Shadow Plant Simulation forBasell Spheripol PolymersPolibrasil selected the Basell Spheripol process to expand polypropylene production capacity at their facilities. A critical component of their startup strategy was to establish a comprehensive Operator Training Program to help prepare their plant assets for safe and profitable operation.Honeywell and Basell Work Together to Develop Operator Training SolutionsThe unique business relationship between Basell and Honeywell provides the opportunity to mutually promote comprehensive training solutions in the market of Basell’s corporate producers and external licensees of Spheripol process technology. Past customers include multiple locations for ExxonMobil Chemical and TVK in Hungary.Shadow Plant Simulation Suitability forSpheripol TechnologyBasell provided their proprietary Spheripol technology as dynamic components in Shadow Plant’s simulation engine. The dynamic behavior of the Spheripol reactor has been confirmed by actual plant data captured with information systems in more than 10 Basell plants for various process/equipment configurations, feedstocks and polymer products. These results confirm Shadow Plant’s suitability forof equipment performance, control strategies and operating scenarios during detailed plant design. As a visualization tool, Shadow Plant models help engineers make better decisions by seeing future behavior of plant assets prior to initial operations. This establishes a formal management of change process for evaluating, improving and confirming readiness of plant assets for safe operation. This also ensures trainees are presented with realistic behavior preparing them for operation.Basell Process Knowledge Embedded in Shadow PlantThe SolutionThe Honeywell Shadow Plant System is a dynamic simulator specifically designed for training operators and maintenance personnel in the process industries. Besides meeting training requirements, the simulation is also ideally suited for other uses, such as validation of plant design, verification of control configuration and testing of ‘what if’ scenarios by engineers and operators. The simulator is customized to exactly replicate the actual plant and operate effectively in real time for single or multiple units of considerable size and complexity. Based on Windows XP, the software is unmatched in plant replication accuracy.The intuitive Shadow Plant interface is designed to easily run simulation sequences, trigger process upsets, monitor the process and document performance. With its open design, users can also build, tune and update the simulation model and perform diagnostic actions through controlled access to the simulator. Shadow Plant delivers realism so accurate it is hard to tell the difference between the simulation and the real plant.Results•The start-up procedure was agreed upon with the Basell start-up team so that they could ensure that the entire sequence was perfectly understood and could be repeated many times by board operators prior tothe actual plant start-up.•Basell's start-up team committed fewer people to the site for a shorter period of time than usual.•Basell started the Gas Phase Reactor in a very short period after the HOMO start-up. Basell was running at nominal throughput since the second month ofoperation.•Introduced Operators to the complex inter-relationships between the process controls andinterlock system.•Opportunities were identified to optimize operating procedures and control configuration prior tooperation.•Operators were prepared and confident that they could respond appropriately to abnormal situations. BenefitsOperator Security −Operators came from a plant that used PLCs and pneumatic controllers only and they easily adapted to the dynamics of a Distributed Control System.Operator Learning −The customized control system helped Operators learn about new interlock systems being introduced in their plant.Improved Start-Up −Polibrasil prepared for startup while achieving nominal production rates months ahead of schedule with fewer people assigned to the startup team.Predictive Behavior − Non-intuitive plant behavior shown on the simulator was confirmed in the real world.Efficient Plant Operations− The plant operated closer to constraints, reducing operating costs, maximizing plant availability and improved product quality.Shadow Plant Integration withExisting ApplicationsShadow Plant is also integrated with the Experion™ Process Knowledge System (PKS). It makes use of Honeywell’s regulatory and safety management products providing a foundation to build advanced applications (like Profit® Suite) and information systems. In doing this, the training simulator is well suited to serve as a build and runtime environment for automation system development enabling a management of change process allowing control system engineers to evaluate and enhance system configurations in the lab prior to plant migration.SummaryHoneywell’s Shadow Plant System and lifecycle work practice helped Polibrasil prepare for startup while achieving nominal production rates months ahead of schedule with fewer people assigned to the startup team. Shadow Plant played a very important role in this successful start-up, which was better than the customer’s best expectationsShadow Plant® and Profit® are registered trademarks and Experion™ is a trademark of Honeywell International.Experion PKSServerHoneywell ICONOperator ConsolePlant NetworkShadow PlantInstructor Station Shadow Plant FieldOperator StationShadow Plant Engineering Station Experion PKS Sim-C200Experion PKS Sim-C200Experion PKS Sim-C200Shadow Plant is founded on the Experion Process Knowledge System.For More InformationTo learn more about how Honeywell’s Shadow Plant System can improve your people performance, visit our Web site or contact your Honeywell account manager.Honeywell Process Solutions 2500 Union Hills Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85027 Tel: 1.877.466.3993 SS-04-111-ENG November 2004 Printed in USA© 2004 Honeywell International Inc.。