Chemical Process Synthesis (ChE 391)

Process Diagrams and Descriptions

Process Diagrams
The most effective way of communicating information about a process is through the
use of flow or process diagrams. A process diagram is a type of diagram that
represents plant equipment and flows. There are three diagrams that are important to
chemical engineers:

1. Block diagram

CH2=C(CH3)2 + CH3OH  (CH3)3 – C – O – CH3

Feed 1
Isobutene
25°C Reactor
Separation
120 kPa
and
100 kmol/hr
Treatment
Units
Feed 2
Methanol
25°C
120 kPa
Stoich.
feed MTBE
120 kPa
 2. Process flow diagram

Q5

Feed 1 5 8
1 Cooler
7
Compressor Q6

React
Mix

Q1
er

Separat
Q3 or

Distillati
3

or

on
Q2 Ethanol
2

Feed 2 Heater Q4
6 9

Pump
Q7

Water

3. Piping and instrumentation diagrams

A block diagram shows the equipment, material streams, and basic operations
performed in a process. A process flow diagram provides a quick snapshot of the
operating unit. Flow diagrams include all primary equipment with their specific
shapes and flows. A process and instrument diagram is more complex; it includes a
graphic representation of the equipment, piping, and instrumentation. Modern process
control can be clearly inserted into the drawing to provide a process technician with a
complete picture of electronic and instrument systems.

Good references for these diagrams are:

 Process diagrams
http://www.demet.ufmg.br/grad/disciplinas/eqm033/n04pfd.pdf
Basic (B) text book:
Turton, R., Bailie, R., Whiting, W., Shaeiwitzd, J. Analysis, Synthesis, and Design of
Chemical Processes. 2nd edition. Prentice Hall. USA.

Process description
A process description is a written description of a process using the technical terms
known for the industry. This includes the operating conditions and process steps with
possibly different details. An example is:

One method of preparing acetaldehyde is by the direct oxidation of ethylene. The

reaction may be summarized as follows:

C2H2 + ½O2  CH3CHO

The reaction has a conversion of 90% for ethylene. Also, some ethylene will fully
oxidize to carbon dioxide and water with a conversion of 1 %.

In the process, 1000 kmol/hr ethylene and the a stoichiometric amount of oxygen
at ambient conditions are directed to an isothermal reactor operated at 150ºC
and under a pressure 4.5 bars. Water is also added to the reactor at the same
molar flow rate as ethylene. The gas leaving the reactor is cooled in a condenser
to about 80 ºC. The condensate (liquid) formed thereby consists mainly of water.
The gas is further cooled to 40ºC ; this gas designated as "crude acetaldehyde" is
conveyed to a distillation column operated at 101.3 kPa. In the distillation,
acetaldehyde (99% pure) is obtained as the overhead liquid product and the
water is recovered from the bottom as waste water. The acetaldehyde product is
stored at ambient conditions.
From diagram to process description and vice versa
The availability of both process description and flow diagrams are very important to
understand and simulate a chemical plant. However, in many cases, information
about a process is limited either to a process description or a diagram. This problem
can be solved by transferring one to the other. Writing a process description from a
diagram is done using technical vocabulary that describe the processing rules and
describes the steps shown by the diagram. Increased details on the diagrams will
produce more details in the processes description and therefore longer description.
Also, this applies when transferring a process description to a diagram. Diagrams
draw from a process description has to one of the three diagrams described above
and not a combination.