OUR WORK
Utah State University: Interactive Wastewater Treatment Plant Simulation
Overview
Skapa developed a web-based Training and Simulation System for Wastewater Plant Operators as a part of an NSF grant. The solution offers entry-level operators the opportunity to gain experience operating a plant without jeopardizing a real treatment plant. It includes a realistic biological water modeling engine to provide test results and water quality information to the student and instructor.
Realistic Simulation
The simulation is modeled on common plant components and includes animations to provide learners with the appropriate context and triggers to re-inforce the learning.
The plant overview (pictured at top) allows the student to view the entire plant and then click on an individual section of the plant to operate the components and get lab tests.
Integration with Biological Model
The chlorination chamber featured to the right, allows students to provide a final treatment and make adjustments to the chemicals to achieve the required permit levels. The software includes a biological model that computes critical effluent levels (dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform counts, pH, residual chlorine, among others) and allows the student to perform lab tests to get the values. Additionally, the instructor can see the effluent levels and provide guidance to the student.
Dynamic Scoring Model
The instructor can provide students with pre-set scenarios to test their ability to handle events such as a surge in inflow due to an high water event, a dramatic change in pH and other possibilities. Visual clues such as a change in water color are provided to the student based on the biological model that tracks pH, dissolved oxygen, food-to-mass ratio and other key indicators.
Additionally, the application calculates a score based on the actions that the student did or did not take but should have. The scoring is dynamic in that as problems occur in the plant as a result of (in)action on the part of the student, the score updates .
Skapa Tech, Inc.
PO Box 505
Charlottesville, VA 22902