Models for Training on a Gas Turbine Power Plant

In México, near 15% of the installed electrical energy of CFE, the Mexican Utility Company is based on gas turbine plants.The economical and performance results of a power plant are related to different strategies like modernisation, management, and the training of their operators.The Advanced Training Systems and Simulation Department (GSACyS) of the Electrical Research Institute (IIE) in México is a group specialised in training simulators that designs and implements tools and methodologies to support the simulators development, exploitation, and maintenance.The GSACyS has developed diverse works related with the training.The main covered areas by the IIE developments are: computer based training systems, test equipment simulators, and simulators for operators training.To use real time full scope simulators is one of the most effective and secure way to train power plant operators.According to Hoffman (1995), by using simulators the operators can learn how to operate the power plant more efficiently.In accordance with Fray and Divakaruni (1995), even not full scope simulators are successfully used for operators training.Some advantages of using simulators for training are the ability to train on malfunctions, transients and accidents; the reduction of risks of plant equipment and personnel; the ability to train personnel on actual (reproduced) plant events; a broader range of personnel can receive effective training, and eventually, high standard individualised instruction or selftraining (with simulation devices planned with these capabilities).In the case of simulators, situations "what would have happened if…" arises when a cost benefit analysis is sought.A classical analysis for fuel power plants simulators (Epri, 1993) identified profit of simulators in four classes: availability savings, thermal performance savings, component life savings, and environmental compliance savings.A payback of about three months was estimated.Most often, the justification for acquiring an operators training simulator is based on estimating the reduction in losses (Hosseinpour and Hajihosseini, 2009).It is not difficult to probe the benefits for high-capacity plants where savings means millions of dollars for a few days of un-productivity.Besides, the ability of the simulator to verify the automation system and provide operators with a better www.intechopen.com Compressor TurbineCombustor www.intechopen.com How to referenceIn order to correctly reference this scholarly work, feel free to copy and paste the following:Edgardo J. Roldan-