Development of a fine chemical process operator-training simulator

Fine chemical processes usually are very complex, and their operations are heavy and complicated. The success operations of fine chemical processes require high skill operators. As there are lots of limitations to use real fine chemical production plants to train operators, we need to develop process operation simulation training system to train process operators. However, the traditional development methods of process operation simulation training system are inconvenient due to their poor modularity, so new development strategies of process operation simulation training system with high efficiency should be studied. In this paper, a new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) simulation-mode is put forward according to the operation training characteristics of fine chemical production processes. The SCADA mode process simulation system is developed using SCADA software to design graphical user interface (GUI), and integrating with simulation models built by the combination of process mechanics modeling method and dynamic compensation modeling method through the design of a kind of dynamic link library (DLL) function. The SCADA mode process simulation system is more modularized; and it can be more conveniently developed than the traditional process simulation system. The SCADA mode training simulator is successfully applied to the simulation operation training of a fine chemical production process. The training results show that the simulation operation of the SCADA mode training simulator is vivid and it is very similar to the operation of the real plant. The SCADA mode training simulator satisfies the process training requirements quite well, and the operation training effect and efficiency is highly improved.