Project Synopsis

Design management, equipment/instrument procurement, and fabrication oversight and assistance, construction oversight, and startup for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) utilities systems.

Project Summary

SPALLATION NEUTRON SOURCE UTILITIES SYSTEMS DETAIL DESIGN MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE, and STARTUP

As a follow-on project the client contracted Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) to perform detail design management, equipment/instrument procurement and fabrication oversight and assistance, construction oversight, and startup for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) utilities systems, including cooling water, helium, nitrogen, and vacuum.  The SNS is a neutron scattering research facility.

Detail design management activities, undertaken to help ensure that the integrity of PROCESS’ process design was not lost during detail design by the contracted engineering firm, included the following:

  • 30%, 60%, 90%, and final comprehensive reviews of the utilities systems detail design including (but not limited to) final piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), piping drawings, detail design calculations, equipment and instrument arrangement details, and equipment and instrument specifications
  • Rework of significant portions of the detail design that fell within PROCESS’ capabilities
  • Update of process design documentation as required during detail design
  • The preparation of utilities piping isometric drawings.

Equipment/instrument procurement and fabrication oversight and assistance activities included the following:

  • Final equipment and instrument vendor bid evaluations and final vendors selection
  • The tracking and filing (in the client’s project electronic system) of required vendor submittals
  • On-site inspections and fabrication issues troubleshooting at vendor manufacturing sites, both state-side and international
  • Technical analysis of equipment/instrument design/fabrication exceptions desired by the vendors

Construction oversight activities included the following:

  • Assisting construction personnel in the resolution of day-to-day construction issues
  • Tracking of the construction schedule

Startup activities included the following:

  • The preparation of utilities systems test and checkout, startup, normal operation, and shutdown operating procedures
  • Management and execution of utilities systems test and checkout operations
  • The development of construction punchlist items based on test and checkout, and the tracking of the resolution of the punch-list items
  • Technical assistance and oversight during integrated utilities systems startup

Startup activities confirmed that the utilities systems were operating as designed.  In particular, the startup verified PROCESS’ computer simulations of the cooling loops pressure profiles, critical due to the delicate nature of many of the facility’s technical components.  One major vacuum pump required modification due to a higher than expected system in-leakage rate (the value of which was provided by others prior to design).

Industry Type

  • Particle Accelerator Research Facility

Utilized Skills

  • Utilities design
  • Detailed design managment
  • Equipment procurement and fabrication oversight assistance
  • Construction oversight assistance
  • Process startup

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