Process Engineering

Process is 1) a plant to produce a specific product by transforming inputs into outputs that consists of the equipment, facilities, and systems; 2) the method of producing products at a set of activities; 3) a ​series of ​actions of independent sequential activities.; 2) the method of producing products at a set of activities; 3) a ​series of ​actions of independent sequential activities.

Process Design is 1) the design of processes that produces the products and services for desired chemical and physical transformation of materials. The Process Design is a central to chemical engineering and bringing together all components and services that provides the network design concept generations including the layout initiation and preliminary flow design to determine the equipment requirements, workflows, and requirement of specific processes, etc.; 2) in management, the Process Design is to operate the appropriate overall organisation objectives and deliver customer values with the constant involvement of management at various stages. 

Process Engineering is a branch of engineering disciplines (Chemical) that focuses on the process technology, configuration, integration and optimisation of the process and utility facilities, and a selection of the equipment types considering the performance of production and economics with other disciplinary supports. A Process Engineer is responsible for the development of process design and engineering document including PFD, P&ID, Process Datasheet, etc. The Process Engineer is often to involve a collaboration of engineering and science, and a normal back ground of process engineer is a chemical engineer.

Chemical Engineering is an engineering discipline that applies physical sciences and life sciences together with mathematics and economics to produce, transform, transport, and use chemicals, materials, and energy. The Chemical Engineering focuses on the design and operation of industrial chemical plants including: Fuels (gasoline, natural gas); Petrochemicals (chemicals obtained from petroleum or natural gas); Agricultural Chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides); Industrial Chemicals (acids, alkalis, organics, salts); Plastics, Polymers and Fibres; Paper and Paper Products; Pharmaceuticals and Drugs; Consumer Products (paints, soaps, household cleaners, etc.); Food Additives/Products; Advanced Materials (ceramics, electronic materials, composites, etc.).

Systems Engineering is a generic term that describes the application of structured engineering methodologies to the design and creation of complex systems. The Systems Engineering is responsible for the design and management of complicated engineering projects, across wide ranges of engineering specialties, and combination of technical and project management skills required to complete multidisciplinary projects. (e.g., Modelling, Simulation, Reliability, and P&ID development, etc.)

Block Flow Diagram (BFD, Block Diagram) is a simple diagram to show the essentials of the installation plant, system and process units in sufficient block outline to indicate the main design features. A BFD is a deliverable document of the FEED and Detailed Design and Engineering generated by a Process discipline.

Equipment List is a listing of all tagged equipment with equipment number, service description, capacity, dimension and size, weight, required power, PO number, reference P&ID numbers as well as key summary information of those tagged equipment items. The Equipment List is initiated and developed by the process team through FEED, and updated and finalised by the equipment engineering (mechanical, etc.) team through EPC. The Equipment List is a deliverable document of the FEED and Detailed Design and Engineering generated by a Process and Mechanical disciplines.

Flare and Relief System Study is a process study that is the system sizing calculations and safeties to ensure correctly sized headers for foreseeable relief scenarios. The Flare and Relief System Study is the Detailed Design and Engineering deliverables developed by Process discipline.

Hazardous Operability (HAZOP) study is a systematic and critical examination by the engineering with operation support that is possibly the most important of safety reviews pursued as the standard practice in any process development. A HAZOP uses a key word approach in identifying from normal operation, how it may occur and hazard potential in which the causes may include mal-operation or mal-function of individual items of equipment and consequential effects on the facility. A HAZOP is carried out as a conclusion to Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and at the commencement of Detailed Design and Engineering, and may be regarded as a safety verification step. 

Heat and Material Balance (H&MB) is one of the basic process engineering documents produced by process design engineers in which energy and material output from a system that equals energy input. A H&MB document includes operating conditions, compositions and key physical properties of every major process streams on the Process Flow Diagram (PFD). A H&MB may be included as part of a PFD or a separate document, particularly when several operating cases are evaluated. A H&MB is a deliverable document of the FEED and Detailed Design and Engineering developed by a Process discipline.

Line List is a database document to communicate between the process and piping engineering teams created from the P&IDs that covers the start and ending point of the line including equipment connections or connections to other lines. The Line List includes information of several process properties such as fluid and phase, design and operation temperature and pressure, and stress analysis, pipe size and class, heat treatment, tracing requirement, painting and insulation requirement as well as P&ID and Piping Isometric reference number, etc. The Line List is a deliverable document of the FEED and Detailed Design and Engineering generated by a Process discipline.

Mass Balance (or Material Balance) is a specific input and output table that indicates the changes in mass occurring in an object, system, or component of a system for a particular period of time. (Refer to the Heat & Material Balance (H&MB))

Mass Flow Diagram (MFD) is a simple block diagram which identifies the mass flow of all matter through the process.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document contains information of the potential hazards of a chemical substance, and on safe working procedures when handling chemical products.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS) refers to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Operating & Maintenance Manual is a procedure document that gives a practical instruction on how to operate and maintain the equipemt, system, unit, or plant, etc. The Operating & Maintenance Manual is a deliverable document of the Detailed Design and Engineering developed by the Process, Operation, and Maintenance disciplines. (Refer to the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure))

Performance Test Procedure is a test procedure document to verify the plant capacities and products qualities that is a deliverable document of the Detailed Design and Engineering developed by the Process and Operation disciplines.

Piping & Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) is a schematic representation of the equipment, instrument, piping, and any miscellaneous items with corresponding the design data of processing units, utility systems, and offsite systems serving a processing unit that is used for the design basis and provided the key process information to all involved disciplines. A P&ID allows the design to progress from the Process Flow Diagram (PFD) with the standard numbering systems that facilitates the design processes, manufactures, and constructions, and communicates information to the Client. A P&ID includes a unique plant item number for each item of equipment, valve, instrument, and line, and ideally a line number includes a size, material, and fluid content identifier to enable the anyone reading the drawing to obtain these information without having to refer to other documents. Approved P&ID is the basis of HAZOP and SIL review. A P&ID is a deliverable document of the FEED and Detailed Design and Engineering generated by the multidisciplinary efforts. (Refer to the Intelligent P&ID)

Intelligent P&ID (Piping & Instrumentation Diagram) is a combination of a graphical drawing and database represented 2D P&ID that is generated and developed from a single data source for all disciplines including safety and quality related information for the entire project. The Intelligent P&ID can be developed and maintained a consistent set of all disciplines' design documents, and produced deliverable efficiently, and systematic handover to client at the project completion. (e.g., Intergraph Smart® P&ID)

Pre-commissioning and Commissioning Manual is a set of procedures document that gives a practical instruction on how to perform the pre-commissioning and commissioning activities for the installed equipment, facilities, systems, and plants, etc. The Pre-commissioning and Commissioning Manual is a deliverable document of the Detailed Design and Engineering developed by the Process, Construction, and Operation disciplines.

Process Datasheet (Data Sheet) is the summarised performance of an equipment or a system and other technical characteristics that relates to a single item of the essential process data for initiating the detail design. The Process Equipment Datasheet describes the fundamental data necessary to start disciplinary specific engineering in the mechanical, structural, piping, control systems, and electrical components that includes the overall size, number, approximate geometry and identification of the connections, material of construction and the full range of operating conditions. The Process Datasheet generally includes a simple diagram. (Refer to the Mechanical Datasheet; Vendor Datasheet)

Process Flow Diagram (PFD) presents the process streams and fluid flows or transfers system through equipment and connected lines including the system conditions (temperature and pressure), components of fluid (physical properties), flow rates, and short equipment specifications. A PFD is generated by analysis and calculation of the chemical and physical characteristic of materials used by a process simulation program. A PFD is corresponding with Heat and Material Balance document, and developed information of different operation modes such as minimum, maximum, normal, summer, and winter cases in the separate tables that is used for the basis of equipment datasheet, P&ID and other critical engineering and design document. A PFD is a deliverable document of the FEED and Detailed Design and Engineering generated by a Process discipline.

Simulation is a ​model of the set of ​events that is used to assess the current or predict the future performance of the business processes to improve using the mathematical, statistical, and other analytical methods. The Process Simulation is used for the design development, analysis, and optimisation of technical processes. (Refer to the Thermal Simulation; Monte Carlo Simulation (or Probability Simulation))

Flow Simulation is the dynamic simulation of fluids which digitally replicates flows in surface water or collection systems that has ability to predict the future fluid behaviour in the reservoir.

Thermal Simulation is a model of the heat transfer between heat sources that includes energy equations and calculations used to describe heat conduction, heat and fluid convection, and latent heat exchanges. Dynamic Thermal Simulation (DTS) uses a 3D model to simulate its thermal behavior.

Utility Distribution Diagram (UDD) is the utility P&ID that is usually depicted in two distinct parts, and connected to the utility commodity consuming areas of the plant from the utility sources. A UDD is a deliverable document of the FEED and Detailed Design and Engineering generated by a Process discipline. (Refer to the Utility Head Diagram (UHD) or UFD (Utility Flow Diagram))

Utility Head Diagram (UHD) or UFD (Utility Flow Diagram) is the distribution of utilities (e.g., Condensate; Water; Fuel; Air; Nitrogen; Hot Oil & Cold Oil System; Flare and Blow-down, etc.) for plant operation that shows main distribution and collection headers and finger headers with the isolating facilities and instrumentation. An UHD (or UFD) is the utility Process Flow Diagram (PFD) or utility P&ID that depends on the complexity. (Refer to the UDD (Utility Distribution Diagram)) An UHD (or UFD) is a deliverable document of the FEED and Detailed Design and Engineering generated by a Process discipline.

Absorption is the process by which atoms, molecules, or ions enter substance phases (liquid, gas, solid). The Absorption differs from adsorption, since the atom, molecule or ion are taken up by the volume, not by surface.

Chemical Reaction is a process of one or more substances such as chemical elements or compounds (reactants) are converted to one or more different substances (products). The Chemical Reaction involves rearrangement of the molecular or ionic structure of a substance and transformation of chemical substances to other products by contacting each other, bonds between atoms in the reactants are broken, and atoms rearrange and form new bonds to make the products.

Reaction is 1) a feeling, thought, or behaviour in response to a situation or event; 2) any transformation of material accompanied by a change of enthalpy. (Refers to the Chemical Reaction)

Chain Reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. The Chain Reaction is generally, very rapid and highly sensitive to reaction conditions that is easily affected by substances other than the reactants themselves.

Combination Reaction (or Synthesis Reaction) is a chemical reaction in which two reactants or elements combine to form a single product.

Condensation Reaction (Dehydration Reaction) is a chemical reaction that proceeds in a step by step fashion, usually in equilibrium to produce the products (e.g., water or ammonia molecule).

Decomposition Reaction is a chemical reaction in which a single reactant breaks down into two or more elements or new compounds that may involve the heat, light, or electrical energy.

Displacement Reaction 

Process Equipment is the equipment in the process facility that is designed and operated for a specific processing function and identified with a unique number. The Process Equipment is incorporated in a finished plant facility.

API Oil and Water Separator is a package equipment of the Waste Water Treatment Unit (WWTU) to separate oil and suspended solid from a waste water. The API Oil and Water Separator is designed in accordance with the API standard.

Blowdown Drum is a separate collection vessel intended to receive a periodic or emergency discharge of liquids that is also used for knockout drums connected to flare, emergency depressuring of a plant, or other disposal systems.

Boiler is a packaged equipment to generate a hot water or steam with an extra heat source such as a waste heat energy, an electric power, or a fuel burning.

Catch Tank is a device that is a separate containment vessel intended to receive an emergency discharge. (Refer to the Catch Basin)

Column is 1) a type of a stationary equipment that is designed for a fluid separation into two or more desired parts by heat and mass transfer, and difference of physical properties (Distillation Column). The Column is an interchangeable name of the Tower for the same device; 2) a vertical steel structure.

Clarifier is a part of a waste water treatment unit (WWTU) to continuously removes of solids from waste water by sedimentation.

Compressor

Adiabatic Process is a condition in which no heat enter or leave the system from the external environment. The Adiabatic Process is only internal energy (temperature) variation in which the energy is converted into mechanical energy that can be expansion or compression. (Refer to the Isothermal Process)

API Gravity is typically used in reference to crude oil that is calculated using its specific gravity: the ratio of its density to that of water. The API sets standards for production, refinement and distribution of petroleum products including the method used for measuring the density of petroleum. An API gravity which is always determined at 60 °F is calculated: API gravity = (141.5/Specific Gravity) – 131.5. An API gravity is used to classify oils as light, medium, heavy, or extra heavy (Light – API > 31.1, Medium – API between 22.3 and 31.1, Heavy – API < 22.3, Extra Heavy – API < 10.0).

Back Pressure (or Backpressure) is the system pressure caused by the fluid friction or induced resistance that is the pressure opposed to the desired flow or the resistance by which the fluid encounters flowing through the system.

Batch Process is a process for carrying out a reaction in which the product comes out in groups and not continuously.

Batch Reactor is a reactor in which the reactants are added to the reactor at the start of the reaction that is allowed to react in the reactor for a fixed time. (e.g., solids dissolution, product mixing, chemical reactions, batch distillation, crystallisation, liquid/liquid extraction and polymerisation)

Bottoming Cycle is to produce high temperature heat for the industrial processes that is the thermal efficiency of a steam and an electricity generating system by converting some waste heat from the condenser into the steam and/or electricity.

Carnot Cycle is an ideal reversible closed thermodynamic cycle that is the sequence of operations forming the working cycle consists of isothermal expansion, adiabatic expansion, isothermal compression, and adiabatic compression back to its initial state.

Catalyst

• Block Flow Diagram (BFD, Block Diagram) *
• Catalyst and Chemicals Summary
• Distribution P&ID for the Flare Header
• Effluent and Emission Summary
• Flare and Relief System Study
• Heat and Material Balance (H&MB) *
• Line List *
• Operating & Maintenance Manual
• Performance Guarantees Statement
• Performance Test Procedure
• Piping & Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) *
• Pre-commissioning and Commissioning Manual
• Process & Operational Control Description
• Process Alarm & Trip Schedule
• Process Datasheet
• Process Datasheets for Instrumentation
• Process Datasheets for Main Equipment (per Equipment List)
• Process Design Calculation
• Process Equipment List
• Process Flow Diagram (PFD)
• Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), Utility Flow Diagrams (UFDs) and Heat & Material Balances (HMBs)
• Process Simulation Report
• Tie-in Schedule
• Utility Distribution Diagram (UDD)
• Utility Head Diagram (UHD) or Utility Flow Diagram (UFD)

American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is the world's leading organization for chemical engineering professionals, with more than 50,000 members from over 100 countries. AIChE has the breadth of resources and expertise you need whether you are in core process industries or emerging areas, such as translational medicine. AIChE's vision is to provide value as the Global Leader of the Chemical Engineering profession, the lifetime centre for professional & personal growth, and security of chemical engineers, and the foremost catalyst in applying chemical engineering expertise in meeting societal needs. (www.aiche.org/)

American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading companies in the business of chemistry. ACC’s Vision is a promote and protect the business of chemistry’s leadership in driving innovation, creating jobs and enhancing safety in our performance, processes and products. (www.americanchemistry.com)