TRAX has partnered with ABB and Walleye Power to energize the training program at the Bay Shore Plant. This effort involved updating the training simulator to match the plant's current configuration and controls. The joint effort continued an established history of responsible maintenance and operation, aiming to improve operational efficiency while maintaining sustainable practices.
Bay Shore is a small, independent power producer with a co-generation facility on the shore of Lake Erie, providing both power and steam to clients. Formerly part of the FirstEnergy fleet, the Bay Shore Plant changed hands in 2018 to Walleye Power, LLC.
The Bay Shore Plant configuration is complex and requires highly skilled and trained operators. The circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler is more intricate than the average drum boiler, and uses limestone injection to capture SO2 and NOx from the petroleum coke (petcoke) the plant uses for fuel. Bay Shore provides 171 MW of power to their clients, as well as steam to a nearby refinery, which is in turn a supplier of the petcoke used to fuel the boiler.
TRAX first simulated the Bay Shore Plant in 2005, with a hybrid simulation of the ABB Symphony controls. After delivery, TRAX trained Bay Shore operators on a variety of plant operating modes including startup, shutdown, and normal and abnormal conditions.
Bay Shore has maintained this training tool with periodic updates, including a control system update and then a major activated carbon injection (ACI) addition in 2016 that reflected changes in the plant’s configuration. TRAX modeled the injection of powdered activated carbon into the boiler flue gas ductwork, which uses carbon solids to adsorb the mercury vapor. The simulation of this system included the storage silo for the powdered carbon, hoppers, fans and blowers, solids metering devices, ducts, and valves. All changes within ABB's DCS were modeled.
The 2025 Bay Shore simulator upgrade effort involved working with ABB to replace the old hybrid simulator configuration (using emulated controls and actual ABB HMI) with a new ABB virtual control system. The ABB virtual control system is an exact replicate of the plant controls and HMI graphics providing an ideal training platform. During this upgrade, the simulator was retuned to match the current plant operating conditions.
The importance of having the control vendor and simulator vendor work closely and effectively together cannot be stressed enough. The level of cooperation and familiarity between ABB and TRAX is unparalleled, having delivered over 70 full-scope power plant simulators together, of which over 25 were as market partners. Together, we work to optimize performance, smooth processes, enhance transparency, and ensure satisfaction for our clients.
TRAX has delivered a carbon capture simulator for a 150 MW coal-fired unit that models the capture of the full flue gas stream. The system provides both CO2 and SO2 capture, delivering the captured CO2 to a pipeline for industrial use and underground storage.
—CO2 and SO2 capture
—Sulfuric acid plant
—CO2 and SO2 amines filtration and purification
—CO2 compression
—CO2 pipeline and cavern
As shown below, TRAX built a modular simulation replicating the plant layout using our software, ProTRAX. ProTRAX contains a full suite of modules specific to carbon capture functions and can model a wide variety of processes. TRAX also virtually replicated the user interface that appears in the plant.
Upon initial delivery, the TRAX simulator was used to debug control logic and processes prior to site installation and to provide operations training prior to plant startup. There was a clear need to begin training operators as early as possible since they had multiple unfamiliar systems to learn.
Thanks to the ProTRAX simulator, our customer gained considerable insight into control functionality and system interactions, resulting in modification to some control logic and correction of simple errors. TRAX was able to assist with controls tuning, and helped in development of initial plant Operating Procedures.
The latest upgrade brings the model into alignment with the as-built plant condition by updating and tuning the simulator models to match the current plant dynamics. In addition, TRAX has updated the simulator controls and HMI graphics to the as-built state. Keeping the simulator aligned with the current plant condition is critical to maintaining a positive training value, and is of paramount importance to the customer.
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