System Cost Estimates

Cost estimates were prepared for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) demonstration in June 1992 based on data from the vendor and data gathered during the evaluation. Costs were presented on a cost-per-ton basis. Estimates were given for different feed rates of the tested PACT-6 pilot-scale system, as well as for the PACT-8 full-scale system. Cost estimates were prepared for treatment rates of the PACT-6 of 500 Ib/hr and 1000 Ib/hr. The estimated treatment rate of the PACT-8 was 2200 Ib/hr. Eor each treatment rate, estimates were included for online factors of 50 and 70%. Eor a feed rate of 500 Ib/hr and an online factor of 70%, the cost is estimated at 1816. Eor a feed rate of 2200 Ib/hr, with the same 70% online factor, the cost is 757 (D104585, p. 1). These costs are summarized in Table 1. 

TABLE 1 HAVE System Cost Estimates in Dollars per Cubic Yard... 

See Table 1 for a detailed breakdown of PO WW ER system cost estimates. 

Little, A. D. (2001). Cost Analysis of Fuel Cell System for Transportation 2001 System Cost Estimate. United States Department of Energy. 

Having defined and gathered data adequate for an initial reserves estimation, the next step is to look at the various options to develop the field. The objective of the feasibility study is to document various technical options, of which at least one should be economically viable. The study will contain the subsurface development options, the process design, equipment sizes, the proposed locations (e.g. offshore platforms), and the crude evacuation and export system. The cases considered will be accompanied by a cost estimate and planning schedule. Such a document gives a complete overview of all the requirements, opportunities, risks and constraints. 

As discussed in Section 13.2, the technical, fiscal and economic data gathered to construct a project cashflow carry uncertainty. An economic base case is constructed using, for example, the most likely values of production profile and the 50/50 cost estimates, along with the best estimate of future oil prices and the anticipated production agreement and fiscal system. 

Conrad Industries, Inc. (CentraUa, Washington) and Clean Air Products Company (Pordand, Oregon) have jointiy built a tire pyrolysis demonstration machine which allows recovery of combustible gases, oils, and other by-products. The equipment can also handle other carbonaceous material. It is designed to process 0.9 t/h of tires the entire system is estimated to cost about 2.3 x 10 . The feedstock consists of 5-cm tires chips which produce pyrolytic filler, a vapor gas yielding 11.5 kj/m (1000 Btu/ft ), and medium and light oils yielding about 42 MJ/kg (18,000 Btu/lb) (32). 

The first stage toward producing an accurate estimate is to use a standard cost code for all construction projects. Table 9-45 shows a suitable numerical cost code, and Table 9-46 shows a typical alphabetical-numerical code. The cost-code system can be used throughout the estimating and construction stages for the collection of cost data by manual or computer methods. There are numerous types of fixed-capital-cost estimates, but in 1958 the American Association of Cost Engineers defined five types as follows ... 

Since the studies under discussion have cost estimates factored from major material, secondary systems at this stage have relatively smaller impact than later when more definitive cost estimates are done. At this stage, it is well to gain a feel for the completeness of the licensor s design with respect to secondary systems. 

Safety Systems. Major expenditures here include the flare system (the flare structures and large lines extending throughout the plant) and the iirevvater system (high-capacity pumps and extensive piping). Safety systems, fortunately, are usually given particular attention. At this study phase, the main thrust should be to check the completeness of licensor equipment lists for cost estimation purposes. 

Instrument and Plant Air Systems. A typical setup for a large plant could include three to four 50% instrument air compressors and two 100% plant air compressors, with steam drives for normally operated units and electrical drives for spares. Common practice would provide an interconnection to allow makeup from plant air into instrument air, but not vice versa, and two sets (two 100% driers per set—one on-stream and one regenerating) of 1007c instrument air driers. Two main receivers on instrument air near the compressors with several minutes holdup time and satellite receivers at process trains would be likely and proper for feasibility cost estimating. 

Cooling Water System. A list of cooling duties will be available at this point so the cost estimate for this system can be factored or estimated based on a similar operating system. For a more definitive estimate based on initial or detailed layout, it is probably best to use a contractor or consultant skilled in these designs. If a cooling tower is involved, the groundwork will already have been set. This basis can be passed along on specification sheets provided in the Appendix to a vendor for quotes. 

Flare Systems. There is a good chance that the operating company will not have anyone experienced in flare system design. For feasibility cost estimates, rough estimates can be made by comparison with existing plants or a vendor can be contacted for budget cost estimates for the flare stacks and associated knockout drum, burner tip, igniter, and molecular seal. 

The team will develop a detailed plan, including timetable and cost estimates. In the meantime, it is estimated that the process, from start through pilot testing, will require about 120 staff-months over a period of approximately 18 months, including time from corporate division and facility personnel. A more rigorous estimate will be made before we move into PSM system development. 

Take advantage of corporate experience with other Quality Management projects when preparing your cost estimate. This will provide actual costs to use as a basis for estimating the costs for developing management systems and programs. 

Exact performance can be given only by the manufacturer for a specified turbine selected to operate at a particular set of conditions. However, estimates can be made which are usually quite satisfactory for general evaluations and comparisons. The most useful criteria are the steam rate and the system cost. Steam rate is the flow of steam in pounds per brake horsepower output per hour through the turbine. It is established for a definite shaft horsepower output, given steam pressure and temperature, exhaust system pressure, and shaft rpm ... 

Most previous attempts to obtain X-ray diffraction data at very low temperatures (< 80 K) have used custom built systems with closed cycle helium refrigerators mounted on large, robust four circle diffractometers. In order to remove the inherent disadvantages of these systems - cost, single application, absorption and scattering of the windows - we have built an open flow system from mainly off-the-shelf components which uses liquid helium as the cryogen. This is not the first open flow helium system [19, 20] but is the first that is mainly off-the-shelf and is mountable on any diffractometer. It is based on an ADP Helitran ESR cryostat with modifications to the nozzle assembly and to the direction of the gas flow. The lowest temperature is estimated to be <30K. At the current price for liquid helium in... 

AMWA, Cost Estimate to Remove MTBE Contamination from Public Drinking Water Systems in the United States, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, Washington, DC, June 2005. 

This book applies a systems philosophy to the preliminary process design and cost estimation of a plant. In doing so, it tries to keep in perspective all aspects of the design. There is always a tendency on the part of designers to get involved in specific details, and forget that their job is to produce a product of the desired quality and quantity, at the lowest price, in a safe facility. What is not needed is a technological masterpiece that is difficult to operate or costly to build. 

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