Unit Operations & Engineering Specialties

Posted on: April 15th, 2011 by n0rtnEngnr No Comments

Refinery and pyrolysis fired heaters (furnaces) – process design, troubleshooting and start-up. Coking and non-coking services, high intensity hydrogen reformers, pipestill heaters, hydrocracker
furnaces, FCCU preheaters, etc.
Fired heaters for low btu gas combustion – process design, rating, revamps
Low-NOx burner retrofits – Process and detailed design, installation, testing, start-up
Air preheat systems – process design, troubleshooting, start-up
Air emissions evaluations and permitting for refinery, chemical plant and utility fired heaters burning gas, oil and coal

Cogeneration: gas turbine/steam turbine/fired heater/waste heat boiler. Process design, start-up, troubleshooting and operation
Alternative Fuels Studies – orimulsion, coke, Low BTU Gas (LBG). Grass roots, revamps. Fuel systems, combustion equipment, heat transfer equipment and emissions control systems. Screening studies, economic evaluations, process design, start-up and troubleshooting
Took part in ten site energy surveys in refineries ranging from small simple refineries to very large and complex ones
Based on the site energy study results, screened projects to optimize energy use via additional internal and inter unit heat integration and modifications to the integration of process and steam systems
Issued Design Specifications for economic energy conservation projects
High efficiency fired heater design including state-of-the art air preheater and process heat integration schemes

Air emission control systems evaluations and selections (50)
FCCU Wet Scrubbing Systems – process design (24), troubleshooting (15), start-up (17)
Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP’s) (all processes) – process design (11), cost estimating, technology evaluation/assessment, bid evaluation, start-up (6), troubleshooting, (15) performance evaluation, performance improvement
Cyclone Systems (all processes) – process design (5), cost estimating, technology evaluation/assessment, bid evaluation, troubleshooting, (8) performance evaluation, performance improvement, start-up (2)
Flue Gas Desulfurization (Wet, Dry, Throw Away, Regenerative)– process design (4), cost estimating, technology evaluation/assessment, bid evaluation
Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) Systems – process design, cost estimating, technical evaluation/assessment, bid evaluation, start-up, troubleshooting, performance evaluation and improvement
Fabric Filters [reverse air and pulse jet] troubleshooting, technology evaluation/assessment, commercial project development and project engineering
Carbon adsorption system applications and evaluations
Cryogenic (refrigeration) system evaluations
Absorption system evaluations
Condensation systems evaluations

Shale retort systems. Process design, technology development
Spent shale cooling system development, design and patent
FCCU performance/troubleshooting/ cold flow modeling: standpipe pressure buildup, regenerator entrainment, dilute phase conveying, regenerator air distribution, catalyst/vapor separation, stripping
FCCU design: main vessels, risers, standpipes, feed zones and injectors, cyclones, air spargers/grids, slide valves, stack valves, tertiary cyclone systems
Particulate morphology

FCCU main fractionator: tray/packing design and rating, coke mitigation in desuperheating section. Process design, internals detailing, troubleshooting, start-up, operations
Simulation, design, debottlenecking and troubleshooting of ethylene plant primary fractionators, refinery and chemical plant light ends towers and amine and aqueous towers
Super-fractionator designs for polymer grade propylene and separation of isobutylene from butane-2

Solids heating and cooling. Fluid bed conveyors, pneumatic conveyor systems. Patents on several devices for solids heating and cooling. Process design, operation, troubleshooting, debottlenecking, start-up
Simulation, design, debottlenecking and troubleshooting of heat exchanger networks and individual heat exchanger servicesDesign and operation studies for enhanced surface exchangers, plate exchangers, spiral exchangers, and high flux tubes

Extrusion based system for manufacture of organo-silane functionalized polymers. Process development, pilot scale testing, planning studies, process design
Design of CSTR and fixed bed reactors

Developed laboratory test methodologies for assessing the behavior of dry (devolatilized) polymers, wet polymers and polymer solutions, at plant processing conditions
Extrusion processing specialist: reactive extrusion, dewatering, drying, direct devolatilization, dissolving (solventizing), melting

Developed proprietary models for evaluating liquid – gas separation capabilities of structured packing
CaCl2 Drier upgrade/expansion for C4 Unit: process engineering & design

Assessment of existing facilities: to handle increased loadings; to meet more stringent discharge requirements; alternative / modified operating conditions; debottlenecking; operating cost reduction; troubleshooting
Process definition/design of new grass roots treatment facilities
Heavy metals removal and recovery
Heavy metals removal and recovery
Evaluation of emerging technologies

Norton Engineering