PLANT LAYOUT

INTRODUCTION
• After the process flow diagrams are completed and
before detailed piping, structural, and electrical design
can begin, the layout of process units in a plant and the
equipment within these process units must be planned.
• This layout can play an important part in determining
construction and manufacturing costs, and thus must be
planned carefully with attention being given to future
problems that may arise. Since each plant differs in
many ways and no two plant sites are exactly alike, there
is no one ideal plant layout.
 SOME IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR
PLANT LAYOUT
• Operational convenience and accessibility
• Economic distribution of utilities and services
• Type of process and product control
• Type and quantity of products to be produced
• Type of buildings and building-code requirements
• Health and safety considerations
• Waste-disposal requirements
• Space available and space required
• Roads and railroads
• Possible future expansion
 Plant layout contributes to safety and loss
prevention
• Efficient and safe construction
• Efficient and safe operation
• Efficient and safe maintenance
• Safe control room design
• Emergency control facilities
• Segregation of different risks
• Minimization of vulnerable pipework
• Containment of accidents
• Limitation of exposure
• Fire fighting facilities
• Access for emergency services
• security
 Layout Generation
• Flow principle
• Correlation and compatibility
• Process plant layout
• Segregation
 Flow principle

• For process plants, the most appropriate method is

generally to lay the plant out so that the material
flow follows the process flow diagram. This is the
process flow principle.
• This arrangement minimizes the transfer of
materials, which is desirable both for economics
and safety.
• Long runs of pipe work with vulnerable features are
an undesirable addition to the hazards of the plant.
They relate particularly to:
• Requirements for gravity flow
• Equipment needing specially strong foundations
• Access for construction, commissioning, operation
and maintenance
• Future extension
• Operator protection
• Escape and fire fighting
• Containment of accidents
• Environmental impact
 Correlation and compatibility
Correlation and compatibility techniques are
used for:
• Elimination of layout arrangements which are
incompatible or impossible
• For the preliminary formulation of compatible
arrangements
 Process plant layout
• The design of a process plant layout involves
first synthesis and then analysis. A structured
approach to the generation of the layout has
four stages:
• Three-dimensional (3D) model
• Flow
• Relationships
• Groups
 Segregation
• The minimization of the risk to the target is
effected by segregating the hazard from the
target.
 Layout Techniques and Aids
 Layout Techniques
• Classification, rating and ranking
• Critical examination
• Hazard assessment
• Economic optimization
 Layout Aids
• Visualization aids
• Computer aids
 Critical examination
The technique starts with and involves analysis
of a proposed layout, but insofar as other
possible solutions are suggested, it may be
regarded also as a method for the generation
of alternatives which can then be evaluated.
 Economic optimization

• Economic optimization is a principal method

of selection from among the alternative layout
generated due to process layout generation.
• Some factors which are of importance for the
cost of a plant layout include :
foundations, structures, piping and pipe
tracks, and pumps and power consumption.
 Visualization aids
• There are various methods of representing the
plant to assist in layout design. These include
drawings, cutouts, block models and piping
models.
 Site Layout Features
Site constraints and standards
Once a site has been selected the next step is to establish
the site constraints and standards. These include:
• Topography and geology
• weather
• environment
• transport
• services
• Legal constraints
• Topographical and geological features are those
such as the lie of the land and its load-bearing
capabilities.
• Weather includes temperatures, wind conditions,
solar radiation, and thunderstorms.
• Environment covers people, activities and
buildings in the vicinity.
• Services are power, water and effluents.
• Legal constraints include planning and building,
effluent and pollution, traffic, fire and other
safety laws, by laws and regulations.
 Site standards should also be established
covering
• Separation distances
• Building lines
• Building construction
• Road dimensions
• Service corridors
• Pipe bridges
 Site services
• The site central services such as the boiler
house, power station, switch station, pumping
stations, etc., should be placed in suitable
locations.
• They should not constitute sources of ignition
for flammables.
• Electrical substations, pumping stations, etc.,
should be located in areas where non-flame
proof equipment can be used.
 Use of buildings
• Building is used where the process, the plant,
the materials processed and the associated
activities are sensitive to exposure.
• Since ventilation in a building is generally less
than that outdoors, a leak of flammable or
toxic material tends to disperse more slowly
and a hazardous concentration is more likely
to buildup.
 Location of buildings
• Analytical laboratories should be in a safe
area.
• Administration buildings should be situated in
a safe area on the public side of the security
point. The main office block should always be
near the main entrance and other
administration buildings.
• All buildings should be upwind of plants.
 Segregation
• In process plants it is usually necessary to provide
some additional space and to practice a degree of
segregation.
• The site layout should aim to contain an accident at
source, to prevent escalation and avoid hazarding
vulnerable targets.
• A block layout is appropriate with each plot
containing similar and compatible types of hazard
and with different types segregated in separate plots.
 Fire containment
• The site layout should contribute to the
containment of any fire which may occur and
to combating the fire.
Compact block layout system in the process
area of a petrochemical plant
• Fig 1 show a compact layout, which minimizes
land usage and pipework.
• There are two main process areas and at right
angles to these is an area with a row of fired
heaters, and associated reactors, steam
boilers and a stack.
• This layout has several weaknesses. The lack
of firebreaks in the main process blocks would
allow a fire to propagate right along these,
particularly if the wind is blowing along them.
• There is entry to the plant area from the 6m
roads from opposite corners. But the only
access for vehicles to the process plots is the
4.5m roads.
• In the case of a major fire, appliances might
well get trapped by an escalation of the fire.
• The layout is also likely to cause difficulties in
maintenance work.
Compact block layout system in the process
area of a petrochemical plant
• The alternative layout shown in Fig 2 avoids
these problems.
• The process areas are divided by fire breaks.
• There are more entry points on the site and
dead ends are eliminated.
• The roads are 6m wide with an effective
clearance of 15m.
• The crane access areas provide additional
clearances for the fired heaters.
 Transport
• It is a prime aim of plant layout to minimize the
distances travelled by materials.
• Access is required to plots for transport of
materials and equipment, maintenance
operations and emergencies.
• Road and rail traffic should not go through
process areas except to its destination and even
then should not violate hazardous area
classifications.
 Effluents
• The site layout must accommodate the
systems for handling the effluents such as
gaseous, liquid and solid and fire water.
 Emergencies
• The first step in emergency planning is to study the scenarios of
the potential hazards and of their development.
• Emergency arrangements should include an emergency control
centre. This should be a specially designated and signed room in a
safe area, accessible from the public roads and with space around
it for emergency service vehicles.
• Assembly point should also be designated in safe areas at least
100 m from the plants.
• The site should have a road round the periphery with access to the
public roads at two points atleast.
• Arrangements should be made to safeguard supplies of services
such as water, electricity and steam to plants in an emergency.
 Security
• The site should be provided with a boundary
fence and all entrances should have a gate
house. The number of entrances should be
kept to a minimum.
 Plot Layout Considerations
• Process considerations
• Economic considerations
• construction
• operations
• maintenance
• hazards
• Fire fighting
• escape
 Process considerations
• Gravity flow and availability of head for pump
suctions, control valves and reflux returns
• pressure drop in pipes and heat exchangers and
across control valves and temperature drop in
pipes
• provision of straight runs for orificemeters, the
length of instrument transmission lines and
arrangements for manual operations such as
dosing with additives, sampling
 Economic considerations
• Some features which have strong influence on
costs are foundations, structures, piping and
electrical cabling.
 Construction
• Construction work may require an area in
which the construction materials and items
can be laid out.
• The installation of large and heavy plant items
require space and access for cranes.
 Maintenance
• Plant items from which the internals need to
be removed for maintenance should have the
necessary space and lifting arrangements.
Ex- Tube bundles from heat exchangers,
agitators from stirred vessels and spent
catalyst from reactors.
 Hazards
• The hazards on the plant should be identified and
allowed for in the plot layout.
• Hazardous areas should be defined.
• Plants which may leak flammables should generally
be built in the open or, if necessary, in a structure
with a roof but no walls.
• Fire spread in buildings should be limited by design.
• Ventilation is necessary for buildings housing plants
processing flammables or toxics.
 Fire fighting
• Access is essential for firefighting. Fire water
should be available from hydrants on a main
between the road and the plant.
• Pipes for fire water supply should be
protected against explosion damage.
• Fire extinguishers of the appropriate type and
fire blankets should be placed at strategic
points.
 Escape
• A minimum of two escape routes should be provided for any
work space, except where the fire risk is very small, and the
two routes should be genuine.
• Escape routes should be signposted.
• Escape routes across open mess area should have solid
flooring.
• Escape stairways should be in straight flights and preferably
be on the outside of building.
• Good lighting should be provided on escape routes and
arrangements made to ensure a power supply in an
emergency.