process, whether it be in 1the refining, petrocheasdmi1cal, chemical, power, or virtually any other
industry. I'll add one other type of drawing, the BFD, and then describe each.
ss
BFD or Block Flow Diagram is the samost basic drawing type. Typically, it would show entire processing
units as rectangles with lines drawn between rectangles to indicate major process flows between units.
The Process Flow Diagram (PFD) is just one step beyond the BFD in terms of complexity. Ideally, you
would have one PFD for each of your major processing units. It would show the major equipment and
controls. Typically the major streams are identified (e.g. by a number inside a diamond) which
corresponds to a heat and material balance stream. The full mass balance table could be placed along
the bottom of the PFD, or it may be placed on a separate sheet(s). The main purpose of the PFD, in my
opinion, is to show the entire processing unit on a single sheet. Details are omited so that "the big
picture" can be seen and understood. In pursuit of this goal, for example, a single pump symbol would
often be used to represent multiple pumps in the same service. Basic process specifications for the main
equipment are often listed. For complex units, it becomes difficult to show all that is needed on a single
drawing, and multiple PFD's may be used to depict the process. (As you may gather, I do not favor that
approach.)
I think of PFD's and UFD's or Utility Flow Diagrams to be essentially the same thing. UFD's would show
the same type of information as PFD's, but merely geared to utility streams rather than process streams.
When you get to P&ID's, or Piping & Instrumentation Flow Diagrams, you're starting to approach reality.
These diagrams identify the size and specification of piping and define the instrumentation
requirements. All equipment is shown and identified on the P&ID's. Valves and specialty items are also
shown. If you're doing a modification to an existing unit, then tie-in points should be shown. In this case,
you should have two sets of the P&ID's - one for Demo (demolition) only, and one for D&C (or Design
and Construct). Combined, these drawings define what is going to be removed and what is going to be
added.
I don't want to imply that that's all there is or that you always have all these types of drawings. Drawings
are routinely omited if not pertinent to the process. For largely mechanical systems, they sometimes use
Mechanical Flow Diagrams in place of P&ID's. There may be Material Selection Diagrams showing
This is just scratching the surface of what's needed to define a complex processing facility. There are
many other disciplines besides our own that produce their own drawings. So there are dozens of types of
HTH,
Doug
After not adding to this topic in over 5-1/2 years, I thought I'd go ahead and add some other thoughts for
There are many different ways of depicting those things we wish to show on process-oriented drawings.
Despite attempts to reach concensus, you will very seldom see two organizations with the same
approach and symbology, especially as you move to the level of detail shown on a P&ID. In particular, I'd
like to offer up my opinions to the two most important process drawings in our field. Specifically, I'd like
Process Flow Diagrams (PFD's) should schematically define the process. In conjunction with the heat and
material balances, they depict in fair detail what happens within the process. One can also glean the
process conditions, the order of processing, and the "duties" of the various equipments throughout the
process. (Here I am using the term duties rather loosely.) I feel strongly that the PFD should be geared to
show process information such as vessel capacities and residence times, exchanger and heater duties,
etc. The PFD should be a "one stop drawing" for getting an overview of how the process works. Spare,
auxilliary, and minor equipment should NOT be shown since showing anything that does not enhance
one's understanding to the process will dilute the utility of the drawing. If at all possible (and it is always
possible in my opinion), a process unit should be shown on a single drawing. Failure to depict a complete
processing unit on a single drawing enormously diminishes the drawing's value. I would freely simplify
what is and is not shown so as to enable this objective. The most important controls in the system
should also be shown, but in a form that is simplest to depict. Thus if it's important to show a level
control system that is actually used to reset a flow control system (i.e. cascade control) depict the
controls as a level controller modulating a level control valve. That's enough to get the idea across.
In contrast, the Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID's) evolved from mechanical drawings and
should show as much of the mechanical equipment as possible (i.e. all of it if possible). Important
mechanical information should be presented. For example, a typical shell and tube heat exchanger
should have its length, diameter, TEMA type, and design conditions stated. Heat duty should NOT be
included in the P&ID because it is strictly process information, independent of the mechanical
equipment. I like to show and identify all mechanical equipment and all instrumentation on the P&ID.
Here, perhaps more than anywhere else, practices vary widely as most organizations will condense the
way instrumentation is depicted. Because the P&ID's can be burdened with "excruciating detail", I like to
use references to details for minor hardware that can benefit from a more simplistic depiction and that is
repeatedly done in the same or very similar fashion throughout the unit. Control system logic can be
I'm in a bit of conflict concerning how important it is to accurate depict arrangements within a P&ID. On
one hand, a P&ID is a schematic, which implies that a certain amount of "artistic license" is allowable.
And they are not drawn to any sort of scale. However, to the degree possible, I like to show
configurations as they actually exist (or will exist). So if I have a hot diesel product stream entering the
top of a S&T exchanger and leaving the bottom on the opposite side, I try to show it that way. That's not
always practical, but I personally demand to have a reason before depicting things in a way that could
lead to confusion or misunderstanding. If I really do have a very busy drawing that would get even more
so if I attempted to enforce these standards, then I might grudgingly relax those requirements. In no
case, however, should you alter (corrupt) the depiction of your system without due cause.
I welcome any additional thoughts you might have on this topic. It seems to me that many process
engineers get overly focused on (what may be thought of as) glamorous topics such as modeling, reactor
design, and distillation topics while neglecting topics such as the above. This is, however, our "bread and
butter" and I daresay that many more productive process engineering manhours are devoted to our