AVESTAR Team Showcases IGCC Dynamic Simulator and 3D Virtual Plant for Gasification Technologies Council (GTC)

NETL hosted the Gasification Technologies Council (GTC) executive committee at the Advanced Virtual Energy SimulationTraining and Research (AVESTAR) Center for IGCC simulator-based demonstrations and collaboration discussions.  In addition to Ms. Alison Kerester, GTC Executive Director, the list of participating GTC executive committee members included leading gasification and IGCC industry experts from Bechtel, CH2MHill, GE, Peabody Energy, Phillips 66, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, RTI, and Siemens. 

After a GTC overview presentation from Ms. Kerester, Dr. Stephen E. Zitney (NETL) presented an overview of the AVESTAR Center including its mission, goals, simulators, facilities, programs, and future directions.  He described the key capabilities and features of AVESTAR’s IGCC real-time dynamic simulator, operator training system (OTS), and 3D virtual immersive training system (ITS) and discussed how NETL is leveraging these technologies in industry workforce training, engineering education, and advanced R&D on IGCC plant operations and control. 

AVESTAR Center trainer, Graham Provost from Fossil Consulting Services, then guided the GTC executive committee through three hands-on demonstration sessions: 1) operating the IGCC dynamic simulator at full power load and observing key operating variables along the syngas flowpath from the outlet of the gasifier to the inlet of the gas turbine, 2) starting up the entrained-flow gasifier on natural gas and air, followed by observation of changes in plant dynamic response, and 3) interacting with virtual ITS plant to view the real-time dynamic gasifier animation and major equipment items while tracing the syngas flowpath operated in the first two OTS sessions. 

The GTC visit concluded with collaboration discussions starting with plans for an AVESTAR overview presentation and hands-on gasification-based OTS/ITS demonstrations in an AVESTAR booth at the 2012 Gasification Technologies Conference on October 28-31 in Washington, DC.  

GTC is the premier trade association for the gasification industry, representing over 70 companies involved in the development, licensing, and use of gasification technologies as well as engineering, construction, equipment manufacture and production of synthesis gas by gasification from coal, petroleum coke, biomass, and waste.  GTC members companies are involved in gasification projects--as plant owners, technologies suppliers or equipment/service providers--and account for more than 95 percent of the world synthesis gas capacity.