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PUBLIC INFORMATION

Mynah Technologies Building the Virtual Plant Utilizing the PlantPAx® System

Spencer Absher

Simulation Solution Engineer - Mynah Technologies

June, 2015

• Demographic Time Bomb

• 7 Years to Operator

Competency

• Automation Adds

Complexity

Dawn of NA Process Industry

• Hidden errors in

configuration

• Incorrect operator actions

• Operating procedures in

error

Managing Automation System Risks

The Virtual Plant Can Help

Pilot – over 100 variables Operator – over 1000 variables

Operator Effectiveness – 31% Increase

Savings from Simulator Use - $15.3MM

Components of Virtual Plant

• Offline Control System • Production to Offline

• Dynamic and Real-time Model • Appropriate fidelity

• Correct Implementation • Virtual environment

Life Cycle Virtual Plant

• Capital Project Execution • Developed early in the project for:

Process and control system

engineering

Control system validation

Operator training

• Operational Excellence Initiatives • Returns in operation:

Process control improvements

New operator training

Optimization and modification studies

Offline Control System

• Identical to Production

• Logic and control strategies

• Operator graphics

• Environment and architecture

• Testing, training, both?

• RSLogix Emulate

• Logix Controllers

• Physical or virtual network

Dynamic Simulator

• Real-time and Appropriate Fidelity

• Quickly converging model

• Fast updates to control system

• Integration at IO Layer

• Nonintrusive model

• No control system emulation

• Compatible with hard and soft

solutions

• Tools for Testing and Training

Implementation

• Control System Equipment

• Real controllers for testing

• Emulated controllers for training

• Both for best life cycle results

• Implementation Environment

• Multiple individual machines

• Virtual system

Why Don’t All Plants Have a Dynamic Simulator?

The Approach

• First Principles Unit Operations Models

• Thermodynamic properties

• Dynamic Pressure-Flow Network

• Accurate Dead Time, Holdups, Gains

• Real-time Response for Control System

Modeling the Process

Testing with the Process

Training on the Process

Understanding the Process

Implementation

• Communication with real controllers

• Tag access or DF1

• Testing of controller loading and

redundancy

• IO and logic checkout

• Communication with emulated

controllers in RSLogix Emulate

• Operator training and control system

optimization

Operational Challenges and Simulation

• Many challenges to operating a

process plant

• Using virtual plant through plant

life cycle is demonstrated solution

• Irreplacable tool for CapEx and

OpEx

Proven Return on Investment

• Reduce operator errors – each can

cost $100,000 or more

• Optimize operation modes – 1-2%

operational improvement and

savings

• Identify control system errors

before startup

• Locate and resolve safety issues

and operations bottlenecks