Issues with the process design interface of devices and systems
Thread Content
I would like to ask the teachers: During the basic design phase, once the process conditions within the unit’s boundary zone have been determined (media entering and leaving the unit, pressure, temperature, flow rate), how is the system process design carried out? Can the conditions of the pipes in this boundary zone (size, location, material grade) be defined at this stage? Does the planning of the system piping network affect the head design of the pumps within the unit? What other conditions need to be taken into account within the unit?
As the original poster said, the PFD has been finalized, which means it’s time to work on the PID. This stage requires a lot of effort – things like pipe sizes, materials, grades, the selection of control points and unit modes, the choice of safety valves, as well as calculations related to pumps, all take time to handle. Hehe! I wonder if the original poster has any preliminary layout diagrams. The head of a pump is influenced by many factors: the layout of the equipment, the pressures at the inlet and outlet, the fluid level inside the equipment, pipe pressure drops, equipment pressure drops, control valves, and flow meter pressure drops. Many calculations are needed for this!
Thank you for your reply. I would like to ask another question: although the flow rates and pressures of materials between upstream and downstream units are determined by the factory’s specialized team, is it also the system design team that handles these determinations during the preliminary design phase? Additionally, as the design of the units becomes more detailed during the preliminary design stage, who is responsible for verifying the balance of consumptions of utilities such as water, electricity, steam, air, and nitrogen?
The industrial specialty mentioned by the poster is likely the process engineering specialty. In fact, material balance within the process package is the most crucial aspect; this includes the consumption of utility services, and it is the process engineering specialty that handles these matters. The flow rates and pressures of materials between upstream and downstream units are also determined by the process engineering specialty, while the system and piping specialties take care of the subsequent tasks. It seems that the process package in question is still in the development stage.