Five Phases for Small Projects

A complete technical proposal contains seven sections:

• Process Specifications

• Process Configuration

• Catalyst / Absorbent / Adsorbent Selection

• Heat and Material Balance

• Bed Volume and Diameter

• Expected Life / Cycle

• Process Economics

For more details, please refer to Specifying a Catalyst Bed, Gildert, G. and Gildert, J., Chemical Engineering Progress, Pages 35-42, 2016.

The details of this proposal are sufficient for an order-of-magnitude (±50%) capital cost.

The purpose of the Phase 2 is to evaluate alternate processes, configurations, or catalysts to achieve the same result. These alternatives may be provided by different vendors, but must all be based on the same process specifications.

Equipment sizing is performed when the difference in duty may cause a significant change in capital costs. Differences in operating costs are determined by differences in utilities, chemicals, and catalyst consumption. Differences in product value are based on the material balance.

The alternatives are compared based on the capital costs, operating cost, product value, and other criteria provided by the requester.

The overall capital cost estimate is still considered order-of-magnitude (±50%), however; the relative cost of the alternatives is more precise.

The purpose of Phase 3 is to generate the documents required for Detailed Engineering, Equipment Procurement, and Construction.

This includes:

• Confirm Process Specifications

• Process Flow Diagram with process description

• Heat and Material Balance with utilities, chemicals, and catalyst consumption

• Piping and Instrumentation drawing

• Equipment, instrumentation, and safety device process data sheets and lists

• General arrangement drawing

• Safety reviews

• Process supervisory operating manual

Many aspects of this package overlap with the material provided with a Process License Package.

The details of this phase are sufficient for a budgetary level (±30% or better) capital cost.

The role of the Process Engineer in this phase is to ensure that the intent of the process design is followed and to evaluate the impact of all design changes. Updates to the P&ID’s and data sheets are reviewed and approved, as required.

These activities are normally part of the license agreement or the EPC contract.

The document generated by the engineering package are sufficient to obtain equipment quotations and to generate an approval level (±10%) capital cost estimate.

The role of the Process Engineer in this phase is to assist Operations and Maintenance in the safe and smooth commissioning of the equipment and ensure the product is on specification.

These activities are also normally part of the license agreement or the EPC contract.