Operational Training: The Role of Simulators in Plant Operations

Author(s):  
Roger Boisse

It’s 4 a.m. and the crane operator is a little overzealous, which is starting to show inside the boiler. The bad news is that by the way he’s feeding the chute, it’s only a matter of time until the control room operator loses control of the combustion process, the temperature drops and they’ll face the consequences. The good news, this is a drill. It’s only a drill. And the situation they’re facing is only a simulation. As part of its core training program for plant operating personnel, Wheelabrator Technologies relies on a special computer simulator, licensed from Von Roll Inova, that’s as close to real life as flight simulators are to flying. Just as there’s no airplane to damage as the pilot trains, there’s no boiler. The simulator runs a sophisticated computer program that is identical to the control rooms of the waste-to-energy facilities Wheelabrator operates. It provides users with real-life operating challenges—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Operating scenarios are simulated to exacting standards to provide plant personnel—the plant managers, control room operators, and crane operators—with the ability to respond appropriately to any situation. The simulator allows users to adjust any aspect of operation, from over- or under-fire air to moisture in the virtual trash being fed into the boilers. The process encourages teamwork and allows users to experience situations that could damage property, injure employees or harm the environment. The benefits of the ability to replicate upset and emergency, situations are clear: employees are ready for anything and the instruction helps prevent what would otherwise be downtime or expensive mistakes. The simulator process only works, however, because it’s part of Wheelabrator’s overall training process. The simulator enhances “textbook” instruction in theory and handson qualification checks that all operators receive on a regular basis. It allows them to apply the knowledge they gain from the instruction in the controlled atmosphere of the simulator. Roger Boisse, Senior Manager, Operations Projects with Wheelabrator Technologies, will explain the core operations training program and demonstrate the combustion simulator developed by Von Roll Inova, showing how it can be effective in providing operators with hands-on, and risk-free, experience.

Professare ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Angélica Wrublak ◽  
Elaine Caroline Boscatto

<p class="resumoabstract">Acidentes e fatalidades podem acontecer desde simples contusões até as mais urgentes hemorragias e parada cardiorrespiratória. Os primeiros socorros realizados de forma adequada podem minimizar os agravos e até mesmo salvar vidas. No âmbito escolar, situações de emergência fazem parte do cotidiano e é essencial que Professores de Educação Física tenham um conhecimento básico para atender as necessidades escolares. O presente estudo teve como objetivo verificar o conhecimento dos Professores de Educação Física (EF) da rede pública de Ensino da Cidade de Santa Cecilia-SC com relação aos Primeiros Socorros (PS). Caracterizou-se em natureza descritiva, transversal, com análise quanti-qualitativa dos dados. Participaram do estudo 11 Professores de EF. Para a coleta de dados, foi desenvolvido um questionário abordando aspectos conceituais, procedimentos e atitudes referentes ao cotidiano profissional. Do total, apenas um professor não teve a disciplina de PS na graduação. Os professores na sua minoria se sentem aptos a prestar os PS e inclusive assumir as situações, demonstrando conhecimento satisfatório na teoria, mas na prática sentem-se inseguros para agir diante de situações mais graves. Destaca-se que mais de 80% sabem como agir em atendimentos menos agravantes. Já nas situações de parada cardiorrespiratória (RCP) e hemorragias, os mesmos relataram que necessitam de um treinamento mais atualizado. Em crianças principalmente eles não sentem muito seguros em prover o auxílio. Foi possível concluir que os professores de EF apresentaram um nível de conhecimento satisfatório na teoria, mas sugerem atualizações periódicas em forma de cursos.</p><p class="resumoabstract"><strong>Palavras-chave</strong>: Primeiros Socorros. Docentes. Educação Física e Treinamento.</p><h3>ABSTRACT</h3><p class="resumoabstract">Accidents and fatalities can occur from simple bruises to the most urgent hemorrhages and cardiopulmonary arrest. First aid performed properly can minimize the aggravations and even save lives. In the school context, emergency situations are part of the daily life and it is essential that Physical Education Teachers have a basic knowledge to carry out the school needs. This study verified the Physical Education (PE) Teachers knowledge from Santa Cecilia-SC public teaching related to first aid. It featured in descriptive nature, transversal, with quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data. Eleven PE teachers participated of the study. For the data collection, it was developed a questionnaire addressing conceptual aspects, procedures and attitudes concerning professional daily life. From the total, only one teacher did not have the first aid subject at the college. Teachers in their minority feel able to provide the first aid and even take on the situations, showing satisfactory theory knowledge, however in real life they feel insecure to act on before serious situations. It points out that more than 80% know how to act before less aggravating calls. Nonetheless, during cardiopulmonary arrest (CPR) and hemorrhages, they reported the need of an updated training. Mainly in children, they do not feel safe to provide the aid. It was possible to conclude that Physical Education Teachers showed a satisfactory level of knowledge in theory, however it suggest courses periodic updates.</p><p class="resumoabstract"><strong>Keywords</strong>: First Aid. Faculty. Physical Education and Training.</p>


Author(s):  
V. N. Krasnoshchekova ◽  
N. E. Ilyukhin

The functional shifts of the cardiovascular system at high intensity of the labor process for the prevention of psycho-emotional stress of the operating personnel and the prevention of the danger of emergency situations at power plants were studied.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (122) ◽  
pp. 20160414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Moussaïd ◽  
Mubbasir Kapadia ◽  
Tyler Thrash ◽  
Robert W. Sumner ◽  
Markus Gross ◽  
...  

Understanding the collective dynamics of crowd movements during stressful emergency situations is central to reducing the risk of deadly crowd disasters. Yet, their systematic experimental study remains a challenging open problem due to ethical and methodological constraints. In this paper, we demonstrate the viability of shared three-dimensional virtual environments as an experimental platform for conducting crowd experiments with real people. In particular, we show that crowds of real human subjects moving and interacting in an immersive three-dimensional virtual environment exhibit typical patterns of real crowds as observed in real-life crowded situations. These include the manifestation of social conventions and the emergence of self-organized patterns during egress scenarios. High-stress evacuation experiments conducted in this virtual environment reveal movements characterized by mass herding and dangerous overcrowding as they occur in crowd disasters. We describe the behavioural mechanisms at play under such extreme conditions and identify critical zones where overcrowding may occur. Furthermore, we show that herding spontaneously emerges from a density effect without the need to assume an increase of the individual tendency to imitate peers. Our experiments reveal the promise of immersive virtual environments as an ethical, cost-efficient, yet accurate platform for exploring crowd behaviour in high-risk situations with real human subjects.


Author(s):  
Agnes Serbanescu ◽  
Mona Barbu ◽  
Ionut Cristea ◽  
Gina Catrina ◽  
Georgiana Cernica ◽  
...  

A good function of waste-to-energy installation requires knowledge of the combustion characteristics of the fuel and fusion characteristics of the ash produced in the combustion process. Sewage sludge could be considered as renewable fuel due the high quantity of organics of sufficiently high calorific value. The combustion of sewage sludge can cause operating problems due to high ash content containing mineral compounds. This paper presents the oxide composition of three kinds of sewage sludge ashes and the influence on the slagging and fouling process in combustion. For comparation, two coal samples were selected, a low and a high rank coal. The mineral matter were investigated by the X-ray fluorescence analytical technique using the Rigaku CG X-ray Spectrofluorimeter. The evaluation of slagging and fouling process was performed on the basis of some indices: the basic oxides, the base-to-acid ratio, the slagging index and the fouling index. The conclusion based on experimental studies is that depending on mineral content the sewage sludge ash can cause high to moderate slagging and fouling hazard.


Author(s):  
D.Yu. Alekin ◽  
◽  
M.A. Krivova ◽  

Most of the enterprises of the fuel and energy complex are controlled using the automated system that identifies information about the state of the control object, transforms it, makes a control decision and transfers it to the control object. The model of such a system was developed — it consists of 13 blocks. Systematic approach to its building based on the use of linear and nonlinear programming methods is proposed. In some cases, in the event of emergency situations, it becomes difficult for the automated system to make management decisions, and it grants this right to the human operator. The algorithm for solving the problem by the operator was created. For the convenience of its formalization, it was simplified to four basic operations. In the first operation, the information is identified and presented in the formalized form. At the second stage, the information is decoded. Further, the information is analyzed. At the fourth stage, automatic systems turn off and switch to a backup (manual) information control algorithm. The control model is formed based on the mismatch of the current and set values of the object parameters. This is followed by the processing of information, after which the output signal is generated. There are two possible control options — discrete and continuous parameters. The output signal is generated based on the input signal. The analysis of the process of information perception includes two aspects: determining the time of arrival of information and obtaining the necessary data for establishing the algorithm for working actions. The staff forms the required base and conditions for the implementation of these aspects. The output signal control function is built. The expression is obtained for determining the condition, after which the person starts to control. With the developed form of control, the mismatch of the parameters at some point in time tends to zero. Thus, the mechanism for the implementation of human actions in an automated control system was investigated from the moment the «alarm» signal arrives to the formation of tasks by the manager.


Author(s):  
Tayyab Rashid ◽  
Martin Seligman

In Session Thirteen, clients learn about four styles of responding to good news. These include active constructive, active destructive, passive constructive, and passive destructive responding. Of these styles, only Active Constructive Responding (ACR)—the central practice covered in this session—predicts relationship satisfaction. Self-disclosure of positive events is critical for secure bonding and for the development of intimacy. The chapter provides a list of readings, videos, and websites that relate to ACR and offers two worksheets to practice the concepts learned in the chapter. The chapter also includes a real-life case study that illustrates ACR. Tips for using ACR are also provided.


Author(s):  
Adelaida Fanfarová ◽  
Ladislav Mariš

Abstract Currently the natural materials become popular building material for houses, buildings and recreational property. The risk of fires in residential timber construction or eco houses cannot be completely ruled out, therefore there is a need for proper and correct implementing preventive measures and application of all available solutions, which may reduce the risk of fire as far as possible, to slow down the combustion process, to protect the life of people, animals and also the building itself until arrival members of the Fire and Rescue Services. Fireproofing of combustible materials is a specific area of fire protection. For scientific research as well as for real-life practice, not only their structural and physical properties, but also fire-technical characteristics are really important. The present researchers mostly focus on fire-retardant treatment of wood that is why the authors of this contribution focused on a different combustible material. This research article presents the experimental testing and examination of the reaction to fire test of the selected thermal insulation of hemp fiber that was impregnated by the selected fire retardant in laboratory conditions.


Author(s):  
Gene Plavnik

Pulse combustion has been used in a variety of ways since first being discovered in 1877. This a combustion process that occurs under oscillatory conditions with changing state variables, such as pressure, temperature and velocity. This paper looks at the historic uses of pulse combustion, and it provides an overview of this unique process. Pulse combustion has been used to amplify thrust power with the German V-1 rockets. Pulse combustion has been used to optimize flame efficiencies, and it is now reemerging in many new industrial applications including some for Waste to Energy.


Author(s):  
Biraj Subedi ◽  
Sherif M. Gaweesh ◽  
Guangchuan Yang ◽  
Mohamed M. Ahmed

The Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) investigates more than 7,000 vehicle crashes yearly, often as first-hand responders. They often drive at high speeds through difficult road/weather conditions and under enormous secondary workloads, leading to an increased risk of crash. Connected vehicle (CV) technology can communicate timely road and traveler information messages (TIMs) to troopers, which could significantly reduce the frequency, severity, or both, of these crashes. The majority of the troopers, however, might not be familiar with driving a CV. This paper developed a “first responder-specific” training program on safe interaction with the technology and an in-depth assessment of how these new technologies are perceived by the troopers. The training program contains an E-training module and a hands-on driving simulator training module. The E-training presents concept of various CV warnings and notifications, including forward collision warning (FCW), spot weather warnings, work zone warnings, and other TIMs. Two scenarios were developed to familiarize troopers to simulated driving, two single-alert scenarios to help mastering the two most important warnings (FCW and variable speed limit), and two multiple-alert scenarios to train the troopers to drive in a comprehensive connected environment. A quiz section in the E-training module and comprehensive pre- and post-training questionnaire surveys were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed CV training program. According to the trainees from the WHP, the driving simulator provided impressively realistic real-life-like scenarios for the troopers to practice the CV warnings they learned during the E-training.


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