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DUPONT ACID PLANT OPERATOR TRAINING

FINAL REPORT

John Rodammer

DuPont

Wilmington, Delaware 19805

Prepared for

AIChE Convention

Clearwater, Florida

June 2012

v

ABSTRACT

DuPont owns and operates 10 sulfuric acid facilities in North America and has

over 100 years of experience in the safe and reliable operation of sulfuric acid plants.

DuPont is recognized as a standard-bearer of operational discipline and world class safety

performance and has demonstrated that design, operation and maintenance are closely

linked for reliable and sustainable operations.

In 2005, DuPont launched an aggressive plan to commission a total of 5 new

refinery-based spent acid regeneration (SAR) plants with the most recent start-up

occurring in 2008. This growth was featured in the spring / summer 2009 issue of

Sulfuric Acid Today magazine. In conjunction with new plant commissioning, DuPont

managed the revamp of 2 additional single absorption plants, installing additional towers

in dual absorption configurations to meet lower emissions targets.

A major challenge faced by DuPont leadership involved staffing and training.

Five new teams of operators were recruited, hired, and trained in order to insure the safe

start-up and on-going operation of the new and revamped plants. DuPont utilized a

combination of established corporate processes combined with specially built proprietary

process simulators to train and develop competency among the newly created DuPont

operating teams.

This paper will provide insight into the process followed by DuPont to hire and

train over 80 new operators as well as re-train existing operators on new plant

configurations. The results of our efforts are exceptional, and we look forward to

sharing with the attendees of the 2012 AIChE Conference.

vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thomas Muller – Manufacturing Technology Fellow – For organizing the process

training manuals and leading the TMODS™ SAR/SGR model development.

Ross Wilcox – Process Controls Principle Engineer- For developing the SAR/SGR

TMODS™ simulator model

Michael Bridgers – Manufacturing Technology Principle Engineer – For developing

control strategies and DCS screen configurations for the SAR/SGR plants

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................................v

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .....................................................................................................vi

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................1

Background ................................................................................................................1

Morses Mill Site .........................................................................................................1

Morses Mill Training Goals .......................................................................................2

HIRING PROCESS ...............................................................................................................3

New Operator Hiring Process ....................................................................................3

NEW HIRE TRAINING PROGRAM ...................................................................................4

General Training at Local College .............................................................................4

Field Training.............................................................................................................4

Acid Plant Technology Training ................................................................................5

Operator Training Simulator (OTS)...........................................................................5

TRAINING RESULTS ..........................................................................................................8

1

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

DuPont operates 10 sulfuric acid facilities in North America. Five of these plants

are new Spent Acid Regeneration/Sulfur Gas Recovery Plants (SAR/SGR), where

refinery spent alkylation acid is regenerated in a decomposition furnace along with the

combustion of H2S and ammonia from the refinery acid gas streams. Four of the plants

are sulfur burning plants and one is a combined SAR/sulfur burner plant. DuPont makes

and ships many grades of acid to customers from non-fuming acids to oleum (SO3

absorbed in 100% acid) and liquid SO3. With over 100 years of operating sulfuric acid

plants, DuPont is recognized as a leader in operational discipline and world class safety

performance.

Starting in 2002, the DuPont sulfuric acid business recognized a growing demand

for new refinery spent acid regeneration capacity. DuPont also recognized the benefits of

locating the new SAR plants at refineries and back-integrating into their acid gas system.

With the prospect of five new SAR/SGR plants coming on line at 3 new sites in 3

years, DuPont management initiated an extensive hiring and training program for 80 new

operators. Two of the new sites would handle the entire refinery’s acid gas production.

This would require very high SAR/SGR plant uptime to avoid refinery SO2 emissions or

reduced rates. These SAR/SGR plants were highly

instrumented and design to automatically adjust the process

with varying acid gas rates.

MORSES MILL SITE

Morses Mill is located at the ConocoPhillips

Refinery in Linden, NJ, which is the former Exxon Bayway

Refinery. The site has two 400 ton per day SAR/SGR plants

designed by MECS®

capable of processing refinery spent

acid and acid gas to produce sulfuric acid. Following the

startup of these SAR/SGR plants, the refinery would

Morses Mill Converter

2

dismantle their sulfur recovery (Claus) units, as these units could no longer meet new

EPA SO2 emissions requirements. In addition, the SAR/SGR plants were required to

meet the refinery’s reduced allowable annual flaring incidents requirements. This

location also required that the SAR/SGR plants have NOX and SO2 emissions

significantly below current industry standards in order to keep the Morses Mill site as a

new minor source for NOX and SO2 to avoid a protracted permitting process as a new

major source. These 2 acid plants started up in 2008.

MORSES MILL TRAINING GOALS

The training goals for Morses Mill were simple but challenging:

• ZERO recordable injuries

• Provide functional training to newly hired operating technicians

• Successfully commission and operate two new SAR/SGR plants

In order to meet these goals, DuPont committed to providing extensive safety

training to its employees to include classroom, simulator, and field training. DuPont also

committed to the implementation of an interdependent safety culture by working with

corporate safety resources.

In addition to safety, a high priority was placed on operating discipline in which

operations management required operators to write and review sections of the operating

manual as well as the Standard Operating Conditions (SOCs). The operators also learned

the importance of the Management of Change (MOC) processes and their role in these

processes.

3

HIRING PROCESS

NEW OPERATOR HIRING PROCESS

DuPont considers the hiring process key to

any successful training program, as well as, one of

the most important tasks in starting up a new

facility. DuPont begins with a large pool of

applicants, generally 15 – 20 for each job opening.

After the pool of candidates is established, they go

through a 3-step evaluation process beginning with

a basic aptitude test. These operating technicians

will need a basic understanding of the technology

and control strategies. Candidates that pass the

aptitude test next have interviews with operations

management and experienced technicians from

nearby DuPont sites. The last evaluation step is an

interactive exercise where the candidates get an

opportunity to solve problems in a team

environment.

Morses Mill technician staffing plan was based on a “High Performance Work

System” where technicians rotate from shift work to days for 6 months were they may be

responsible for maintenance planning, personnel, SHE (Safety, Health, Environment)

tasks, or shipping. After 6 months, the day shift rotates back to shift work and 4 other

technicians rotate to days for 6 months. With this staffing concept in mind, candidates

were selected on based on the following criteria:

• Individual growth potential

• Willingness to learn

• Teamwork capabilities

• Personal discipline

About 80% of the new hires had no previous chemical plant operating experience

and none had sulfuric acid experience. The new hires came on-board one year prior to

start-up.

Morses Mill Absorbing Towers

4

NEW HIRE TRAINING PROGRAM

GENERAL TRAINING AT LOCAL COLLEGE

The new hires were immediately enrolled in a Chemical Processing Technology

course at a local college, which provided basic operator training and a good foundation

for personal growth. They completed basic courses in instrumentation and process

equipment before reporting to the Morses Mill site. The college also offered short courses

in problem solving, public speaking, manufacturing, and people skills, which helped the

new operators communicate more openly among themselves and with management.

Since the new facility is located in New Jersey, all field operators were required to have a

boiler license, therefore a course on boiler operations was also given.

FIELD TRAINING

Each operator was assigned a section of the

plant to “own” and develop a commissioning

package. The operating technicians were required to

assemble all P&IDs, pipe and duct isometrics and

equipment drawings for their section. They then

verified proper installation and red-lined the

drawings. They also had to prepare a

commissioning procedure for their section using

vendor operating information and the MECS®

commissioning procedure. When they were done,

the technicians shared their commissioning

packages with the other technicians to leverage the learning.

The technicians had to learn and pass basic skill tests before they were qualified

to work in the field. Typical skills included preparing a pump for maintenance work,

putting a pump back into service, or taking a sulfuric acid sample. In all cases, they were

required to know what protective personal equipment (PPE) was needed.

Absorption Tower Acid Distributor

5

ACID PLANT TECHNOLOGY TRAINING

Classroom training on the sulfuric acid production technology was provided using

the process technology training manual. This manual consists of information from

DuPont’s extensive library of sulfuric acid technology. Information for each section of

the acid production process was condensed into modules by DuPont engineers. Each

module contains basic chemistry with graphs to show equilibrium or temperature profiles.

Many pictures of plant equipment are included, so the new operators can better relate the

theory to the actual acid plant. Each unit operation is described in detail as well as the

overall acid plant operation. Process control and troubleshooting strategies are discussed

in the appropriate sections.

A process knowledge test was given at the end of each module. Operators were required

to obtain a passing grade to remain in the training program.

OPERATOR TRAINING SIMULATOR (OTS)

Management recognized the need for more vigorous process control training for

the new operating technicians in the SAR/SGR acid plants. The SAR/SGR plants have a

relatively complex control system and are the only sulfur recovery units for the refinery.

At least one SAR/SGR must be operating at all times for the refinery to operate.

Converter SO2 Conversion Chart

Equilibr ium C onve rsion o f SO 2 to SO3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

400 450 500 550 600 650 700

Te mpe rature, C

Co

nv

ers

ion

, %

9 % S O 2

7 %

S O 2

Equilibr ium C onve rsion o f SO 2 to SO3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

400 450 500 550 600 650 700

Te mpe rature, C

Co

nv

ers

ion

, %

9 % S O 2

7 %

S O 2

Equilibr ium C onve rsion o f SO 2 to SO3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

400 450 500 550 600 650 700

Te mpe rature, C

Co

nv

ers

ion

, %

9 % S O 2

7 %

S O 2

95.596.0

96.5

97.097.5

98.098.599.0

99.5100.0

900 1 000 110 0 12 00

SO 3 Decomposition

Temperatu re, °CDecomposition, %

B asis: 10% SO 2; 2.0% O 2

95.596.0

96.5

97.097.5

98.098.599.0

99.5100.0

900 1 000 110 0 12 00

SO 3 Decomposition

Temperatu re, °CDecomposition, %

B asis: 10% SO 2; 2.0% O 2

Furnace SO2 Equilibrium Chart

6

The technicians needed process control experience on plant start-ups, shutdowns,

and upset conditions in a safe environment with no risk to people, process or the

environment. They also needed to develop troubleshooting skills before the SAR/SGR

plants started up.

DuPont Engineering developed an Operator Training Simulator (OTS) model for

the SAR/SGR process using the DuPont proprietary TMODS®

dynamic simulator, which

has been used in many DuPont processes for developing process control strategies and

operator training. The OTS model provides realistic responses to process changes for

accurate “cause and effect” skill development. The dynamic simulator allows the operator

to follow a change on the front end of the plant all the way through to the end of the

plant.

With two identical SAR/SGR plants, Morses Mill was able to use one of the

plants’ DCS station and monitors for training purposes. The simulator was connected to

the DCS station so that the operators could train on the same DCS screens that they

would eventually use to operate the plants including all alarms, interlocks, and process

data trend functioning. This was an invaluable learning experience for the technicians.

Technicians started with the basics of how to start/stop pumps and make set point

changes and quickly progressed to making rate changes, acknowledging alarms and

trending data. To qualify as a DCS operating technician, each technician had to start-up

the SAR/SGR plant from a hot standby state. They started spent acid and acid gas feeds

to the furnace, increased main compressor speed, adjusted dilution air and lined out the

converter and absorption area.

A major challenge at Morses Mill is the transition from normal two SAR/SGR

plant operations (where the acid gas is split between the two plants) to single line

operation (where all the acid gas is processed in one plant) without flaring any acid gas.

The operators learned how to reconfigure the operating SAR/SGR plant during a single

plant transition on the OTS. To facilitate a smoother transition, many of the plant

reconfigurations for single plant operation were programmed in the DCS, which fed the

signals to the OTS. This training was critical for the operating technicians who would

experience a plant trip.

7

Once the operators proved proficiency in operating the SAR/SGR plant on the

simulator for normal operations, they would then be challenged with upset conditions or

scenarios requiring troubleshooting. New troubleshooting scenarios were added on the fly

to simulate instrument failures such as analyzers, flow sensors, control valves or

equipment failures, such as a waste heat boiler tube leak.

Morses Mill Converter DCS Screen

8

TRAINING RESULTS

The management at Morses Mill attribute their success in meeting their training

goals upon plant startup and maintaining outstanding safety, reliability, and production

goals to the rigorous hiring and training program put in place by DuPont.

An interdependent safety culture was established at Morses Mill in which

employees are conditioned to always think “Safety First”, not only for themselves but

also for their colleagues and for contractors on-site.

The 2 acid plants at Morses Mill started operations safely in 2008 with ZERO

recordable injuries and ZERO environmental incidents. Design production rates were

achieved immediately upon availability of refinery acid gas with uptime for processing

refinery acid gas over 99.99%. After four years, the Morses Mill site has had ZERO

recordable injuries.

The other new DuPont SAR/SGR sites have implemented similar operator hiring

and training programs with the same excellent results.