The LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology (CPET) has taken another step to prepare students and incumbent workers for the modern workplace by creating a digital twin of the center's glycol unit.
"Many of our industry partners have expressed interest in digital transformation to remain competitive in today's business landscape," said Clarissa Belbas, CPET's director of resources. "By utilizing some of the accessible digitization tools, we can simultaneously use them as teaching resources for our students and training resources for our industry partners."
The digital twin was created in partnership with Becht Engineering and AVEVA Software. Matthew Craig, a senior advisor with Becht, used high-definition cameras to create simulations and models that result in a three-dimensional view of the unit.
"The real power of this technology is realized when the digital model is used to integrate other sources of data," said Belbas. "We are able to input information about inspections, maintenance and realtime engineering data at each source point, making the model a replica of the actual unit, hence the name 'digital twin.'"
As the industry looks toward digital transformation, the petrochemical workers of tomorrow will need to be a digitally literate workforce. With this technology available, CPET instructors are able to ensure their students can navigate as easily in the digital world as they navigate through operating facilities.
"The digital twin has been wonderful in the classrooms so far," Belbas said. "During COVID-19, instructors were able to use the technology to show their students the unit without having to compromise social distancing. The digital twin can be accessed remotely from any device and is housed on the AVEVA server."
By housing the digital twin on a server, participants can view the software from anywhere, making it versatile for not only students training to go into the field, but also companies looking to implement the software themselves.
"Our goal is to use this technology with our own students, but also to host training opportunities for industry partners looking to educate themselves on the ins and outs of digital transformation," said Belbas. "By taking courses on digitization, the current workforce can see a demonstration and become comfortable using the software themselves."
The digital twin is the first step the LyondellBasell CPET has taken to answer the industry's demand for digital transformation, but it won't be the last.
"We are looking toward the future of the industry and hope that we can always serve as a training facility for the future of the petrochemical workforce," said Belbas.
For more information about the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology or the digital twin, visit www.sanjac.edu/cpet.
