Conceptual Design Utility & Offsites

1. Purpose

This procedure outlines the conceptual design process for utility and offsite systems.

2. General

The objectives of the conceptual design are twofold:

• To assure that utility and offsite issues are considered adequately during process design

• To define the major parameters of the utility and offsite systems upon completion of the process unit Schedule A’s for a complex

Inflection Point Engineering can start to conceptually engineer utilities and offsites when the process unit design begins. Inflection Point Engineering's in-house database of previous designs can be used to estimate utility requirements and derive initial balances for fuel, steam, water, etc. When tankage requirements are developed, an overall plot plan will begin to take shape. In this manner, an initial framework can be rapidly developed and continuously refined as the process unit design proceeds and better data is developed.

3. Advantages During Process Unit Design Phase

Through continuous interaction—both formal and casual, in design reviews and daily contact—utility and offsite representation during the design process helps optimize the following:

• Energy recovery and efficiency

• Utility cost, availability, and reliability

• limit conditions and material routing

• Driver selection

• Effluent recycle and disposal

• Product blending and storage volumes

The end result is that with the completion of the process unit Schedule A's comes also a comprehensive definition of the utility and offsite requirements, greatly facilitating further detailed design and accurate cost estimating for the overall project.

4. Deliverables for the Inflection Point Engineering Utility and Offsite Conceptual Design

4.1 Level of Detail

The deliverables from the conceptual design of utility and offsite systems are less detailed than those from the process unit Schedule A’s for the following basic reasons.

a. Timeliness

The primary value that Inflection Point Engineering can add in the utility and offsite area derives from its timeliness. It is essential to have easy and economical revisions of the output so that utilities and offsites can progress interactively with the process unit design.

b. The Role of Contractors

Utilities and offsites include many issues beyond the refinery fence, such as tying into an electrical grid, tapping into a water supply, acceptable effluent discharge requirements, loading and unloading systems, etc. The contractor can implement the details of these issues most effectively by building on the basic requirements established by Inflection Point Engineering.

c. Details Depend on Final Designs

Many details within utility and offsite systems depend upon the final detailed design. Examples include sewer sizing and routing, firewater grid layout, substation sizing and placement, and final detailed plot plan development. Again, the contractor can implement these details most effectively.

4.2 Furnished Deliverables

Inflection Point Engineering furnishes the following basic deliverables for all utility and offsite systems:

a. Material and Utility Summaries

These summaries vary in format and include the following information for each system, as appropriate:

• Flow rates—normal and maximum
• Duty
• Composition
• Molecular weight
• Temperature
• Pressure
• Heating value
• Shaft loads of rotating equipment

b. Process Flow Diagrams

These serve as a graphic supplement to the material and utility summaries. They show the major equipment and flow schemes, as well as key process parameters (e.g., flow rates, pressures, etc.).

c. Equipment Summaries

These provide a list of major equipment and significant sizing parameters, e.g., vessel size, pump flow rates and heads, boiler duties, design pressures and temperatures, materials, etc. Use this tabulation directly for estimating cost and establishing the design basis for more detailed engineering.

d. Description and Philosophy of Design

This documentation discusses design considerations, including key constraints, opportunities, and features. This is a valuable tool for expressing design considerations throughout the project.

e. Customized Software

Inflection Point Engineering also furnishes custom software for calculating overall utility balances. This software consists of a spreadsheet based tool specifically developed for the project. This tool allows others to examine the effects of various operating cases and design changes while the design moves forward in the contractor’s office. Reports of actual customer and contractor experiences prove that this software is extremely useful throughout the project.

4.3 Electronic Data Delivery

The entire Conceptual Utility and Offsite Package can be provided electronically as Microsoft Excel and Word files and Microstation, AutoCad, or Acrobat drawings. Inflection Point Engineering has routinely provided this data to customers on the other side of the world within minutes of completion. However, electronic delivery offers more than speed. It also allows others to swiftly move forward onto more detailed engineering, quotation requests, etc.

5. Expected Utility and Offsites Systems

The following is a listing of some of the utility and offsites areas for which equipment is usually required. The conceptual design can handle all areas as needed, within the scope of the project.

Utilities

• Steam, Feedwater, and Condensate Handling
• Water and Cooling Water
• Electrical
• Plant and Instrument Air and Nitrogen
• Fuel Oil and Gas

Offsites

• Blending
• Tankage
• Loading and Unloading
• Effluent Treating
• Flare
• Chemicals