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Analytics and intelligence integrated in sensors

Future concepts for process analysis
Analytics and intelligence integrated in sensors

What measuring technology do chemical companies need to meet the requirements of the upcoming Internet of Things (IoT)/Industry 4.0? Will traditional flowmeters also perform chemical analyses in the future? What opportunities do tomographic methods offer for process analytics? cpp spoke with Dr. Attila M. Bilgic, Chief Technology Officer Krohne.

Future concepts for process analysis

Analytics and intelligence integrated in sensors
What measuring technology do chemical companies need to meet the requirements of the upcoming Internet of Things (IoT)/Industry 4.0? Will traditional flowmeters also perform chemical analyses in the future? What opportunities do tomographic methods offer for process analytics? cpp spoke with Dr. Attila M. Bilgic, Chief Technology Officer Krohne.
At the Namur annual general meeting 2015, Krohne CEO Stephan Neuburger described the company as a service provider that focuses on the measured value. Dr. Bilgic, what did he mean?
Dr. Attila M. Bilgic: In short, this means that our measuring devices do not just provide a simple measured value, but also provide information about its quality, how “good” the value is, and what effect it will have on other measurement parameters. In broader terms, this could also mean that, in future, Krohne will not just sell measuring devices but also the measured value including assurance of its quality and availability.
What requirements does IoT/Industry 4.0 pose on the process instrumentation of tomorrow?
Dr. Bilgic: Nowadays sensors and actuators are part of a hierarchically designed pyramid. All information about the process and system is stored in the central control system. Figuratively speaking, the sensors and actuators are blind. This must change when it comes to IoT/Industry 4.0, as they will need to know their surroundings. And this also means being able to communicate with each other.
Why is communicating with one another so important?
Dr. Bilgic: Once the measuring devices start to communicate with each other and with other system components, they will be in a position to determine their own state and that of the system.
This allows them to draw conclusions?
Dr. Bilgic: Correct. And these conclusions are a lot easier in subtopologies where, for example, 50 measuring devices are communicating with three pumps, rather than larger systems where 6000 measuring devices control 500 pumps via a process control system.
In this context, you are referring to smart sensors. What features characterise them?
Dr. Bilgic: Smart sensors can network auto-nomously without a control system. Next to their specific measuring task, they also record their surrounding environment. They are then able to draw further conclusions based on the information gathered from the network and other system information.
Krohne measuring devices can be used to record the fill level, flow rate, pH value, pressure, temperature and other process para-meters. You are now going to integrate analytical capabilities in these measuring devices. What is the idea behind this?
Dr. Bilgic: The parameters mentioned are measured to be able to implement chemical processes with maximum yield and product quality. However, these are only auxiliary values that can only provide information about material-specific variables once evaluation routines have been completed. Therefore, it would be far more efficient to continuously measure the material-specific variables directly in the field. In addition, most analytic processes are discontinuous, whereby samples are taken and subsequently analysed in the laboratory.
Thus they do not reflect the current state of the process?
Dr. Bilgic: Exactly, basically you are looking into the past. However, inline analyses, that are ideally performed in real time, are required. This is made possible by equipping traditional field devices with analytical capabilities.
Is this really a step towards smarter sensors?
Dr. Bilgic: These are two different things that interact with one another.
Can you explain this in more detail?
Dr. Bilgic: Completely new information will be accessible via sensors that analyse media. If I design these measuring systems so that they can be connected to a network, are able to communicate and are intelligent, they will become smart sensors that provide completely new system concepts in accordance with IoT/Industry 4.0.
Up to now, analytical systems used to determine the chemical composition have been far too large to integrate into field devices. How do your developers propose to solve this problem?
Dr. Bilgic: One way of integrating standard analytics within field devices is to use microsystem technology. Processes predominantly implemented in the semiconductor industry are used to convert analytical devices that previously took up a lot of space into miniaturised systems. This has enabled our developers to implement a miniaturised flame ionisation detector and micro mass spectrometer. Another option is to look for completely new analytical methods. For example, biochemical sensors mounted on miniaturised micro-electromechanical systems that react sensitively to certain molecules.
How is Krohne going to manage this extensive research and development process?
Dr. Bilgic: We are cooperating with various universities and research organisations as part of joint research projects. When it comes to developing the miniaturised flame ionisation detector, we are working in close collaboration with Fraunhofer IKTS, for example. We also continuously work with partners from various industries. This includes plant operators such as Bayer or BASF and other companies that are of interest to us from a technical perspective.
And what role does Krohne Innovation play in this context?
Dr. Bilgic: Krohne Innovation is a fully-owned subsidiary of Krohne Messtechnik and focuses on research and development. It completes basic research and is, in part, also responsible for the development of new products. The company is involved in nearly all of the Krohne research and development projects, including the ones we are currently discussing. In this process, it works in close cooperation with various university chairs.
Where are all these ideas developed?
Dr. Bilgic: In Bochum, Germany, on the campus of the Technology Centre Ruhr in the immediate vicinity of the university. Krohne Innovation has offices and laboratories on site and employs a total staff of 55.
About the miniaturised flame ionisation detector and micro mass spectrometer: are Krohne measuring devices with the specified analytics systems already available to purchase?
Dr. Bilgic: No, we are still in the product development phase. Prototypes for these devices, that will then be tested in industrial applications, will be available in the foreseeable future.
But this is not true for the multiphase flowmeter. This technology is already available for interested customers. What can these devices be used for?
Dr. Bilgic: Simply put, these are substance-specific flowmeters, in which the medium to be tested is fed into a magnetic resonance spectrometer. During this process, the hydrogen nuclei of the compounds contained in the product flow are polarised in a strong magnetic field and are stimulated in an electromagnetic field – they get into resonance. The resonance frequency and relaxation time, which is the time between the stimulation and release of the absorbed energy, are measured. Both are material-specific variables that enable conclusions to be drawn about the environment of the hydrogen atoms and their interaction with neighbouring atoms. This ensures that the material characteristics of individual components within the multi-component mixture fed through the flowmeter can be determined.
Where are these devices used?
Dr. Bilgic: In all applications where the flow rate of different substances that are combined in a multiphase flow have to be measured independently. For example, when measuring crude oil in the petrochemical industry.
An important topic at last year‘s Namur annual general meeting was the use of tomographic processes. What opportunities do they offer in the process analysis sector?
Dr. Bilgic: They can be used to track temporal changes of process parameters in a three dimensional space, thus providing measurement data with a spatial resolution. This is a huge improvement in comparison to the current situation, where the relevant parameter is measured at a point that is simply assumed to represent the entire process.
What data can be accessed using tomographic methods?
Dr. Bilgic: This depends on the method that is being used. The Namur meeting focused on capacitively coupled electric impedance tomography with which, for example, crystallisation processes in organic solvents can be monitored over the spatial changes of complex dielectricity. However, ultrasonic, microwave and MR tomography, which in turn can be used to access other dynamically changing parameters, can be used to track the process.
How did you come up with the idea of combining traditional Krohne measuring technology with tomographic methods?
Dr. Bilgic: It was the result of a BMWi (German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) research project that focused on the use of multiphase flow rate measurements in deep sea pipes. In this context, it was examined how tomographic methods could be used to visualise the various phases in the pipeline.
When will the Krohne range include tomographic measuring devices that are suitable for the sales market?
Dr. Bilgic: Certainly not in the next three years. Here, we are also in the pre-product development phase.
All of the process analysis concepts we discussed generate huge amounts of data. What solutions do you suggest to quickly transfer the data?
Dr. Bilgic: Hart and fieldbus do not stand a chance in this case. We recommend that data is transferred via WLAN. It has already established itself as an industry standard. The network is fast enough and does not require any additional wiring. And the energy required for the transmission is already available from the device.
You have suggested to use a context-sensitive approach to prepare large quantities of data. What is the reason for this approach?
Dr. Bilgic: Everyone should be able to access the exact data required for their work from this huge data package. Temperature, pressure, fill level, flow rate, etc. – the standard process parameters are supplied to the system operator via the bus or Hart networks. The process optimiser receives tomographic data that provides him with an overview of the reactor. This data is transferred via a fast WLAN network – a so-called second information channel. The maintenance personnel receives all status data.
You have explained the context-sensitive perspective in view of your future measuring concepts. Wouldn‘t this concept be useful already today?
Dr. Bilgic: Yes, it would be useful. This is exactly what we emphasized at the Namur annual general meeting.
www.cpp-net.com search: cpp0316krohne
”The temporal changes of process parameters can be tracked in three dimensions using tomographic methods. This is a huge improvement.“

Lukas Lehmann
Lukas Lehmann
Assistant Editor-in-Chief,
cpp chemical plants & processes
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