China: RSI Delivers Operator Training Simulator to Hanas LNG

RSI, the world leading dynamic simulation solutions provider, delivered an Operator Training Simulator (OTS) system to HANAS LNG in July 2011.

Ningxia Hanas LNG is the largest LNG plant built in China to date. It is located in Yinchuan, capital city of Ningxia Hu autonomous region in China and has two LNG trains with a capacity of 400,000 tonnes/year each, using SMR(1) liquefaction technology from Air Products.

The contract for the design and construction of the plant was awarded to Technip in 2009.

Ningxia Hanas New Energy Group contracted Technip and RSI for a fast track development of a high fidelity Operator Training Simulator (OTS) for their Ningxia Hanas LNG plant.

Building on the success with a similar collaborative concept provided to Yemen LNG, Technip and RSI supplied a high fidelity OTS model consisting of the following process sections:

• Feed gas and compression

• Natural gas treatment sections

• Liquefaction and refrigerant compression (APCI SMR Process)

• Boil off gas compression

• LNG storage

• Hot oil system

RSI emulated the Emerson DeltaV DCS for the basic process control (BPC) and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS).

During the Acceptance Test of the OTS, various scenarios were analyzed by Technip, RSI and Hanas LNG including overall shutdown and start-up. Testing along with Technip LNG engineering experts confirmed that the OTS realistically reflects the plant behavior over the full start-up sequence and during stable operations, in particular, the complex interactions between the operating parameters such as the MR(2) pressure, MR composition all around the MR loop, temperatures within the MCHE(3), JT(4) valves opening. Operators will be able to better understand the operations and the dynamic response of the plant.

The OTS system has been implemented to familiarize operators with the system prior to start-up phase, and the DCS emulation will allow operators to get familiar with the utilization of the DCS before its delivery to site.

Notes:

(1) SMR: Single mixed refrigerant

(2) MR: Mixed Refrigerant

(3) MCHE: Main Cryogenic Heat Exchanger

(4) JT: Joule-Thomson

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Source: RSI, August 23, 2011;