A Case Study of a Pulp Mill Dynamic Simulator, 2002 Fall Technical Conference

A pulp mill simulator using dynamic process models and emulated DCS controls produced economic benefits on the Aracruz Mill C Expansion Project. The simulator consists of IDEAS process models and controls configurations for the following areas: cooking and washing (digester), oxygen delignification, brown stock washing and screening, bleaching, pulp drying, evaporators, lime kiln, recausticizing, and chlorine dioxide plants. The benefits realized from employing a simulator on the project include:

• The DCS control system configuration was verified and corrected prior to plant start-up.
• Modifications to control system strategies were made before plant start-up.
• Operators were trained prior to start-up using the actual DCS controls configuration and operator-interface graphics.
• The IDEAS Instructor trainer-interface software coordinated and simplified the various simulator functions, including starting and stopping, saving and loading model “snapshot” conditions, launching training scenarios, and monitoring and evaluating trainee performance.
• Potential process and control system changes can be evaluated with the process simulator in the future.