Batangas State University Alangilan
August 2025
Process
Presented by - Engr. Jose Raymundo P. Arnante
Plant
Engineering
Which field of engineering are
usually responsible for process
engineering?
Chemical Engineers
Mechanical Engineers
Instrumentation and Control
Engineers
Process Safety Engineers
Laboratory/ Research and
Design Engineers
What is Process Plant Engineering?
Optimizing chemical processes
Design consideration for equipment
Introduction
that transform raw materials into final products
For Manufacturing and Industrial process
Executing a Process Plant: In a Nutshell
Invites Bids to Prepare the Specification of
Feasibility Study Process Basic the components
Licensors Engineering of the Plant
Package
Handover to Commissioning Procurement of
Construction
Owner Client and Startup the components
Process
A process is a sequence or actions in
which raw materials or inputs are
transformed into finished products or
outputs
Chemical An industrial or laboratory method in which
chemical reactions or physical reactions
Process are used to transform raw materials into
useful products.
Basic Unit
Operations in a
Chemical Plant
Where do reactions take
place?
Reactors Bed
Heat Transfer Operations
Condensers Evaporator Boiler
Heat Exchanger
Momentum Transfer Operations
Pumps Compressors Tanks or Vessels
Mass Transfer Operations
Filters Separators
Distilled Column
Process Controls
Batch
a.A process where raw materials are charged into equipment, processed
as a single lot for a set period, and then discharged. The equipment is
cleaned or reset before the next batch.
[Link] feed are added before process
FEED
t=0 Batch Process
Heater @50°C
t > t0 Batch Process
Product
tf Batch Process
Process Controls
Examples
Extrusion of Polymers
Alcohol fermentation
Pharmaceutical manufacturing
Process Controls
Continuous Process
Raw materials are fed into the system continuously, and products are
withdrawn continuously. Designed for large-scale, high-volume production.
Heater @50°C
FEED Product
Continuous Process
Process Controls
Examples
Petroleum refining – crude oil distilled continuously in distillation towers.
Ammonia production – continuous reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen.
Cement production – rotary kilns running 24/7.
Process Controls
Semi Batch
Some components are added and removed at the same time during process
A hybrid process – part of the materials are added initially, while others are fed gradually
during operation. Some products may also be removed during the process.
Additional By Products
Feedstock
Add or remove mass
during the process
t Semi Batch
Process Controls
Examples
Polymerization reactors – initiators/catalyst added in steps to control reaction rate.
Fermentation – nutrients fed continuously while microbes grow, but broth harvested only after a cycle.
Hydrogenation reactions – reactants added slowly to avoid runaway reactions.
Wastewater treatment (aeration tanks) – air continuously supplied while influent is added intermittently.
Process Classification according to change in variables with
respect to time
[Link] State - A process where conditions do not change with time at any
point in the system. Variables like flow rate, temperature, pressure, and
composition are constant over time.
[Link] State-A process where variables change over time.
Accumulation or depletion of mass or energy occurs.
Types of Diagrams
[Link] Flow Diagram
Types of Diagrams
2. Process Flow Diagram
Types of Diagrams
2. Piping and Instrumentation Diagram
Process Control
The active changing of the process based on the results of process
monitoring. It is also an engineering discipline that deals with
architecture, mechanisms, and algorithms for maintaining the output of
a specific process within a desired range.
Out-of-control Action Plans (OCAPS) - a specific flowchart, that
leads the process engineer through the corrective procedure,
may be provided for each unique
Advanced Process Control Loops - are automated changes to
the process that are programmed to correct for the size of the
out-of-control measurement.
Out-of-control Action Plans
(OCAPS) - a specific flowchart,
that leads the process engineer
through the corrective
procedure, may be provided for
each unique
Advanced Process Control Loops - are automated changes to the
process that are programmed to correct for the size of the out-of-control
measurement.
The APC loop automatically increases the reflux ratio and adjusts reboiler
heat to compensate.
Keeps product quality within spec without human intervention.
A group of electronic devices that provide stability, accuracy, and eliminate
harmful transistion in production processes. e.g.
PLC (programmable logic controllers) - controls discrete (on/off) and
sequential process. Used in:
Pump Start/Stop
Motor Control
Conveyor Belts
DCS (Distributed Control System)- Controls complex and continuous
processes. Used in:
Chemical Reactors
Distillation Column
Utility Boilers
SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) - Monitors and
Controls large, geographically spread-out systems. Used in:
Pipelines
Power Grids
Water Treatment networks
Basic
Concepts
Pressure
Pressure is the force applied
perpenedicularly
to the surface of an object per unit
area over which that force is
distributed
Why measure pressure?
Safety
Prevent pressurized pipes and vessels from bursting
Process Efficiency
Variation of pressure below or above a set point will result in scrap
rather than useable product in some manufacturing process
Cost Saving
Preventing unnecessary expense of creating more pressure or
vacuum trhan is required saves money
Inferred Measurement of other variables
rate of flow through a pipe ( Pressure drop across an orifice plate
or venturi tube.)
level of fluid in a tank (Hydrostatic pressure at the bottom of the
tank (higher pressure = higher liquid level).
density of a fluid (pressure and frequency from which density is
inferred; Vibrating tube frequency shift.)
Concept of Pressure
Atmospheric Pressure - is the weight of the air pressing on the surface
of the earth. It varies on altitude.
Standard Value:
1.01325 bar
101.325 kPa
14.7 psi (at sea level)
760mmHg
CAN ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE CAN KILL YOU?
If you took a 1 square inch column of air and measured the
weight of that air from the outer atmoshphere to the earths
surface a t sea level, it would weight _________
Absolute Pressure - the sum of gauge pressure and
atmopshpehric pressure. Used in the calculating the quantity
(mass) of a product
Gauge Pressure - the pressure relative to atmoshpheric
pressure. I tis positive for pressure above atmospheric
pressure, and negative for pressures below it.
It is the pressure of a system, minus the atmospheric
pressure
Gauge Pressure = Absolute Pressure - Atmospheric
Presure
In the example, the pressure in the tank
is 43psig (gauge Pressure). The
absolute pressure in the tank is ________
The pressure created by a head of fluid does not depend
on the diameter of the container
At any point on the bottom of a container, the pressure of
the head (height) will be the same
Vapor Pressure
The pressure of the vapor over a
liquid (and some solids) at
equilibrium
Pressure exerted by the particles
in a liquid by their kinetic energy in
opposition to atmospheric
pressure
Boiling Point Temperature
The boiling point of a liquid corresponds to the temperature at which the
vapor pressure of the liquid equals the surrounding environmental pressure
The boiling point of a liquid corresponds to the temperature at which the
vapor pressure of the liquid equals the surrounding environmental pressure
Pressure and Boiling Point
As elevation increases, the atmospheric pressure ______
because air is less dense at higher altitudes
Because the atmospheric pressure is lower, the vapor
pressure of the liquid can be ________ to reach the boiling point
Therefore, ______ heat is required to make the vapour
pressure equal to the atmospheric pressure.
Volatility
A material quality that describtes how
readily a substance vaporizes. At a given
temperature and pressure, a substance
with high volatility is more likely to exist as
a vapor, while a substance with low
volatility is more likely to be a liquid or
solid