Interactive complex simulation model (ICSM) – oil transport trunk pipeline

Purpose

The ICSM model is intended to help trainees involved in the technology of oil transport along trunk pipelines acquire theoretical knowledge and develop practical skills. It helps master practical skills to carry out switching operations in the oil trunk pipeline sections. The ICSM provides a visual presentation of non-standard fast hydrodynamic processes and training specialists in the automated oil trunk pipeline technology.

Components

The ICSM model consists of the scaled models of the technological equipment for oil pump station and the linear pipeline section, i.e. the models of:

one main oil pump station;
two intermediate oil pump stations using different pumping technologies;
a tank farm consisting of 4 different tanks (a vertical steel tank (VST), a discharge VST, a tank with a floating cover and a tank with a pontoon);
a mountain pipeline section providing for the formation of a gas pocket which allows to study and analyze the causes of gas pocket formation and ways and means to remove it from the pipeline;
the linear pipeline section equipped with inspection gauges (PIGs, scrapers, provers, etc.). These devices are launched from PIG/scraper launcher stations and travel through the pipeline to be received at any other station downstream;
the oil metering system which includes a prover to inspect the internal pipeline parameters.

Description

The ICSM, accurately and exactly representing the technological site, should have necessary and obligatory elements, i.e. dynamically changing illumination of the technological process components as well as moving fluids and devices launched into the pipeline which imitate the process flow dynamics.

The process flow mathematical model is used to control the operation of the entire dynamic part of the ICSM model. The hydrodynamic model makes real-time calculations for the pressure, flow rate and temperature values throughout the whole length of the pipeline system.

In its turn, the technological process is controlled from the touch-screen control panel. Such a design of the ICSM complete with the control panel guarantees that trainees are sure to take interest in the on-going process and it also allows them to join in controlling the process and to change parameters in the process operating conditions. In general terms, the control panel screen is the operator’s simplified workstation that works according to this principle – “press the button and get the result”. The panel allows to view and send to a large screen (via a projection unit) the 3D process model, PowerPoint presentations and the process flow control panel itself (with the options to switch on and off the process flow equipment and to change parameters in the operating conditions).