/Bmeansthatthespecificpumpisnumber01 ofthearea100
P101A/B meansthattherearetwopumps:P101A andP101B.Thesecondone
isasparepartthatworksasabackup(i.e. normallyisnotworkingbutitstarts
runningwhentheformerbreaksorneedstobeserviced).
ThewordToluenepumpisthecolloquialnamethatidentifiesP101andisused
indiscussionsabouttheprocess.

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PFD: Process Flow Diagram

LibraryofequipmentsymbolsforaPFD
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PFD: Process Flow Diagram

Conventionsusedtoidentifytheequipmentoftheprocess

Generalformat:XXYZZ A/B
XX aretheidentificationlettersfortheclassificationoftheequipment

C Compressor,turbine
E HeatExchanger
H FiredHeater
P Pump
R Reactor
T Tower
TK StorageTank
V Vessel
Y showstheareaoftheplantwheretheequipmentisplaced

ZZ reportsthesequentialnumberofthespecificprocessunit

A/B meansaparallel/spare/backupequipment

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PFD: Process Flow Diagram

Conventionsusedtoidentifythestreamsoftheprocess

Eachprocessstreamisidentifiedbyanumberinadiamondaboveit.Thedirectionis
definedbyoneormorearrows.

Theutilitiesinclude:electricity,compressedair,coolingwater,chilledwater,steam,
condensate,inertgas,chemicalsewer,watertreatmentandflares.Weusethe
followingsymbols:

lps
mps
hps
htm
cw
wr
rw
rb
cs
ss
el
ng
fg
fo
fw

lowpressuresteam35barg(sat)
mediumpressuresteam1015barg(sat)
highpressuresteam4050barg(sat)
heattransfermedium(organic):to400C
coolingwater:fromcoolingtower30Creturnedatlessthan45C
riverwater:fromriver25Creturnedatlessthan35C
refrigeratedwater:inat5Creturnedatlessthan15C
refrigeratedbrine:inat45Creturnedatlessthan0C
chemicalwastewaterwithhighCOD
sanitarywastewaterwithhighBOD
electricenergy(specify220,380,440,660Vservice)
naturalgas
fuelgas
fueloil
firewater

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PFD: Process Flow Diagram

Asalreadystated,eachstreamisidentifiedbyanumber.Asummarytable which
accompaniesthePFDprovidesthedataontheprocessstreams.
Essentialinformation

Streamnumber
Temperature[C]
Pressure[bar]
VaporFraction
TotalMassFlowRate[kg/h]
TotalMoleFlowRate[kmol/h]
IndividualComponentFlowRates[kmol/h]

Optionalinformation

ComponentMoleFractions
ComponentMassFractions
IndividualComponentFlowRates[kg/h]
VolumetricFlowRates[m3/h]
SignificantPhysicalProperties:Density,Viscosity,
ThermodynamicData:HeatCapacity,Enthalpy,Kvalues,
Streamname

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PFD: Process Flow Diagram

ThelastelementofthePFDisasummaryoftheequipmentwhichallows
estimatingthecostsandprovidesthestartingpointtocarryoutadetailed
design.
Equipment type

Description of the equipment

Towers

Size (height and diameter), Pressure, Temperature, Number and type of

trays, Height and type of packing, Materials of construction

Heat Exchangers

Type: gas-gas, gas-liquid, liquid-liquid, Condenser, Vaporizer

Process: Duty, Area, Temperature and Pressure for both streams
Number of shell and tube passes
Materials of construction: shell and tubes

Tanks, Vessels

Height, Diameter, Orientation, Pressure, Temperature, Materials of

construction

Pumps

Flow, Discharge, Pressure, Temperature, P, Driver type, Shaft power,

Materials of construction

Compressors

Actual inlet flow rate, Pressure, Temperature, Driver type, Shaft power,
Materials of construction

Heaters (fired)

Type, Tube pressure, Tube temperature, Duty, Fuel, Materials of

construction

Others

Provide critical information

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PFD: Process Flow Diagram

The PFD can include explicit information of the process streams by means of special flags. These
flags are attached to the streams which they refer to, with text boxes in different shapes to indicate
the value of measures such as:
STREAMID

PRESSURE

MOLARFLOWRATE

TEMPERATURE

LIQUIDFLOWRATE

MASSFLOWRATE

GASFLOWRATE
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P&ID: Piping & Instrumentation Diagram

AsynonymousofP&ID isMFD,MechanicalFlowDiagram.Itcontainsthedata
neededtostartplanningtheconstructionoftheplant.Mechanicaland
functionaldataaregivenforeachpieceofequipment.
Exceptionsare:
1.
Operatingconditions:TandP
2.
Streamvalues
3.
Equipmentpositioning
4.
Piping:lengthsandfillings
5.
Supports,FoundationsandStructures
Thefollowingbitsofinformationmustbereported:
For Equipment show every piece including:

Spare units, Parallel units, Summary detail on each

unit

For piping show all lines including Drains,

and specify:

Size (standard), Thickness, Materials of

construction, Insulation (thickness and type)

For instruments Identify:

Indicators, Recorders, Controllers, Show instrument

lines

For utilities Identify:

Inlet and outlet utilities, Waste treatment facilities

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P&ID

Fieldinstrumentation

Positioningoftheinstrumentation:

InstrumentationonthefronofControlPanelin
thecontrolroom
InstrumentationonthebackofControlPanelin
thecontrolroom

Meaningofidentifyingletters

XYY

First letter: X

Second and third letters: Y

Analysis

Burner flame

Conductivity

Density or specific gravity

Voltage

Flowrate

Hand (manually initiated)

High

Current

Indicator

Power

Time or time schedule

Control station

Level

Light or low

Moisture or humidity

Middle or intermediate

Orifice

Alarm
Control
Element

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P&ID
Meaningofidentifyingletters

XYY

First letter: X

Second and third letters: Y

Pressure or vacuum

Quantity or event

Radioactivity or ratio

Record or print

Speed or frequency

Switch

Temperature

Transmit

Viscosity

Valve, damper or louver

Weight

Well

Relay or compute

Drive

Y
Z

Position

Point

Identificationofinstrumentalconnections
Capillary
Pneumatic
Electric
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P&ID

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P&ID

LoopcontrolstructureforthetanklevelV102

LE

LT
leveltransmitterpositionedonthetankV102
Transferthesignalviaanelectricline tothecontrolroom
LIC
levelindicatorandcontrollerinthecontrolroom
Transferanelectricalsignal totheinstrumentLY
LY
instrumentabletocalculatetheexactvalveopening
Transferapneumaticsignal(solidline)tothecontrolvalveLCV
LAH
toohighlevelalarminthecontrolroom(frontpanel)
LAL
toolowlevelalarminthecontrolroom(frontpanel)

levelsensorpositionedonthetankV102

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DavideManca ProcessSystemsEngineering MasterDegreeinChemEng PolitecnicodiMilano

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References

R.Turton,R.Bailie,W.Whiting,J.Shaeiwitz,Analysis,SynthesisandDesignofChemicalProcesses,Prentice
Hall,NewJersey,1998

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