Storage and Transfer of Bitumen
| Project Duration: |
2006-2008 |
| Technology: |
Rockwell Contrologix PLC, Citect SCADA, Contrec loading System, Radar level sensors. |
| Site: |
Terminals Pty Ltd is Australia's largest independent bulk liquid terminal company, providing bulk liquid storage at four major ports in Australia for companies importing or exporting bulk liquid chemicals, fuels, petroleum products, vegetable oils and liquefied gasses. Terminals client base includes major global and local petroleum and chemical companies as well as individual chemical and commodity traders. |
| Works Included: |
Consultancy on process design and mechanical drafting control of tank fabricator construction drawings.
Development of a control system for the heating of stored bitumen tanks and associated transfer piping and to transfer metered quantities of bitumen between tanks and to a truck loading station.
Development of PLC and SCADA code to implement the control system design. |
Project Outline:
Site safety for personnel and equipment was a high priority. The Terminals site stores and transfers inflammable gases and safety procedures during the construction phase were of the utmost importance.
An existing SCADA and PLC system was on site for other products and it was important that all new control equipment was added and commissioned with minimal impact on current operations.
The automation components developed for this project fell into three distinct areas:-
- A heating system utilising hot oil to heat the bitumen storage tanks and associated transfer piping, valves and pumps. This required the integration of 3 hot oil circulating pumps, 2 gas-fired burners, a number of control valves and temperature sensors, plus a flow adjusting valve and flow sensor.
- Bitumen transfer sequences for transfer between tanks and to a truck loading station. This required the control of 2 variable speed bitumen pumps, a number of isolating valves and a Contrec truck loading system.
- A vapour recovery system to trap any gases emitted from the bitumen product and either return it to the storage tanks or burn off in a gas fired combustor. This required the design and integration of a hard wired vapour recovery system with the other control functions.
All code was developed and commissioned within the project time frame and the first load of bitumen was delivered and trucked out on schedule.
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