CHEMICAL PROCESS ENGINEERING
As chemical process engineering consultants we provide conceptual and front-end engineering design services with the following typical deliverables:
- Developing process design basis
- Developing conceptual design
- Performing process calculations and mass & energy balances
- Sizing of major and auxiliary equipment such as pumps
- Sizing of lines, valves and safety relief valves
- Selection of unit operations, instrument, valves and pumps
- Preparation of valve, instrument, equipment and line list
- Preparation of instrument and equipment datasheets
- Hydraulic study
- Developing control philosophy and functional specification
- Developing process flow diagrams (PFDs) and piping & instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs)
- Process dynamic system modelling and simulation using ASPEN Plus or ASPEN Hysys
- Developing commissioning procedure and operational manual
WHAT ARE THE 3 MAJOR STEPS TO DESIGN CHEMICAL PLANTS?
Designing a chemical plant is a complex and multi-step process. While there are numerous stages involved, the three major steps to design a chemical plant are:
The Conceptual Design is the initial stage where the basic idea and overall framework of the chemical plant are developed. This step involves identifying the primary processes and operations required to produce the desired products.
After completing the conceptual design, the project moves into the Front-End-Engineering Design (FEED) phase. During this stage, the high-level concept from the conceptual design is further developed into a more detailed engineering plan.
The final stages involves the Detailed Engineering phase, whereby the engineering plans and specifications developed during the FEED stage are further refined to the level necessary for construction and commissioning.
Conceptual Plant Design
The conceptual design of a chemical plant is the initial phase of the plant design process. It involves developing a high-level, broad-strokes plan for the facility before getting into the finer details of engineering and construction. The main objective of the conceptual design is to define the overall structure, layout and key processes of the chemical plant. This stage serves as the foundation for subsequent stages of detailed design, construction and operation. The key steps and aspects involved in the conceptual design of a chemical plant are:
Process Selection: Determine the type of chemical processes that will be employed in the plant. This includes selecting the specific chemical reactions or unit operations necessary to produce the desired products.
Plant Capacity: Estimate the production capacity of the plant, which will influence the size and scale of various components.
Site Selection: Identify potential locations for the chemical plant, considering factors like proximity to raw materials, utilities, transportation, safety and environmental regulations.
Block Flow Diagram (BFD): Create a simple diagram that outlines the major process steps and their interconnections. It provides a visual representation of the overall flow of materials through the plant.
Material and Energy Balances (M&EB): Conduct preliminary material and energy balances to understand the quantities of raw materials, intermediate products and utilities required for the process.
Equipment Selection: At this stage, the focus is on selecting the major equipment items needed for the processes. This includes reactors, pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, distillation columns, etc.
Safety Considerations: Identify potential hazards and risks associated with the processes and develop a preliminary plant hazard mitigation plan.
Environmental Impact: Assess the potential environmental impact of the plant and identify measures to minimise any negative effects.
Cost Estimation: Develop a high-level initial cost estimate for the overall plant construction, which will be refined in later stages.
Feasibility Analysis: Evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of the proposed plant to determine if it aligns with the business objectives.
Sustainability and Green Design: Incorporate sustainable practices and green design principles wherever possible to minimise resource consumption and waste generation.
Basic Plant Layout: Create a basic plant layout, identifying the location of major equipment and process units.
Front-End-Engineering Design (FEED)
After completing the conceptual design of a chemical plant, the next phase in the overall project is the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) or Preliminary Engineering phase. In the FEED phase, the high-level concept from the conceptual design is developed into a more detailed and well-defined engineering plan. This phase serves as a bridge between the conceptual design and the detailed engineering and construction stages. The primary objectives of the FEED phase are:
Detailed Process Design: The process flow diagrams (PFDs) and piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) are developed to provide a detailed understanding of the plant's processes, equipment, valves and instrumentation.
Equipment Specifications: Detailed specifications for major equipment are prepared, including materials of construction, operating conditions and performance requirements.
Safety and Environmental Studies: More comprehensive safety studies, such as Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) studies and risk assessments, are carried out to identify and mitigate potential hazards. In addition, environmental impact assessments are further refined.
Utilities and Infrastructure: Detailed engineering for utilities such as power, water, steam, and other necessary infrastructure is performed.
Process Control Philosophy: The control system architecture and philosophy are developed to ensure safe and efficient operation.
Detailed Plant Layout: The plant layout is refined, considering equipment dimension and placement, piping routing and space allocation.
Cost Estimation: The cost estimate is updated based on the more detailed engineering data.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that the plant design meets all relevant local, national, international regulations, design codes and standards.
Procurement Strategy: Develop a procurement strategy for sourcing major equipment and materials required for the construction phase.
Constructability and Project Schedule: Evaluate the constructability of the plant design and develop a project schedule.
Stakeholder Engagement: Continue to engage with stakeholders, including the client, vendors and authorities, to ensure alignment and approval of the design.
The FEED phase concludes with the issuance of a detailed engineering package that includes all the necessary documentation for proceeding to the construction phase. This package is used as the basis for soliciting bids from construction contractors and serves as a blueprint for the construction and commissioning of the chemical plant. It is essential to perform the FEED phase thoroughly, as any design changes or modifications after this stage can be much more costly and time-consuming. Therefore, the FEED phase significantly influences the overall success and efficiency of the chemical plant project.
Detailed plant Engineering Design
After the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase of a chemical plant project, the next step is the Detailed Engineering phase. In this phase, the engineering plans and specifications developed during the FEED stage are further refined and detailed to the level necessary for construction and commissioning. The Detailed Engineering phase involves extensive technical work and coordination among various disciplines to produce a comprehensive set of documents that guide the construction and operation of the chemical plant. The key activities and deliverables in the Detailed Engineering are:
Detailed Process Design: The process flow diagrams (PFDs) and piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) created during the FEED phase are revised and updated to include more specific details. This involves precise equipment sizing, instrumentation specifications and control system details.
Equipment Datasheets: Detailed datasheets are prepared for each major equipment item, providing precise information about specifications, materials of construction and performance parameters. These datasheets are essential for equipment procurement.
Structural and Civil Engineering: Detailed design and engineering of all the civil and structural components of the plant, including foundations, platforms, ladders, support structures and buildings.
Mechanical Engineering: Detailed engineering of mechanical systems, including pipe & fittings, pumps, compressors, heat exchangers and other mechanical equipment.
Electrical Engineering: Detailed design of electrical systems, power distribution, motor control centres (MCC), lighting and instrumentation.
Instrumentation and Control: Detailed engineering of the plant's control and automation systems in the form of functional specification, which includes instrumentation selection, control loop design and safety instrumented systems (SIS).
Environmental and Safety Compliance: Detailed assessment and documentation of safety and environmental compliance, including safety procedures, emergency response plans and environmental impact mitigation measures.
Procurement: Finalise the procurement strategy and issue purchase orders for major equipment and materials.
Construction Drawings: Prepare detailed construction drawings, including isometric drawings, equipment layouts and installation details.
Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC): Develop plans and procedures to ensure the quality of engineering deliverables and construction processes.
Plant Commissioning: Develop dry, wet commissioning procedures and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Operator Training: Develop training materials and plans for plant operators and maintenance personnel.
The Detailed Engineering phase is critical in ensuring that all technical aspects of the plant are well-defined and that potential issues and challenges are addressed before construction begins. The output of this phase is a comprehensive engineering package that contains all the necessary documents and specifications for construction and commissioning. Once the Detailed Engineering phase is complete, the project moves on to the Procurement and Construction phase, where contractors are selected, materials are procured and construction activities take place based on the detailed engineering package.
PLANT ENGINEERING DESIGN
As plant engineering consultants, we provide performance-based engineering design services across many industries particularly in the areas of:
- Multidisciplinary detailed engineering design for construction
- Capability includes designing plants that process materials in solid, liquid and/or gas phases
- Design of integrated control and safety system (ICSS) that consists of BPCS + alarms + SIS
- Experienced in designing plants as per regulatory requirements, standards and design codes
- Distributed control system (DCS) or modular programmable logic controller (PLC) system
- Mechanical engineering design supported by 2D drafting and 3D geometrical modelling
- Structural design of ladders and platforms as per relevant Australian Standards
- Design of plant layout and pipe routing
- Procurement, inspection and receiving of equipment on behalf of clients
- Factory acceptance, testing and witnessing
- Plant construction management to ensure the plant is constructed as per design intention
- Commissioning support and process plant or chemical plant performance optimisation
AUSTRALIA SINGAPORE
ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS
As one of the most established chemical plant design firms, our engineering consultants provide professional services in plant engineering design, chemical process engineering, plant hazard mitigation and hydrogen system design.
We differentiate ourselves in the way we approach a problem. Our standard approach involves in-depth analysis that goes beyond simply adopting rule-of-thumb guidelines. Whilst rule-of-thumb provides a starting point for most design works, it has the tendency to overdesign which eventually leads to higher overall fabrication and project costs. In a nutshell, our engineering consultants are supported by in-house simulation technologies to ensure effective & efficient deliverables. We provide services to clients based in Australia and Singapore.
Our scope of engineering services are: (1) Plant Engineering Design, (2) Chemical Process Engineering, (3) Plant Hazard Mitigation and (4) Hydrogen System Design
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Hydrogen System Design
Our hydrogen system design consultants provide independent performance-based engineering review We verify all our designs with simulation to minimise uncertainties and ensure that the system will perform in the real-world as predicted. Our hydrogen system design services include:
- Conceptual and chemical process engineering design of hydrogen system or plant
- Front-end-engineering-design (FEED) and multidisciplinary detailed engineering design
- Design of integrated control and safety system (ICSS) that consists of BPCS + alarms + SIS
- Developing process flow diagrams (PFDs) and piping & instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs)
- Experienced in designing hydrogen system as per regulatory requirements
- Distributed control system (DCS) or modular programmable logic controller (PLC) system
- Mechanical engineering design supported by 2D drafting and 3D geometrical modelling
- Design and sizing of utility equipment, reactor, adsorption column and gas separators
- Performance evaluation of all major unit operations
- Evaluation of hydrogen system or plant safety using prescriptive and/or simulation approach
- Design verification for process unit operations using ASPEN Plus, ASPEN Hysys, ANSYS CFD
- Design of cryogenic system or plant layout and pipe routing
PLANT HAZARD MITIGATION
Major accidents in a chemical or process plant can be divided into fire, explosions and unconfined vapour cloud explosions. Economic loss is consistently high for accidents that involved explosions. As experienced performance-based plant hazard mitigation specialists, we conduct plant hazard, risk and consequence assessment in the chemical, hydrogen and major hazard facilities (MHFs). Our plant hazard mitigation services include but not limited to:
- Chemical Plants: pressure build up, toxic material leakage, fire, smoke, vapour cloud explosion
- Coal Storage: particle concentration downwind, effectiveness of mitigation measures
- Hydrogen System: leaked gas dispersion, analysis of areas prone to leakage, review of plant design
- LNG Plants: temperature rise, vessel or pipe leakage, gas dispersion, vapour cloud explosion
- Major Hazard Facility: vessel or pipe leakage, vapour cloud explosion, reaction runaway
- Physical Energy: pipes and vessels explosion study and prediction of peak overpressure
- Gas explosion: prediction of radius of impact, buildings affected and the severity of the explosion
- Blast Mitigation: explosion mitigation measures and redesign of MHFs plant layout
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