【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】607–2022: The First Modular, Whole-Unit Relocation of a 1,000-ton Petrochemical Plant in China

As a key project under construction in Fujian Province for 2022, China State Construction Installation is responsible for the renovation and repair of the condensate separation unit and vacuum distillation unit, as well as the associated storage, transportation, and utility systems. Once completed, these projects will help transform the Gulei Petrochemical Industrial Park into an important petrochemical hub in Fujian Province, contributing to the development of the local economy and the industry as a whole. The framework of the mercury removal unit has a 4-layer structure, measuring 28 meters in length, 18 meters in width, and 29 meters in height; its total volume exceeds 10,000 cubic meters and its weight is 1,000 tons. The project team must remove the mercury removal unit from the condensate separation unit and rebuild it in another location.

Taking the successful case of modular installation of the main plant pipeline gallery as a starting point, the petrochemical engineering company formed a team of design and construction experts to promote the use of modular construction techniques on a widespread scale. After disconnecting the pipes, electrical and instrumentation systems, and equipment that connected the device to be removed with other devices, detailed design was carried out to ensure the overall stability during transportation. Using SPMT fully steerable hydraulic modular transport units, the entire mercury removal unit was moved 370 meters horizontally and rotated two times by 90 degrees before being relocated to its new installation site. By modeling and analyzing the forces acting on the entire unit as well as its various components, the plan was continuously refined, modified, and optimized. Meanwhile, several senior experts in the industry were invited to assess the feasibility of the plan, and they all gave their approval.

Impressive! Those who have participated in this project can brag for a while now: lol

The traditional construction method involves disassembling all the process pipelines, electrical instruments, equipment, etc. within the facility, transporting them to the new location, and then reinstalling them one by one. This approach entails a large amount of work, a long construction period, high safety risks, and high costs. Given the tight project timeline, limited construction site space, and numerous concurrent tasks, and in order to improve work efficiency and reduce safety risks, the project team conducted extensive research, modeling, and simulation experiments before deciding to adopt a modular, integrated relocation construction approach. After disconnecting the pipes, electrical and instrumentation systems, and equipment that connected this demolition device to other systems, the project team used a 33-meter-long SPMT fully rotatable hydraulic module transport unit, which reduced the need for the use of large-scale machinery. With a remote control in hand, technicians can translate the entire thousand-ton mercury removal unit 370 meters and rotate it 180 degrees, thereby relocating it to its new location. After 2 hours of safe, smooth, and efficient module transportation, the petrochemical \"heavy equipment\" was successfully installed in one go.

Thanks for sharing, coming in to learn a bit*