Process Plant Design

The process of detailed Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP) design requires both design and operations experience and is achieved through collaboration between process engineering and design personnel, with associate mechanical, electrical and structural engineering organisations and contractors. QPS has a proven record of design delivery of process plants of various sizes across the complete range of project stages from concept or prefeasibility study and bankable or definitive feasibility study to full detail design.

Coal washplant feasibility and prefeasibility assessments require detailed analysis of all borecore and other sample data and the development of the design criteria. This entails a review of mining plans and blending simulations to deliver outcomes ranging from a CPP flowsheet simulation set to a complete life of mine assessment (depending on both the client’s requirements and the detail of the available data). QPS can advise clients on borecore treatment programs and assess the impacts of various in-pit dilution and coal loss models on conceptual CHPP design performance and overall mass reconciliation. The result is the optimal Process Flow Diagram (PFD) and Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) for the client’s requirements.

QPS can size process equipment and then model the CHPP in a 3D Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) environment in order to obtain capital (capex) cost estimates. We can then apply estimates of operational expenditures (opex) based on third-party quotations, industry benchmarks and/or prior experience.

QPS has a strong record in reviewing final equipment sizing and specifications both independently and in conjunction with reputable Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), and has considerable experience in assessing equipment tenders and contracts. QPS’s engineers also develop, assess and review detailed piping sizing and configurations, instrumentation requirements, and chute and sump designs. The Functional Specification is developed from the control system strategy and provided to the control system programmer to implement optimal coal wash plant operation and control.

QPS can provide complete document sets for design, commissioning and handover, including:

• Complete structural, civil and mechanical drawing sets;
• Procurement packages, including detailed equipment specifications and data sheets;
• BBRA, HAZAN, HAZOP etc studies;
• Operational philosophy, including start/stop/trip sequence diagrams;
• Commissioning plans; and
• CHPP operator training.