The Problem

In an ideal world all plant operators are fully trained to perform the tasks necessary to ensure the smooth running of plants, with minimal disruption, and yielding high-quality process outputs.

The reality stands in stark contrast to this ideal. We find that there are many instances where operators are inadequately trained to cope in periods of abnormal plant conditions, resulting in poor outputs or unnecessary plant trips.

The Consequence

There are real financial downsides to inadequate training besides the demoralizing impact on operators who are ill-prepared to perform their job duties properly. These include low production yields, poor product quality, unnecessary plant downtime, and damage to plant equipment, to name but a few.

The Cause

There are numerous root causes for inadequate training, including:

x No environment to practice in, especially on green-field projects.

x No budget to develop operator training simulators that simulate various adverse operating scenarios.

x Frequent staff rotations not allowing operating knowledge to bed in fully.

x Operators are learning from other operators (who also might not be fully conversant with all relevant procedures).

x Training simulators are out of date compared to actual plant control systems.

The Solution

The best way to learn to operate a plant is through hands-on practice. The solution takes the form of a well-thought-out operator training simulator.

It is a reality that training simulators are not inexpensive. That said there are ways to minimize development and installation costs through the following approach:

✓ Reuse control-system code as is

✓ Reused the HMI graphics as is

✓ Develop a robust thermodynamic model to mimic all foreseen plant conditions

✓ Use soft PLC and DCS controllers to interact with the plant model

This approach provides a cost-effective way for operators to train themselves independent of supervision, and to be thoroughly assessed for operation readiness ahead of time by a training instructor.