Posted: 17 Oct, 2011
As stated in the Operator Qualification Training Requirements by the US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA):
“To assure safety in the transport of hazardous gases and liquids in the nation's pipelines, pipeline operators who perform covered tasks must be qualified. Qualified means that an individual has been evaluated and can perform assigned covered tasks and recognize and react to abnormal operating conditions.”
Pipeline training simulators such as Atmos Trainer has proven to be very effective in assisting pipeline operating companies to train and evaluate operators. Such training tools allow operators to run a virtual pipeline and learn from their mistakes without damaging any equipment or pipeline.
In the rapidly developing world where new pipelines are being built and experienced pipeline operators are scarce, the provision of such a pipeline trainer is essential not only for operators but also supervisors and engineers. This is because no prior data is available for the hydraulic behavior and effect of control systems on the new pipeline until the pipeline is commissioned. Some pipeline companies use either the Trainer or an offline simulator to design the pipeline operating procedures.
Other applications of the Trainer include simulation of pipeline leaks or ruptures, emulation of PID controllers, loss of production, pump trip, and equipment outages.