PLANT DESIGN

SKKK 4153
SYED ANUAR FAUA’AD B. SYED MUHAMMAD
Dept. of Bioprocess and Polymer Engineering,
Faculty of Chemical Engineering.
N01a-24
syed@utm.my

Notes contributor: Dr. Zarina Muis/Dr. Agus/Dr. Abbas

 Learning Outcomes
After studying this topic, participants should:

• Be able to recognize suitable site for a new project,

and the site and equipment layout planned. Provision
must be made for the ancillary buildings and services
needed for plant operation; and for the
environmentally acceptable disposal of effluent.
Chemical Process
Industry
Chemical Process Industry Disaster
 PLANT LOCATION AND SITE SELECTION
1. Location, with respect to the marketing area.
2. Raw material supply.
3. Transport facilities.
4. Availability of labor.
5. Availability of utilities: water, fuel, power.
6. Availability of suitable land.
7. Environmental impact, and effluent disposal.
8. Local community considerations.
9. Climate.
10. Political and strategic considerations.

Intro to PD - 5
 Marketing area
Materials in bulk quantities eg. cement, mineral acids, &
fertilisers, where:
1. the cost of the product per tons is relatively low
and
2. the cost of transport a significant fraction of the sales
price,

the plant should be located close to the primary market.

This consideration will be less important for low volume
production, high-priced products; such as pharmaceuticals
products.

Intro to PD - 6
 Raw Materials
• Site location  Depends on availability and
price of suitable raw materials
• Plants that produce bulk chemicals are best
located close to the source of the major raw
material, as long as the costs of shipping
product are not greater than the cost of
shipping feed.
 Raw Materials
• Eg. new ethylene capacity that is being added
worldwide is being built in the Middle East, close to
supplies of cheap ethane from natural gas (NG).
• Oil refineries, on the other hand, tend to be located
close to major population centers, as an oil refinery
produces many grades of fuel, which are expensive to
ship separately.
 Transport
• If practicable, a site should be selected that is close to
at least two major forms of transport: road, rail,
waterway (canal or river), or a sea port.
• Road transport is increasingly used and is suitable for
local distribution from a central warehouse.
• Rail transport is usually cheaper for the long-distance
transport of bulk chemicals.
• Air transport is convenient and efficient for the
movement of personnel & essential equipment and
supplies, and the proximity of the site to a major
airport should be considered.
 Availability of Labor
• Labor for construction of the plant and its
operation.
• Skilled construction workers are usually
brought in from outside the site area, but
there should be an adequate pool of
unskilled labor available locally, & labor
suitable for training to operate the plant.

Intro to PD - 10
 Availability of Labor
• Skilled craft workers such as electricians,
welders, and pipe fitters will be needed for plant
maintenance.
• Local labor laws, trade union customs, and
restrictive practices must be considered when
assessing the availability & suitability of the
local labor for recruitment and training.

Intro to PD - 11
 Utilities (Services)
• Chemical processes invariably require large
quantities of water for cooling & general
process use, & the plant must be located near a
source of water of suitable quality.
• Process water may be drawn from a clean river,
wells, or purchased from a local authority.
• At some sites, the cooling water required can be
taken from a river, lake, or from the sea; at
other locations cooling towers will be needed.

Intro to PD - 12
 Utilities (Services)
• Electrical power is needed at all sites.
Electrochemical processes (eg. chlorine
manufacture or aluminums/metal melting)
require large quantities of power & must be
located close to a cheap source of power.
• A competitively priced fuel/NG must be available
on site for steam and power generation.
 Environmental Impact & Effluent Disposal
• Full consideration must be given to the difficulties
& cost of industrial disposal.
• The disposal of toxic and harmful effluents will be
covered by local regulations, & the appropriate
authorities must be consulted during the initial site
survey to determine the standards that must be
met.
• An environmental impact assessment should be
made for each new project or major modification or
addition to an existing process.
 Local Community Consideration
• The proposed plant must fit in with & be
acceptable to the local community.
• Safe location of the plant, so that it does not
impose a significant additional risk to the local
population.
• Plants should generally be located in the area so
as not to be upwind/windy of residential areas.
 Local Community Consideration
• Local community must be able to provide
adequate facilities for the plant personnel:
schools, banks, housing, and recreational and
cultural facilities.
• The local community must also be consulted
about plant water consumption & discharge
& the effect of the plant on local traffic.
 Local Community Consideration
• Some communities welcome new plant
construction as a source of new jobs and
economic prosperity.
• However, more affluent/wealthy communities
generally do less to encourage the building of
new manufacturing plants & in some cases may
actively discourage chemical plant construction.

Intro to PD - 17
 Land (Site Consideration)

• Sufficient suitable land must be available for

the proposed plant and for future expansion.
• The land should ideally be flat, well drained,
and have suitable load-bearing characteristics.
• A full site evaluation should be made to
determine the need for piling or other special
foundations.
 Land (Site Consideration)

• Particular care must be taken when building

plants on reclaimed land near the ocean, and in
earthquake zones because of the poor
seismic/less stable character of such land.
 Climate

• Adverse climatic conditions at a site will increase costs.

• Abnormally low temperatures require the provision of
additional insulation and special heating for equipment
& pipe runs.
• Stronger structures are needed at locations subject to
high winds (cyclone/hurricane areas) or earthquakes.
 Political & Strategic Considerations
• Capital grants, tax concessions/reductions, and other
incentives are often given by governments to direct
new investment to preferred locations, such as areas of
high unemployment.
• The availability of such grants can be the
overriding/dominant consideration in site selection.
• In a globalized economy, there may be an advantage to
be gained by locating the plant within an area with
preferential/special tariff agreements, such as the
European Union (EU).

Intro to PD - 21
 SITE LAYOUT
• The process units and ancillary buildings should be laid
out to give the most economical flow of materials and
personnel around the site.
• Hazardous processes must be located at a safe
distance from other buildings.
• Consideration must also be given to the future
expansion of the site.

Intro to PD - 22
 SITE LAYOUT
The ancillary/secondary buildings and services required
on a site, in addition to the main processing units
(buildings), include:
1. Storage for raw materials and products: tank farms and
warehouses;
2. Maintenance workshops;
3. Stores, for maintenance and operating supplies;
4. Laboratories for process quality control;
5. Fire stations and other emergency services;
6. Utilities: steam boilers, compressed air, power
generation, refrigeration, transformer stations;
Intro to PD - 23
 SITE LAYOUT

7. Effluent disposal plant: waste water treatment, solid

and or liquid waste collection;
8. Offices for general administration;
9. Canteens and other amenity buildings, such as medical
centers;
10. Parking lots.
 SITE LAYOUT
• The process units are normally sited first and arranged
to give a smooth flow of materials through the various
processing steps, from raw material to final product
storage.
• Process units are normally spaced at least 30 m apart
from others utilities/buildings; greater spacing may be
needed for hazardous processes.
• Next, decide the location of the principal ancillary
buildings.
• They should be arranged so as to minimize the time
spent by personnel in traveling between buildings.

Intro to PD - 25
 SITE LAYOUT
• Administration offices and laboratories, in which a
relatively large number of people will be working,
should be located well away from potentially
hazardous processes.
• Control rooms are normally located nearby to the
processing units, but those with potentially hazardous
processes may have to be sited at a safer distance.
• The location of the main process units determines the
layout of the plant roads, pipe, alleys, and drains.
• Access roads to each building are needed for
construction and for operation and maintenance.
 SITE LAYOUT
• Utility buildings should be sited to give the most
economical run of pipes to & from the process units.
• Cooling towers should be sited so that, under the
prevailing wind, the plume of condensate spray drifts
away from the plant area and adjacent properties.
• The main storage areas should be placed between the
loading and unloading facilities and the process units
they serve.
• Storage tanks containing hazardous materials should
be sited at least 70 m (200 ft) from the site boundary.
SITE LAYOUT : A typical site plan
 PLANT LAYOUT
• The economic construction and efficient operation of a
process unit will depend on how well the plant and
equipment specified on the process flowsheet is laid out.
• The principal factors to be considered are
1. Economic considerations: construction and operating costs;
2. The process requirements;
3. Convenience of operation;
4. Convenience of maintenance;
5. Safety;
6. Future expansion;
7. Modular/Flexible/Integrated construction.

Intro to PD - 29
 Cost

• The cost of construction can be minimized by

adopting a layout that gives the shortest run of
connecting pipe between equipment and the
least amount of structural steel work;
• However, this will not necessarily be the best
arrangement for operation & maintenance.
 Process Requirements
• An example of the need to take into account
process considerations is the need to elevate
the base of columns to provide the necessary
net positive suction head to a pump (see
Chapter 5, Sinnot) or the operating head for a
thermosiphon reboiler (see Chapter 12, Sinnot).
 Operation
• Equipment that needs to have frequent operator
attention should be located convenient to the control
room.
• Valves, sample points, and instruments should be
located at convenient positions and heights.
• Sufficient working space and headroom must be
provided to allow easy access to equipment. If it is
anticipated that equipment will need replacement,
then sufficient space must be allowed to permit access
for lifting equipment.

Intro to PD - 32
 Maintenance
• Heat exchangers need to be sited so that the tube
bundles can be easily withdrawn for cleaning and tube
replacement.
• Vessels/Reators that require frequent replacement of
catalyst or packing should be located on the outside of
buildings.
• Equipment that requires dismantling for maintenance,
such as compressors and large pumps, should be
placed under cover/shades.

Intro to PD - 33
 Safety
• Blast walls may be needed to isolate potentially
hazardous equipment and confine/scure the
effects of an explosion.
• At least two escape routes for operators must
be provided from each level in process buildings.
 Plant Expansion
• Equipment should be located so that it can be
conveniently tied in/fitted with any future
expansion of the process.
• Space should be left on pipe racks for future
needs, and service pipes should be oversized to
allow for future requirements for new fittings.
 Modular Construction
• In recent years there has been a move to
assemble sections of a plant at the plant
manufacturer’s site.
• These modules include the equipment,
structural steel, piping, and instrumentation.
• The modules/quipments are then transported
to the plant site, by road or sea.

Intro to PD - 36
 Modular Construction
• The advantages of modular construction are
1. Improved quality control;
2. Reduced construction cost;
3. Less need for skilled labor on site;
4. Less need for skilled personnel on overseas
sites.

Intro to PD - 37
 Modular Construction
• Some of the disadvantages are:
1. Higher design costs;
2. More structural steel work;
3. More flanged connections;
4. Possible problems with assembly, on
site;
 General Consideration
• Open, structural-steelwork buildings are normally used
for process equipment (good for ventilations and heat
release).
• Closed buildings are used for process operations that
require protection from the weather, for small plants, or
for processes that require ventilation with scrubbing of
the vent gas.
• The arrangement of the major items of equipment often
follows the sequence given on the process flowsheet:
with the columns and vessels arranged in rows & the
ancillary equipment, such as heat exchangers and
pumps, positioned along the outside.
Intro to PD - 39
General Consideration

• A typical preliminary
layout for major and
ancillary equipment.

Intro to PD - 40
 Techniques Used in Site and Plant Layout

• Cardboard cutouts of the equipment outlines can be used

to make trial plant layouts.
• Simple models, made up from rectangular and cylindrical
blocks, can be used to study alternative layouts in plan and
elevation.
• Cutouts and simple block models can also be used for site
layout studies.
• Once the layout of the major pieces of equipment has been
decided, the plan and elevation drawings can be made and
the design of the structural steelwork and foundations
undertaken.

Intro to PD - 41
 Techniques Used in Site and Plant Layout

• Large-scale models, to a scale of at least 1:30, are normally

made for major projects.
• These models are used for piping design and to decide the
detailed arrangement of small items of equipment, such as
valves, instruments, and sample points.
• Piping isometric diagrams are taken from the finished
models.
• The models are also useful on the construction site and for
operator training. Proprietary kits of parts are available for
the construction of plant models.
 Techniques Used in Site and Plant Layout

• Computer-aided design (CAD) tools are being increasingly

used for plant layout studies, and computer models are
complementing, if not yet replacing, physical models.
• Several proprietary/exclusive programs are available for
the generation of three-dimensional models of plant layout
and piping.
• Present systems allow designers to zoom in on a section of
a plant and view it from various angles.
• Developments of computer technology will soon enable
engineers to virtually walk through the plant.

Intro to PD - 43
Techniques Used in Site and Plant Layout
A typical computer-
generated model

Intro to PD - 44
 Techniques Used in Site and Plant Layout

• Some of the advantages of computer graphics modeling

compared with actual scale models are:
1. The ease of electronic transfer of information. Piping
drawings can be generated directly from the layout model.
Bills of quantities: materials, valves, instruments, etc. are
generated automatically.
2. The computer model can be part of an integrated project
information system, covering all aspects of the project from
conception to operation.
3. It is easy to detect interference between pipe runs and,
pipes and structural steel that occupy the same space.

Intro to PD - 45
 Techniques Used in Site and Plant Layout

4. A physical model of a major plant construction can occupy

several square meters. The computer model is contained on
a single CD.
5. The physical model has to be transported to the plant site
for use in the plant construction and operator training. A
computer model can be instantly available in the design
office, the customer’s offices, and at the plant site.
6. Expert systems and optimization programs can be
incorporated in the package to assist the designer to find
the best practical layout.

Intro to PD - 46
 UTILIIES
1. Electricity;
2. Steam, for process heating;
3. Cooling water;
4. Water for general use;
5. Demineralized water;
6. Compressed air;
7. Inert-gas supplies;
8. Refrigeration;
9. Effluent disposal facilities.
 Waste Management

Liquid Solid

Gaseous Aqueous
Wastes

Intro to PD - 48
 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
1. All emissions to land, air, and water;
2. Waste management;
3. Smells;
4. Noise;
5. Visual impact;
6. Any other nuisances;
7. The environmental friendliness of the products.

Intro to PD - 49
 Environmental Legislation

• Environmental Quality Act 1974 An Act relating to the

prevention, abatement/reduce, control of pollution
and enhancement of the environment, and for
purposes connected therewith.
Elements Covered Under EQA 1974

Water Noise

Industrial
Air
EQA Waste

1974
Intro to PD - 51
Examples of Regulations Under EQA 1974
Environmental Quality (Licensing) Regulations 1977

Environmental Quality (Control of Emissions from Petrol

Engines Regulations 1996

Environmental Quality (Delegation of Powers)

(Investigation of Open Burning) Order 2000

Environmental Quality (Declared Activities) (Open

Burning) Order 2003

Environmental Quality (Appeal Board) Regulations 2003

Intro to PD - 52
 Waste Minimization
• Before considering ‘‘end-of-pipe’’ approaches for treating
and managing waste products, the design engineer should
always try to minimize production of waste at the source.
The hierarchy of waste management approaches is
1. Source reduction: Don’t make the waste in the first place.
This is the best practice.
2. Recycle: Find a use for the waste stream.
3. Treatment: Reduce the severity of the environmental
impact.
4. Disposal: Meet the requirements of the law.

Intro to PD - 53
 Waste Minimization
• A technique that is sometimes used for waste
minimization is the 5-step review:
1. Identify waste components for regulatory impact.
2. Identify waste streams for size and economic impact.
3. List the root causes of the waste streams.
4. List and analyze modifications to address the root
causes.
5. Prioritize and implement the best solutions..
 Waste Management
• When waste is produced, processes must be incorporated in
the design for its treatment and safe disposal.
• The following techniques can be considered:
1. Dilution and dispersion;
2. Discharge to water sewer (with the agreement of the
appropriate authority);
3. Physical treatments: scrubbing, settling, absorption, and
adsorption;
4. Chemical treatment: precipitation (for example, of heavy
metals), neutralization (chemical treatment);

Intro to PD - 55
 Waste Management
5. Biological treatment: activated sludge and other
processes;
6. Incineration on land or at sea;
7. Landfill at controlled sites;
8. Sea dumping (now subject to tight international
control).

Note: Refer to standards and regulations

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