Laboratory for Automation and Measurement

On October 11 & 12 we visited Siemens sites in Karlsruhe and Frankfurt. It was an unique opportunity to see the state-of-the-art process control equipment production and met Siemens expert team to discuss current trends in the process industry and automation. Furthermore, we have visited the Höchst industrial park in Frankfurt with Siemens process and safety engineering laboratories and experienced R&D stuff. Our visit and contacts are step forward in the cooperation which has already begun in Zagreb by opening our process control laboratory and organizing education and trainings.

OSIsoft EMEA Users Conference was held in Barcelona in September with a series of customer presentations, thematic panels, demonstrations of software tools and interactive workshops. The emphasis was on advanced analytics and machine learning , enterprise infrastructure and business intelligence . Within the academic session we give a presentation titled Using the PI System in Chemical Engineering Education and Research.  The emphasis was on predictive maintenance of the process equipment and our laboratory process control system. During the event we have established contacts with academic programme stuff and discussed with the PI experts on using of real plant data and solving industrial problems.

In June we were a part of the biggest world forum on chemical engineering and process industry – ACHEMA. During the event we, jointly with our USA partner PiControl Solutions , gave a presentation titled Multivariable Identification and PID/APC Optimization for Real Plant Application in the section: Plant control and optimization . The presentation covers closed-loop system identification, controller tuning and advanced process control using simple and affordable software package.  The presentation was attended by more than 50 process control specialists, plant managers and other fair visitors.

In cooperation with our partners MKP Ltd. and industrial experts we are developing real-time monitoring and control laboratory crystallization system . The goal is implementation of PAT ( Process analytical technology ) techniques to employ real-time measurement of relevant process variables for the crystallization process control (e.g. supersaturation, number of crystal particles, crystal size distribution, polymorphic form). Real-time measurement will allow better understanding of the process and open up opportunity for advanced process control.

Due to reduced energy efficiency caused by fouled heat exchangers in industrial plants there is a need for detection of fouling formation. Models  of artificial neural networks for detecting the fouling have been developed. The models are intended for fouling detection and heat transfer coefficient calculation for preventive and predictive maintenance of the industrial shell and tube heat exchangers. By monitoring the efficiency of the heat exchanger, it is possible to systematically plan the maintenance and determine the optimal cleaning time.

In a cooperation with our spin-off company Comprehensive Water Technology (CWT) we designed photobioreactor system for Ruđer Bošković Institute – Center for Marine Research in the town of Rovinj. Photobioreactors are installed for the purpose of algae production process development under the controlled condition (temperature, pH and light intensity). Produced algae are attended to be used as a raw material for biodiesel production. CWT designed control cabinet and the photobioreactor set-up, while LAM designed the control system by application of Siemens S7-1200 PLC and PC-station SCADA software. Developed system enables continuous monitoring, control and data acquisition for later analysis and research.

OSIsoft EMEA Users Conference was held in London in October with a series of presentations, thematic panels, demonstrations of software tools and interactive workshops. The emphasis was on big data , IIoT & Industry 4.0 , enterprise infrastructure and business intelligence . Among others we attended the academic session where we discussed with the OSISoft experts the application in students’ education and for industrial cooperation. We went from the meeting with an enthusiasm and new ideas for application of advanced predictive technology in the process industry for ​​monitoring and analysis of plant and process equipment performance.

Ana-Marija Tomić, Dženita Šola and Andreja Žužić received the Rector's award from the University of Zagreb for their project Analysis and optimizing of plant operation . They have analyzed, diagnosed and optimized control loop performance in the refinery plant. Fran Jazbec defended his Master’s thesis on Design and simulation of natural gas purification process control in July 2016. Dominik Načinović presented his Bachelor's thesis on Cement kiln control on September 2, 2017. Dominik has already won one award for his study on self-cleaning concrete. Luka Tomičak defended his Bachelor's thesis Control valves on September 20, 2017. Filip Crnković presented his Bachelor's thesis titled Temperature control on September 22, 2017. Ana-Marija Tomić defended her Master's thesis Temperature control in batch reactors on September 26, 2017. In her work she analyzed, diagnosed and optimized temperature control loops in pharmaceutical batch reactors.

Newly equipped process control laboratory was solemnly opened today at our Department. After six months of reconstruction the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology in cooperation with Siemens AG and partner company ARP modernized the Laboratory for automation and measurement (LAM) . Within laboratory set-up modern control system with five typical process industry units is put into operation, all supported by the latest generation of SIMATIC PCS7 control system. The new laboratory in Zagreb offers students, employees and partners the opportunity to train process measurement and control with state-of-the-art equipment. Using cutting-edge digital systems, the training of future chemical engineers and life-learning education attendants, as well as commissioning engineers and operators, will take place here.

During 2016 we designed the industrial humidification system now applied in pharmaceutical company Eriochem S.A., Argentina. The aim of the project was to design automated system for easy, safe and flexible humidification process. The humidification system includes supply water tank, vaporizer, delivery system and flow/temperature control system. Siemens PLC S7-1200 with HMI control panel is configured for process monitoring, control and data acquisition. Developed industrial humidification process system enables accurate and repeatable production, safe and efficient process control as well as continuous data acquisition.