Project Synopsis
Perform sizing validation services for safety-relief devices at three (3) newly purchased ethanol production facilities in the US for the corporate engineering group of a large ethanol production company.
Project Summary
Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) was contracted by the client, a large ethanol production company, to perform sizing validation services for safety-relief devices at three (3) newly purchased facilities in the US. As a part of this project, the following tasks were accomplished:
- Assisted the plant with identification of missing information needed to adequately evaluate and size all relief devices
- Performed sizing calculations and provided documentation for approximately 275 pressure relief devices including pressure safety valves (PSVs), rupture disks, and conservation vents
- Performed and verified hydraulic calculations to adequately size inlet and outlet piping for the PSVs
- Developed process level specification sheets for the PSV devices
- Developed custom report packages containing all relevant information used for sizing each device.
PROCESS utilized the client’s in-house relief device program to the extent possible, as well as PROCESS’ licensed commercial process simulation software’s hydraulics package and chemical/physical component database, along with its proprietary in-house relief device capacity computer program to adequately size relief devices. Calculations were based on the guidelines in American Petroleum Institute (API) Standards 520 and 521 as well as NFPA 30 requirements.
PROCESS supplied the client with custom reports in an agreed-upon format. Deliverables included a report package summary sheet, a description of the safety relief system, a summary of results of the sizing calculations, drawing and documentation reference summary sheets, a summary table and narrative for all relief scenarios considered, relief device specification sheets, summaries of the heat and material balance information used in the sizing calculations, hydraulic calculations, unbalanced reactive force calculations (where applicable), copies of the vendor relief device data, drawings and sketches (including P&IDs), and equipment data file information for the limiting equipment.
Industry Type
Alternatives Fuels Production
Utilized Skills
- Relief device evaluation and sizing