Development of a Comprehensive Virtual Training Package for Power Plant Boiler

As one of the most important components in coal-fired power station, the operators and maintenance crews of boiler systems receive comprehensive training in unit operation procedures and emergency preparedness. Due to the inaccessibility of the field environment, the majority of the training sessions take place in a classroom using 2D presentation materials such as pictures, drawings, etc. In order to provide a more efficient training program, a software package for power plant boilers was developed through the integration of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Virtual Reality (VR) visualization. Using numerical simulation data, the package creates a computer-generated boiler in which the users can observe the actual phenomenon in an easily-understood context. It also allows instructors and trainees to selectively explore various components, operating conditions and scenarios using the built-in Graphic User Interface (GUI). This training package enables people who are unfamiliar with boiler operations to gain better understanding in much less time.