SMOOTH AND SAFE START-UP OF A MID-SCALE LNG PLANT IN CHINA USING AN EMULATED OPERATING TRAINING SIMULATOR

摘要

Operator Training Simulators (OTS) are of key importance for operating companies. They allow operators to familiarize themselves with the various units prior to the initial start-up and to maintain their skills over the lifetime of the plant. Technip, as Contractor, and RSI, as OTS provider, have developed a collaborative approach for plant OTS development and implementation. In 2009, Technip was awarded the design and construction of the Ningxia Hanas LNG Plant, the largest built in China to date and Technip and RSI developed an emulated OTS for this project. This plant uses SMR liquefaction process technology from Air Products. Testing confirmed that the OTS realistically reflects plant behavior over the full range of various scenarios including start-up phase and shutdown sequences. Despite the short project schedule, the emulated OTS was successfully delivered to site early enough to play a significant part in training. To the owner's satisfaction, training began on site in July 2011, 8 months prior to gas-in. The training provided using the OTS was of upmost importance, in particular because this plant was the first of its kind in the HANAS Group. With the OTS, operators better understood the effects of their actions on the dynamic response of the plant and thus improved efficiency and safety, in particular for emergency situations. The purpose of this poster is to present the key elements of success in the development of the high fidelity OTS for the Hanas LNG plant.