Cairo University

Faculty of Engineering
Petrochemicals Engineering

Flow sheets
March 2010

Lecture Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.

Introduction
Block Flow Diagram (BFD)
Process Flow Diagram (PFD)
Piping and instrumentation Diagram
(P&ID)
5. Other Diagrams

1. Introduction
Sketches and drawings are the
engineer's own pictures.
To describe a process, an engineer
must:
sketch equipment,
show how they are interconnected,
and show the process flows and
operating conditions

Types of flow sheets

2. Block Flow Diagram (BFD)

At an early stage
Provide an overview of a complex process or plant
Blocks that represent individual processes or groups of
operations

Properties
1. Operations shown by blocks
2. Major flow lines shown with arrows giving direction of flow
3. Flow goes from left to right whenever possible
4. Light stream (gases) toward top with heavy stream (liquids
and solids) toward bottom
5. Critical information unique to process supplied
6. If lines cross, then the horizontal line is continuous and the
vertical line is broken.
7. Simplified material balance provided

Block Flow Diagram (BFD),

cont.

Coal carbonization block flow diagram. Quantities are in lb/hr.

2. Block Flow Diagram

(BFD), cont.

Pictorial flow diagram establishes key processing steps: Cement manufacturing

3. Process Flow Diagram (PFD)

Shows material and energy balances
Shows major equipments of the
plant. They include all vessels, such
as reactors, separators, and drums;
special processing equipment; heat
exchangers; pumps; and so on.

3. Process Flow Diagram (PFD),

cont.

Too much details will need a material and energy

balance table

3. Process Flow Diagram (PFD),

cont.

ess flow diagram of the manufacture of benzene by dealkylation of tolu

3. Process Flow Diagram (PFD),

cont.
How to read a PFD?
Equipment symbols
Equipment codes
Stream flags

3. Process Flow Diagram (PFD),

cont.

Equipment symbols

3. Process Flow Diagram (PFD),

cont.

Equipment Symbols

3. Process Flow Diagram (PFD),

cont.

Equipment Codes

3. Process Flow Diagram (PFD),

cont.

Equipment Codes

3. Process Flow Diagram (PFD),

cont.

Streams Flags

The use of flags must be for the important information only.

Check streams (6) and (9) for temperature flags (they are
hot streams)

3. Process Flow Diagram (PFD),

cont.

Example: Process Flow Diagram for the production of Benzene from

Toluene
Problem with E-102??

Where is E-102?
What is E-102?
What may be the problem?
The effluent is mixture of liquid and gases, so the cooling is not efficient, beside the condensation
problems.
So???
Use two exchangers instead: E-10and E-10.., one for cooling and steam generation (reactor
effluent boiler), and the second uses cooling water to reach the required temperature (reactor
effluent condenser).

- Piping and Instrumentation Diagram

(P&ID)
The piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) or mechanical flow
diagram (MFD) provides information needed by engineers to begin
planning for the construction of the plant.
The P&ID is the last stage of process design and serves as a guide by
those (?) who will be responsible for the final design and construction.

What not to include:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Operating conditions T, P
Stream flows
Equipment locations
Pipe routing
a. Pipe lengths
b. Pipe fittings

5. Supports, structures, and foundations

4- Piping and Instrumentation

Diagram
(P&ID), cont.

What to include:

For EquipmentShow Every Piece (spare units,

parallel units, summary details of each unit)
For PipingInclude All Lines (drains, sample
connections and specify size (use standard sizes),
materials of construction, insulation (thickness and
type)
For InstrumentsIdentify indicators, recorders,
controllers
For UtilitiesIdentify entrance utilities, exit utilities,
exit to waste treatment facilities

4- Piping and Instrumentation

Diagram
(P&ID), cont.

P&ID for benzene distillation

5. Additional Diagrams

Utility flowsheet
Vessel sketches
Structural diagrams
Support diagrams
Plot plans
Elevation diagrams

Isometric pictorial flow diagram

5. Additional Diagrams

Utility Flow
Diagram

Comparison
Note the details that were added through the development of
flowsheet from BFD to P&ID(for the distillation tower for example)
:
1. Block Flow Diagram (BFD): The column was shown as a part of one of the
three process blocks.
2. Process Flow Diagram (PFD): The column was shown as the following set
of individual equipment: a tower, condenser, reflux drum, reboiler, reflux
pumps, and associated process controls.
3. Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID): The column was shown as
a comprehensive diagram that includes additional details such as pipe sizes,
utility streams, sample taps, numerous indicators, and so on. It is the only unit
operation on the diagram.

References
1. E.E. Ludwig, Applied Process Design
for Chemical and Petrochemical
Plants, Third edition, Vol. 1, 1999.
2. J.R. Couper, Chemical Process
Design, 2nd edition, 2010.
3. R. Turton,Analysis, Synthesis and
Design of Chemical Process, 2002