Technology is always changing since the beginning of the technological era. As such, there must be a way of telling whether the new technology is ready for use in its current state or requires further modification. There is where pilot plants come in handy. A pilot plant can be defined as a pre-commercial production system which utilizes new production technology so that it provides a chance for further studies being done about the new technology.
A pilot plant is built and operated for several other reasons besides obtaining knowledge. For instance, it provides a chance of exploring the effects of changing operating conditions in already existing commercial production units. To add on this, they make it possible for engineers or anyone concerned to investigate aspects such as recycle operations and materials of construction among many other factors.
Safety is another advantage presented by trial plants, which cannot be ignored. Before handing a proposal or project to the uppermost management or bodies associated with safety and funding, one must ensure the proposal is effective and safe. Constructing and operating a trial plant decreases the possibility of making mistakes that may be costly in the final large-scale plant. Financers feel more convinced to provide funds for proposals that have a higher chance of succeeding.
The plants are also helpful for conforming to regulations set by the government or changing them. They also play the role of trying to get public support for the new technology in question before it is allowed to operate. A pilot plant is a miniature version of a full scale production plant. They capture all the aspects of full scale plants. Depending on the technology in question, they normally exist in different sizes.
Building can be done in laboratories with the use of simple stock laboratory apparatus while paying attention to the sizes. Nevertheless, in certain instances the plants may be a lot more expensive on engineering works because the assembling is done right from process equipment instrumentation and piping together with being custom fabricated. Their usage in teaching employees in preparation for operations in full-size production units is another major use associated with them.
Other layout design goals that a pilot plant achieves are minimized maintenance costs and minimize space requirements. During this phase the concerned people must make sure that components which need to be accessed easily for replacement and maintenance are located in the right place. Generally, the final unit must be well-laid for easier building and modification.
Most ordinary people may not understand that a poorly laid and crowded units cost more in terms of repair efforts and takes more maintenance time. Well-laid operating facilities which come after the piloting phase take advantage of the available space without exceeding or underusing it. It goes without saying that the space must be maintained at a premium since adding more or significantly reducing it translates to unnecessary expenses.
To finalize, experience and skill comes to play when a person has to design the layout of the unit. Some of the commonest layout techniques used includes detailed design, inspired guesswork, and less-detailed design. Every approach has its shortcomings and advantages. The benefits and disadvantages are realized on areas such cost, the real space required, and time.
A pilot plant is built and operated for several other reasons besides obtaining knowledge. For instance, it provides a chance of exploring the effects of changing operating conditions in already existing commercial production units. To add on this, they make it possible for engineers or anyone concerned to investigate aspects such as recycle operations and materials of construction among many other factors.
Safety is another advantage presented by trial plants, which cannot be ignored. Before handing a proposal or project to the uppermost management or bodies associated with safety and funding, one must ensure the proposal is effective and safe. Constructing and operating a trial plant decreases the possibility of making mistakes that may be costly in the final large-scale plant. Financers feel more convinced to provide funds for proposals that have a higher chance of succeeding.
The plants are also helpful for conforming to regulations set by the government or changing them. They also play the role of trying to get public support for the new technology in question before it is allowed to operate. A pilot plant is a miniature version of a full scale production plant. They capture all the aspects of full scale plants. Depending on the technology in question, they normally exist in different sizes.
Building can be done in laboratories with the use of simple stock laboratory apparatus while paying attention to the sizes. Nevertheless, in certain instances the plants may be a lot more expensive on engineering works because the assembling is done right from process equipment instrumentation and piping together with being custom fabricated. Their usage in teaching employees in preparation for operations in full-size production units is another major use associated with them.
Other layout design goals that a pilot plant achieves are minimized maintenance costs and minimize space requirements. During this phase the concerned people must make sure that components which need to be accessed easily for replacement and maintenance are located in the right place. Generally, the final unit must be well-laid for easier building and modification.
Most ordinary people may not understand that a poorly laid and crowded units cost more in terms of repair efforts and takes more maintenance time. Well-laid operating facilities which come after the piloting phase take advantage of the available space without exceeding or underusing it. It goes without saying that the space must be maintained at a premium since adding more or significantly reducing it translates to unnecessary expenses.
To finalize, experience and skill comes to play when a person has to design the layout of the unit. Some of the commonest layout techniques used includes detailed design, inspired guesswork, and less-detailed design. Every approach has its shortcomings and advantages. The benefits and disadvantages are realized on areas such cost, the real space required, and time.
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