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1.2 Process Plant Design

• Objectives and principles
• Design methodology and guidelines
• Inherent safety
• Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs) – symbols,
conventions and best practices

Process Plant Design Objective

• The objective of Plant Design is to define the
equipment, piping, instrumentation and all
process requirements needed to configure,
build and operate a process plant.
• Plant design normally starts with a process
scheme
• Process Requirements - Plant capacity,
product specification in terms of purity or
maximum content of certain impurities, etc.
• Operating Strategy - Continuous or
intermittent production, on-stream factor

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Operating Strategies
• Operating strategies and practices have
significant impact on plant operating costs.
• These strategies define how the equipment and
associated piping systems are to be operated:
– Continuously or intermittently, i.e. around the
clock or specific shifts,
– Run length, i.e. period between shutdowns.
– Maintenance windows (shutdown periods).

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Operating Strategies
Operating strategies must be clearly defined during
the front-end definition of the project (new facilities
or modifications) as they have a significant impact
on:
– the materials selection (and corrosion allowances),
– layout of the piping, maintainability (accessibility and
isolation),
– monitoring and inspection requirements, and
– overall quality (specifications to which the equipment
and piping systems are to be built (above and beyond
Code requirements).

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The Process Design Process

• Design is an exercise in creativity and innovation.
• Objective of process plant design is to design a plant
capable of producing a specific or a range of products
meeting required specifications, at the desired
tonnage and at the right price taking into account
constraints such as:
– time
– cost
– budget
– siting, regulations, etc.

Process Plant Design

• The design of a process plant is a complex activity
that will usually involve many different disciplines
over a considerable period of time.
• The design may also go through many stages from
the original research and development phases,
through conceptual design, detailed process design
and onto detailed engineering design and equipment
selection.
• Many varied and complex factors including safety,
health, the environment, economic and technical
issues have to be considered before the design is
finalized.

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Engineering Interactions

MECHANICAL
Process engineers need ENGINEERING
to interact with other INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURAL
ENGINEERING
discipline engineers, ENGINEERING
particularly mechanical
engineers, to ensure PROCESS
reliable and cost- MATERIALS ENGINEERING
ELECTRICAL
effective design and ENGINEERING ENGINEERING
operation of process
equipment and plants
IT CONTROL
ENGINEERING ENGINEERING

Process Plant Design Methodology

• Process Design –
1. A process flow diagram (PFD) is a diagrammatic
representation of a process using symbols to represent
the various components (equipment, lines, and control
instrumentation) that make up the unit. Only the main
components are shown.
2. Piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) show how
industrial process equipment is interconnected by a
system of pipelines. P&ID schematics also show the
instruments and valves that monitor and control the
flow of materials through the pipelines.
This document will be the basis for the mechanical
design and developing the piping drawings, and for
specifying the instrumentation and control systems.

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Plant Design Process

Process Conception

Process Flow Diagram

(PFD)

Piping & Instrument Vessel

Plant Layout
Diagrams (P&ID) Specifications
Utility Line Diagrams
Final Final
Piping Design Vessel Design
Plant Model

Plant Construction

Integrated 3D Plant Design

Clients Design
PIPING
Requirements Requirements
DESIGN

INSTRUMENT QUALITY
P&ID DESIGN CONTROL
PDS 3D MODEL
PROCESS ELECTRICAL
PLOT PLAN
DESIGN DESIGN
PROCESS
REQUIREMENT FURNACE
DESIGN
OPERABILITY
EQUIPMENT
CIVIL DESIGN
DESIGN
CONSTRUCTABILITY
STRUCTURE
FIRE FIGHTING
DESIGN

Milestone Review CUSTOMER & INTERNAL

Itemized Review DESIGN REVIEW
Daily Review
Source: Chiyoda Corp

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Factors Influencing Process and

Plant Design
Equipment and
Process Data
Business and Data from
Specifications
Political Similar/identical
Considerations plants

Design Process and Materials data from

Philosophy Plant Design Manufacturers

New materials & Established

Equipment design Data from Corrosion design data
corrosion tests

Plant Process Design

Focus on Creativity

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Process Plant Data Cycle

It is a Recycle Process !

Equipment
Vendors Plant Major
Design Interfaces

Pre-Project
Planning Construction

Construction
Subcontractors
Business Plant
Opportunities Operations &
(R&D) Maintenance
Maintenance
Contractors

Information Categorization
Human Input

Wisdom

Knowledge

Information

Data

Structure of Information
(Source: Nicholas & Rowlands, 1999)

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Plant Design and Operation

Plant Design and Operations
provides practical guidance on the
design, operation, and maintenance
of process facilities.
The book is based on years of hands-
on experience gathered during the
design and operation of a wide range
of facilities in many different types
of industry including chemicals,
refining, offshore oil and gas, and
pipelines.
Parts closely related to this course:
Chapter 10 – Safety in Design
Chapter 11 – Siting and Layout
Chapter 12 – Equipment
Chapter 13 – Piping and Valves

Design of Simple and Robust

Process Plants
• The approaches to design process plants
described in this book lead to process
designs which require 30-40% less
capital than usual. The book addresses
both the total process design and
operational approach.
• Mechanical developments have resulted
in reliable and robust equipment.
• Process developments have created
opportunities to minimize the amount of
equipment; furthermore, different
logistic approaches, integration of
process functionality and intensification
of the unit operations are possible.

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Process Plants
A Handbook for Inherently Safer Design

Traditional plant designs try

to reduce the risk by adding
protective equipment and
following safe methods of
working.

Inherently safer and friendlier

plants remove or reduce the
hazards.

Strategies for Inherently Safer Design

Strategy Example
Minimize Process intensification, i.e. reduce the size of equipment
handling hazardous material or energy
Substitute Replace a hazardous material with a less hazardous alternative,
use a less hazardous process chemistry
Moderate Modify a material to reduce its hazard. For example, by
(Attenuate) dilution, refrigeration or immobilizing it on an inert
substrate; lower pressure or temperature.
Simplify/ Eliminate unnecessary complexity, locate hazardous
Limit Effects installations remotely from people,
Mechanical Design/construct equipment in accordance with best industry
Integrity practices to reduce probability and consequence of failures.

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The Design Paradox and Inherently

Safer Design
Knowledge of process

Opportunities for installing

add-on safety features

Opportunities for installing

inherently safer features
Detailed Eng

Construction
Conceptual

Operation
Research

Start up
P&ID
PFD

Example: Inherently Safer Design

Vessel Entry
• Nitrogen is often piped to process vessels
for process reasons, as well as to inert
equipment handling flammable materials.
• One of the concerns, when it is necessary
to enter such vessels for inspection or
maintenance operations, is ensuring that
the nitrogen is properly disconnected or
otherwise isolated from the vessel.
• Figure shows schematically an inherently
safer approach to ensure that the nitrogen
has been disconnected prior to vessel
entry. All nitrogen lines to the vessel are
fed through a single pipe, which passes
through a hose or removable section of
pipe directly across the vessel manway. It
is not possible to open the vessel manway
without first removing the nitrogen hose or
removable pipe section.

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CCPS Guidelines for

Engineering Design for Process Safety
This CCPS book provides plant
design engineers, facility operators,
and safety professionals with key
information on selected topics of
interest.
The book focuses on process safety
issues in the design of chemical,
petrochemical, and hydrocarbon
processing facilities.
It discusses how to select designs
that can prevent or mitigate the
release of flammable or toxic
materials, which could lead to a fire,
explosion, or environmental damage.

Process Safety – CCPS Definition

Process safety is a blend of engineering and
management skills focused on preventing
catastrophic accidents and near misses,
particularly structural collapse, explosions, fires
and toxic releases associated with loss of
containment of energy or dangerous substances
such as chemicals and petroleum products.
These engineering and management skills exceed
those required for managing workplace safety

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Project Development
• Process plants (and other industrial plants) contain
large quantities of equipment, piping, valves,
controls, and other specialized items that typically
require long lead times.
• For this reason, technical data from suppliers are
usually received in three phases:
1. Preliminary with proposals for equipment supply,
2. Issued for approval showing actual dimensions, and
3. Issued for construction incorporating final design

Outline of Project Life Cycle

Hazard
Information Management Influence
Quality Plan on Design
Low High
Concept
FEED
Detailed
Construction

Operation
Maintenance &
Control
High Low

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Safety & Equipment Protection

• Safety is of overriding importance.
• Equipment protection: Typical process equipment is
physically robust to normal conditions but can be
damaged when abnormal situations occur.
• Damage to equipment often causes hazards to people
and can result in releases of process materials.
• Shutting down plant or replacing equipment is
usually very costly.

Safeguarding
• The term “safeguarding” is used to describe the
process of identifying and mitigating Process hazards
to prevent uncontrolled loss of containment that could
result in injury to personnel and release of toxic or
harmful substances.
• An important part of this Safeguarding process is the
documentation system of the
– safeguarding devices that are designed into the plant, and
– safeguarding premises that were used in the design such as
any limitations and constraints that could affect the
integrity of the plant.

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Safeguards Reliability
• Passive safeguards, such as reduced inventory of hazardous
substances, cannot readily fail, but are not always feasible.
• Procedural safeguards, such as operating procedures,
because they rely on personnel consistently making correct and
timely decisions while performing other duties and potentially
while stressed or fatigued, are considered to be the least reliable

Reliability Type Examples

Most Reliable Passive Safeguards Reduced inventory of hazardous substances
Use of chemistry with reduced toxicity
Less Reliable Active Safeguards Emergency shutdown systems
Flare stacks
Least Reliable Procedural Safeguards Operating procedures

Equipment Foundation Considerations

• Determine foundation size based not
only on equipment weight but also
equipment elevation for maintenance
of seals, couplings, and instrumentation.
• Consider equipment elevation compared
to nearby potential tank leakage and
general housekeeping.
• Make provisions to add shims beneath
the baseplate to compensate for
flatness/leveling, piping interface
connections and sloping drain lines.
The baseplate should be 1–2 in. above
the foundation when properly shimmed.

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Process Equipment – An Overview

• Refineries, petrochemical, power and process
plants are complex facilities.
• At the heart of every plant are several hundred
or even several thousand pieces of major
equipment and tens of thousands of metres of
piping.
• This equipment handles variety of fluids, many
hazardous, at wide ranges of temperatures
and pressures.

Process Equipment – An Overview

• Process equipment may be generally classified
into two categories:
– fixed equipment (such as reactors and pressure
vessels, heat exchangers, storage tanks, etc) and
– machinery (such as pumps, compressors, mixers,
motors, generators, turbines, etc.).
• Every piece of equipment, and piping system,
fulfills a specific function and is an integral
part of the plant. Its reliability and safe
operation is essential for plant performance.

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Main Equipment Types

Heat Exchangers, Air Coolers & Cooling Towers

Fired Heaters, Boilers & Waste Heat Boilers

Rotating Equipment & Accessories

Pressure Vessels & Storage Tanks

Equipment Items
Solids Handling Equipment

Pipes, Ducts, Valves, Fittings & Internals

Electrical Equipment & Accessories

Instrumentation, Control Devices & Accessories

Some Refinery Fixed Equipment

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Heat Exchangers

Examples of Process Pump Types

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Examples of Mechanical Equipment

Reciprocating compressor Firewater pumps

Centrifugal refrigeration compressor Steam turbine driven pump

Typical Equipment Count

Existing 125,000 BPD Refinery
Total Equipment Count ≈ 3000
• Boilers, WHB ≈ 15
• Cooling towers ≈ 10
• Heat exchangers, air coolers, condensers ≈ 450
• Vessels, columns, reactors ≈ 700
• Storage tanks and spheres ≈ 275
• Pumps – Centrifugal, PD, injection ≈ 750
• Compressors – Centrifugal, reciprocation ≈ 35
• Miscellaneous – fans, blowers, turbines,
mixers, ejectors, etc. ≈ 750
• Valves ≈ 10,000

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Total Processing System

Products

Process Plant
Reactors Cold Streams
Splitters,
Heat Recovery
Raw
Separators Network
Materials Hot Streams
Mixers Heat Exchangers
Pumps, compressors

Power Hot Cold

Electricity Utilities Utilities
Demands

Utility Plant
Fuel boilers
Air turbines
electric generators
water auxiliary units

Flow Diagrams
1. Block flow diagram (BFD) is a simplified Process Flow
Diagram (PFD). Unit operations or processes may be
represented by rectangles or a CAD block of equipment.
2. Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs) show the major process
equipment and essential lines that connect the equipment.
PFDs also show the mass and heat balances for the design
and operating cases.
3. Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs),
known as mechanical flow diagrams , show the complete
equipment and flow systems needed for plant design and
operation. They show all the details regarding equipment
and piping sizes, valves, isolation & bypasses, insulation,
specifications & materials, instruments and controls, etc.
4. Utility Flow Diagrams (UFDs) show all the utilities
headers, and the branch supplying each equipment.

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Process Flow Diagrams - PFDs
• PFDs are schematic illustrations of system
descriptions
– show the relationships between the major system
components.
– tabulate process design values for different
operating modes, typically: normal, maximum
and minimum.
• PFDs do not show piping ratings or designations,
minor piping systems such as sample lines or valve
bypass lines; instrumentation or other minor
equipment, isolation valves, vents, drains or safety
devices unless operable in a described mode.

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Process Flow Diagrams - PFDs
Information conveyed by PFD concerned with:
• material flow
• energy flow
• configuration
Is a graphical
representation
Process Flow of a process
Diagram (Sheet)

Depicts inputs, outputs

and units of activity

Represents the entire process

at any level of observation

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Process Flow Diagrams - PFDs
1. Major Equipment Symbols, Names, ID Numbers
2. Operation Vents, Drains, Special Fittings, Sampling
3. Control Valves and Other Valves that Affect
Operations
4. System Interconnections
5. System Ratings and Operational Variables
– maximum, average, minimum flow
– maximum, average, minimum pressure
– maximum, average, minimum temperature
6. Fluid Composition

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Process Flow Diagrams – PFDs
General Drafting Instructions
• PFDs should not be drafted to scale. Their size should
be compatible with that of equipment drawings.
• As a rule, PFDs should be drawn from left to right in
accordance with process flows.
• Process and Utility Lines in General
– The main process flow shall be accentuated by heavy lines.
– Process utility lines shall be shown only where they enter
or leave the main equipment.
– Pipe lines shall not be identified by numbers.
– The direction of the flow shall be indicated for each line.

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ISO 10628-1 Diagrams for the

Chemical and Petrochemical Industry
Part 1 – Specification of diagrams
ISO 10628-1:2014 specifies the
classification, content, and
representation of flow diagrams.
In addition, it lays down drafting
rules for flow diagrams for
chemical and petrochemical
industry.
ISO 10628 does not apply to
electrical engineering diagrams.
ISO 10628-1:2014 is a collective
application standard of ISO 15519.

ISO 10628-2 Diagrams for the

Chemical and Petrochemical Industry
Part 2 – Graphical symbols
ISO 10628-2:2012 defines
graphical symbols for the
preparation of diagrams for the
chemical and petrochemical
industry.
It is a collective application
standard of the ISO 14617 series.
ISO 10628-2:2012 does not
apply to graphical symbols for
electrotechnical diagrams; for
these, see IEC 60617.

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Typical PFD Equipment Symbols

Typical PFD In-Line Symbols

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Typical PFD & P&ID Valve Symbols

Typical PFD Line Designation

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Typical Instrument Loop

Small and Simplified PFD

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Symbols for Stream Identification

STREAM I.D.

TEMPERATURE

PRESSURE

LIQUID FLOWRATE

GAS FLOWRATE

MOLAR FLOWRATE

MASS FLOWRATE

PFD for Production of Benzene via

Hydrolakylation of Toluene

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Example Process Flow Diagram PFD

Example
PFD
Red lines (A, B, C)
assumed to be long
and are run on the
piperack.
Other lines assumed to
connect directly to
nozzles on adjacent
equipment.

Respective
Plot Plan

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