Ask Aaron Crews

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 in the control system technology (the literal hardware and software used will be different that what was there before), from the unknowns in existing facilities (often the personnel who implemented the system are no longer around, and documentation is scarce), and in risk to the project itself (running over budget or causing production losses or deferrals).  Because of these risks, manufacturers often reflexively decide to try to reduce or eliminate any changes that they can.  They focus on “replacement in kind” as a method of doing no harm to an existing operation.

For me, this approach is antithetical to the rationale of the project – for what purpose or with what justification would you take on the costs and risks of replacing an automation system with a new one that does exactly what you’ve been doing for the last several decades? This would be the equivalent of replacing your old landline with an iPhone or Android and insisting that it have physical buttons and beeps at you when another call comes in.  While you have kept things the “same,” things are never the same – and you’ve left untold amounts of value on the table along the way.

Over time, we have really mastered an approach to these projects which allows for a true modernization – delivering the newest features and functionality along with state-of-the-art controls – while appropriately mitigating risk. Key to this is proper planning and change management. This is where dynamic simulation comes in. Over the course of these conversations, I hope to highlight a lot of different places and strategies for application of simulation, but here are the main spots:

• Project testing and checkout – simulation enables smoother startup by allowing for testing of scenarios that would otherwise not be testable until after commissioning. This is key to a safe and smooth startup without production impacts.
• Operator training – since operators will have to start up the plant on a new control system, dynamic simulation mitigates risks by getting the operators familiar with the new system and starts to build the muscle memory of running the plant before the stakes are high.
• Performance improvements – these projects are huge opportunities to improve the performance of the plant with better-designed regulatory control, optimized tuning, alarm management, advanced control, state-based control, and improved graphics. Simulation offers the ability to test and validated these new strategies and to deliver real return on the project’s investment while mitigating the risks of change.