Page 239 - Fluid Catalytic Cracking Handbook

Project Management and Hardware Design 20?

* Detailed engineering
« Pre-construction
* Construction
» Commissioning/start-up

Pre-project

In the pre-project phase, a refiner must take many steps "in-house"
before embarking upon a mechanical upgrade of an FCC unit. This is
particularly true if the scope includes the use of new technology.
Included in these pre-project activities are:
* Identifying the unit's mechanical and process constraints
* Identifying the unit's operational goals
* Optimizing the current unit's performance
* Obtaining a series of validated test runs
« Producing a "statement of requirement" or "revamp objectives"
document
« Selecting an engineering contractor
In many cases, a refiner decides to revamp a cat cracker and employ
a new technology without first identifying the unit's mechanical and
process limitations. Sometimes money is spent to relieve a constraint
and the unit hits another constraint almost immediately. Failure to
perform a proper constraint analysis of the existing operation can result
in focusing on the wrong issues for the revamp. In addition, the
revamp goals must match the refinery's overall objectives.
The refiner should identify economic opportunities internally before
approaching a technology licensor. For example, what is the primary
consideration: more conversion, higher throughput, or both? At times,
a refiner may prefer to do the work internally, as opposed to hiring
external resources, but all possible options should be explored.
It may often be more economical to purchase the desired product
from another refiner than to produce it internally. The "market place"
can be a less expensive source of incremental supply than the refiner's
own in-house production capabilities.
Prior to a mechanical upgrade, the refiner must ensure that, given
existing mechanical limitations, the unit's performance has reached
its full potential with catalyst and operational changes. It is much
easier to determine the effects of the mechanical upgrade with a well-