With a diversity of backgrounds, each member of RA Engineering Inc. staff provides talent and experience that spans from process design, process modeling and simulation, through capital and operating cost estimation, procurement to plant construction and operations support.  We provide the following key services:

 

Feasibility Studies and Conceptual Design

 

When our clients are contemplating a new plant or major process expansion, they typically have more questions than answers. Will the idea even work? RA Engineering Inc. is able to assist by providing experienced and knowledgeable chemical engineers that can identify, and systematically narrow down, the possible technical options for a given process goal. By necessity this occurs at the major unit operations level. Once the viable technical options are identified, an economic evaluation is performed. Based on technical merits, system reliability, and economics (capital and operating), and other factors, a preferred choice is usually clear as to which direction the future process design should take. At this point a conceptual design can be done that includes preliminary process flow diagrams, mass & energy balances, and a list of major equipment. A very rough order of magnitude cost estimate can be provided as well.

 

Front End Engineering Design (FEED)

 

The very front end of every large design project is critical to the long-term success or failure of the plant.  While the business plan identifies the economic opportunity, the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) will establish the set of process operating conditions and equipment to achieve the level of reliability, efficiency, and safety required. This design phase sets the direction for the rest of the project. Because it is so critical to the future success or failure of the overall objectives, we feel our clients make the wise choice by purchasing proven licensed processes or selecting a firm like ours which specializes in process design engineering.

 

PROCESS has learned to put great emphasis on the development of the design basis at the initiation of the FEED. When the design basis is complete, we typically have the following information defined:

 

Once the design basis is in place, and agreed upon by our client, our team of chemical process engineers goes to work to create, analyze, and refine the many aspects of the plant design. The end result is process documentation that describes the process from which future, more detailed, design work can be done.

 

Basic Engineering Design Packages

 

The Basic Engineering Design package refers to a completed process design package that includes all the necessary information required by an Engineering/Construction firm or Detail Engineering firm to perform the detail engineering of the plant (details such a structural steel supports, buildings, wiring, piping details, insulation, equipment vendor/model selection, etc.). RA Engineering Inc. provides this package and is there to answer any questions the client or engineering firm might have to ensure a smooth transition into the detail engineering phase.

 

Detail Engineering and Construction Phases

 

More and more, RA Engineering Inc. is requested to remain on during the detail engineering and construction phases of projects for which we have performed the process design. In this oversight role, any process change requests are routed through our engineers for approval or comment. This helps ensure that the client understands what the impact may be on the process as changes and alternatives are suggested. Many times there is great pressure to hold down costs as the civil, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation details of the plant are developed. The temptation to remove seemingly inconsequential process components can lead to off-spec product, inadequate throughput, high operating costs, etc. We are able to help prevent such problems simply by serving as the process integrity watchdog.

 

In addition, many times RA Engineering Inc. is asked to provide vendor technical and cost proposal evaluations to assist the client in making the best technology selection possible. Since we are not aligned with any equipment companies, we provide these services in a completely objective manner and make what we feel is the best recommendation based solely upon the technical and economic aspects of the options.

 

Process Modeling and Simulation

 

RA Engineering Inc. has access to simulation programs(such as CHEMCAD, Aspen, Hysis, Pro/II, Simsci) to perform:

 

Operations Support