The P-graph framework was developed to solve Process Network Synthesis (PNS) problems in plant design. It provides a powerful engineering toolbox based on the constituent Maximal Structure Generation (MSG), Solution Structure Generation (SSG) and Accelerated Branch-and-Bound (ABB) algorithms. During the four decades of its development, the P-graph framework has proven to be capable of solving various engineering applications framed as PNS problems. This review paper gives a survey of the development of the P-graph framework, with emphasis on its enhancements and the diversification of applications in process engineering. Research gaps and promising directions for P-graph research are then discussed.

开发P-graph框架是为了解决工厂设计中的过程网络综合（PNS）问题。它提供了基于组成的最大结构生成（MSG），解决方案结构生成（SSG）和加速分支定界（ABB）算法的功能强大的工程工具箱。在其发展的四十年中，P-graph框架已被证明能够解决以PNS问题为框架的各种工程应用。这篇综述文章对P-graph框架的发展进行了调查，重点是P-graph框架的增强和在过程工程中应用的多样化。然后讨论了P图研究的研究差距和有希望的方向。