Process Unit Design System Automating FEED Layout and Hydraulic Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current process simulation models in the oil, gas, and chemical industries are unable to fully automate the design of process units, particularly in terms of equipment layout, hydraulic design, and material selection, leading to inefficiencies and risks in the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) stage, which requires extensive manual intervention and rework.
Innovation Solution
A computer system and method that integrates process simulation with a stream generator, stream engineering properties module, and preliminary engineering system to interactively design process units, automating equipment and piping design, layout, and hydraulic system optimization, using information channels between unit operations to determine engineering requirements and parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If process simulation models are used to determine steady state flow conditions and physical properties, then accurate stream data and unit operation requirements are obtained, but the system cannot perform plant layout, hydraulic design, or equipment sizing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines process simulation capabilities with preliminary engineering design functions into a single integrated system. The process simulator and preliminary engineering system share a common database and workspaces, allowing seamless transition from process simulation to equipment design, plant layout, and hydraulic analysis without data transfer between separate programs.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system provides multiple functions including process simulation, equipment sizing, plant layout, hydraulic design, and materials selection within a single software platform. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate specialist programs for each design task while maintaining accuracy in all engineering disciplines.
2Ease of manufacture
If FEED design is undertaken by multi-discipline engineers using specialist computer programs, then comprehensive engineering design is achieved, but the process takes 6 to 12 months with extensive manual coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The preliminary engineering system automatically performs equipment sizing, plant layout, and hydraulic design based on process simulation data without requiring manual intervention for each calculation. The system self-generates engineering drawings, performs iterative optimizations, and produces design reports automatically, reducing reliance on manual engineering efforts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates iterative feedback loops where design results are automatically evaluated and used to refine subsequent design iterations. The integrated database allows real-time updates and re-calculations when design parameters change, enabling rapid exploration of alternative designs and automatic optimization of engineering solutions.
3Productivity
If process simulators are used, then process simulation and stream data generation are automated, but equipment design, plant layout, and hydraulic design require manual engineering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges process simulation and preliminary engineering design into a single integrated system where data flows automatically between modules. The process simulator generates stream data that is directly utilized by the equipment design and plant layout modules without manual data transfer, achieving end-to-end automation from process simulation to detailed engineering design.
4Stability of the object's composition
If engineering databases are used to ensure design consistency, then technical consistency is improved, but effort and time required are not significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated system combines process simulation data, engineering databases, and design calculations into a single unified database. This eliminates the need for separate engineering databases and manual data coordination between different programs, achieving design consistency automatically through data sharing while significantly reducing the time and effort required for data management.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system for designing a process unit, the process unit comprising a set of unit operations interconnected by streams. The computer system comprises a stream generator (process simulator) configured to simulate the process unit by modelling the set of unit operations and flow conditions of each of the streams that interconnect the unit operations within the process unit. The stream generator generates physical properties of each of the streams based on their respective generated flow conditions. The computer system further comprises a stream engineering properties module configured to determine stream engineering properties of each of the streams based on their respective flow conditions and generated physical properties. The stream engineering properties define engineering requirements of each of the streams. The computer system further comprises a preliminary engineering system configured to determine engineering information based on the determined stream engineering properties, physical properties of each of the streams and flow conditions of each of the streams, wherein the engineering information comprises: equipment engineering data for each of the unit operations and pipe engineering data for each of the streams. The computer system is configured to design the process unit based on interactively integrating the engineering information with the determined stream engineering properties, flow conditions and generated physical properties of the streams through information channels formed by each stream interconnection between a pair of unit operations.