wlb UMWELTTECHNIK 2/2018

Energy management uncovers hidden potential

Wastewater treatment plants are real energy guzzlers. With software-supported energy management, operators can save time and money. We spoke to Christian Fink from Flowchief GmbH about the e-Gem software.

Mr. Fink, the energy consumption of wastewater treatment plants is a significant cost factor for operators. How can you assess the efficiency of your plant?

In fact, wastewater treatment plants are real energy guzzlers. At 25 to 50 percent, wastewater treatment accounts for a large proportion of total energy costs. A simple energy check provides an initial impression of the efficiency of the entire plant. The first step is to determine the specific energy consumption by relating the annual energy consumption to the volume of wastewater produced and the population equivalent of the wastewater treatment plant. If no meaningful measured values are available, the supplier’s calculation can be used; the DWA has published a worksheet (A-216) with characteristic values for different plant sizes. If the energy consumption exceeds the national average values, this indicates potential savings in the system. The individual system components, such as aeration or pumping stations, can be checked accordingly. At best, the total annual energy consumption of the individual system components can be obtained from existing software such as a Scada system or an operating logbook, otherwise the measurement must be carried out manually.

What are the benefits of software-supported energy management?

Simply put, Flowchief energy management software saves you time and money because e-Gem takes care of many tasks for you, from energy recording to evaluation. Consumption data is automatically read out from the existing measurement technology or Scada systems. If system components do not have their own measurement data acquisition, the consumption data can either be entered via a smartphone app or measuring devices can be retrofitted. Parallel to the consumption data, e-Gem also records other measured values such as weather data and levels or laboratory values such as feed and discharge loads – seamlessly and transparently. e-Gem uses all this data to automatically generate key energy figures such as the specific total power consumption. This measurement data and key figures can be continuously analyzed using integrated functions such as dashboards, curves or reports. The database obtained is a valuable basis for deriving energy-saving measures and checking their effectiveness. You also receive your consumption data and key figures virtually in real time. With manual analysis, you can create key figures for months at best. E-Gem also allows you to analyze all data on a minute, hourly or daily basis.

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Excerpt from“IT & Production”:

Resource-Efficient Glass and Ceramics Production

All Energy Consumption in a System

Once detailed energy data is available, it provides an excellent foundation for reducing consumption and costs. To collect and process this data, Schott, a manufacturer of glass and glass-ceramics, implements its energy management system using the e-Gem software from FlowChief GmbH. The solution collects energy data from all facilities across all locations, processes it into actionable insights, and makes it available to various user groups within the company as needed.

The technology group Schott has been focusing on energy management for many years and collects the relevant processes and consumption data to fulfill its core mission of identifying and implementing opportunities for savings. However, the application used for this purpose had become outdated, and the manufacturer was no longer developing it further. “The technology and functionality no longer met our expectations,” explains Lothar Kretschmer, Head of Energy Economics/Energy Management at Schott AG. His team is responsible for a wide range of tasks, from the energy supply at the main plant in Mainz to Germany-wide energy cost analyses, energy checks, and audits, all the way to operating the energy management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 50001 at all locations. “For example, the application previously had to be installed on the client computers at the respective production sites, which required an enormous amount of time and effort. Furthermore, it allowed only a few employees to access the data. As a result, these employees were increasingly occupied with preparing data for third parties instead of focusing on their actual core task of achieving energy savings.”

Web Technology and Multi-Tenancy

The new solution was intended to become a standard product deeply rooted in the market. “Adaptability to new legal requirements or incompatibilities arising from the constant evolution of the IT infrastructure should not pose a problem,” says Kretschmer. Under a maintenance contract, the new system is to be continuously updated, ensuring it remains state-of-the-art. The software partner should be flexible enough to implement special functions as well. Since the decision to choose a provider is a long-term commitment, emphasis was also placed on the IT company’s sustainable and future-proof approach. The new application should also feature a server-client architecture: “Native web technology should ensure that employees can access their data from any computer.” Furthermore, the data analysis processes require multi-tenancy with user management. This must allow for the flexible definition of policies as well as the assignment of access rights to employees on a group-specific and individual basis.

Components for Data Collection and Analysis

The decision was ultimately made to use the application from FlowChief GmbH, a provider of off-the-shelf software for process control, energy data management, and data acquisition. Its energy data management solution, e-Gem, consists of components for data acquisition and analysis. It assigns energy types to different cost centers and analyzes and monitors energy consumption. In the spirit of big data, the application also manages and processes data volumes in the terabyte range. The web-based solution met the requirements for multi-client capability. At Schott, meter and measurement data are collected across multiple sites using devices that vary in some cases. Via industrial standard interfaces, the energy data management system acts as a central data collector. “Our measurement infrastructure has grown over many years and is quite heterogeneous, but very functional,” says Kretschmer. “Replacing components was not part of the plan.” One reason for purchasing the solution was its redundancy capabilities. The application runs in parallel on two servers to ensure continued operation even if one computer fails. The software provider offers round-the-clock support to provide prompt assistance in the event of malfunctions. This is intended to prevent potential data loss that could occur if the time limit for temporary data storage is exceeded.

Consumption data based on company structure

The EMS provides a detailed representation of Schott’s organizational structure, including its companies, business units, business lines, and cost centers. Synchronization between the company’s master data and the system occurs automatically. The cost center structure, which forms the basis for the metering point and meter concept, in turn represents individual manufacturing steps. Energy consumption and energy costs can be assigned to the respective plants or units. In addition to the current organizational and metering structure, the entire history is also mapped. For example, if the energy manager wants to analyze consumption data from a cost center that no longer exists, they can access it via a timeline. Schott is already ISO 50001-certified—the solution serves as the data foundation for future audits.

Kick-off During Parallel Operations

Implementation of the solution began at the main plant in Mainz as part of a pilot project. FlowChief developed a compatible driver for cross-site collection of consumption data using U160X totalizing stations from Gossen Metrawatt. In addition to online consumption data, this driver also collects archived values, system data, and bus identification data for monitoring the infrastructure. The entire measurement infrastructure was integrated into the EMS in parallel with the existing system. “Parallel operation provided the ideal foundation for testing e-Gem and training users and IT administrators on the new application,” says Christian Fink, senior product manager at FlowChief. Once it became clear that the solution was operating reliably, the existing solution was gradually replaced by the new one. Following the successful migration in Mainz, additional plants and locations were successively connected to the system via the Schott WAN.

Data analysis can still be done using Excel

Departments such as energy planning, peak load optimization, billing, and technical services continuously access data from the EMS application and use it to perform their tasks. Existing analysis tools were retained through the use of an Excel plug-in customized to Schott’s requirements.

Motivate people to improve

Currently, about 50 Schott employees across Germany are using the tool and accessing it via a standard browser. The group’s IT administration can manage the solution itself and set up access for any employee who needs to work with the data. Since sensitive data is also stored, many users previously had to be denied access. Today, permissions can be configured so that each user can access only the data they need to perform their tasks. Device-independent access, which also works on mobile devices, opens up new possibilities. “For employees who previously had no real-time access, the transparency in energy consumption provided by e-Gem is the best possible motivation for identifying opportunities for improvement in their part of the plant,” says Kretschmer.

Enter Utility Information

An energy data management solution is not a ready-made product; it must be continuously adapted to new requirements. Since the project began in 2013, numerous new components have been added. The current project enables the import of load profiles sent by the utility via email. For this purpose as well, the EMS manufacturer developed a driver that extracts the necessary information from alphanumeric data in the industry-standard MSCONS format and maps it within the system. This analysis allows for the comparison of internally recorded data with the consumption data billed by the utility. In the future, an integrated reporting function will automatically generate reports for third parties and send them via email, thereby further reducing the workload on the energy teams.

Energy Management at Schott AG

• Collection of data from 5,000 measurement points
• Hot standby redundancy solution in our own data center
• Automated synchronization with corporate master data
• Heterogeneous field structures – integration of GMC, Janitza, and M-Bus; various PLCs, Modbus, and control systems
• Driver development for Gossen Metrawatt U160X, including archive data handling and bus monitoring
• Automatic consumption point synchronization based on dynamic U1600 configurations
• Multi-client architecture and group-wide web-based access for over 50 employees
• Archived data available online for up to ten years
• Certified to ISO 50001

Report in IT&Produktion as a PDF

Remote Monitoring Technology for Greater Transparency

Greater Control Over Water and Wastewater

Excerpt from“PROCESS”:

Telecontrol and Automation Technology

Telecontrol and Automation Technology Creates Transparency

With the right telecontrol and automation technology, decentralized systems such as wells, water storage tanks, sewer lines, pumping stations, and wastewater treatment plants can be monitored and controlled from central control centers. This technology can also be retrofitted via radio or the Internet.

Albert Einstein called the effect in which two photons are quantum-mechanically entangled “spooky action at a distance.” We’re not talking about that kind of action at a distance here; rather, we’re referring to the bidirectional exchange of data—often referred to as “communication” in marketing circles—between technical systems in the water management sector.

It’s obvious why remote control is helpful here: Small and medium-sized water treatment plants and wastewater treatment plants often operate without on-site personnel. In the event of malfunctions or deviations from threshold values, the operator receives a notification—for example, via text message—and a technician must then rush to the site to check that everything is in order. It is faster and more efficient to use remote monitoring technology to control the decentralized plant from a central control room: flow rates, liquid levels, operating conditions (including via camera), and fault messages can be recorded, analyzed, and corrected as needed. This reduces staffing requirements and enables faster troubleshooting.

Connect outdoor stations bidirectionally

The Jagst-Kessach Wastewater Association (AZV) relies on FlowChief’s process control system for monitoring and control at the Widdern wastewater treatment plant. The system is operated via a standard web browser without any additional software. All municipalities with individual user accounts and access permissions can access the full functionality of the central process control system at the AZV via the Internet. The ease of use and access to information is identical to that of an employee working directly at the central office. This involves an external network of over 50 remote stations—such as pumping stations, stormwater overflow basins, and flow accelerators—which are connected to the central office via GPRS or satellite DSL with dedicated-line quality. In the event of a connection failure, the data is temporarily buffered and automatically transferred to the database with a timestamp once the connection is reestablished. This means that, in reporting, the information is exactly where it needs to be.

Another real-world example: The city of Lügde operates two wastewater treatment plants and supplies water to more than 10,000 residents in the city center and nine surrounding communities. Fresh water is sourced from two springs and ten wells. From there, the water flows through a 124-kilometer-long pipeline network to households.

In the past, the relevant measurement data was recorded using chart recorders on paper rolls or via screen recorders. Logging the data was complicated and time-consuming. For this reason, the managers at the Lügde Water Treatment Plant decided to invest in a new telecontrol system from Phoenix Contact. Since the transition, all process-related information has been consolidated on the control system computer at the Südfelder control center.

The digital inputs and outputs of the controllers from the inline installation system can be flexibly expanded, making them suitable for any structure. The visualization system features an integrated web server interface. This allows the stations to be monitored at any time from any location. With Ipatec, Phoenix had a system integrator on hand to oversee the entire solution.

Remote Monitoring of Bucharest’s Water Network

The example of APA Nova Bucaresti (a subsidiary of Veolia Water) demonstrates that modern telecontrol technology is capable of managing even very large networks: The company manages the production, treatment, and distribution of drinking water, as well as wastewater disposal in Bucharest. The water supply relies primarily on pumping water from two rivers located about 20 km from Bucharest. The water is treated at three plants; the water network comprises 188 km of overhead pipelines for drinking water and 54 km of sewer lines for raw water (both with gravity flow), 620 dug wells, 20 reservoirs (with a total capacity of 360,000 m³), seven pressure-boosting stations (with 52 pump sets), and 2,800 km of pressurized drinking water distribution network.

Given the size of the water distribution network and the number of hydraulic structures, the remote control system implemented in 2003 is essential for ensuring the safety and optimization of the water supply. In 2006, APA Nova also decided to introduce a zone metering system to analyze flow in the distribution network and reduce leaks. By expanding the remote monitoring system to include precipitation gauges and wastewater collection tanks, it became possible to monitor and analyze the operation of the wastewater network.

The first phase of the remote monitoring project covered the water intake points, the treatment plants, and the first-stage pressure-boosting stations. The second phase covered the pressure-boosting stations (hydrophores) responsible for water distribution in the individual city districts. More than 120 locations are monitored via Lacroix Sofrel telemetry stations, some of which communicate with PLCs. Data transmission currently takes place via radio or GSM connections and will be transitioned to GPRS connections in the medium term. The data is transferred to control centers for analysis and presentation in the form of tables, curves, and overview graphs, and is then archived.

Pneumatics in Water and Wastewater Technology

Festo estimates that pneumatic automation technology reduces investment, installation, and operating costs—in some cases by more than 50%—compared to electrical systems. Pneumatic drives remain maintenance-free throughout their entire service life. Another advantage: Compressed air remains available even during a power outage, since compressed air storage tanks are always present alongside compressors for generating and treating the air.

Project in Greece: The Psyttalia Wastewater Treatment Plant is the name of this ambitious project located on the island of Psyttalia, in the bay off Athens and the port city of Piraeus. Wastewater is pumped via a 1.5-km-long pipeline from the mainland to the treatment plant on the rocky island of Psyttalia. The technical specifications are staggering: The biological treatment stage includes, among other things, twelve digestion tanks with a total volume of nearly 300,000 m³ and a flow rate of 1,000,000 m³ per day.

Flow control is provided by gate valves with DLP-type pneumatic linear actuators. These actuators act directly on the valve gate and are therefore maintenance-free compared to other types of actuators. Swivel actuators are used to control the flow of biogas produced in the digestion tower. These actuators also regulate the distribution of hot water to the heat exchangers, which maintain a constant temperature of 36 °C in the digester.

Retrofit possible

Siemens promises that standardized, regulated data transmission makes it easy to modernize and expand even water supply networks and wastewater treatment plants that have been in operation for decades. Central control centers are essential hubs in a functioning utility system. Connection to these centers is supported by appropriate technical solutions, such as the Siplus RIC (Remote Interface Control) telecontrol system. This product family enables scalable telecontrol and automation based on the Simatic S7 automation system. While the smallest hardware and software unit (bundle) processes up to 200 data points, the highest configuration level—consisting of a Simatic S7-400H controller and the Siplus RIC Library—can handle up to 5,000 data points.

Siemens technology was also used when the WKS Group replaced the visualization and automation systems at the Oederan wastewater treatment plant.

Conclusion: Decentralized supply and wastewater treatment systems benefit from centralized information processing. That is why the water industry worldwide is investing in telecontrol and automation technology, thereby increasing the reliability and availability of its facilities and saving energy and labor costs.

Local Network Stations Clearly in View

Reliably Monitor Network Data

Fault detection and telecontrol systems ensure that important process information is reliably recorded and transmitted to the appropriate locations. One challenge in this regard is monitoring the quality and load parameters of distribution networks.

EES, Kries-Energietechnik, and Janitza, in collaboration with FlowChief, have developed a complete solution that comes with all necessary components already wired and ready for connection in a single enclosure, thereby enabling cost-effective monitoring of local grid substations.

The data is routed either to the existing control system or, alternatively, to the hosted FlowChief process control system, which is available on a subscription basis. Remote monitoring and control are fully supported via smartphone or tablet.

For more details, see the article in “Industrielle Automation 3/2013”:

A Smart Solution

Modular solution for monitoring local network stations—fully wired, tested, and configured

Sascha Hahn:
Fault reporting and telecontrol systems ensure that important process information is reliably recorded and transmitted to the appropriate locations. One challenge here is monitoring the quality and load parameters of distribution networks. We’ll show you a complete solution that already includes enclosures, routers, meters, and telecontrol stations, enabling convenient diagnostics of the local network station.

Local network substations play a central role in energy distribution within the distribution grid. Due to the changed framework conditions resulting from EEG feed-in, local network substations are increasingly required to take on the role of smart hubs. Their functions range from metering, fault location, and fault identification to power quality analysis, as well as complete remote control and even automation.

In carrying out this task, the plant operator must take many details and challenges into account. For example, which components—such as enclosures, routers, or telecontrol stations—are used, and how telecontrol technology and measurement technology can be integrated so that measurement data is reliably exchanged and transmitted via fieldbus protocols. In addition, communication structures and security aspects between the telecontrol technology and the control system must be taken into account. In the event of a fault, simple and rapid remote diagnostics are required, for example via a smartphone, laptop, or tablet PC.

Functional, scalable, compact

EES, a specialist in telecontrol technology, has teamed up with manufacturers in the fields of energy metering and visualization software (Kries-Energietechnik, Janitza, FlowChief) to develop a complete solution that comes with all necessary components pre-wired and ready for connection in a single enclosure, thereby enabling cost-effective monitoring of local distribution substations. The GridMonitor complete solution offers numerous advantages and already takes the following specific conditions into account:

• Limited Space: Compact local network substations have little room for additional monitoring and telecontrol systems. The GridMonitor operates without additional measurement panels and is therefore extremely compact.
• Cost-Effectiveness: A cost-efficient solution with easy setup (plug-and-play), particularly in terms of TCO.
• Scalability: Scalability allows for a cost-effective start and easy system expansion.
• Functionality: GridMonitor includes all the functions and components required to monitor and control a local network station.

Summary

The GridMonitor offers distribution system operators a wide range of benefits that, taken together, lead to increased availability and reduced downtime. In addition, it results in enormous time savings in engineering, and the standardized IEC 60870-5-104 protocol ensures easy integration into existing systems and structures.

Sascha Hahn, Executive Management, Elekrta Elektronik GmbH & Co. Störcontroller KG, Backnang