Selpeco’s expertise is founded not only in the overall layout of solids
handling terminals but also in the devilish details that cause them to
present problems to their owners, operators, builders or designers.
Basic layout questions that present the kinds of problems unique to
solids handling facilities might include:
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- How much land do we need to build a facility?
- Can we “shoehorn” a facility into that postage stamp lot that we
have down near the water? Or near the rail lines or highways where
transshipment needs to occur?
- What capacities do we need in the terminal or facility and what does that mean for capacities in the equipment?
- Does a certain type of equipment provide reliable service or will
it be down for maintenance or servicing to the point where its O&M
costs exceed its capital costs?
- How fast can we get this facility to give us a return on investment?
- What would we have to charge for a facility to generate a profit?
- How can we have a facility that handles solids but doesn’t
contaminate the local environment through groundwater contamination or
airborne dust?
- What’s the best type of equipment to use for stacking, reclaiming,
load out or unloading, not in general according to an equipment
manufacturer’s business plan but specifically for my facility?
- What kind of equipment is easiest to permit? What’s involved?
- What berth occupancy can we live with to avoid demurrage or maximize our dispatch?
- How can I get this kind of advice without relying on equipment vendors or engineering companies that might have competing agendas with those of my company?
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Any or all of these questions require not just engineering skill; they also require experience in handling solid products, often times the specific material that needs to be handled. Stickiness, friability, density, moisture content, even electrostatic characteristics may all come into play. Selpeco uses CEMA, DIN, ASTM, NEC and the most up to date international codes and standards, but it also applies its experience with the exact application of these standards to the task at hand. Customers include equipment manufacturers, contractors, owner/operators and engineering and design firms not familiar with some of these problems.
Pose the question and we’ll tell you if we’ve done it before or if we know what will solve the problem, not just contribute to an analysis issue.
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