Towards an integrated use of simulation within the life-cycle of a process plant

Modern process plants are becoming more and more complex with high demands placed on design, engineering and operation. Throughout the life-cycle of process plants there is always the typical conflict involving costs, time and quality. One way of resolving this conflict is to employ simulation technology as it can be used to answer questions relating to engineering and operation earlier and with lower risks. In 2014, the authors conducted a global online survey investigating the current and future role of simulation within the life-cycle of a process plant. Based on the responses of more than 200 participants, fields of action and requirements have been drawn up to help reach the goal of continuously using simulation in the future. A first prototypical implementation towards concurrently using simulation within the life-cycle of a process plant is presented in this paper. This prototype uses tools for simulation, plant design and process automation that are available today and focuses on the engineering and operational phase of the life-cycle.