Revamping Conceptual Process Design
SUMMARY
With desirability of getting the maximum use out of existing equipment when revamps are planned - not least to minimise investment costs - a rigorous approach to CPD is required to avoid scope growth.
TEXT
Conceptual process design (CPD) largely determines crude unit revamp costs. This stage of engineering should identify all significant changes influencing total installed cost. Otherwise large scope growth can occur as more engineering work is done. The conceptual designer's goal is the maximise the use of the existing equipment, which will minimise investment costs. First and foremost is the need for a thorough test run that gathers the necessary field data to allow an experienced revamp engineer to select a reliable minimum-cost flow scheme.
Finding the process flow scheme that circumvents major unit bottlenecks without compromising operability or reliabilty is the key to minimising costs. Rote solutions that simply make the existing equipment larger, or parallel undersized equipment, almost always result in unnecessary capital expenditure...