The Essential Power Plant Training Requirements for Combined Cycle Operators

Operating an electricity-generating plant requires knowledge, technical skills and expertise that can only be gained through practical power plant training. Years of brownouts and load-shedding have made South Africans more aware of how much they rely on electricity at home and work. However, they seldom give much thought to the operators and engineers responsible for generating it.

The vast majority of the nation’s electricity relies on burning coal to heat water and produce the steam needed to drive the turbines of a generator. The combined cycle plant uses diesel or natural gas to power a gas turbine, and the excess hot exhaust is captured and re-routed to heat the water to drive a secondary steam turbine, increasing power output by around 50%. Power station workers are constantly exposed to dangers due to fire, explosions, burns and electric shock. Consequently, their training must focus as much on safety as on productivity.

The specifics of operator training differ according to the plant type, but the overall requirements are similar. Courses should provide both theoretical background and practice.

The Theoretical Content of a Power Plant Training Course

• Technical background: Operators should have a comprehensive understanding of how their power plant works and the theory behind the operation of essential components, such as gas and steam turbines, heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), boilers and condensers.

• Safety awareness: Power plant training should ensure operators are fully aware of all potential hazards and the recommended safety protocols, emergency procedures and industry standards.

• Environmental awareness: There is widespread evidence of the connection between atmospheric pollution, global warming and climate change. As a result, trainees must be taught the related environmental regulations and procedures necessary to minimise emissions from power plants to ensure compliance with the applicable local and national laws.

• Analytical skills: Combined cycle power plant training should include analysing operational data, detecting and interpreting trends and making informed decisions based on the findings. Learners might also be introduced to specialised data analysis tools like SCADA to identify weaknesses and improve plant performance.

• Maintenance: To maintain systems and equipment, trainees must understand their operational principles and frequently encountered problems. They will, therefore, require a basic knowledge of electrical and mechanical systems, fault detection and remediation.

The above aspects of operating a combined cycle power plant can all be adequately conveyed in a classroom. Videos, animations and other visual aids can help get the relevant points across, while textbooks, interaction with experienced personnel and doing the job all help to reinforce them. Other theoretical topics could include troubleshooting, communication and collaboration and stress management.

However, providing a trainee operator with practical experience poses rather more of a challenge. On-the-job practice can work well and pose few problems for activities like carpentry, welding or operating a lathe, but extreme care is vital in power stations where mistakes can have serious consequences.

Practical Power Plant Training

Ultimately, trainees must be competent to perform the following activities:

• Control room operations: Practical training might begin with the control and coordination of the startup and shutdown procedures for the various components of a combined cycle power plant. These include gas and steam turbines, heat recovery steam generators and auxiliary systems.

• Load management: Trainees must learn how to adjust and stabilise the plant’s power output to match the varying demands of the consumer. Doing so will require them to coordinate the performance of the gas and steam turbines.

• Controlling the water and steam cycles: These exercises will familiarise the trainee with controlling the pumps that adjust feedwater flow and the mechanisms to regulate steam temperature and pressure. This section might also cover adjustments to the operation of steam and gas turbines, such as blade angles, coordinating bypass systems, and adjusting the fuel supply for optimum combustion efficiency.

• Monitoring safety systems and handling emergencies: Operators must learn to keep an eye on the alarms and trip signals that warn of fire and system malfunctions. They must also practice the appropriate emergency responses to contingencies like unexpected load changes and equipment failures.

Safety is Vital for Practical Power Plant Training

The dangers of allowing untrained operators to practice on live systems are self-evident, which is why many trainers reject the traditional on-the-job approach in favour of interactive simulations. One can create emergency scenarios with no real-world consequences and enable trainees to learn from their mistakes in total safety.SimGenics specialises in simulations for the energy industry. Why not get in touch to ensure safety and efficiency for your combined cycle power plant training?