Project Synopsis
Process design for conditioning the refinery fuel gas using a central fuel gas knock-out drum to combine multiple fuel gas sources to provide a more consistent refinery wide fuel gas heating value, remove impurities, and stabilize supply pressure. Simulation Diagram
Project Summary
PETROLEUM REFINERY CENTRAL FUEL GAS KNOCK-OUT DRUM PROCESS DESIGN
The client operates an independent refinery in the Western U.S. The client hired Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) to provide a process design for conditioning the refinery fuel gas using a central fuel gas knock-out drum that would combine multiple fuel gas sources for more consistent refinery wide fuel gas heating value, remove impurities, and stabilize supply pressure. PROCESS identified the best central location based upon piping costs to and from the knock-out drum and evaluated the composition impacts upon the various heaters in the refinery. PROCESS provided sizing, cost estimation, and specification sheets for a new central fuel gas knock-out drum, process instrumentation and control valve, process safety valve, and associated piping. PROCESS also identified economic justification for the project from improving furnace efficiency, improving burner reliability, etc. for the project.
The client later commissioned PROCESS to provide detailed process design in the form of isometric sketches of the existing fuel gas system; process simulations to model the current configuration and proposed modifications; knock-out drum layout and internals design; instrumentation detailed process design; safety valve design; and operability analysis.
This project was on a tight execution schedule in order to meet a scheduled maintenance planning cycle. PROCESS was able to meet all schedule milestones. The deliverables resulting from this project, including preliminary process flow diagrams (PFDs); isometric sketches; process simulations; equipment, piping, safety valve, and instrumentation specifications; and project economics & justification were compiled in a project report submitted to the client.
Industry Type
- Petroleum Refining
Utilized Skills
- Front end engineering design (FEED study)
- Refinery process modeling
- Knockout drum design
- Fuel gas system design
- Basic engineering design package (BED)