Multiple process plant product lines from a common set of engineered components

A computer-implemented method for process plant design which comprises:

• (a) defining a plurality of process plant product lines;
• (b) defining a minimum number of repeatable engineered components and the process attributes thereof such that specific repeatable engineered components can be selected therefrom and combined in a general process design of each process plant product line;
• (c) preparing a detailed design of a process plant in a process plant product line which includes selecting specific repeatable engineered components from the minimum number of repeatable engineered components defined in (b), wherein the detailed design of the process plant includes preparing a detailed design of at least one of the selected repeatable engineered components;
• and
• (d) preparing detailed designs of one or more additional process plants in different process plant product lines which includes selecting specific repeatable engineered components from the minimum number of repeatable engineered components defined in (b), wherein at least one of the specific repeatable engineered components selected in (d) is identical to the selected repeatable engineered subsystem of (c) for which the detailed design was prepared, and preparing additional detailed designs of repeatable engineered subsystems required for the detailed designs of additional process plants in (d), wherein at least one of the process plant product lines in (d) is different than the process plant product line in (c);
• and
• (e) storing design information from the detailed designs of repeatable engineered components in (c) and (d) in a design database for future use in additional detailed designs of process plants in the process plant product lines.

A computer-implemented method for process plant design which comprises:

• (a) defining a plurality of process plant product lines, generating a first set of electronic documents containing the definitions of the process plant product lines, and storing the first set of electronic documents in a computer-based document and data management system;
• (b) preparing a general process design for each process plant product line, generating a second set of electronic documents containing process design information for each process plant, and storing the second set of electronic documents in the computer-based document and data management system;
• (c) dividing each of the general process designs of (b) into a plurality of engineered components;
• (d) determining from the plurality of engineered components of (c) a minimum number of repeatable engineered components and the process attributes thereof which are required for future general process designs, generating a third set of electronic documents which contain information defining the minimum number of repeatable engineered components and the process attributes thereof, and storing the third set of electronic documents in the computer-based document and data management system;
• (e) preparing a detailed design of a process plant in a process plant product line, wherein the detailed design includes
• (e1) selecting specific repeatable engineered components and the process attributes thereof from the minimum number of repeatable engineered components determined in (d) and retrieving information in electronic form on the specific repeatable engineered components and the process attributes thereof from the third set of electronic documents in the computer-based document and data management system;
• (e2) preparing a detailed design for one or more of the repeatable engineered components selected in (e1), generating a fourth set of electronic documents containing detailed design information;
• and storing the fourth set of electronic documents in the computer-based document and data management system;
• (f) preparing a detailed design of a process plant in another process plant product line, wherein
• (f1) the detailed design includes selecting specific engineered components and the process attributes thereof from the minimum number of repeatable engineered components determined in (d) and this selected information is retrieved in electronic form from the third set of electronic documents in the computer-based document and data management system;
• (f2) at least one of the repeatable engineered components selected in (f1) is identical to one of the repeatable engineered components of (e2) for which a detailed design has been prepared and stored electronically in the computer-based document and data management system;
• and
• (f3) the detailed design of the one repeatable engineered component of (e2) is retrieved in electronic form from the fourth set of electronic documents and is reused in the detailed design of the process plant of (f).

A computer-implemented method for cryogenic air separation plant design which comprises:

• (a) defining a plurality of cryogenic air separation process plant product lines;
• (b) preparing a general process design for each cryogenic air separation process plant product line;
• (c) dividing each of the general process designs of (b) into a plurality of engineered components;
• (d) determining from the plurality of engineered components of (c) a minimum number of repeatable engineered components and the process attributes thereof which are required for future general cryogenic air separation process plant designs;
• (e) preparing a detailed design of a process plant in a cryogenic air separation process plant product line, wherein the detailed design includes
• (e1) selecting specific repeatable engineered components and the process attributes thereof from the minimum number of repeatable engineered components determined in (d) and
• (e2) preparing a detailed design for one or more of the repeatable engineered components selected in (e1);
• and
• (f) preparing a detailed design of a process plant in another cryogenic air separation process plant product line, wherein
• (f1) the detailed design includes selecting specific engineered components and the process attributes thereof from the minimum number of repeatable engineered components determined in (d);
• (f2) at least one of the repeatable engineered components selected in (f1) is identical to one of the repeatable engineered components of (e2) for which a detailed design has been prepared;
• and
• (f3) the detailed design of the repeatable engineered component of (e2) is reused in the detailed design of the process plant of (f).