HR Wallingford helping achieve a successful hydraulic design for
Ras Laffan common cooling water system
Posted: 12 February 2004
HR Wallingford (HRW) has provided specialist hydraulic design services
to the consortium charged with constructing a new 300,000m³/hr
common cooling water system (CCWS) at Ras Laffan Industrial City,
Qatar, on behalf of Qatar Petroleum.
HRW’s studies helped to optimise the arrangement of the components
that were critical to the efficient operation of the entire CCWS.
Background
Qatar Petroleum’s Ras Laffan Industrial City is located approximately
80km north of Doha, Qatar. The cooling water facilities at the Industrial
City are amongst the largest in the world and will provide seawater
for cooling at many major industries in the area including LNG,
power plants and other petroleum/petrochemical facilities. The CCWS
facilities have been constructed on behalf of Qatar Petroleum by
a Consortium comprising Chiyoda Corporation of Japan and Consolidated
Contractors International Company based in Athens, Greece.
The components that were most critical to the successful performance
of the CCWS were the subject of a series of detailed hydraulic design
studies prior to their construction. UK-based HR Wallingford Ltd
(HRW) provided specialist hydraulic design services. HR Wallingford
are international experts in civil engineering hydraulics and environmental
hydraulics.
Specialist studies
HRW carried out specialist studies to refine and optimise
the arrangement for the large sea water intake/pumping station structure.
Refinements were designed to produce flow conditions in the pumping
station that would promote the efficient operation of individual
pumps and therefore of the CCWS as a whole.
HRW also undertook detailed studies for the complex receiving basin
and stilling basin structure located at the head of the outfall
system. The receiving basin structure includes a cascade of three
weirs and associated energy dissipation arrangements in order to
transfer cooling water through a 12m vertical drop. HR Wallingford
identified design amendments that helped to ensure adequate energy
dissipation in the cascade plunge pools. This reduced the risk of
structural damage at the base of the structure, resulting from high
impact pressures associated with the weir jets.
In addition to this work, HRW also refined the weir crest arrangements
to promote smooth weir flow conditions. This reduced the risk of
structural damage/fatigue resulting from severe flow disturbances
adjacent to the weirs and oscillations of the weir jets.
Further information about HR Wallingford
HR Wallingford is an independent company that carries out
consultancy and research in civil engineering hydraulics and the
water environment worldwide. The company understand the water environment
and how this inter-relates with project needs. Its risk-based process
helps project owners and their contractors to optimize their developments.
HRW adds value to energy and industrial infrastructure projects
by providing specialist design and engineering services in support
of the development of marine terminals, water supply/wastewater
disposal systems, cooling/warming water systems and pipelines.
Posted by Richard Price,
Editor Pipeline Magazine
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