PROJECTS

PROJECT TYPE

Functional analysis

Process automation

CLIENT

Énergir

SECTOR

Distribution

REGION

Montérégie

Company

Énergir’s (formerly Gaz Métro) École de technologie gazière – Gas Technology School, in English – chose Lem Technologies’ solution to develop a control system that allows them to meet their on-site training needs. The only one of its kind in Quebec, the new innovative site simulates a small village that makes hands-on gas training possible in a real environment.

Mandate

The training village is crisscrossed by a network of 24 underground wells that are fed by natural gas, air and nitrogen. The trainer uses the network of wells to create real gas leak scenarios in which students must apply their knowledge to diagnose the problems that are staged. To allow the instructor to use the infrastructure efficiently, Lem developed the following solution:

  • Interface on a mobile tablet that allows the trainer to control the training session in real time while he is with his students
  • Interactive control system that allows two trainers to use the site at the same time, each instructor with his mobile interface and his training scenario
  • Control panels distributed over the site that make it possible to translate the trainer’s scenario into controls for every gas/air proportional valve of every well
  • Wired Ethernet communication network to centralize the information of the control panels and to distribute it to training interfaces by wireless network
  • Management of remote access to the system by the trainer from his office to prepare the scenarios before on-site trainings
  • Management of the system’s calibration to allow the technician to configure the relationship between level of leakage and valve openings
  • Technical support for trainers and to guide technicians in the maintenance of the system

Benefits

The on-site training control system provided Énergir with the following benefits:

  • Ease of use of the training site; the trainers describe the system as simple and intuitive
  • Flexibility of use of the training site, which allows Énergir to expand its training offer and to improve the simulation of many tasks that are difficult to perform in real-life conditions