Practical tool to aid the planning of complex electrical industrial systems-Oil and gas industry

•A method that supports design engineers with the elaboration of industrial systems.•The method provides a technical and economic analysis of the presented solutions.•The method take in account for the thermal effects of the cables.

This paper presents an integrated computational method that supports design engineers with the elaboration of industrial distribution network projects during the conceptual and basic design phases. The method proposes various electrical topologies based on studies of electrical power flow and short circuit analysis and provides the specifications of the main electrical equipment (cables, transformers, and panels). The method also provides a technical and economic analysis of the presented solutions. In addition, the paper proposes a general method that accounts for the intrinsic thermal effects of the cables in any electrical system, which can have a significant impact on the electrical system results. An example of a complex and large scale oil refinery planning is presented.