We ask Ron:
How does curiosity drive a problem-solving mindset?
Ron's Response:
Curiosity is the cornerstone of a problem-solving mindset. It’s about asking “why” at every opportunity—not just when something goes wrong but to understand the deeper principles at play. Simulation training nu
...We ask Ron:
How can simulation training cultivate a problem-solving mindset?
Ron's Response:
To answer this question let us approach this from three different perspectives. There are three powerful perspectives that form the foundation of this mindset:
- Curiosity and Openness to Possibil ...
We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best temperature measurement installation?
Greg's Response:
Temperature RTD sensors should use 4 wires and TC sensors should use extension wires of same material as sensor with length as short as possible to minim
...We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best temperature measurement selection?
Greg's Response:
Temperature is often the most important of the common measurements because it is an indicator of process stream composition and product quality. Temperature
...We ask Ron:
How can simulators be used to train operations and test Anti-Surge controllers to prevent surge conditions in centrifugal compressors?
Ron's Response:
Let us first look at a definition from Kumar Dey “Centrifugal compressor surge is a characteristic behavior of the compressor t
...We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best lime system design for pH control?
Greg's Response:
Lime feeders have a transportation delay that is proportional to the length of the feeder divided by its speed. This transportation delay may be several min
...We ask Ron:
How can simulation training improve operations' responsiveness to changing conditions in a dynamic environment?
Ron's Response:
Whenever an incident occurs the investigators freeze time and slowly break down the sequence of events—viewing it from all perspectives. If only we co
...We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best liquid reagent dilution for pH control?
Greg's Response:
A common misconception is that the slope of the titration curve and, therefore, the system sensitivity can be decreased by reagent dilution. Reagent di
...We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best liquid reagent delivery for pH control?
Greg's Response:
If the reagent pipeline is partially filled or empty or a dip tube is backfilled with process fluid, the regent delivery delay becomes the biggest sour
...We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best reagent selection for pH control?
Greg's Response:
For a reagent dose to be precise enough, the reagent’s logarithmic acid dissociation constant (pKa) should be close to the pH set point so that it tends to f
...We ask Ron:
How does stress impact decision-making, and how can training help mitigate the physiological effects of stress?
Ron's Response:
In the last pod we discussed how stress can impact performance and what are some of the physiological responses to stress.Â
In her book, The Unthinka...
We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best control valve deign for pH control?
Greg's Response:
Stick and slip generally occur together and have a common cause of friction in the actuator design, stem packing, and seating surfaces. Rotary valves with
...We ask Ron:
How can stress affect decision making and how training will reduce the physiological responses?
Ron's Response:
Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was quoted as saying that the moments before the emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549 were "the worst sickening, pit-o
...We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best static mixer use for pH control?
Greg's Response:
Static mixer have noisy pH measurements. Signal filtering can help but a downstream volume is needed to provide smoothing of pH oscillations that can be large
...We ask Ron:
Why do we need to justify the investment in developing and maintaining successful training programs?
Ron's Response:
Developing a simulator program involves a financial commitment and resources to be successful. This continues after the initial installation of the facility. One
...We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best vessel design for pH control?
Greg's Response:
pH systems are extremely sensitive to the vessel design. A poor design can make good pH control impossible in nearly all systems despite the use of the most adva
...We ask Aaron:
You’ve mentioned the desire to avoid “replacement in kind” and to deliver ROI a couple of times.  It’s not intuitive where that return would come from on a DCS replacement project – where is the value? What’s the role for simulation there?
Aaron's Response:
When we talk about
...We ask Ron:
Why is it important to understand the relationship and interaction between the human and machine for training?
Ron's Response:
Several years ago, Gary Klein and Joseph Borders completed a study of operators’ mental models that involved watching how they navigated through proces
...We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best titration curve critical for pH system design?
Greg's Response:
The titration curve is the most important piece of information for designing, commissioning, and troubleshooting pH control systems. Lab titrati
...We ask Aaron:
How has dynamic simulation changed the way you approach control system upgrades?
Aaron's Response:
Fundamentally, I think this is a two-way street. The way that simulation has changed the way I approach system modernization projects has shifted almost hand-in-hand with the wa
...We ask Ron:
What are some key components of maintaining a successful simulator training program?
Ron's Response:
Unfortunately, far too many simulators have become dust collectors after their initial installation. They may have been developed for the initial startup of a facility and then
...We ask Aaron:
What is the role of dynamic simulation in control system modernization?
Aaron's Response:
In control system modernization projects – that is, brownfield projects designed to replace and improve the automation systems in plants – the focus is on risk.  Risks come from changes
...We ask Greg:
What role do you see dynamic simulation playing in the future of best minimization of pH system cost?
Greg's Response:
Because of the pressure to minimize capital costs, a project may sell itself short on the number of stages required. The basic rule from the 1970s was that a w
...We ask Ron:
Why is the selection and development of training scenarios key to a successful program?
Ron's Response:
There are a few areas to focus on when developing simulator scenarios.
- The development of process knowledge, i.e. Distillation, heat exchange, chemical reactions. Scenario ...