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Students get top marks for 'Snowy' simulator

Two engineering students from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne recently presented Snowy Hydro with a control system simulator, to be used at the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme in Australia’s Southern Alps. Developed in conjunction with Snowy Hydro as the students’ final year project, the control system simulator provides the company with a sophisticated training and off-line simulation tool based on advanced control system technology from Rockwell Automation.

Robotics and mechatronics engineering students, Elizabeth Fullagar and Luke Cartwright, handed the control system simulator over to Snowy Hydro’s manager--controls technology, Darryl Eager, at a presentation held at Swinburne’s Hawthorn campus in December. The presentation saw Fullagar and Cartwright explain the design and operation of the simulator to representatives from Snowy Hydro and Swinburne University.

According to Eager, the new control system simulator accurately models Snowy Hydro’s turbine unit control systems, and has exceeded the company’s expectations. “Originally, the intention was to have the students design and build a control system training tool where ‘close enough is good enough’,” he said. “In reality, the students have produced a legitimate simulator, which boasts perfect timing and sequencing. It accurately mimics the control systems on site.

“The control system simulator will provide us with unprecedented operational and training flexibility,” continued Eager. “Not only will it allow us to train operators in a very real control environment, it will also enable us to run control simulations offline. We won’t need to take the turbines offline to run such control simulations now that we have the control system simulator.”

Luke Cartwright (left) and Elizabeth Fullagar (middle) hand over the control system simulator to Snowy Hydro's Darryl Eager (right).

At the heart of the control system simulator is an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix controller linked to a multitude of virtual and real analogue and digital input and output signals. A motor controlled with an Allen-Bradley PowerFlex variable-speed drive (VSD) is used to simulate turbine rotation, while an Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus human-machine interface (HMI) displays the control system’s standard interface. An accompanying laptop facilitates simulator configuration and control. Each of the controller, motor/VSD and HMI packages are housed in separate portable enclosures and linked via ControlNet and Ethernet communications networks. Snowy Hydro’s governor control code was also incorporated into the Logix control platform, but remained unchanged.

The recently developed control system simulator will play a significant role in Snowy Hydro’s Scheme Modernisation Project, which includes the replacement of the Snowy Scheme’s 1960/1970 relay logic controls and analogue gauging, with state-of-the art programmable automation controller (PAC) and HMI technologies. “It’s exciting to know that our final year project will be used to bring on-site operators up-to-speed with the new control system,” said Fullagar.

“Combining academia with industry is something Swinburne University is famous for,” said Dr Mehran Ektesabi, senior lecturer and project supervisor. “The University’s industry-based learning (IBL) program provides students and industry with excellent opportunities. Over the years we’ve found that the combination of knowledge, enthusiasm and industry co-operation produces some amazing results. We’re very proud of our highly intelligent and motivated students.”

Both Fullagar and Cartwright completed their IBL placements with Rockwell Automation and continued with part-time roles, which they combined with their final year studies. Here, the pair has gained the opportunity to apply their theoretical and technical knowledge across a range of practical applications. “It’s extremely rewarding to know that, together with Snowy Hydro and Rockwell Automation, we have been able to develop a high-performance simulator, which will be used in a real application on site,” said Cartwright. “All the hard work was worth it!”