Project Synopsis
Prepare a conceptual process design package and cost estimate for a new sulfamic acid plant at two different throughput rates.Project Summary
FEL-2 PROCESS DESIGN SERVICES FOR A GRASSROOTS SULFAMIC ACID PLANT
Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) was contracted by the client, an oil field services company, to provide a preliminary process design FEL-2 package for a proposed sulfamic acid manufacturing plant. This plant will be a continuous chemical manufacturing facility that manufactures sulfamic acid from urea, sulfuric acid, and sulfur trioxide. The plant requires several raw material storage tanks and charge pumps along with mixing tanks, reactors, centrifuges, dryers, sulfuric acid / SO3 absorber, and ancillary utilities (steam, reverse osmosis (RO) quality water, nitrogen, compressed air, etc.).
Two design basis points were chosen at nominal and maximum daily production rates respectively. Process flow diagrams (PFDs) were produced for each step of the proposed process using a combination of two expired patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark database that were located by PROCESS. Heat and material balances (HMBs) for the process were produced, covering the entire process from raw material storage to final product truck loading. These HMBs were used as the basis for preliminary sizing and cost estimates.
PROCESS worked with the client to evaluate potential processes and select one for development, then to establish the requirements for the two design basis points on equipment sizing and cost estimates. PROCESS utilized commercial process simulation software to prepare the HMBs for the process selected.
Preliminary equipment sizing was based on the most stringent duties from the two HMBs.
Cost estimates for the two design basis points were prepared based on the preliminary equipment sizes.
PROCESS also produced a complete report on this work, covering the design source information, simulations, HMBs, PFDs, equipment sizing, and cost estimates.
A complete Front End Loaded Stage 2 (FEL-2) package that included the above-mentioned documentation was issued to the client for the purpose of evaluation and decision support.
Industry Type
- Oil & Gas Well Chemicals Production
Utilized Skills
- Literature search
- Preliminary process design (FEL-2)