PLANT SIMULATION AND DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM

KORBA SIMULATOR

KORBA SIMULATOR

PLANT SIMULATION AND DAS THE PLANT SIMULATION The 500MW-training simulator is a complete full scope replica of the 500MW coal-fired unit-6 of Singrauli plant of NTPC, which creates the real time effects of the plant operating conditions on the Unit Control Panel equipments. The actual plant, the equipments, the control systems - all are replaced by their mathematical models and made to run through a real -time execution process of a computer to represent the exact plant dynamics through its process parameters on the Unit Control Panel. THE SIMULATOR SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE THE HARDWARE: - The simulator system is having the hardware organisation as per fig.1

FIG-1 SIMULATOR HARDWARE ORGANISATION UPS System: - It is a 55KVA UPS with 100 % stand by capacity, consisting of Rectifiers, Inverters, Batteries, Stabilizer, Static By-pass Switch, AC distribution panels, etc. It provides regulated power supply to the complete Simulator equipments. The UPS is Supplied by M/S AEG , West Germany. Computer system and peripherals: - The computer systems supplied are 32 bit digital computers of Encore, USA. The supplied model 32 / 67 is ideally suited for the real time simulation applications. The system mainly comprises of Two computers for simulation of plant equipments (SIMULATION COMPUTER) One computer for simulation of DAS tasks (DAS COMPUTER) Shared memory systems (for coupling DAS and SIMULATION COMPUTERS)
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Various peripherals such as magnetic tape drives, disc drives, floppy drives, system consoles, hard copy printers, line printers, Graphics systems (colour monitors /controllers) video colour printer etc. Set of cables for interconnecting the system and peripherals. The computer system is based on a high speed synchronous bus (called as SELBUS) , on which the CPU and / or IPU are residing . It supports upto 16 MB main memmory, Input Output Processor (IOP) and peripheral controllers. It offers 18 Selbus slots and four MPbus slots and peripheral space. This system accommodates 800 / 1600 / 3200 bpi streaming Mag tape units and over two Gigabytes of disk storage.

Control Panel: - a Simulator control panel with mounted instruments is replica of Unit -6 of Singrauli Power Plant and is the main hardware of this Simulator. It comprises of UCB section 1 to 3 and CSSAEP panels. Instruments mounted on these panels represent the operation of the real plant processes which are simulated by the computer systems and the computed information is transmitted to these instruments via Input / Output system. In addition to various monitoring and recording equipments, the panels are also equipped with control switches, indicating lamps, annunciation system and DAS system.

Interface (Input / Output) System: - The I/O sub-system forms the interface between the simulation computers and the UCB panels. The main function of the I/O sub system is to update the UCB output points with the current simulated value and to report the state of the UCB inputs to the simulation computer. I/O sub-system consists of four SIMTROLs catering the all sections of the UCB, associated Control Room Equipment (CRE) power supply and special device interface modules. Instructor Station: - Instructor station hardware comprises mainly of Instructor station console and peripherals such as two monitors with keyboards, one video hard copy printer, one remote control unit and one special function keyboard with back lighted push buttons for activation of desired function. With the help of remote control unit, certain functions can be initiated/stopped during training session without the notice of the trainee and training session transients can be hard copied on video printer for further analysis. Data Acquisition System (DAS): - DAS comprises of three color CRTs mounted on UCB-2 panel having assigned as Utility, Alarm and Operation CRT. One additional CRT is also provided on Operators desk. For documentation purposes Hard Copy
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printers are provided for Alarm and Utility CRT and a Logging line printer for massive and fast documentation. Hard copy of the information from any of the DAS CRTs can also be obtained on video printer through selector switches. THE SOFTWARE: - The Simulator system is having the following software organisation as per Fig.2

FIG-2 SIMULATOR SOFTWARE ORGANISATION Computer operating System MPX-32: - The computers work on a Mapped Program Executive (MPX-32) disk-oriented, multiprogramming Operating system, that supports concurrent execution of multiple tasks in an interactive, batch and real time environment. MPX provides memory management, terminal support, muliple batch streams and intertask communication. It supports 16 MB physical memory address space. An intergrated CPU scheduler and a swap scheduler provide efficient use of main memory by balancing the task based on time distribution factors, software priorities and task state queues. Simulator Control & Executive System Software UNISYSTEM: - UNISYSTEM is a Software tool for use in the developement of large-scale real time application programs. It provides: A data base to record and describe the variables, arrays and subroutine used in a program. A Modified FLECS compiler that is linked to the database to verify the legitimacy of variable, arrey and subroutine names encountered in the code being compiled.

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A data base manager program to handle the declaration of new variable, arrey, and subroutine name. It also creats COMMON and EQUIVALENCE statements needed to use the variable, arrey and subroutine names in programs. A real time program scheduler to execute users programs on a real time basis. A plotting program to display results obtained from execution of users programs.

Application Software for Plant system Simulator: - The total power plant system is broadly divided into the following subsystems for math modeling purpose: 1. Boiler and Flue gas subsystem. 2. Boiler Water and Steam subsystem. 3. Fuel subsystem. 4. Condensate subsystem. 5. Feed Water subsystem. 6. Turbine subsystem. 7. Electrical subsystem. Each of this subsystem is subdivided into Process interlock and control models based on nature of the model function. These mathematical models are developed based on physical laws of conservation of mass, energy and momentum. The above mathematical models, converted in to the form of simulation software models, are then integrated in a sequential manner to represent the power plant dynamics in totality during all plant operating conditions including pre start-ups checks, preheating, start-up (cold, warm and hot), shut down, power maneuvering, normal operation and specified emergencies. The extent of plant simulation is thorough enough to support the plant operators (the trainees here) to fully participate in plant status evaluation, actual plant operation and control of unusual transients. Application Software for Data Acquisition System (DAS): - Plant computer functions provided by actual plant computers have been duplicated in the simulator. These are

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 Alarm monitoring of analog and digital input signals and indication of abnormal plant operating conditions. Analog trend recording of operator selected analog inputs. Logs such as hourly log, turbine run-up log etc. CRT displays for analog, digital plant signals and group point displays, alarm displays, etc. Performance calculations.

Simulator Instruction Station Software: - Instructor station software is provided with facility for monitoring, controlling simulator conditions and monitoring operator (trainee) actions. It has provision to select all initial conditions and malfunctions and the ability to manipulate external parameters. Interface (Input/Output) System Software: - The I/O system application software consists of tasks running on Simulation Computers and on SIMTROLs. The tasks running on Simulation Computers perform: 1. Input-Output Transmitting. 2. Misaligned switch checking. 3. Daily Operational Readiness Test. The tasks running on SIMTROLs perform: 1. SEL Interface. 2. Input Transmitting. 3. Analog Output Updating 4. Digital Output Updating 5. Table Management 6. Watch Dog 7. Digital Input Scanning 8. Analog Input Scanning

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9. Analog/Digital Output Driving, etc,. TRAINING FEATURES The following features of the simulator facilitate a very effective training to the power plant operators: Initialisation: - The simulator can be initialised to any one of 60 plant conditions from where the training session can start. The instructor can choose the status / conditions of the running simulator (i.e., the plant) and save them as ICs (Initial Conditions) through a special utility software at Instructor Station . A maximum number of 60 such selected plant conditions can be kept stored. Later on , any one of these stored conditions can be retrieved as an Initial Condition and the training session can be started from that plant status . Thus the Initialisation facility provides the flexibility in training by starting the session from any one of the 60 stored plant conditions as per the requirement / level of the trainees and saves time by eliminating the repeated exercise to bring the plant to the required condition again to start with. Freeze/Run: - The FREEZE feature helps the instructor to freeze the plant simulation and thus to bring the plant dynamics to a standstill condition.The plant operation can be subsequently resumed from the last frozen status by using RUN command by the instructor. When the FREEZE command is issued from the Instructor Station, the simulation software under execution is stopped and the updation of the simulation variables are suspended thereby creating an effect of freezing of the dynamic plant condition. This facilitates the instructor detailed explanation on that particular stage of operation without allowing it to go unobserved by the trainees on the panel. Backtrack: - This facility enables the plant simulation status to traverse back all events of operation for the past 60 minutes. The simulation data is continuously saved for a period of 60 minutes at the interval of one minute each as 60 disc file records. Thus at any point of time, 60 data sets are available representing the plant status for the preceding sixty minutes. The instructor can bring the simulator to any of these last sixty plant conditions by BACKTRACKing to the desired problem time or by BACKTRACKing step-by-step from the present 1st record. Which is the current one saved. If required, simulation session can continue from this backtracked record status to facilitate repeated panel operation or to offer detail explanation to the trainees. Snapshot: - This feature enables the instructor to SNAP the plant status as a complete record of all the simulation variables that represent the plant dynamics at the time of snapping. These SNAPSHOT records, as disk files, can be saved with identifying title, date & time and can be retreived any time in future as Initial Conditions to commence the training session from that snapped plant condition. A total number of 60 SNAPSHOTs can be saved and stored as Initial Conditions providing wide range of flexibility in training. Slow Time Mode: - This features enables the Instructor to slow down the dynamic simulation to ten times slower than the real time. Thus in a SLOW MODE Simulation, a trainee can observe the fast transients or certain critical operations more precisely in
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order to analyse the dynamic behaviour and study the sequence of events thereby enhancing their knowledge and experience. Fast Time Mode: - In this mode of simulation, certain time consuming plant operations like turbine soaking, boiler heating, raising of condeser vacuum, furnace purging, etc. are made to run ten times faster than the real time. Thus the instructor can save the valuable panel time by attenuating the time taken in accomplishing lengthy plant operation stages and offer the saved time to the trainees for better utilisation on the panel. Malfunction: - This is the most valuable feature of the Simulator, which offers the trainees a unique scope for experiencing a large number of malfunctions that occur in a power plant. The instructor can introduce malfunctions in single number or in groups (the selection being dependent on the status of the plant) to simulate the real emergencies as faced by the operators on panel. The trainees are thus given opportunities to tackle those malfunctions by taking suitable corrective operation steps, which are, otherwise, rare events in an actual plant. A total number of 270 malfunctions are available characterised into two types: 1. The Event type malfunctions: These can set the equipment/component failure at an optional pre-selected time. 2. The Severity type malfunctions: These can be started at an optional pre-selected time with the degree of severity (0-100%) and the gradient (time to reach that severity effects) choosen by the instructor. The malfunctions available can be selected, activated and reset (cleared) by the instructor without any intimation to the trainees on the panel, which supports a realistic operational environment. Record & Replay: - The RECORD feature enables the instructor to record the training session under progress for a period of two (2) hours. All the changed inputs from the panel and the IS are recorded alongwith time on specified disk files. Maximum 4 nos of records, each of two hours duration, can be stored. The storage can be initiated at any instant of time. The REPLAY feature enables to replay the panel status as recorded earlier. Thus the trainees can observe their previous performance on panel alongwith the instructors explanation and analysis. Any of the four-recorded sessions can be selected for replay. Both RECORD & REPLAY functions can be paused and stopped in between. Remote Function: - This function facilitates the instructor to perform any remote (field/local) operations, which are not carried out from main control room. The manual operations of local equipments (e.g. F.O. pumps, valves, isolators, station supply breakers, etc) are simulated from the instructor station for providing necessary permissives and also for controlling process parameters. Crywolf Alarm: - This feature enables the instructor to create false alarms by flashing windows and by making audible cry wolf alarms even though such conditions do not
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exist in the plant under operation. With this facility trainees immediate response/reflexes can be tested. At a time, upto 16 numbers of alarms can be set and reset selectively by the instructor. Override Panel Device: - Any device on the control panel can be OVERRIDEN with a given value (for analog variables) or with a given status (for digital variables) by the instructor at an optional preselected activation time. The value/status of the overridden device remains constant until it is reset to normal operation or overriden with a new value/status. A total number of 32 devices can be selected for overide at a time. The instructor can thus create maloperation of the instruments on the panel to test the trainees undergoing session. External Parameters Manipulation: - This feature enables the instructor to change the values of certain parameters that are not simulated in the software but affect the plant performance. External parameters (inputs) like the grid voltage, grid frequency, calorific value of fuels, etc can be assigned new values. The change will be achieved gradually within one minute. These inputs change the plant dynamics and performance. Thus it offers the trainees scope of plant operation under different conditions on a single platform. Analog Output Reallocation: - Any analog output of the plant simulation can be reallocated to any other meter/recorder on the panel. This permits the instructor to continue the training in the event of some instrument failure on which some important parameters are displayed/recorded. Parameters Monitoring: - Trends of important plant parameters (simulated variables in engineering units) can be monitored on the instructors dedicated console to check the trainees performance on control panel for the duration selected. The instructor can also change the higher and lower limits of the parameters selected during trend display for better resolution in monitoring. A total number of 80 parameters can be selected, deleted, and stopped for monitoring by the instructor to match his requirements. Limits of the selected parameter can be modified for better analysis. Trainee Test: - This feature is the unique facility in simulator training by which proficiency of operation personnel can be evaluated by the computer. The instructor can assign the trainee a task on the panel and monitor his/her capacity to control important parameters of the plant with a final assessment printout result if opted for. At a time, maximum four nos. of tests can be conducted in parallel depending upon the plant conditions and the tests selected. Each test has the following facilities to be selected. Identification of the test by Instructors name, Trainees name & number/Title, Monitoring or Evaluation type, Duration of the test (Run time), Displaying the test parameters with updation by every one second, Exercise

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Trending of test parameters, Deleting test parameters already selected, Changing of Hi & Lo limits of the test parameters to monitor within a narrow range. Displaying of the test results on the Video Monitor. Printing of the test results to get a hard copy. Thus the trainees can get a feedback on themselves after completing the test program.

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