Multimedia
Mynah's Berutti on Simulation and Training
Martin Berutti, of Mynah Technologies, spoke with Control's executive editor, Jim Montague, about how the current state of the simulation/training field and how it's likely to evolve in the future. They also covered what end users need to know to implement a simulation/training program for their process applications, and what should be on any to-do list to get a simulation/training project up and running.
Podcast – Virtual Reality Simulation in the Process Industries
In the April edition of the Control/ARC Podcast series, Walt Boyes and ARC's Tom Fiske take a look at what was until only very recently science fiction, and has now become science fact-- the future of high fidelity virtual reality simulation in the process industries.
Warehouse Robotics
Discrete automation simulations have much better graphics than process modeling, probably because it’s important to see what the equipment is actually doing. This video is a Simcad simulation of proposed changes to a 300,000-sq ft warehouse. In the video, you can see simulated robots, AGVs and people scurrying around the floor of the warehouse.
Speed Racer
In the new iRacing racing simulator, the builders laser-scanned each racetrack to replicate the personality, eccentricities and challenges of the track with mathematical precision. This video from Grassroots Motorsports magazine, shows a driver running an iRacing simulation,and explains how the simulation was done.
The China Syndrome
This video from Longwatch that would have saved Jack Godell's life. In the simulation, the HMI screen first shows normal operation. Then an alarm goes off, and the video switches to a "live" camera in the pump room. We watch as the pump shakes itself apart and falls to the floor.
Helicopter Controls
See the online continuation of this story for the solution to control problems in a helicopter control system involving three interacting PID controllers. Engineers used LabView to put the data into the simulator, create a model and run tests. The simulated control had 10 times better response than the helicopter’s standard control system, and the final control algorithms in the simulator could be loaded directly into the helicopter controller.
ARTICLES
Getting Real About Simulation
Emerging and eye-popping 3-D graphics and virtual reality technology are giving plenty of game to process control testing and training simulators integrated with offline process control systems.
Faking It Isn’t All Bad
Simulate or model your loop tuning, operator training, advanced process control or optimization for savings, safety and skill-building.
Process Hero
Simulation Software Rocks for Training, but Its Benefits Go Way Beyond Teaching to Aiding Design, Optimization, Maintenance and Life-Cycle Management. Here’s How.
Getting Employee Training Right
Senior Tech Editor Dan Hebert, PE, talks about the state of the art in training for the automation profession and how it is evolving to fit the needs of process control end users.
Collaboration Tools Offer Users More Face Time
Communications and software tools are available to aid process control collaboration efforts, but language and cultural issues remain the most persistent barriers to useful cooperation.
Control Valve Simulation
How to simulate the designs of an automation and control project for a water treatment process, before putting them into operation.
Process Simulation: Your Job Is Still Safe…For Now
Armed with a CAD package and simulation software, a single engineer can design the product, plant, and control system. Check out why the concept of a one-person design team is still a goal for the future.
Quicker Plant Testing and Modeling
Greg Kautzman, a process control engineer at a refinery, reported at Matrikon Summit 2007 the need to address the maintenance challenge associated with time consuming and expensive conventional plant step tests.
User-Friendly Advanced Control
Senior Tech Editor Dan Hebert, PE, looks at the latest advances in simulation and modeling technologies for improved loop control, including new software packages and embedded APC systems.
Integration Across the Fourth Dimension
In the heavy continuous process industries, well-evolved simulation tools exist to aid in process design, but how well do they really integrate with the mechanical design tools they feed?
Dynamic Simulation Aids Recycling Plant Redesign
A poor design and high consumption costs shut this Pennsylvania paper recycling plant down, but an in-house implementation of full, dynamic process simulation got it all tuned up for a successful restart.
Simulation, the Game We All Can Play!
Washington University’s (St. Louis, MO) Robert Heider provides a game plan for using simulation in process control.
Simulation for Control: Tool or Toy?
Powered by lower complexity and pricing, process simulation packages are ready to do more than assist in design and training.
BLOG
Modeling and Control -- Dynamic World of Process Control
By Terry Blevins and Greg McMillan
WHITE PAPERS
Optimizing Results in Automation Projects with Simulation
The use of the simulation systems for testing and training process automation projects has been proven to reduce time-to-market and increase business results. This White Paper shows how the same systems can be utilized in automation lifecycle management to reduce operational costs and improve product quality.
GAMP4 Guidelines Concerning the Use of Process Simulation Software
This paper discusses GAMP4 guidelines concerning the use of process simulation software, the impact of system testing and qualification of the software on project risk mitigation, and GAMP4 requirements for suppliers of process simulation software.
Optimizing Results in Automation Projects with Simulation
The use of the simulation systems for testing and training process automation projects has been proven to reduce time-to-market and increase business results. This White Paper shows how the same systems can be utilized in automation lifecycle management to reduce operational costs and improve product quality.
3rd Generation Simulation Solves Process Industry Challenges
Due to global competitiveness, increasing regulatory requirements, rising cost of off-spec product and unscheduled downtime, the automation system and operations staff in process plants must run without error. Using simulation for automation system testing and training is proven to start up plants on time, keep them competitive, and increase profits.
Effective Modeling for Nonlinear Control
This paper presents simulation results comparing Extrapolating Gain-Constrained Neural Networks (EGCN) to traditional neural network training methods, as well as to the recently proposed Bounded-Derivative Network (BDN).
Factory Acceptance Testing with MiMiC
There are a number of enabling technologies that support modern control systems, but the most significant is the use of simulation systems for application software acceptance testing.
Improving Amine Unit Operations with On-line Corrosion Monitoring & Modeling
Identifying and managing corrosion issues in amine units is a critical task facing refineries, chemical and gas processing facilities around the globe. Damage resulting from corrosion can be a complex problem that is difficult, if not impossible to solve using only traditional corrosion monitoring techniques. This paper will explore state of the art technology that can be used to manage corrosion issues proactively instead of the reactionary approach used with older monitoring and inspection methods.
Production Monitoring and Data Mining - No Strip Mining Allowed!
Does your manufacturing or process plant have many sources of production data that is or has become voluminous? There are a variety of ways data can be mined, including manually, or with increasingly sophisticated analysis software that includes artificial intelligence and neural network modeling tools. This paper will discuss these possibilities.
Transient Surges and Surge Suppressor Technologies: Comparing Apples to Oranges
The suppressor to protect a specific point upon an electrical distribution system must be selected accordingly to its physical location.
Siemens Develops a Dynamic Turbine Simulator for Steam Turbine Controller Examination
Read this case study to learn how Siemens solved the challenge of creating a real-time simulator for steam turbine controller factory acceptance testing by using National Instruments' LabVIEW, LabVIEW Real-Time, the LabVIEW Simulation Interface Toolkit and PXI-1042, PXI-6527, PXI-6733, PXI-6052E and PXI-8716RT modules to create the system.
Statistical Process Monitoring of Industrial Batch Processes
This White Paper summarizes the findings from three case studies involving the application of multivariate statistics to batch processes, and provides a comparison of different approaches to monitoring batch process operations.
