TRAINING ON EQUIPMENT SIZNG

OF PROCESS EQUIPMENT

By
ABHIJIT K.RAM
Monday, 19th Jan 04
WHAT IS THE NEED OF EQUIPMENT
SIZING ?

Equipment shall be sized to meet the

Process condition and shall be a guideline
for the procurement of the equipment.
WHAT IS THE CONSIDERATION OF
EQUIPMENT SIZING ?
The equipment shall be sizing for the
normal variations in process parameters
and also for the process conditions arising
due to process upsets e.g. blowby case.
WHAT IS THE DOCUMENT THAT
REFLECTS PROCESS EQUIPMENT
SIZING AND WHICH DISCIPLINE USES
THE DATA ?
Process data sheet shows the equipment sizes
and the sizes are used by mechanical,
instrument, piping for engineering.
Discipline like procurement,purchases the
equipment from the available vendors.
Equipment sizes change as per the standard
model of the vendors. No appreciable change in
size if the equipment is fabricated.
WHAT ARE THE EQUIPMENT/ PROCESS
ITEMS NORMALLY SIZED BY PROCESS
DEPARTMENT ?
Heat exchanges, eg shell & tube exchanger ,air
coolers etc.
Vertical pressure vessels, eg gas scrubbers
Horizontal Pressure vessel, eg Separator, surge tank
Atmospheric Vertical & Horizontal tanks/vessels, eg
day storage tanks, sumptanks.
Sump caisson
Pumps ( head, NPSH & Capacity )
Package Unit (ex Hot Oil, Instrument air, Methanol
System
Control Valve
Relief valve
 AIR COOLERS
Basic Parameters Specified for Sizing:
Heat Duty from Process simulator
Process Fluid Flow Rate
Process Fluid Inlet Temperature
Ambient Design Air Temperature
process Fluid Outlet Temperature
Allowable Process Drop
Fouling factor
MANIPULATED VAIABLES/INPUTS FOR
SIZING AIR COOLER
Tube OD / ID
Tube Length
Tube Pitch
Number of Passes
Number of Rows
Tube counts in each row
No of bays per unit
No of bundles parallel per bay
Fan Diameter and no of fans per Bay.
 CHECKS OR CONSTRAINTS OR
GUIDELINES TO BE FOLLOWED

Actual pressure drop shall not exceed

allowable pressure drop
Static pr drop in inch of water column in
air side
Over design factor ( % )
Unit Dimensions available as per layout
Maximum no of rows used in design
Ratio, fan/Bundle face area
 VERTICAL TWO PHASE
SEPARATORS

Diameters calculated based on terminal

velocity or maximum allowable superficial
velocity.
Height is calculated by:
Setting up liquid level at preferred height.
Setting up gas height as per standard
followed.
 TYPICAL VALUES FOR A GAS HEIGHT
IN A SCRUBBER

TOP T/T to mist eliminator 0.1 ID or 300 mm

Mist Eliminator Height 150 mm Typical
Inlet Nozzle to Mist Eliminator 0.7 ID or 750
mm
Nozzle Diameter D Pipe Inlet
HHLL to Inlet Nozzle 150 mm
Minimum
T/T Bottom to HHLL 2.5 FT
 HORIZONTAL THREE PHASE
SEPERATOR

Enter all the fluid rates and the fluid properties

Assume the diameter & overall length of the separator
Set the liquid levels up to 50% of the height of the vessel
Set the separation length of the vessel
Calculate the gas separation velocity and gas area
Check the retention time to NLL (minimum 3 Mints)
Check the retention time slug NLL-HLL ( minimum 3
mints )
 TYPICAL DESIGN VALUES IN A
HORIZONTAL THREE PHASE SEPARATOR

Gas rate 30 MMSCFD Oil Rate 20060 BOPD Water Rate 3952
BWPD

Diameter 7 FT Overall Length 26 FT Separation Sect Length

23.4FT

Required Gas Velocity Max - 4.82 FPS Gas Area Minimum 4.051
SQFT
Available Gas Velocity Max - 1.831 FPS Available Gas Area
10.662 SQFT
LEVEL DIST(inch) VOL(FT3) RESIDENCE
TIME(min)

HHLL-TOP 27.0 260.89

HLL-HHLL 9.55 133.297 1.706
NLL-HLL 23.89 335 4.296
IHHLL-NLL 9.56 113.53 1.453
IHLL-IHHLL 2.8 28.419 1.846
INLL-IHLL 2.8 25.43 1.652
ILLL-INLL 2.8 21.77 1.414
ILLLL-ILLL 2.8 16.998 1.104
BTM-ILLLL 2.8 9.357 0.608
 VERTICAL CYLINDRICAL STORAGE
TANK

Calculate the Liquid Hold up / Storage

Capacity
Calculate the Nominal Capacity by
Allowing Space for Disengagement or
Filling Percentage
Select Diameter & L/D Ratio
Calculate the Length & Volume of Tank
 SUMP CAISSON

Find out the vessel having largest Hold up

of Hydro Carbons on the platform.
Caisson Shall be able to Hold the Entire
Hold up during leakage of Vessel
Follow the Principle of Tank to Calculate
Dimensions
Set up the liquid level as per the U-tube
principle
Check the Maximum Height Possible from
Structure to Avoid Fouling with Structure.