The past few years have seen a great number of experienced control room operators retiring, while faster promotions are bringing new operators into the control room sooner than ever before. In addition, the rapid construction of power plants in developing countries has created a dire need for effective methods of training personnel who have not had extensive experience in power plant operation.
Additional operator training challenges can result from new plant construction and control system upgrades. In some cases, drastic changes in control facilities, such as the change from conventional hardwire panels to screen-based operation, can take time to adapt to, even for experienced operators. In other cases, operators may have had no prior experience with DCS controls. The simulator provides the perfect method of introduction and training.
Still other challenges result from the need for qualification programs that are objective, consistent, and easy to document. Simulation based training provides the perfect vehicle for such training. |
