Improve alkylation operational safety using operator training simulators

Team Leader—Utilities and Offsite Units, PDVSA Puerto La Cruz Refinery, Venezuela, has a master’s degree in chemical engineering. She has eight years experience as technical support process engineer for FCC and alkylation conversion units, amine systems, hydrotreating and catalytic reforming. She has led more than seven investigations of process upsets and participated in 15 shutdowns for turnarounds, including design and inspection of equipment, instrumentation and piping. She also has a strong background in evaluation of catalysts.

is Global Practice Director for Schneider Electric, responsible for management of the Simulation and Training business line which includes the delivery of operator training simulators. He has more than 20 years experience delivering dynamic simulation projects for clients in the process industries. Dr. Willetts graduated from Oxford University in the UK with a PhD in chemical engineering and recently returned to Oxford to gain his MBA.

has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. She joined Schneider Electric in 2005 and has vast experience in complex dynamic simulation. For the last 10 years, she has been working on steady-state simulation and dynamic simulation for controls checkout and operator training for Schneider Electric. As Managing Consultant, Ms. Rodriguez is in charge of delivering operator training simulators for refinery, petrochemical and power plants for Latin America.