March 22, 2016
Hydromantis - Water Environment Federation (WEF) Roll out "Flight Simulator" Computer Based Operations Challenge at South Carolina Environmental Conference
A Bold New Frontier
On Sunday March 13th, 2016 the wastewater industry crossed a major new threshold. For the first time in the history of our profession, simulation software was incorporated into the industry's most high profile, competitive event – the WEF Ops Challenge, during the South Carolina Regional Qualifying Event.
About the WEF OPS Challenge
The Water Environment Federation's Operations Challenge (Ops challenge) is THE premier competitive event for operators in the global wastewater industry. The Ops Challenge competition tests the skills of operators in five (5) events that include – safety, laboratory, process control, collection systems and maintenance. Each participating team is sponsored by a WEF Member Association or recognized Operator Association.
Starting with regional events in the US, Canada and Germany, teams compete for a place in the finals, which take place during the annual WEFTEC event. The WEFTEC 2015 event had 44 competing team, including two from Germany. Winners are determined by a weighted point system for five events (collection systems, laboratory, process control, maintenance and safety), each designed to test the diverse skills required for the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment facilities, collection systems and laboratories.
Heralding a New Dawn
About a year ago, the WEF Operations Challenge committee expressed their vision for the inclusion of a simulation based challenge into the process control event. The process control part of the test has traditionally been a paper and pencil test.
Hydromantis was uniquely positioned to make this vision become a reality. For the last decade, we have pioneered the development of "flight simulator" styled platforms that provide facilities with 3D process simulator interfaces that can be used for operator training, facilitating plant optimization, enabling "what-if" analysis and supporting facility planning.
Bird's eye view of a wastewater plant vs 3D version of the Plant in Hydromantis' SimuWorksTM Platform
"Flight Simulator" of Wastewater Treatment
Just like a "Flight Simulator" the OpTool provides users with a realistic three (3) dimensional operational environment. Hydromantis' platform for the WEF Ops Challenge called the "OpTool" provides multiple challenge questions (poor BOD removal, Biological and Chemical Phosphorus removal, Nitrification failure, energy and chemical cost optimization, etc.) that feature realistic operational issues that the operators are required to address in order to bring the facility into compliance. The OpTool also features a countdown clock. To make the required operational changes, operators click on the relevant unit processes (e.g., aeration tanks, sludge wastage tanks, clarifiers, etc.), make the required adjustments and run the simulator. The real life implications of taking the specific actions are then reflected in the simulation output.
An Example Screenshot of the OpTool
Kevin Ganley (Left) & Troy Newton (Right) of the Controlled Chaos Team Set a Record as the First Team to Take Part in the Simulation Based Process Control Event
Teams Taking the Ops Challenge Simulation Event
What's Next?
Simulation programs like the OpTool are the future of our industry. As regulations become more stringent and facilities are increasingly adopting new technologies and operational strategies to meet nutrient removal or resource recovery goals at their facilities, simulators that allow operators to be trained in a risk way, while also providing a platform for process optimization will become increasingly integrated into plant operations.
As they have always done, the industry leading operators who compete in the WEF Operations Challenge are blazing the train and demonstrating that process simulation is indeed a process skill, and that they have what it takes to master this platform for enhancing operations.
Want to Know More?
To learn more about how this tool can support your operations, please email snowling@hydromantis.com