Client
- Jupiter Ionics
Location
- Monash University, Clayton
Core Capabilities
- Concept Select
- Front-End Engineering Design
- Hazardous Area assessment
- HAZOP
- 3D modelling and plant layout
- Process modelling & flowsheet development
- Capital cost estimation
- Equipment specification
- Scale-up consideration
- Process optimisation
- Production of drawings
Scope of Works
Balance of plant process concept development to compliment a novel electrolyser technology
FEED design of the selected concept process with scale up considerations from 1 kg/day to 850 kg/day units
Equipment specification and selection.
Capital cost estimating for commercial delivery
HAZID, HAZOP, and Hazardous Area studies
Detailed design and delivery of PFDs, P&IDs, General Arrangement drawings and 3D plant models
Economic feasibility assessment
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Project Summary
Synertec was engaged by Jupiter Ionics to undertake a Concept Select and subsequent Front-End Engineering Design of the Balance of Plant required to support their novel electrochemical ammonia synthesis process that produces Ammonia by the direct electrolytic reduction of nitrogen and water.
The Challenge
Jupiter Ionics was seeking an engineering partner to design and develop a new balance of plant process to support a breakthrough electrolyser technology that uses novel fluids and operating conditions to produce ammonia. Since the technical requirement was completely new, it required considerable conceptual development to assess and bring together highly diverse and state-of-the art process technologies to meet the unusual requirements of the electrolyser, and a sophisticated process to recover and purify the product.
Some of the specific challenges included:
- Novel solution mixtures of highly exotic species with material compatibility challenges.
- Very high recovery efficiencies to recover extremely high purity anhydrous ammonia from a solute containing very low levels of the ammonia product.
- High pressure operation.
- High integrity and highly accurate and sensitive pressure control
- Maximise energy integration
- Simple minimalistic process control.
- Remote supervision and operation of the plant.
Synertec's Solution
Synertec’s team of engineers undertook an exhaustive review of cutting edge process technologies, then along with a team of designers worked closely with Jupiter Ionics to develop and deliver a cost effective, efficient and thoroughly thought-out Balance of Plant design. This included the following:
- Specialised mass transfer unit operations such as agitated bubble columns.
- State of the art pervaporation recovery system followed by multi-effect distillation for product recovery.
- Maximum energy integration.
- Rigorous control system design and specification to maintain tight process control with the minimum of outside intervention.
- Specification and procurement of Hazardous Area compliant equipment
- Pump design and selection for a highly specialised service fluid
- HAZID, HAZOP, and HA studies
- Scale-up design from pilot-scale to commercially viable unit
- Complete unit isolation and artificial vacuum design
- Cost optimisation through material and equipment selection process
The core components of this project consisted of process modelling, engineering design in accordance with best practices, economic assessment and equipment specification while Hazardous Area, HAZID and HAZOP studies were undertaken as value adding services. These services were included as part of the Concept Select and Front-End Engineering Design stages of the project in addition to ongoing engineering support.
