Mechanical Engineering

Department Overview

The mechanical engineering department has a broad range of experience with pressure vessels, heat exchangers, piping, rotating equipment and fired equipment.  The technical ability of our personnel and their practical experience in operating facilities means that we can accurately select, install and commission a wide variety of mechanical equipment.

The department is continuously developing standards for equipment subcomponent design to improve the overall design process and the coordination of projects between the various departments and groups.  The goal is to provide a highly efficient and reliable design for all projects.

The department includes lead engineers in both stationary pressure vessels / heat exchangers and rotating equipment and a team of mechanical engineers to execute project functions.  Extensive records of all pressure vessels, heat exchangers and piping manufactured by Thermo Design are kept providing a large library of equipment designs to minimize design and registration time.

Project Functions

The mechanical engineering department provides equipment designs that meet local codes and regulations for the location of equipment supply as well as the specifications and design constraints established by the customer. We have worked on modular construction and off-shore platform projects.

Pressure vessel and exchanger designs are verified using the Compress software program.  A finite element analysis of nozzles in shells, heads and cones is done using either FE-Pipe or Nozzle Pro software programs. A finite element analysis for structural design using the RISA software program and a piping stress analysis utilizing the Caesar software program can be done. Rotating equipment and auxiliary equipment design is also verified if possible using vendor sizing software.

The mechanical engineering department utilizes computer aided drafting using AutoCAD R2004 and 2005 as well as other AutoCAD based programs to create shop fabrication drawings of various pressure vessels, such as fractionation towers, separators, process heaters, gas / gas exchangers, fractionation reboilers, condensers, etc. These fabrication drawings go through an internal review and approval process prior to release for purchasing of raw materials and shop fabrication. Furthermore, all Thermo Design pressure vessel designs are reviewed by the local ASME independent inspection agency ABSA (Alberta Boilers Safety Association) to ensure our client’s receive safe and efficient stationary pressure equipment.

Thermo Design is an authorized packager of Dresser Rand reciprocating compressors. The rotating equipment specialists are responsible to ensure that rotating equipment and their ancillary systems are designed and installed using sound engineering practices. Mechanical engineers complete or supervise the completion of torsion, vibration and acoustical analysis. They strive to provide designs of modular compression equipment so safe, functional and cost effective packages are delivered to clients.