Aspen DMC3 Builder - APC Project Pretesting Using a Virtual Plant

Course Id:  APC230   |   Duration:  2.00 day(s)   |   CEUs Awarded:  1.4   |   Level:  Intermediate

Course Objective

Develop hands-on experience for controller pretesting and deployment using AspenTech's Virtual Plant, The Virtual Plant is a high-fidelity dynamic process model that responds like a real plant. Attendees will learn real-world control practice as they use the Virtual Plant to execute the pre-testing phase of an APC project. This course also teaches new control engineers essential process control concepts that have been traditionally learned on the job. Upon completion of this course attendees will have completed the equivalent of a full APC pre-testing project.

Course Overview

  • This course uses DMC3 Builder for Modeling, Building and Simulation
  • Define the preliminary design phase for an Advanced Process Control project
  • Prepare Data Collection files
  • Discuss the workflow for a preliminary plant test
  • Startup and monitor data collection
  • Create benefits calculations for key performance indicators
  • Examine the concepts to assess and tune PID loops and evaluate instruments
  • Analyze the concept of creating a "seed" model for a SmartStep controller
  • Configure the parameters of a SmartStep controller
  • Discuss the workflow of a formal Step Test
  • Turn on a SmartStep controller to begin a formal Step Test

Benefits

  • Develop hands-on control experience using AspenTech’s Virtual Plant, while under the guidance of a seasoned process control engineer
  • Bridge the gap from academic process control concepts to real-world control practice

Audience

  • Engineers who will work on Advanced Process Control projects
  • Project managers who need to understand the scope of Advanced Process Control projects

Approach

  • Workshops are based on a high-fidelity, 1st principles Virtual Plant – a dynamic simulation of an actual process.  Students use an individual Virtual Plant to get hands‑on control experience in a classroom environment
  • This course quickly teaches new control engineers essential process control concepts that have been traditionally learned on the job

Prerequisites

APC105 Introduction to Aspen DMC3 Builder for APC Engineers

Subsequent Courses

APC240 Aspen DMCplus - APC Project Step Testing and Commissioning Using a Virtual Plant

Class Schedule

Class Agenda

APC230: Aspen DMC3 Builder - APC Project Pretesting Using a Virtual Plant

Overview of APC Project Pretesting

  • Learn how to conduct a Preliminary Plant Test including:
  • PID assessment and tuning
  • Instrument evaluation
  • Data Collection Preparation
  • Data Collection Execution
  • Test Monitoring
  • Seed Model Setup
  • Initial Steps to assess step sizes and key relationships
  • Identify and explain the process information for the Virtual HYSYS Gas Plant (HGP).
  • Virtual-HGP Documentation will be used as a reference for subsequent course workshops
  • Workshop: Pretesting Preparation – Offsite - Start data collection using the AspenTech Virtual Plant. Verify proper operation. Monitoring the data.

Collecting and Extracting Data
  • Discuss basic requirements and methods for APC data collection 
  • Set up data collection.
  • Workshop: Collecting and Extracting Data using:
  • Aspen Watch and PID Watch.
  • Aspen IQ’s Data Collection (DC) module.
  • Aspen DMC3 Builder Collect.
  • Aspen InfoPlus.21 records

Configure Benefits Calculations
  • Recognize the importance of online benefit calculation
  • Identify and explain the Aspen DMC3 and Aspen Watch parameters that are related to benefit calculations
  • Discuss the types of benefit calculations that can be used
  • Review the recommended techniques for benefit calculations
  • Show the application of benefit calculations in Aspen Watch
  • Workshop:  Define and modify the benefits calculation in Aspen Watch Maker. View benefit calculation from the Web Viewer

Monitoring PID Loops
  • Explain the basic causes of poor PID control loop performance
  • Justify the need for PID control loop performance monitoring
  • Explain the basic PID Watch architecture
  • Use PID Watch in an interactive session
  • Import control loop data into PID Watch
  • Use the APC Web Interface to configure PID groups
  • View PID loop data on the APC Web Interface
  • Workshop: Monitoring PID Loops – Use the Aspen PID Watch in evaluating PID controller performance by using Performance Index and other analysis plots. Analyze the performance of several loops and decide whether or not tuning changes are warranted

Tuning PID Loops
  • Explain the methodology to use to determine tuning adjustments for PID controllers using Aspen PID Watch
  • Identify dynamic models for PID controller response
  • Determine recommended tuning parameters using Aspen PID Watch
  • Explain how desired controller robustness can be reflected using Aspen PID Watch
  • Workshop: Tuning PID Loops – Identify dynamic models and calculate optimal PID Tuning parameters

Generate a Seed Model
  • Explain the purpose of having a seed model
  • Describe different methods of creating a seed model
  • Configure initial controller tuning for an automated step test
  • Workshop: Generate a seed (rough) model for SmartStep

Aspen Technology, Inc. awards Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for training classes conducted by our organization. One CEU is granted for every 10 hours of class participation.