CHE3166 PROCESS DESIGN

PLANT LAYOUT
CONTENT
• Other type of Engineering Drawings
• Plant Layout Analysis
• Basic Plant Layout hierarchy

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OTHER ENGINEERING DRAWINGS
Made by Chemical Engineers Used by chemical Engineers

BFD Piping Isometrics

PFD Control Loop Diagrams

P&ID Electrical Line Diagrams

Cause and Effect Matrix

Process Shutdown Logic

Hazardous Area Drawings

Mechanical Drawings

Plot Plan

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 OTHER ENGINEERING DRAWINGS - EXAMPLE https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E12AQE56PXajhdKQQ/article-
inline_image-
shrink_1000_1488/0?e=1601510400&v=beta&t=5vmi74xkB_CMgxicpyQ4RC
wVNePQcDnczQeMeD5FfTw

Piping Isometric.
Made by Mechanical
Engineer
Given to welder to build
Given to buyer to buy the
components

Chemical Engineering
participation:
• Check hydraulics
• Check materials
• Unique issues (for example
… will solids accumulate?)
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 OTHER ENGINEERING DRAWINGS - EXAMPLE https://kicad-info.s3.dualstack.us-west-
2.amazonaws.com/original/2X/7/7157b3ce9df4c7bcffa508760aef2f862a426
db5.png

Electrical One Line Diagram.

Made by Electrical Engineer
Given to electrician to build
Given to buyer to buy the
components

Chemical Engineering
participation:
• Check hazardous area
• Check safety shutdowns

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OVERALL PLANT LAYOUT

This show the whole buildup area of a

plant.

This gives you a good estimate of how

much land is needed but tells you
nothing about the exact location of an
equipment.

Need another plot plant for sub-units

Note: Engineering drawing title, author

and revision block has been omitted for
clarity.

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PLOT PLAN FOR A PROCESS SYSTEM

An example of a plot plan for the

sub-units/systems in plant

Location of equipment can be

clearly seen and planned.

Engineering drawing title, author

and revision block has been
omitted for clarity.

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ELEVATION VIEW – COMPANION OF PLOT PLAN

Chemical Engineer does not

make this but reviews it.

How is it useful to us?

Hint: Pump calculations and
flare dispersion study.

Engineering drawing title, author

and revision block has been
SHOWN for clarity.

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 PLOT PLAN
• Plot plan is to plan for the placement of all the equipment in the plant.
• One key item from plot plan is the pipe rack. Pipe rack is where we put all
our fluid and energy traffic.
• Pipe rack directly affect the location of the equipment.
• Normally, a pipe rack runs through the middle of process unit and
equipment is located https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcR8OENGcHlVJjSUeacIeqRGnf5qoNcd5zyAHA&usqp=CAU

on either side of pipe

rack - > allow for easy
access to these fluid
• Height of Piperack is
approximately 12’ or
4 meters. Can be
multiple levels
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USE OF PLANT LAYOUT

• A bad plant layout will

• Increase the capital cost of the plant
• Have a negative impact on long term operations and maintenance
of the plant
• Negatively affect the community around the plant

• It is important that all group members are contributing in the

drawing of plant layout so that the systems locations can be
reviewed.
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EXAMPLES OF BAD LAYOUT

An oil refinery (with a fire) that is right next A cooling tower with the plume going over
to a railroad and a freeway a road

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https://www.process-cooling.com/ext/resources/issues/2018/April/SPX/PC0418_ePublishing_SPX02.jpg
https://www.process-cooling.com/ext/resources/issues/2018/April/SPX/PC0418_ePublishing_SPX02.jpg
PRELIMINARY PLANT LAYOUT

• Before we can construct the plant layout, the following information are required:
1. Process flow diagrams
2. Plot limits
3. Process unit area requirements
4. Storage and tankage requirements
5. Expected expansion requirements
6. Waste treating area (usually at low point of the plot)
7. Location of roads, rail spurs, pipeline tie-ins
8. Product and blending area
9. Product tankage and loading
10. Plant roads and access ways for consideration of construction and maintenance
11. Utility and steam generation
12. Cooling towers and electrical distribution substations
13. Security?

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HIERARCHY OF PLANT LAYOUT

1. Site selection

2. Site layout / selection of plant location on a given site

3. Location of equipment items (plan and elevation)

4. Piping layout - not required in your assignments, although the piperack(s) should be shown

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SITE SELECTION

At the preliminary stage, we should at least know the following site characteristics at the location you plan to
have your plant:
• Land contours
• Prevailing wind direction
• Waterways or access to public roads
• Loadbearing capabilities of soil
• Ambient temperatures, humidity
• Utilities, labour
• Land zoning/surrounds

Now abandoned village of Craco, Italy → ………………………………..………..

• c
Cra

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcS-7uCNzsKyIkHImQzUXGk5UJovICFRF91hWw&usqp=CAU
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SITE CHARACTERISTICS

1) Land contours, prevailing wind direction and waterways and access to public
road will directly affect how you arrange your equipment and building
2) Loadbearing capacities of soil will decide how high and spread-out your plant is
3) Ambient temperature, humidity and availability of utilities will directly affect the
utilities you can have in the plant,
• This subsequently limits which technology you can use for plant production
4) Land zoning will restrict the area where you can put certain type of building. For
example: Office building should not be in the same zone as process
areas/dangerous zones

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GETTING STARTED ON PLANT LAYOUT

• Separate administrative buildings and processing plant area

• Administration buildings should be located on the public side of the security point
• All buildings should be upwind of any venting fumes
• Need a security fence, checkpoints
• Adequate car parking (bus parking too, for visiting University Students ☺)
• Other buildings
• Control Room
• Laboratory?
• Warehouse?

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EXXONMOBIL LONGFORD SITE FROM GOOGLE MAPS

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EXAMPLE: OBSERVE THE PLANNING

Access Road Others

Note: Wind is blowing
Parking towards public road.
This is not an ideal
plant location.
Areas from left
You should ensure that
to right the fumes reaching the
•Access access road is at an

Wind •Crude Plant acceptable

concentration (place
Slope •Gas Plant 1 your process area far
•Inlet Pipelines enough).

•Gas Plant 2
•Gas Plant 3
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PLANT LAYOUT LAND ZONING

Access Road Once you are sure that

the area near access
road is a safe area (via
dispersion study), you
Master can place areas which
Control have a lot of human
activities near the
Room Reserved access road area.
For Future Example: Master
Expansion control room, office
Waste buildings, canteen and
etc.
Water
Treatment
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BEWARE OF WIND DIRECTION:

Normally, waste
treatment areas have
Trees used unpleasant smell or are
harmful to human
not because bodies.

they are Keep these areas far

pretty but to away from human.

Wind help manage

Waste
fumes from
Water waste water
Treatment
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PLANNING THE LOCATION OF PROCESS SYSTEMS
Products Processing Area

Feed
Pretreatment
Area

Products Storage Areas

Flow path of raw

material going in
and gas product
going out
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ARRANGEMENT OF PIPE RACKS

Flow path of by-products being sent to

next unit operation in other plant inside
our facility. Pipe racks are like fluid
freeways – think of traffic movement 22
DANGEROUS ZONES – COMBUSTION EQUIPMENT/FLARE

Combustion equipment

Flares

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DESIGNING A PATHWAY FOR HUMAN ACCESS

Note how the

process fluid has
access from one
side and people
have maintenance
access from the
other side
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AIR COOLERS ARE NORMALLY ELEVATED

Fin fan coolers

often installed
over pipe racks

Ref: Chemical Engineering, July 4, 1977, p123 25

 AIR COOLERS ARE
NORMALLY ELEVATED
• From the January 2007 cover of
Hydrocarbon Processing Magazine

• This is Atlantic LNG in Trinidad and

Tobago. Note how the fin-fan coolers
are on top. Note how many there are.

• Note how they are conserving water

by not using cooling water, but
instead using cooling air
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DISTANCE BETWEEN PROCESS AND CONTROL ROOM

Control room
safe distance

No parking on roads

Ref: Chemical Engineering, July 4, 1977, p123 27

PROVISIONS FOR MAINTENANCE

Permanently installed Ref: Chemical Engineering, July 4, 1977, p123

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maintenance equipment
EQUIPMENT PLACEMENT CONSIDERATION

Pumps low (for NPSH) Ref: Chemical Engineering, July 4, 1977, p123

with vents high (for safety)

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 Recommended safety distance from flammable liquids in a chemical plant

Ref: J. C. Mecklenburgh, 1973, Plant Layout, IChemE

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Recommended safety distance between different areas in a chemical plant

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Recommended safety distance between different objects in off-site area

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PREVAILING WIND

• The prevailing wind has an impact on plant layout, in particular:

• the flare, or flares, need to be located downwind
• venting fumes should be carried away from people
• they should not be carried over adjacent residential areas (consider during site
selection)

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PREVAILING WIND

• Let’s consider two examples.

• The manned oil and gas platforms in Bass Strait have the flare on the
north. This is because the prevailing winds are from the southwest,
and this means most days, the fumes are blown away from the
accommodation and office area
• The unmanned platforms have the flare on the south. This is because
the hottest day means we have a north wind, and the maximum heat
load on the steel will be with a north wind

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ROADS, FOOTPATHS

• Roads are necessary for delivery of equipment and access for cranes during construction (may
also require laydown area for construction)
• Access is also required during operation
• Emergency access is required by firefighting trucks, ambulances
• Where possible separate roadways and footpaths
• Provide emergency assembly point(s) (for major emergencies, these may be off-site)
• BTW – bicycle is common mode of getting around. Electric scooters will be source of ignition

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INDOOR EQUIPMENT

• Some of you are in cold climates, and the need to put equipment inside grows. But when I worked
in Alaska, there was still a lot of equipment outside
• Rotating equipment is often inside.
• The same considerations as for outdoor items, although drainage is usually direct to the floor
(except for specific chemicals, which may be bunded)

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GOOGLE SKETCHUP

• Free 3D Modelling Software from sketchup.google.com

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EXAMPLE – PLOT PLAN

Snapshot on the right shows part of an ammonia

production plant. Ammonia pump is used to transport
liquid ammonia from liquid ammonia storage to
ammonia buying station. Estimate the length of
pipeline from
1) Liquid ammonia storage to ammonia pump
(middle unit)
2) Ammonia pump to ammonia buying station

(Assume that the height of pipe rack is around 4 m)

Scale:

20 m

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EXAMPLE – PLOT PLAN 2

Proposed Solution:
The drawing scale is shown. I made this from an A3
drawing
1) Longest (straight) distance from Liquid ammonia
storage to ammonia pump (orange line) =
0.8” (vertical)+1.23” (horizontal)+0.39”
(vertical)=2.42”≡242 m (actual length)
Including the pipe length from grade to pipe rack (4m)
and pipe rack back to grade (4m) we have
Total Length= 242+8 (pipe rack)= 250 m
Give an extra 10% margin (overestimate pipe length
to include pipe fittings), Scale:
Total pipe length (estimated) =250 x 1.1=275m
20 m
Is it correct? No, but it will mean you will not need to
increase the size of your pump, so it is “right enough”
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EXAMPLE – PLOT PLAN 3

Proposed Solution:
The drawing scale is 0.2” = 20m
2) Longest (straight) distance from ammonia pump to
ammonia buying station (blue line) =
0.39” (vertical)+1.35” (horizontal)+0.38”
(vertical)=2.12”≡212 m (actual length)
Including the pipe length from grade to pipe rack (4m)
and pipe rack back to grade (4m) we have
Total Length= 212+8 (pipe rack)= 220 m
Give an extra 10% margin (overestimate pipe length
to include pipe fittings), Scale:
Total pipe length (estimated) =220 x 1.1=242m
20 m

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SUMMARY
• What is plot plan and how can we manage our equipment locations
• Design Considerations for Plot Plan
• Minimum safe distance from dangerous area

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