Case Study - Design

CR&E has completed a design for a commercial asbestos thermal chemical conversion system. The project was completed for a company in Australia and funded by the Australian government. The system is designed to treat all forms of asbestos and convert the asbestos to a granular inert product that may be used for road base, mixed with concrete and other applications. The design and cost information is currently being reviewed by Australia. CR&E is expecting a contract award this year to start procurement of materials and fabrication of the system. This is proven technology but a first of a kind commercial facility.

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CR&E is currently completing a project to supply the University of Wyoming with a Rotary Kiln absorber to be used for two processes. The rotary Kiln absorber will be used in a proprietary coal enhancement process pilot plant. This process will be operated for approximately 2 years. The rotary kiln absorber will then be utilized to make activated carbon form PRB sub bituminous coal. The rotary kiln absorber will be delivered to the University of Wyoming site the end of June 2020.

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CR&E has been issued a contract to design, fabricate and program a control panel for the University of Wyoming to operate and control a continuous pilot plant. This work is expected to start the beginning of July 2020.

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A chemical weapons demilitarization facility is proposed to be constructed at the Pueblo Chemical Depot to destroy the chemical weapons currently stored there.  CR&E was contracted to design the Metal Parts Furnace, Deactivation furnace and the respective Pollution Abatement Systems. The systems would be used to destroy the chemical warfare weapons, any secondary and closure wastes.  CR&E designed the systems in close coordination with SAIC and JACOBS Engineering.

The facility was designed to minimize closure costs after the chemical warfare weapons were destroyed. CR&E designed the Metal Parts Furnace (MPF), which included the charge air lock, four-zone furnace chamber, afterburner, discharged airlock and refractory lined exhaust ductwork.  CR&E designed the Deactivation Furnace System (DFS), which included the rotary kiln, afterburner, heated discharge conveyor, refractory lined exhaust ductwork, and feed chutes. CR&E also designed the DFS and MPF Pollution Abatement Systems.  The primary components of the design included: basis of design, equipment specifications and drawings, process flow diagrams, piping and instrument diagrams, equipment and instrument lists, utility requirements, operating procedures, permitting documents, spare parts list, mass and energy balances for proposed waste streams, estimated emissions calculations, and capital /operating cost estimates.

Additionally, CR&E utilized our modeling expertise to identify the process requirements to freeze the chemical warfare weapons to minimize facility contamination. The facility design was tabled to permit an alternate technology design to be installed.

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CR&E recently reviewed the Metal Parts Furnace forced shutdown response for the United States Demilitarization Facilities.  During testing of the new facilities an abnormally quick afterburner cool down rate was observed during forced/emergency shutdowns. The purpose of the review was to identify the required hardware and software changes to facilitate a fail-safe system for all forced/emergency shutdowns regardless of the initiating event.  CR&E provided a design that will facilitate a fail-safe shutdown of the system regardless of the initiating event.  CR&E utilized process operating information, design expertise, and operating experience to develop the safe shutdown control design.  The controls design is completed and CR&E is working on a task to verify implementation of the controls and certify the system for operation at one of the United States Demilitarization Facilities.