Process fit
Removal duty, stability across expected and upset conditions, failure modes and recovery. Options are checked against the conditions the plant must actually handle.
Design & Sourcing › Technology & Equipment Fit
Technology & Equipment Fit
Process & systems design · Process configuration, technology comparison and equipment definition
Technology and equipment decisions need to account for the required duty, feed variability, site conditions, utilities, operator requirements, residuals and lifecycle implications.
We develop the process configuration, compare suitable technology families and define the operating ranges and equipment duties each major block must meet.
The result is a documented technical basis for selecting and evaluating equipment, coordinating package responsibilities and carrying the design through integration, procurement and delivery.
Process configuration
Technology family comparison
Equipment duties & KPIs
Selection basis
Key outputs
- Process configuration with design rationale
- Technology families assessed against defined criteria
- Equipment duties, operating ranges and connection requirements
- KPIs, monitoring points and information requirements
Project conditions
- New treatment, reuse or recovery duty
- Upgrade within a constrained site
- Variable or difficult feed conditions
- Existing options requiring technical comparison
Process development | Develop the process and equipment basis
Technology & equipment fit
We translate the defined project duty into a process configuration, technology comparison and equipment requirements that can be taken into system integration and specification.
DEFINE project conditions
DEVELOP process blocks + duties
CONFIRM performance + operating checks
COMPARE technology families
Where decisions weaken
Technology may be selected before the full duty, operating range, residuals and site conditions are considered. A package can meet a nominal requirement yet create problems in hydraulics, utilities, controls, maintenance or residuals handling.
What we develop
- Process configuration, treatment barriers and equipment duties.
- Operating ranges, turndown, utility and operator requirements.
- KPIs, monitoring points and information needed for later evaluation.
How it supports delivery
The process basis is explicit before packages are integrated or priced. Later proposals can be reviewed against defined duties, and changes can be traced back to the agreed requirements.
Scope and handover
This work develops the process and equipment basis. Layout, package connections, utilities, automation and multidisciplinary detailed engineering are taken forward through system integration and the work of the appointed project parties.
Technology fit view
See how project constraints affect process and equipment decisions
The same project duty can lead to different process and equipment decisions once footprint, utilities, operator capacity, verification and lifecycle costs are considered. This view shows how those factors change the design basis.
Select a condition to see how the work changes.
Preview
Space-constrained design
FootprintConnectionsHydraulics
What we focus on
- Confirm process blocks and equipment ranges within the available footprint
- Check hydraulics, levels and access requirements
- Identify shutdown, bypass and tie-in requirements
- Define package boundaries and connection requirements for integration
Design checks
- Layout and access checks
- Hydraulic and headloss basis
- Connection drawings and review points
- Constructability inputs for integration
Typical outputs
Process and equipment basis aligned with footprint, hydraulics, access and shutdown limits.
Preview
Operator-led design
SimplicityReliabilityControl strategy
What we focus on
- Limit unnecessary manual intervention and failure points
- Define the required automation level and operator actions
- Confirm consumables, maintenance and spares
- Match the design to available operating support
Design checks
- Maintainability and access
- Stable operation across expected conditions
- Monitoring and alarm requirements
- Training and handover inputs
Typical outputs
Operating and maintenance requirements that keep the selected configuration manageable on site.
Preview
Energy and heat constrained design
PowerHeat useDuty cycles
What we focus on
- Confirm electrical capacity and expansion limits
- Assess heat sources and receiving duties where thermal processes apply
- Define normal, peak and batch duty cycles
- Set energy requirements alongside quality requirements
Design checks
- Utility balance and peak demand
- Specific energy basis
- Heat availability and continuity
- Utility connection requirements
Typical outputs
Utility and energy criteria for comparing technology families and developing equipment duties.
Preview
Performance-led design
Performance criteriaVerificationClarity
What we focus on
- Translate the required duty into performance ranges for critical parameters
- Define treatment barriers and verification points
- Set monitoring and performance testing requirements
- Record the operating conditions attached to each requirement
Design checks
- Sampling and monitoring basis
- Excursion and fallback requirements
- Reporting and acceptance criteria
- Traceable performance language
Typical outputs
Performance and verification requirements linked to the process configuration and equipment duties.
Preview
Lifecycle-cost-led design
Lifecycle costChemicalsWaste routes
What we focus on
- Identify energy, chemicals, consumables and residuals cost drivers
- Assess spares and replacement cycles
- Compare cost implications across operating scenarios
- Define where value engineering may be considered without weakening the required duty
Design checks
- Common economic assumptions
- Consumption and replacement KPIs
- Residuals handling implications
- Cost sensitivity in evaluation
Typical outputs
Lifecycle criteria and common assumptions for technical and commercial comparison.
Process and equipment basis
Develop the configuration before comparing suppliers
Defined requirements are translated into process blocks, operating ranges, equipment duties and measurable selection criteria. Technology families can then be compared on a common technical basis.
Fit Logic
Match needs to technologies, not technologies to needs
Technology selection should begin with the duty, operating range and site conditions rather than with a preferred technology. The question is which options remain suitable across the expected flows, loads, variability, residuals, utilities and operating constraints.
Before specific technologies are compared, the required process behaviour is defined across normal, peak and upset conditions. That becomes the basis for assessing technology and equipment fit.
Barrier fit
Where reuse or higher-quality outlets apply, the treatment barriers, upstream protection and verification points are defined for the receiving duty.
Operational fit
Control complexity, operator workload, maintainability, spares and response to upsets are assessed against the available operating resources.
Integration fit
Footprint, hydraulics, utilities, odor and vent handling, residuals and constructability are checked before the design moves into detailed integration.
Comparison basis
Compare process routes and equipment on a common basis
Options are assessed against the same duty, operating range, site constraints and lifecycle assumptions. The comparison records technical advantages, limitations, dependencies and information still requiring confirmation.
This keeps the selection logic traceable and prepares a consistent basis for later supplier evaluation without moving prematurely into sourcing.
Comparable assumptions
Energy, chemical use, cleaning, consumables, residuals handling and operator assumptions are normalised before options are compared.
Performance basis
Required quality, recovery, capacity, reliability and operating conditions are linked to each option.
Implementation implications
Installation, start-up, stabilisation, operator preparation and testing implications are considered before the configuration is fixed.
Information requirements
Process descriptions, equipment data, controls information, maintenance needs and technical evidence required for later specification and evaluation are defined.
Technology families
Technology families we work with
We work across established technology families and combinations, selecting and configuring them according to the defined duty rather than a preferred product.
- Compare technology families at process level before individual equipment or suppliers are evaluated.
- Use operating references, applicable design data and project constraints to determine where each family is suitable.
Chemical treatment & enhanced pre-treatment
Chemically enhanced pre-treatment, pH correction, coagulation, precipitation and batch treatment blocks for metals, color, solids or other defined industrial contaminants.
Biological treatment - suspended, attached and hybrid growth
Suspended-growth, attached-growth and hybrid biological systems, including MBBR and IFAS, considered according to load, footprint, nutrient requirements, resilience and solids separation needs.
Solid-liquid separation - DAF, lamella and clarification
Dissolved air flotation, lamella settlers and clarifiers for primary or secondary separation where solids, fats, oils, precipitates or biological floc must be removed.
Filtration - media, cartridge and membrane separation
Media and cartridge filters for solids polishing, together with membrane processes where finer separation, higher recovery or dissolved-solids control is required.
Membrane-based reuse & desalination
UF, NF and RO processes for reuse and desalination, developed with the required pretreatment, cleaning, recovery and concentrate-management basis.
Evaporation, concentration & ZLD
MVR evaporators, concentrators, crystallisers and associated solids handling where a defined recovery or discharge requirement justifies a thermal concentration route.
Advanced oxidation and polishing
AOP, ozone, UV and other polishing steps used where the contaminant profile, receiving duty or verification requirement justifies the additional process complexity.
Biosolids thickening & dewatering
Centrifuges, belt presses, screw presses and filter presses selected according to sludge properties, throughput, cake requirements, return liquors and downstream route.
Drying, composting & product preparation
Drying, stabilisation, composting and product-conditioning routes developed according to material quality, quantity, energy needs, outlet requirements and receiving-party conditions.
Operating basis
Operating ranges and process configuration
For each candidate process route, we define where the technology family can operate reliably and what upstream protection, controls and residuals handling it requires.
- Map flow, load, TDS, temperature, turndown and variability limits.
- Test alignment with the outlet duty, recovery, residuals route and available utilities.
Liquid treatment routes
Process sequences combining headworks, physical-chemical or biological treatment, clarification, filtration, disinfection, membranes and polishing according to the defined duty.
Biosolids and side-stream routes
Thickening, dewatering, stabilisation, drying, composting or thermal routes for solids, together with handling of concentrates, brines, return liquors and high-strength side streams.
Equipment definition
Equipment requirements and duties
The selected process configuration is developed into defined equipment requirements, duties, operating ranges and dependencies. This creates the basis for integration and later specification without losing the process logic.
- Define the capacity, turndown and critical performance requirements for each equipment item or package.
- Distinguish core requirements, optional provisions and future expansion allowances.
Core process units
Screens, grit and grease removal, DAF and clarifiers, filters, membrane systems, reactors and contact tanks defined against the project flows, loads and operating range.
Dosing, disinfection & ancillaries
Chemical dosing, disinfection, blowers, pumps, mixers and storage systems developed with duty ranges, control intent, redundancy and maintenance access.
Sludge and biosolids handling
Thickening, dewatering, drying, conveying, storage and loading equipment developed to support the selected solids route and associated logistics.
Applications
Streams and systems covered
The same design method is applied across operating plants and new projects handling:
STP - Municipal / domestic sewage
ETP - Industrial / trade effluent
GWTP - Greywater treatment
VWRP - Vehicle wash water
LWRP - Laundry wash water
Biosolids & sludge to resource recovery
Performance basis
Performance criteria and equipment duties
For each process block, we define the parameters that determine whether the equipment can meet its duty and how that performance will later be checked.
- Link project requirements to capacity, quality, recovery, energy, chemicals, reliability, cleaning and operator attention.
- Define a common technical basis for later supplier proposals.
Process and operating criteria
Quality, recovery, capacity, specific energy and chemical use, uptime, cleaning frequency, turndown and operator requirements linked to each equipment duty.
Pre-sourcing technical basis
Criteria for comparing technology and equipment families before detailed supplier engagement, keeping viable options open while controlling complexity.
Illustrative configurations
Example process configurations
These configurations illustrate how process blocks may be combined. The actual arrangement depends on the defined duty, feed characteristics, site conditions, residuals route and operating requirements.
Preparing for system integration
By this point, the preferred process configuration, equipment duties, performance requirements and principal assumptions are documented. The next work develops package connections, utilities, controls, layout and delivery responsibilities.
Compact MBBR-based STP upgrade with TSE reuse
A compact upgrade may combine headworks, attached-growth biology, solids separation, filtration and disinfection, with the final arrangement matched to the required TSE duty and available footprint.
Industrial ETP with DAF, biology and membranes
A site-specific configuration may combine equalisation, physical-chemical pretreatment, biological treatment, solids separation and membrane polishing according to the effluent and reuse requirements.
Greywater treatment package
A greywater configuration may combine screening, biological treatment, filtration and disinfection for defined non-potable uses such as flushing, irrigation or cooling support.
Vehicle wash water reuse system
A vehicle-wash system may combine solids separation, oil control, filtration, disinfection and storage, with recovery matched to wash chemistry, operating cycles and required water quality.
Laundry water recycling system
A laundry system may combine equalisation, heat recovery, solids control, filtration and membrane or other polishing, with return-water quality matched to the selected washing stages.
Biosolids processing and beneficial-use route
A solids route may combine thickening, dewatering, stabilisation, drying, composting, product preparation or thermal processing according to quantity, material quality and outlet requirements.
Sourcing preparation
Prepare a clear technical basis for later supplier engagement
The process configuration, equipment duties, operating ranges and performance requirements are documented so the following sourcing work can request and compare proposals on a consistent basis.
Supplier information requirements
Define the process data, equipment details, guarantees, utilities, exclusions, references and technical evidence that proposals must provide.
Specification inputs
Translate the selected configuration and equipment duties into schedules, performance clauses and review requirements for the sourcing package.
Defined outputs
Outputs from technology and equipment fit
The work records the preferred process configuration, technology rationale, equipment duties and technical criteria required for system integration and sourcing.
Process configuration and options record
Preferred process route and credible alternatives assessed against the project duty, operating range, site constraints, residuals and verification needs.
Technology and equipment evaluation basis
Common criteria and weightings for comparing technology families and equipment approaches on a traceable technical basis.
Equipment duty and information schedule
Capacity, performance, utilities, controls information, documentation and technical evidence required for each equipment block or package.
Assumptions and verification register
Assumptions, dependencies and checks recorded with actions and responsibilities so they can be resolved through integration, sourcing and delivery.
Next step
From project requirements to an integrated process solution
Requirements, Reuse & Savings defines what the project must achieve. Technology & Equipment Fit translates those requirements into the process configuration, technology rationale and equipment duties needed under the site conditions.
System Integration then develops layout, hydraulics, utilities, controls, package connections, phasing and responsibility boundaries so the design can be taken forward coherently.