1

CHAPTER 1 :
INTRODUCTION TO
PROCESS DESIGN
LEARNING
OUTCOMES
Student should be able to:
• Prepare the steps required for
preliminary plant design and
list the documentations, codes
and standards required.
 OUTLINE

DESIGN TERMS
INTRODUCTION TO
• DESIGN DESIGN
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DOCUMENTATION CODES STANDARD
• PROCESS DESIGN STEPS
PLANT DESIGN
• PLANT DESIGN
INTRODUCTION TO CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PLANT
DESIGN

Chemical engineer will

All engineering
aspects involved in the • make economic evaluation
of process
development of a • design each individual
new, modified, or piece of equipment
expanded commercial • develops plant layout
process in a chemical • provides guidance for the
or biochemical plant. plant control and
operation
INTRODUCTION TO CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
PLANT DESIGN (cont..)

A successful engineer needs more

than a knowledge and
The engineer must also have the
understanding of the fundamental
ability to apply this knowledge to
sciences and the related
practical situations for the purpose
engineering subjects such as
of accomplishing something that will
thermodynamics, reaction kinetics,
be beneficial to society.
mass and energy balance and
computer technology.
TERMS

• Three terms in
Chemical plant design:
1. Design
2. Process design
3. Plant design
DESIGN

Design is a creative activity and is defined as the synthesis, the

putting together of ideas to achieve a desired purpose.

Also it can be defined as the creation of manufacturing process to

fulfil a particular need.

The need may be public need or commercial opportunity.

PROCESS DESIGN

Process design establishes the sequence of chemical and physical operations;

operating conditions; the duties, major specifications, and materials of
construction (where critical) of all process equipment (as distinguished from
utilities and building auxiliaries); the general arrangement of equipment needed
to ensure proper functioning of the plant; line sizes; and principal
instrumentation.

The process design is summarized by a process flowsheet.

 PROCESS DESIGN (cont..)

Preparation of
Chemical
Auxiliary specifications
engineering
services (specification Evaluation of
performance Instrumentation
Process sheets) in proper bids and
Flowsheet material and design for as related to
development. material and form for use by recommendation
heat balances specific items of process
heat balances. the project team of qualified
(utilities equipments performance. as well as for the vendor.
requirements). required for a
purchasing
flowsheet.
function.
PLANT DESIGN

• Includes items related directly to the complete

plant, such as plant layout, general service
facilities, and plant location.
TYPICAL DESIGN STEPS
1. Recognize a market need for new
or existing product
2. Evaluate potential solution to
meet the market need (literature
survey, patent, etc.)
3. Preliminary process design
(reaction, synthesis , separation,
process safety, operation,
environmental limits, local laws
and regulations, etc.)
4. Assess profitability of the process
5. Refine and verify the design data
TYPICAL DESIGN STEPS
(cont..)

6. Detailed engineering design

❑ Develop base case
❑Process flowsheet
❑Integration and optimization
❑Process control
❑Equipment sizing
❑Capital cost estimate
TYPICAL DESIGN STEPS
(cont..)
7. Reassess the economic viability of the
process
8. Environmental, health and safety review
9. Written process design report
10. Complete engineering design package
❑ Equipment layout and specifications
❑ Piping and instrumentation diagrams
❑ Prepare bids for equipment and
construction
TYPICAL DESIGN STEPS
(cont..)

11. Equipment procurement

12. Construction and installation
13. Operations profiles and
procedures
14. Start up
DOCUMENTATION
• Process design documents serve to define
the design and they ensure that the design
components fit together.
• They are useful in communicating ideas and
plans to other engineers involved with the
design, to external regulatory agencies, to
equipment vendors and to construction
contractors.
DOCUMENTATION (cont..)
In order of increasing detail, process design documents include:

1. Block flow diagrams (BFD): Very simple diagrams composed of rectangles and lines indicating major
material or energy flows.

2. Process flow diagrams (PFD): Typically more complex diagrams of major unit operations as well as
flow lines. They usually include a material balance, and sometimes an energy balance, showing typical
or design flowrates, stream compositions, and stream and equipment pressures and temperatures.

3. Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID): Diagrams showing each and every pipeline with piping
class (carbon steel or stainless steel) and pipe size (diameter). They also show valving along with
instrument locations and process control schemes.

4. Specifications: Written design requirements of all major equipment items.

DOCUMENTATION (cont..)

Process designers typically write operating manuals on how to start-up, operate and shut-down
the process. They often also develop accident plans and projections of process operation on the
environment.

Documents are maintained after construction of the process facility for the operating personnel to
refer to. The documents also are useful when modifications to the facility are planned.

A primary method of developing the process documents is process flowsheeting. Process

flowsheeting is the use of computer aids to perform steady-state heat and mass balancing, sizing
and costing calculations for a chemical process. It is an essential and core component of process
design.
CODES
1. API (American Petroleum institute)
Since 1924, The American Petroleum Institute (API) has been the
leader in developing equipment and operating standards for the oil
and natural gas industry

2. ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)

ASME is the leading international developer of codes and standards
associated with the art, science, and practice of mechanical
engineering. Starting with the first issuance of its legendary Boiler &
Pressure Vessel Code in 1914, ASME's codes and standards have
grown to nearly 600 offerings currently in print. These offerings
cover a breadth of topics, including pressure technology, nuclear
plants, elevators / escalators, construction, engineering design,
standardization, and performance testing.

3. ANSI (American National Standards Institute)

STANDARD

1. ISO
2. NIST (National Institute of
Standards and Technology)
3. NFPA
Q&A

THANK YOU