Chemical and Process Engineering
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Pre-commissioning: Fuel Cell Catalyst Process
2007	Commissioning Engineer					End Client: Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited, Bromborough
Project Background
The pre-commissioning work was undertaken for Thermal Transfer Limited (TTL) who installed this semi-production scale facility for CFCL to produce high value catalyst for use in domestic fuel cells. The state of the art technology is proprietary to CFCL, who carried out the final commissioning with reagents.
Summary of Process								Courtesy of Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited
Pre-weighed amounts of reagents are charged in to two tanks containing measured amounts of nuclear grade de-ionised water. One tank is charged by gravity from a high level sack tip station. The other is charged using an aero-mechanical conveyor from a ground level sack tip station. Mixers in the tanks ensure homogenous distribution of the material. One of the tanks is electrically heated. Once prepared, the solutions are transferred to a buffer tank using air driven diaphragm pumps. Gear pumps feed the solutions at controlled rates from the buffer tanks to a reactor and the reaction products discharge to a holding vessel. A plate heat exchanger provides cooling for one of the feed streams. All the tanks are connected to an emissions control scrubber and induced draft fans. The material from this vessel undergoes further proprietary processing to produce high purity nano-powders. The process is PLC controlled from a local HMI panel.
Specific Responsibilities
Hands-on pre-commissioning of wet process, gas scrubbing and peripheral services. Liaison with principle contractor (TTL); its mechanical and electrical installation teams. Co-ordination of line flushing. Liaison with sub-contractors, equipment and instrumentation vendors and vendors commissioning engineers. Induction of site personnel and other site management duties. Co-ordination of other site disciplines: Civils, building services. Equipment installation checks. Instrumentation calibration. Process and instrumentation fault-finding. Completion of snag list for process and building services. Liaison with PLC programmers including trouble-shooting, factory and site acceptance tests. Close liaison with plant management and technologists. Liaison Client’s Project Manager / Engineer.
Achievements Successful pre-commissioning for a process to produce state of the art fuel cell catalysts. Cost effective remedy for pipe work pulsation.
Unit Operations Solids weighing. Aero-mechanical solids conveying. Sack tip station. Tank Mixing. Tank Heating. Pumping (centrifugal, gear, metering, air driven diaphragm, peristaltic). Plate heat exchanger (process cooler) Reactor. Vent gas scrubbing. Centrifugal fans. Reverse jet filtration. Towns water system. Reverse osmosis unit. Air compressor. Documents Produced Commissioning Plan. Pressure test certificates. Line flushing certificates. Equipment check certificates. As built P&IDs.					Materials of Construction Mainly stainless steel and glass reinforced plastics. Hazards Fuels (natural gas). Rotating machinery. Noise. Liaison TTL Mechanical and Electrical installation teams. TTL Civil and Structural Engineer. TTL Building Services. CFCL Production Management and Technologists. Client’s Project Engineering Management: Sinclair Knight Merz. Vendors’ Technical support and commissioning Engineers. Subcontractors.