HRL Technology Group Pty Ltd ABN 89 609 887 327 info@hrl.com.au hrl.com.au

Melbourne Level One Unit 4 677 Springvale Road Mulgrave VIC 3170 Phone +61 3 9565 9888 Fax +61 3 9565 9879

Morwell Tramway Road Morwell VIC 3840

Phone +61 3 5132 1500 Fax +61 3 5132 1580

Queensland Unit 2 33-37 Rosedale Street Coopers Plains QLD 4108 Phone +61 7 3423 4300 Fax +61 7 3345 5937

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OptimisingplantoperationusingCFDmodelling

Usingadvancedthree-dimensionalsimulationservicestooptimiseplantefficiencyLargeenergygenerators,mineralsprocessorsandenergyusersfaceextremelycompetitiveandchallengingenvironmentsthatincludeconsiderablepressuretomaximisetheirplant’sperformance.Insuchanenvironmentplantoperatorsfacegrowingpressuretolimittheiremissions,andtominimisetheirfueluseandmaintenancecosts

ChallengesPlantoperatorswishingtooptimiseplantperformancefaceseveralchallengesincluding:• determiningcurrentplantefficiencyandcomparingplant

efficiencytobuildspecificationsorexpectations• identifyingoptionsforimprovingplantperformance• predictingandquantifyingtheexactimpacteachoption

willhaveonplantprocesses• determiningwhichoptionsarethemostcost-effective• inlightofgovernmentpolicytoreducegreenhousegas

emissionsandtheproposedcarbontax,re-evaluatingefficiencyprojectsoriginallyconsideredtobecost-prohibitive

• evaluatinglong-termabatementactionsforcontinuingoperationsinalower-emissions-intensityeconomy.

SolutionsCriticalindeterminingplantperformance–andingainingthebenefitsfromoptimisingthatperformance–isunderstandingexactlywhatishappeninginsideaplant.HRLTechnologyGroup’sexpertprocessmodellingservicecan‘lookinside’anoperatingplant.Usingarangeofsimulationpackages,includingcomputationalfluiddynamics(CFD)modelling,hrl:providesdataandanalysistoassistclientsinidentifyingoptionsforoptimisingprocessesandincreasingplantefficiency.CFDmodellingisapowerfulmethodofproducingcomputer-basedthree-dimensionalmodelsofanyflowsystem.Suchmodellingallowsdifferentcombinationsofoperatingconditions,conceptualdesignsandmodificationstobetestedandprovenbeforetheyareimplemented.CFDmodellingcanbeusedtodeterminetheperformanceofsystemswithtwo-phaseflowandthoseinwhichchemicalreactionsoccur.

hrl:usesthesemodellingtoolstocomplementotherclientservicesincludingevaluatingresourcesandfuel,emissionsandenvironmentalmonitoring,materialsengineeringandprojectimplementation.

hrl:expertprocessmodellingservicecan‘lookinside’anoperatingplantoperatingplant

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CaseStudy

Determiningthesuitabilityofareplacementbiomassfuel

Aleadingcementproducerwasinterestedinreplacingnaturalgaswithbiomassasfuelfortheircombustionprocess.hrl:proposedusingCFDmodellingasanon-invasivemethodtodeterminethealternativefuel’scombustioncharacteristicsandeffectiveness.hrl:personnelalsousedmodellingtoidentifydesignchangestostabiliseflow,changefuel-residencetimeandalterfuel-injectionheightandangletooptimisecombustionoftheproposedbiomassfuel.Themodellingdeterminedthatbiomasswasaviablefuelalternativewithoutanydetrimentaleffectonperformance,aslongasthesuggesteddesignchangesdevelopedfromtheCFDmodelwereimplemented.

Benefits Thebenefitsclientsenjoybydrawingonhrl:extensiveexpertiseinCFDmodellinginclude:• assistanceinunderstandingthecurrentperformanceof

theirplantanditslimitations• modellingalternativemodificationoptionsand

operationalconditions,quantifyingperformanceimprovements,anddeterminingthecost-benefitequationbeforecommittingtoanyplantmodificationwork

• drawingonhighlyskilledtechnologistsusingstate-of-theartmodellingsoftwarewhoemploymethodologies,andproduceresultsandrecommendationsthatwithstandexternalscrutinyandinwhichclientscanhaveconfidence

• providingastrongtheoreticalunderstandingthatisbackedbyyearsofpracticalexperienceandexpertiseinapplyingthetechnology

• drawingontheservicesofasupplierthatlookstoprovidethebestsolution,notjustaresearchprogram.

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Contact AlexBlatchford

Telephone+61395659873Mobile+61408319842Emailablatchford@hrl.com.au

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