Operator Training Simulator Handbook E-Book

Joseph Philip

• Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 275

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Operator training simulators in the process industry have been around since the 1970s, but you may not find a book that documents the development of these systems and the standard best practices. The Operator Training Simulator Handbook covers best practices for OTS engineering and OTS training development and delivery, starting from the basic the jargon and the different types of OTS systems. It will take you through the best approaches to project specification as well as building, maintenance, planning, and delivering these systems by sharing real-life experiences and dos and don’ts.
As you advance, you'll uncover the various challenges in the planning and delivery of operator training models and understand how to address those by working through real-world projects. This book helps in specifying the best fit for purpose, choosing a cost-effective system when acquiring an OTS. You'll also learn how you can turn your OTS projects into digital twins before finally learning all about documentation in a typical OTS project, covering the sample structure that you can use as a starting point in your projects.
By the end of the book, you'll have learned best practices for developing operator training simulator systems and have a reference guide to overcome common challenges.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Preface

Section 1: Introduction, Definitions, and Classifications

Chapter 1: OTS Introduction

Technical requirements

Introduction to OTS

What is an OTS?

Who is this book directed toward?

OTS – MPDS or digital twin

OTS jargon and definitions

The instructor station

Run/freeze

Initial conditions

Snapshots

Backtracks

Malfunctions

Instructor scenarios

Record and playback

Simulator speed (real time)

FODs

OTS types

Representation

Fidelity

ICSS representation

Third-party representation

What is good for me?

Some use cases

Case study 1

Case study 2

Case study 3

Case study 4

Case study 5

Summary

Questions

Section 2: Best Practices for the Development of OTS Systems

Chapter 2: OTS Benefits and Best Use

Technical requirements

Generic simulators

Replica simulators

Low-fidelity simulators

Medium-fidelity simulators

Emulated ICSS representation

High-fidelity replica simulators – digital twins

Operations

Control engineering

Process engineering

Examples of OTS projects

Project 1

Project 2

Project 3

Project 4

Best use of an OTS

Examples of best use

Project build

Procedure checkouts

Control tuning

Training

Emergency response training

Engineering studies

Updating the OTS system

Examples of OTS issue findings

Potential safety incident

Water injection pumps

Water injection pump not starting

Control valve mechanical stop

Cooling high-temperature water

Simple HMI mistake

Sand sequence issues

Trip and alarm schedule

Turning gear engage

Compressor train 2

Well alignment

Summary

Questions

Chapter 3: OTS Project Execution and Best Practices

V-model

Making the decision to acquire an OTS

The SOR

Project decision and award

Kick-off meeting

Typical agenda for the KOM

Introductions and project contacts

KOM objectives

Project overview

Project organization

End user

Project manager

OTS consultant

Training instructor

Document controller

ICSS control engineer

Process engineer

Other third-party controls

Operations

Engineering procurement c

Scope-of-work review

Schedule review

Specification and design

Test and acceptance

Data collection

Action list

Meeting close

Detailed design specification

Functional design specification

Documentation

Model topology

Model thermodynamics

Instructor station

ICSS controls

Non-ICSS controls

Model build

MAT

Integration with the ICSS

FAT readiness

FAT

Shipping and installation

SAT

Warranty

Training

System maintenance

Engineering maintenance

Train the trainer

Summary

Questions

Section 3: OTS' Future, Training Model, and Reference Documents

Chapter 4: OTS Going Forward Toward Digital Twins

Technical requirements

Reaching the promised land

Model build

ICSS build

Integration with the DT

Benefits of the model

Challenges

The cloud is the way forward

3D virtualization

Summary

Questions

Chapter 5: OTS Training and Delivery

Technical requirements

Planning OTS training

Training and competency philosophy

Criteria of success

OTS standards

Training and assessment matrix

OTS training plan

Prerequisite training course

Introductory training course

Introductory lite training course

Intermediate training course

Advanced training course

First gas/oil training course

Sample training plan

Scheduling

OTS location – during the initial training phase

OTS location – beyond the training phase

Cloud OTS is the solution

OTS usage schedule

Learning management systems

Summary

Questions

Chapter 6: OTS Sample Documentation

V-model document structure

SOR document template

Introduction

OTS overview

Model overview

Trainee environment

Instructor environment

Engineering environment

Process models

System requirements

Training requirements

Documentation

Acceptance testing

Project management and project delivery schedule

Maintenance aspects

Quality assurance

Appendices

DDS document template

Introduction

Objectives

Overview

Process model and modeling standards

Non-ICSS controls

Instructor station

Appendices

FDS document template

Introduction

Objectives

Overview

Software and hardware design

Process model and modeling standards

Non-ICSS controls

Instructor station

System integration

ICSS

OTS communication

General

Appendices

MAT document template

Introduction

Test methodology

MAT procedures

Appendices

FAT document template

Introduction

Test methodology

FAT procedures

Appendices

SAT document template

Introduction

General

Document practices

Prerequisites

SAT equipment tests

Site acceptance testing functionality test

List of incident log sheets

Test log appendices

Instructor manual document template

Introduction

ICSS process control system overview

OTS power up and power down

Instructor interface overview

Instructor training features

Maintenance manual document template

Introduction

System architecture

System description

Base software

System maintenance and diagnostics

System features and notes

System backup

System restore

System update

Model manual document template

Introduction

OTS overview

Process model

Other process model packages

Appendices

Project execution plan document template

Introduction

Scope definition

Execution plans

Execution

Training and competency philosophy document template

Introduction

Objective

Scope

OTS training model

OTS standards

Definitions and details of OTS standards

Training and assessment matrix

Training model next steps

Training plan document template

Introduction

Competency and assessment

OTS training program

Training plan

Prerequisite training

Introductory training

Introductory training (lite)

Intermediate training

Advanced training

Initial startup training

Data collection document template list

Summary

Questions

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Preface

The Operator Training Simulator (OTS) industry has been changing quickly, especially in the last decade. While in some industries, such as aviation and nuclear energy, simulation has been well established, in the process industry it is taking shape and trying to catch up.

This book is an attempt to set some standards for the OTS sector in the process industry. It will share real project experiences and best practices with you to help broaden your knowledge about the subject.

The book is not meant to be a theoretical textbook, but a guide based on real-world experience in the field.

Who this book is for

This book will share the experience of the author, who has worked for more than 30 years in the industry, delivering and using OTS systems, to help you in many ways. You may be someone who is thinking of acquiring an OTS, a supplier who builds OTSs, or an end user who uses an OTS.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, OTS Introduction, is an introduction to OTSs that will go into who this book is for, different types of OTSs, and jargon used when talking about OTSs.

Chapter 2, OTS Benefits and Best Use, covers OTS benefits and best use using real-life project experiences.

Chapter 3, OTS Project Execution and Best Practices, covers the best practices of building and delivering OTS projects using real project examples.

Chapter 4, OTS Going Forward Toward Digital Twins, explains how to move an OTS project to make it a digital twin, making the most of the OTS.

Chapter 5, OTS Training and Delivery, provides a training module for you to use in your own projects.

Chapter 6, OTS Sample Documentation, shares a sample template of the main OTS project documents.

To get the most out of this book

To get the most out of this book, a basic knowledge of process plants will go a long way. If you have been involved in an OTS or ICSS projects, then that will help you grasp the concepts in this book quickly. Having said that, for those who don't have OTS project experience, there are some basic concepts that are laid out for engineers, operators and training instructors that will be easy to digest.

Download the color images

We also provide a PDF file that has color images of the screenshots and diagrams used in this book. You can download it here: https://static.packt-cdn.com/downloads/9781803242958_ColorImages.pdf.

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Section 1: Introduction, Definitions, and Classifications

In this section of the book, you will be introduced to Operator Training Simulators (OTSs) and be taken on a journey of how these systems developed over the past 50 years.

Some jargon that is used in the industry is understood differently by different users. In the first chapter, precise definitions will be given that could be used as a standard in the industry. 

Finally, the chapter will go through the different classifications of the different types of OTSs.

This section contains the following chapter:

Chapter 1, OTS Introduction

Chapter 1: OTS Introduction

It has been a long time since I wanted to write this book, and as always, time was an issue. The coronavirus lockdown in 2020 managed to give me the time needed to do so. I have been working in the Operator Training Simulator (OTS) field for more than 30 years, and I thought it would be good to document this experience in a textbook that will help many stakeholders in this field.

In this chapter, we will introduce OTS in the process industry and provide a classification of these systems. We will discuss who this book is directed toward and who the stakeholders are that will make the most of the information provided. The industry uses a lot of jargon, and in this chapter, we will look at some definitions to set a base to understand these terms.

Finally, we will discuss what is good for the user and give some sample cases from my past experience in this field.

In this chapter, we'll cover the following main topics:

Introduction to OTSWho is this book directed toward?OTS – Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulator (MPDS) or digital twinOTS jargon and definitionsThe instructor stationOTS typesThird-party representationSome use cases

Technical requirements

There are no technical requirements for this chapter. Those who will benefit the most would already be involved with OTS projects as suppliers or contractors. Even if you are not involved with OTS, this chapter will be a good introduction to the subject.

Introduction to OTS

We can start with the fact that, for the last 40 years, flight simulators have been providing the aviation industry with training simulators for all their pilots at all stages of their careers. These simulators have evolved over the years, but they have always had the ability to train pilots before they take their first flight.

Providing this training over the years has reduced air traffic accidents and provided pilots with a huge amount of experience in normal and abnormal flight conditions. Flight simulation has also provided the mechanism to practice evolving safety practices and maintain a very high degree of competence.

I have always asked myself why, if aviation pilots always train on simulators (please refer to Figure 1.1, taken from https://www.cae.com/civil-aviation/aviation-simulation-equipment/training-equipment/full-flight-simulators/), the process industry has not fully adopted this practice for their personnel who take responsibility for the control of major assets; the process industry equivalent of pilots being Control Room Operators/Technicians (CROs/CRTs):

Figure 1.1 – A CAE flight simulator

You could say pilots have, in their hands, the lives of tens, maybe hundreds, of people if they are flying an Airbus 350 or a Jumbo Jet. Similarly, CRTs are running assets with tens of personnel in the plant while they are maintaining the running parameters, which can go into the hundreds, of atmospheric pressure and very high temperatures, along with fuel vessels that carry a heat capacity of far more than what a nuclear bomb would deliver! So, the risks and responsibilities are equally high and can be compared with flying an aircraft. The industry has changed over the last 20 years, and it has evolved with new projects coming that provide training simulators.

This is the evolution that we need in the industry. In Chapter 4, Going Forward Toward Digital Twins I will describe my vision for the 21st century.

Similarly, the nuclear industry has been actively using simulators, and no nuclear reactor operator will work in the control room before getting their training on a simulator first.

Again, you could ask why all nuclear plant operators train on simulators but thermal plant power plants don't get the same treatment. I think the time has come to change this concept. In every project I have delivered, there was a huge benefit to the users, and the companies that invested in these systems got their Return on Investment (ROI) in no time at all. We will look at some of the examples of these benefits in upcoming chapters.

For now, let's explore what an OTS is.

What is an OTS?

Figure 1.2 shows how Inputs/Outputs (IOs) to and from the field communicate with the control system with its Process Automation System (PAS), Safety Instrumented System (SIS), Fire and Gas (F&G), and third-party controllers such as Compressor Control (CC), for example.

The CRTs in the control room can see the status of the plant through their Human Machine Interface (HMI) screens and can control it from the control room:

Figure 1.2 – A real-life plant

In an OTS environment (Figure 1.3), the HMI in the OTS control room is exactly the same as the one in the real-life plant, so the CRTs will see no difference between operating the OTS and operating a real plant:

Figure 1.3 – The OTS of the plant

The control system in the OTS environment is an emulation of the actual control system, which also matches the same behavior as the real control system. One difference is that while the real system controllers run on a controller where everyone can handle up to any number of IOs (let's say 100), the emulation will run on a virtual/desktop machine that emulates many controllers in one virtual/desktop machine.

The process in the field is modeled using process modeling software (such as AspenTech's HYSYS®, Honeywell's UniSim®, AVEVA'S DYNSIM®, or NAPCON's ProsDS®). Usually, this will be running on another virtual/desktop machine.

Figure 1.4, taken from https://www.fossilconsulting.com/2018/10/01/purchase-a-training-simulator/, shows how the OTS looks very similar to the control room. The operator should not see any difference between the two:

Figure 1.4 – The OTS of the plant is similar to the control room

Now that we have defined the OTS system that we will address in this book, let's discuss who this book is directed toward.

Who is this book directed toward?

One of the main issues suppliers are faced with is that end users do not know exactly what they want. So, here, I am trying to provide information for end users to help them understand what is best for them. We will start with defining the necessary specification for an OTS for a new project and continue right through to the project cycles, KOM, data collection, and more until Site Acceptance Test (SAT). We will even look beyond this to the training and engineering uses of the OTS.

As I have delivered many simulators over the years with different suppliers and different setups, I will be including a chapter on project execution and best practices, which will help suppliers access my long experience and discover what really worked during project delivery.

Additionally, a chapter showing the benefits of OTS will list a few real-life examples and the benefits that were achieved. This will provide a useful example of real project work on how the OTS was put to use.

Finally, there will be a chapter on training development and execution. When the OTS/MPDS/Digital Twin (DT) is delivered, the assumption from the end user is that it can be used for training straightaway. This concept is incorrect, and many end users forget that there is a period needed to set up the system to be ready for training, which could vary from weeks to months based on the complexity of the project. This is not to say that this cannot be broken down into smaller pieces, and preparation is only needed for the next deliverable training session, for example, an introduction to the OTS, but still, the length of time required is considerable and will need to be catered for.

Another challenge on the training side is what is known as bums on seats! I reckon this is the most challenging task in training as CRTs/CROs have different tasks to do alongside OTS training. This is more difficult on an offshore project for obvious reasons. So, this task will need to be planned and agreed upon with management well in advance of the actual training dates.

To summarize, contractors that are thinking of investing in a simulator will benefit from this book by seeing what the best practices are to specify a simulator that will give you what you want for the investment that you are taking. In addition to this, it will show them how they can benefit from their system and the best ways of using it.

Vendors will benefit from seeing the best practices of executing these projects; an experience spanning 30 years of delivering these systems and challenges will be shared in this book.

A final group of individuals that this book is directed toward is users and engineers who are thinking of getting into this field. They will also be able to see what these projects are about.

The naming of the OTS systems has been evolving over the years. First, we will go through that evolution, and define every term.

OTS – MPDS or digital twin

I started with simulation some 36 years ago while doing my undergraduate degree. My first program was FORTRAN IV running on a Honeywell mainframe computer. It was a simulation of an internal combustion engine.

Personal computers were coming up at the time, so I convinced my supervisor to use QBASIC on an IBM XT computer. At least I would no longer need to worry about punch cards. In the old days, the means of inputting program information into a computer was done by punching every program statement into a punch card using a special machine. The computer would have a punch card reading machine that would be able to translate the punch card into a program statement in the computer environment. Imagine the time spent punching in these cards compared to typing it directly these days – let alone fixing mistakes, which was very troublesome, as you can imagine:

Figure 1.5 – A sample punch card

I was successful and started using an HP plotter to plot my result (Figure 1.6). I needed to save the BASIC plotter programs on a cassette after formatting it, which was also a hassle:

Figure 1.6 – The output of the HP plotter result (1989)

When I started working with Techcomm Simulation in Sydney, Australia (which was later taken over by Yokogawa, in 1999), I started using the C language to model power plants. Unlike these days, there was nothing like dragging-and-dropping modeling software tools (such as HYSYS®, UniSim®, DYNSIM®, Petro-SIM®, or INDISS®). Every model needed to be written in C and tested, then integrated with other C models. When all of the models were tested locally, they were integrated together with the Distributed Control System (DCS) emulation in a Unix environment.

I still remember a colleague of mine, Lloyd Watts, telling me, Joseph, you should be very happy when we run one step (0.25 seconds), and the simulator does not crash!

At the end of the 1980s and during the early 1990s, the simulators were called operator training simulators, as their main purpose was to train operators. Building simulators used to take much longer and delivering an OTS a year before the first startup was still a dream. OTS projects were always delivered well before the plant was commissioned and started up, so using the simulator to test the DCS was not usually the case.

As computers became better, more sophisticated, and the simulation software became more reliable, simulators could be delivered at reasonable times. In addition to that, the DCS/Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS) emulation started becoming much more accurate as well.

At that time, we started calling the process simulators MPDSes. The main purpose was still to train the control room operators. However, because we could deliver the simulators early enough, a few months after the ICSS being Factory Acceptance Tested (FATed), we started using the simulators to do the following:

Debug ICSS controls.Check the operating procedure.Tune the process controllers.Check the HMI graphics.Use for process debottlenecking.Process engineering studies.Control engineering studies.Perform emergency response training.

I usually don't like name changes, but what followed, I am totally for. And here is the reason why.

Recently, we started calling the process simulators digital twins!

The origins of digital twins take us back to 2002, to a presentation by Dr. Michael Greives at the University of Michigan, where he described the twin as a conceptual ideal for product life cycle management.

The concept had all the definitions of a digital twin, virtual space, real space, and an information link:

Figure 1.7 – The digital twin concept

To view the full reference of this, please refer to Dr. Michael Grieves and John Vicker's paper, Digital Twin: Mitigating Unpredictable, Undesirable Emergent Behavior in Complex Systems (Excerpt).

If we look at Figure 1.2 and Figure 1.3, we can see that they are digital twins, that is, real and virtual spaces. The data that you use to build the virtual space is the data link, and the outcome from the twin that you can use to improve the real space is the information link referenced earlier.

The industry started using simulators in parallel to the ICSS project, by using the simulator to properly test the ICSS. Finally, I had seen what I was hoping to see many years ago. We will discuss this in more detail in Chapter 4, OTS Going Forward Toward Digital Twins

Now, let's look at some jargon terms and try to define them as the industry uses them.

OTS jargon and definitions

It is very important to clarify some definitions at the beginning of this book as there is a mix-up in the industry, and many terms are used interchangeably; for example, Initial Conditions (ICs) and snapshots, snapshots and backtracks, scenarios and ICs, and more.

While the nuclear and thermal power OTS industries have standards, the oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, and, in general, process OTS industries do not have one. Perhaps this chapter can serve as a starting point to achieve this; therefore, in this chapter, there will be more concentration toward OTS projects within these industries.

Nuclear power plant simulators