Project Synopsis
Provide process engineering services to a process equipment fabrication company to assist in the design of a portable system to be used to attach to natural gas pipeline equipment (e.g., compressors, pig launcher/receivers, etc.) and/or pipeline segments to depressurize (blowdown) that equipment, capture and store the natural gas, and then re-compress and return the natural gas to the equipment or pipeline segment.
Project Summary
The client, a process equipment fabrication company – contracted Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) to provide process engineering services to assist in the design of a portable system to be used to attach to natural gas pipeline equipment (e.g., compressors, pig launcher/receivers, etc.) and/or pipeline segments to depressurize (blowdown) that equipment, capture and store the natural gas, and then re-compress and return the natural gas to the equipment or pipeline segment. Natural gas pipeline operators routinely depressurize / blowdown equipment and pipeline segments to the atmosphere in preparation for maintenance activities. Coming environmental regulations will forbid this practice in the near future, requiring all gas removed to be captured. The intent of the blowdown system is to eliminate natural gas emissions to the environment during blowdowns as well as eliminate gas losses using a portable modular process skid system that can move from job site to job site.
Project tasks included,
- Design Basis development which involved the determination of typical equipment volumes, gas pressures, natural gas compositions, etc.
- Depressurization or blowdown calculations using Excel spreadsheets to determine flowrates of gas during blowdown, time to blowdown a given volume of gas, equilibrium gas pressure, and compressor requirements.
- Development of a dynamic process simulation in CHEMCAD to confirm the results of the spreadsheet-based blowdown calculations.
- Preparation of material balances, process flow diagrams (PFDs), piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), process descriptions, and equipment datasheets in support of the client’s patent application as well as construction and operation of the blowdown system.
- Solicitation of budgetary cost proposals from compressor and control valve vendors.
- Summary of the calculations, process documentation, equipment specifications, and vendors proposals in a final process design package.
- Process engineering support to the Client’s project team including weekly project calls and interfacing with the various vendors.
Industry Type
Oil & Gas Processing
Utilized Skills
- Dynamic process simulation
- Process design package development.