| Title | Simulator for operator training in the Sudurnes Regional Heating Corporation 30 MWel combined heat and power (CHP) plant |
|---|---|
| Authors | J??hann ????r Magn??sson, J??n Vilberg Gu??geirsson and ????r??ur Run??lfsson |
| Year | 2003 |
| Conference | Iceland Geothermal Conference |
| Keywords | simulator, training, geothermal, CHP, power plant. |
| Abstract | Good operator training is one of the key factors in ensuring high availability of a geothermal power plant. Since the plant can run for extended periods, as long as a whole year, without a shutdown and start-up, the operators rarely get a chance to train for dealing with critical tasks on the real plant. Operator Training Simulators (OTS) are common in nuclear and large fossil fuel power plants, but the use of an OTS for geothermal power plants is novel. Using the simulator the operators are trained in start-up and shut down procedures as well as normal operation and process disturbance handling, including faultfinding. Through regular retraining using the OTS, the location of all controls and their functions become second nature to the operators and they gain a thorough understanding of the connections between sub-processes and the operation of the total plant. The CHP (Combined Heat and Power) geothermal plant is briefly described in the paper and complexities due to the co-generation of hot water are illustrated. The OTS configuration includes a Process Controller and a Man-Machine-Interface that is identical to the one used in the real power plant. The training program and an example of a training scenario are described. An overview of the education required for geothermal power plant operators in Iceland is also given. Simulator training reduces the risk of costly mistakes, excessive unit stress and equipment damage. The simulator can also be used for design, evaluation and tuning of the control system, analysis of process design alternatives and preventive maintenance by comparing real and simulated data. |