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1 Module 1
Process Design
A Process Design is a fundamental and essential asset of a production industry with respect to their
product and the process of manufacturing, extracting or synthesizing the product. It should contain the
following requisites about the process-
 Process material and heat balances.
 Process cycle development, correlation of pilot or research data, and correlation of physical data.
 Auxiliary services material and heat balances.
 Flowsheet development and detailed completion.
 Chemical engineering performance design for specific items of equipment required for a flowsheet,
and mechanical interpretation of this to a practical and reasonable specification. Here the process
requirements are converted into hardware details to accomplish the process end results at each step in
the product production process.
 Instrumentation as related to process performance, presentation and interpretation of requirements to
instrument specialists.
 Process interpretation for proper mechanical, structural, civil, electrical, instrument, etc., handling of
the respective individual phases of the project.
 Preparation of specifications in proper form and/or detail for use by the project team as well as for the
purchasing function.
 Evaluation of bids and recommendation of qualified vendor.

Role of Process Engineer

Although the working role of the process design engineer may include all of the technical requirements
listed above, it is very important to recognize what this entails in some detail. The process design
engineer, in addition to being capable of participating in evaluation of research and pilot plant data and
the conversion of this data into a proposed commercial process scheme, must also:
 Prepare heat and material balance studies for a proposed process, both “by hand” and by use of
computer programs.
 Prepare rough cost economics, including preliminary sizing and important details of equipment,
factor to an order of magnitude capital cost estimate, prepare a production cost estimate, and work
with economic evaluation representatives to establish a pay-out and the financial economics of the
proposed process.
 Participate in layout planning for the proposed plant.
 Prepare final detailed heat and material balances.
 Prepare detailed sizing of all process equipment and possibly some utility systems. It is important
that the process engineer visualize the Row and processing of the fluids through the system and
inside the various items of equipment in order to adequately recognize what will take place during
the process.
 Prepare/supervise preparation of draft of process flowsheets for review by others.
 Prepare/supervise preparation of piping or mechanical flow diagram (or P and ID), with necessary
preliminary sizing of all pipe lines, distillation equipment, pumps, compressors, etc., and
representation of all instrumentation for detailing by instrument engineers.
 Prepare mechanical and process specifications for all equipment, tanks, pumps, compressors,
separators,
 drying systems, refrigeration systems. This must include the selection of materials of construction
and safety systems and the coordination of specifications with instrumentation and electrical
requirements.
 Determine size and specifications for all safety relief valves and/or rupture disks for process safety
relief (including run-a-way reactions) and relief in case of external fire.
 Prepare valve code specifications for incorporation on item 6 above, or select from existing company
standards for the fluids and their operating conditions.
 Select from company insulation standards (or prepare, if necessary) the insulations to be applied to
each hot or cold pipe or equipment. Note that insulation must be applied in some cases only to
 prevent operating personnel from contacting the base equipment. See Table 1-1 for typical insulation
thickness from which code numbers can be established.
 Establish field construction hydraulic test pressures for each process equipment. Sometimes the
equipment is blanked or blocked off, and no test pressure is applied in the field, because all pressure
 equipment must be tested in the fabricators’ or manufacturers’ shop per ASME Code.
 Prepare drafts of line schedule and/or summary sheets, and equipment summary schedules, plus
summary schedules for safety relief valves and rupture disks, compressors and other major
equipment.
 Prepare detailed process and mechanical specifications for developing proposals for purchase by the
purchasing department.
The process design engineer actually interprets the process into appropriate hardware (equipment) to
accomplish the process requirements.

Flowsheet
The flowsheet is the “road-map’’ of a process, and serves to identify and focus the scope of the process
for all interested and associated functions of the project. As a project progresses, the various engineering
disciplines read their portions of responsibility from the flowsheet, although they may not understand the
process or other details relative to some of the other phases of engineering.
Here is where the process and/or project engineer serves to tie together these necessary segments of work.
This often involves explanations sufficiently clear to enable these other groups to obtain a good picture of
the objective and the problems associated with attaining it.
The flowsheet also describes the process to management as well as those concerned with preparing
economic studies for process evaluation.
A good process flowsheet pictorially and graphically identifies the chemical process steps in proper
sequence. It is done in such a manner and with sufficient detail to present to others a proper mechanical
interpretation of the chemical requirements.
There are several types of flowsheets:

1. Block Diagram
Usually used to set forth a preliminary or basic processing concept without details. The blocks do not
describe how a given step will be achieved, but rather what is to be done. These are often used in survey
studies to management, research summaries, process proposals for “packaged” steps, and to “talk-out’’ a
processing idea. For management presentations the diagrams are pictorial and help illustrate the basic
flow cycle.

2. Process Flowsheet or Flow Diagram

Used to present the heat and material balance of a process. This may be in broad block form with specific
key points delineated, or in more detailed form identifying essentially every flow, temperature and
pressure for each basic piece of process equipment or processing step. This may and usually does include
auxiliary services to the process, such as steam, water, air, fuel gas, refrigeration, circulating oil, etc. This
type of sheet is not necessarily distributed to the same groups as would receive and need the piping
flowsheet described next, because it may contain detailed confidential process data.

3. Piping Flowsheet or Mechanical Flow Diagram or Piping and Instrumentation Diagram

Used to present “mechanical-type’’ details to piping and mechanical vessel designers, electrical
engineers, instrument engineers, and other engineers not directly in need of process details. This sheet
contains pipe sizes, all valves (sizes and types), temperature points, and special details needed to insure a
common working basis for all persons on a project. In some engineering systems, detailed specifications
cannot be completed until this flowsheet is basically complete.

4. Combined Process and Piping Flowsheet or Diagram

Used to serve the same purpose as both the process and the piping flow diagram combined. This
necessarily
results in a drawing with considerably more detail than either of types 2 and 3 just discussed. However,
the advantage is in concentrating the complete data and information for a project at one point. It does
require close attention in proper reading and often opens data to larger groups of persons who might
misinterpret or misuse it.
Some companies do not allow the use of this sheet in their work primarily because of the confidential
nature of some of the process data. Where it is used, it presents a concise summary of the complete
process and key mechanical data for assembly. This type of sheet requires more time for complete
preparation, but like all engineering developments preliminary issues are made as information is
available. Often the sheet is not complete until the piping and other detailed drawings are finished. This
then is an excellent record of the process as well as a work sheet for training operators of the plant.

5. Utility Flowsheets or Diagrams

Used to summarize and detail the interrelationship of utilities such as air, water (various types), steam
(various types), heat transfer mediums such as Dowtherm, process vents and purges, safety relief blow-
down, etc., to the basic process. The amount of detail is often too great to combine on other sheets, so
separate sheets are prepared. These are quite valuable and time saving during the engineering of the
project. They also identify the exact flow direction and sequence of tie-in relationships for the operating
and maintenance personnel.

6. Special Flowsheets or Diagrams

From the basic process-containing flowsheet other engineering specialties develop their own details. For
example, the instrument engineer often takes the requirements of the process and prepares a completely
detailed flowsheet which defines every action of the instruments, control valves, switches, alarm horns,
signal lights, etc. This is his detailed working tool.
The electrical engineer likewise takes basic process and plant layout requirements and translates them
into details for the entire electrical performance of the plant. This will include the electrical requirements
of the instrumentation in many cases, but if not, they must be coordinated.

7. Special or Supplemental Aids

(a) Plot Plans
Plot plans are necessary for the proper development of a final and finished process, piping or utility
flowsheet. After broad or overall layout decisions are made, the detailed layout of each processing area is
not only helpful but necessary in determining the first realistic estimate of the routing, lengths and
sequence of piping. This is important in such specifications as pipe sizing, and pump head and
compressor discharge pressures. The nature of the fluids-whether hazardous, toxic, etc. as well as the
direction or location or availability for entrance to the area, definitely influences decisions regarding the
equipment layout on the ground, in the structures, and in relation to buildings. Prevailing wind direction
and any other unusual conditions should also be considered.
The use of pictorial isometric or oblique views of plot areas is very helpful for equipment location
evaluation. With talented personnel, this type of layout study can replace model studies. These layouts are
also useful for management presentations.

(b) Models
Scale models are a real asset in the effective and efficient layout and sometimes process development of a
plant. Although any reasonable scale can be used, the degree of detail varies considerably with the type of
process, plant site, and overall size of the project. In some instances, cardboard, wooden, or plastic blocks
cut to a scale and placed on a cross-section scale board will serve the purpose. Other more elaborate units
include realistic scale models of the individual items of equipment. These are an additional aid in
visualizing clearances, orientation, etc.
A complete model usually includes piping, valves, ladders, floor grating, etc. This essentially completes
the visualization of the condition of the layout. In fact, many engineering offices use models to varying
degrees and often make direct space-clearance measurements from them.
Others photograph the models, or sections, for use by the piping engineers at their desks. In some few
instances, dimensioned photographs have been issued directly to construction forces in place of drawings.
The models are even more helpful to the process engineer than simple plot plans. The advantages are
multiplied, as with models the process engineer can study as well as solicit the advice of other engineers
in visualizing a processing condition.