New Champions

The participants of the CASE-IN in the field of Petrochemistry were offered a practical case based on the technologies of the petrochemical complex ZapSibNeftekhim, under construction in Tobolsk. The students had to identify "bottlenecks" in the technological schemes of gas fractionation and propane drying, pyrolysis plants, polyethylene and polypropylene production facilities and, having proposed innovative solutions, think about how to ensure the smooth operation of the complex, optimize costs and increase energy efficiency. The case study took ten days, after which the students presented their solutions to the expert jury.

"I liked the case because it deals with real tasks, immerses the contestants in conditions where all processes relate to production. And by working through them, students can apply the knowledge gained at the university.- says the expert of the championship, Deputy Director for scientific work Institute of Petroleum Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Kudryashov. "At the same time, the case not only tests knowledge, but is itself a powerful educational tool that allows future specialists to comprehensively understand the industry."

A learning platform

CASE-IN can be considered as a good platform for social learning due to the democratic interaction and information exchange that takes place at the championship: students have the opportunity to receive feedback from experts on any issue, discuss their developments in detail, gathering a "council" of specialists. Communication at the championship is similar to well-structured horizontal interaction and information exchange in modern companies.

By the way, according to the methodology of the championship, the expert commission consists of 40% university representatives, 60% representatives of industrial companies.

"We were lucky that, analyzing the case after the presentation, we were able to talk with a specialist who knows the polymerization technology from beginning to end, as well as with an expert in the field of economics., – shared Konstantin Zharnov, the captain of the team that won the qualifying stage. – This communication helped our "puzzle" to finally take shape – we established ourselves in the vision of the case as a complex task, rather than a list of disparate problems".

"This is a very valuable stage of the championship According to SIBUR's chief expert in the field of Technological Efficiency Arthur Covin, also a member of the expert jury. – It will be possible to think about how to expand the format of such communication and devote more time to it."

And, of course, the championship is an excellent simulator for developing competencies that do not depend on the specifics of the job, but help a person maximize their potential. Teamwork, out–of-the-box thinking, the ability to negotiate, to take responsibility for the solution provided - such skills are appreciated by the employer and have a positive impact on the workflow.

Ideas and analytics

As for the ideas, the contestants "walked" through the entire complex. The idea of cleaning the input raw materials from sulfur has become popular. The students also "climbed" inside the columns of the gas fractionation unit, suggesting using special high–tech nozzles instead of plates - a solid bulk material that promotes better separation of gas into fractions. According to the guys who referred to patents in this field, modern nozzles can significantly increase the efficiency of gas separation in column equipment.

We worked out the issue of using processing additives that improve the quality and facilitate the processing of polymers – there was a team of "polymerists" among the participants, as experts tacitly called the guys among themselves, who studied the polymerization stage in great detail, suggesting several improvements in technology.

The pool of "digital" ideas is interesting, which students have competently systematized, dividing into approaches related to advanced analytics, digitalization of processes – simplifying them using applications and mobile devices, and industry 4.0 – introducing robots and gadgets into production processes.

The students decided to apply "advanced analytics" in the maintenance of equipment, in particular, by proposing to develop and implement a mathematical model that, based on the analysis of data on the operation of the extruder, will be able to predict its possible failure. It is, in fact, about the use of big data for decision-making.

There were proposals to "digitize" the process of forming production stocks by combining and centrally processing arrays of information about the supply of raw materials and equipment.

"It was also proposed to introduce a management system for improved process control. It has been proven repeatedly that the systems have an economic effect wherever they are used: they ensure stable maintenance of the regime, help to stabilize quality, increase productivity and reduce energy consumption. They were offered by many teams, and people are thinking in the right direction.", – underlined Arthur Covin.

The students also "launched" drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, which, according to their instructions, examined the state of insulation on the pipelines of the petrochemical complex.

"Connecting serious production processes and digital is a big and exciting challenge., – shared a member of the NI TPU team that won the qualifying stage, Ilya Eftor, – In general, the manufacturing industry in Russia is a place where in the coming years, I think, breakthroughs in technology and cross–industry solutions will occur. And the case championship is an opportunity for us, as future specialists, to enter the open door.".

A source