ProSimulator- FAQ

OPERATOR TRAINING SIMULATOR

FREQUNTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We know that astronauts, airline pilots, and nuclear power plant operators are trained
extensively through the use of simulators, but why do process plant operators need them?

First, let's quickly look at the similarities:

High capital investment.
Hazardous operating conditions.
Complex and integrated process mechanics.
High variable operating costs.
Complex control and instrumentation.
Potential for injury, loss of life.

An operator in any kind of process plant cannot afford to make mistakes, as mistakes are costly
and potentially life threatening. Simulation training provides operators with realistic rehearsals
for situations, which require an operator to respond instinctively with competence and
confidence.

How can the Simulator Training products provided by Prosimulator benefit our
operators?

Everybody recognizes that constant practice and preparation yields superior results. Simulation
training is just that, a technology by which operators can practice and prepare for a situation,
including:

Normal plant operations

Start-up and Shut-down procedures
Emergency situations like equipment failures, process excursions, etc.
Changes in feed stocks, catalysts, etc.
Remember the old adage, "Practice makes perfect". It certainly applies to operator training.

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How will our company benefit from Simulation Training?

Better-trained operators mean better operations-- greater throughput, less downtime, lower
energy costs, less equipment damage and production loss, closer environmental compliance and
a safer operation. A simulator allows the supervisor to train and evaluate an operator objectively,
spending time to guarantee that all critical aspects of operation and safety are clearly understood.

Don't Simulators cost a lot?

While it was once true that Simulators were economically attractive to only large companies, this
is no longer the case. By developing our Simulator to run on ordinary PCs, Prosimulator has
produced a cost-effective training tool with "live" process graphics and control graphics which
looks and acts like a real process, yet is affordable for any process plant application. The real
question is, "Can my plan afford not to use a Simulator?"

How important are control systems in process simulation?

Very important. Without a sophisticated control system, a simulation loses its significance to the
operator. Prosimulator offers a comprehensive "generic" control system as well as "DCS"
specific simulations based on popular DCS systems such as Honeywell, Yokogowa etc. A good
simulator helps operators become familiar with today's complex control systems and emergency
shutdown (ESD) system and therefore gain confidence in the ability to make setpoint changes,
respond to alarms, review controller tuning parameters, understand complex control logics,
emergency handling, etc. A simulator without these features is too simplified and can defeat the
purpose of this type of training.

What kind of situations can be created with a simulator?

The simulator can recreate almost any situation. The "starting point" for a training session can
range from “cold start” to “design”, or any point in between. Through the use of the training
features, process upsets, equipment malfunctions and failures, instrumentation problems, can be

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quickly activated, either immediately, after a pre-set delay, or by way of previously created
"training exercises".

Specific examples of problems and upsets include pump failures, valve failures, variable feed
conditions, heat exchanger fouling, catalyst deactivation, power failure, transmitter errors, etc.

What is the difference between "generic" and "custom" simulations and how do I know
which to use?

Generic simulation programs are processes common to most plants and are beneficial for most
applications. While equipment sizes, feedstocks and operating parameters vary, these processes
still require the same basic knowledge and operating philosophy.

Generic simulation programs have been proven invaluable in helping both new and experienced
operators to gain a deeper understanding of a process, and perhaps for the first time understand
"why", not just "what" and "when", when making a process change or responding to a process
upset.

Custom programs are usually reserved for new process start-up and non-standard operations
involving atypical process equipment, control schemes, operating conditions, etc. Significant “up
front” investments of time and money are required to develop a custom program. Substantial on-
going investments of time and money are also required to guarantee that the Custom programs
are maintained and modified to stay current with changes in the real plant, and therefore live up
to operator expectations that they "look", "feel" and "operate" just like the real plant.

How can academic institutions like Universities, Engineering Colleges and Polytechnics
benefit from operator training simulators?

For universities, operator-training simulators can be used in Unit Operations Labs and can
provide realistic “hands-on” experience for Engineers in operating DCS control systems and

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running various plant units. Complex units such as large Compressors, and Fired Heaters not
commonly found in Unit Ops Labs can now be included as part of the Engineering curriculum.

The final year engineering students can also undertake in house projects on modeling and
simulation using the Prosimulator development toolkit.

For technical colleges and "trade schools", their students can gain substantial knowledge and
understanding of how to operate process plants and DCS stations. After Simulator training,
Graduates from these schools are often recruited directly by local industry for full time
employment immediately following the completing of their degrees.

What kinds of training programs are available in Prosimulator?

Basic Instrumentation and control system (PROSIMLAB)

Unit Operations Suite
 Pump operation
 Heat Exchanger operation
 Flash drum
 Basic Controller
 Fired Heater
 Distillation Tower
 Steam Generator
 Centrifugal Compressor
 CSTR
 Fixed Bed Exothermic Reactor
 Plug flow rector
 Cyclone separator
 Evaporator
 Gas Turbine

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Industrial Models
 Atmospheric Crude Unit
 Vacuum Crude Unit
 Hydrocracker
 Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit
 Hydrogen Unit
 Hydrodesulphurization Unit
 Catalytic Cracking Unit
 Continuous Catalytic Regeneration Unit
 Amine Treating Unit
 Power plant
 Gas plant
 Ammonia reforming and synthesis
 Urea plant

What kinds of organizations have used simulators to train their employees?

Petroleum Refineries
Petrochemical Plants
Fertilizer Units
On-shore and Off-shore Gas Plants
Co-Generation Plants
Other Continuous Chemical Process Plants
Training centers
Technical training Institutes
Instrumentation Companies
Chemical Engineering department in Universities