OPERATION & MAINTENANCE OF POWER PLANTS
S
ince the 2015 Paris Agreement, many countries have been working on long-term strategies and nationally determined contributions (NDCs)
to reduce emissions. One strategy is to transform waste into usable fuels. Raven SR is a clean fuels company dedicated to achieving this, but the company uses a process that requires high temperatures and precise control to maintain efficiency and cost-effectiveness. To streamline its energy transformation process, industrial heating technology company Watlow provided extensive expertise in thermal system design, as well as Industry 4.0 control.
ACHIEVING GREEN ENERGY IS NOT WITHOUT CHALLENGES Raven SR transforms municipal solid waste, organic waste and methane into high-quality, clean hydrogen and synthetic
fuels. At the heart of its approach is a CO2 reforming process that changes mixed feedstock and organic waste into products in an environmentally friendly way, without the need for combustion.
Although combustion is not used as part of the firm’s technology, precise thermal control plays a huge part in driving an efficient and safe process. Tere is already a clear connection between the operational targets that Raven SR is putting forward and the thermal content of the system. At higher temperatures, it’s possible to achieve 99.9% target output, but it requires running heaters at their maximum capacity for extended periods of time. If those heaters fail, they are difficult
to replace. As a result, not only is precise control of temperature needed, but the entire system also needs to be monitored for any signs of a problem, or for indications of degraded performance.
THE POWER OF LEANING ON INDUSTRY 4.0 Watlow designed a comprehensive thermal system to help Raven SR solve its challenge.
THE FUTURE OF TEMPERATURE CONTROL
What happens when you combine Industry 4.0 with a complete thermal system? Dennis Long explains how to deliver precise temperature control for green energy applications
Steam reforming technology can play a key role in reducing emissions
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Te system provides an extraordinary range of temperature control through different components. Tis includes the high- temperature Multicell heater, which offers three major advantages: extreme process temperature capability; independent zone control for precise temperature uniformity; and loose fit design for easy insertion and removal. Watlow also connected the system to other sensors for gas composition, flow and pressure. Using the Watconnect control panels, it could monitor all thermal and electrical characteristics to ensure proper process stability for the application. Te Internet of Tings (IoT) “box” is at the heart of the system and includes hardware for connectivity, syncing data from eight F4T controllers with control loops across four Watconnect panels. Connectivity to the cloud via a cellular router allows further routing of data to other applications and devices, while a human machine interface (HMI) screen displays the total state of the system at any time using a custom-designed dashboard.
Tese features allow for near real-time data logging and monitoring of system output.
Tis project is a great demonstration
of Industry 4.0 at work. One of the chief principles of Industry 4.0 systems is to gather granular data for better system operation while avoiding unnecessary maintenance cycles. Over time, this data can also be used to understand system wear and part longevity, allowing engineers to have better insight into maintenance cycles and system inefficiencies – prolonging system lifespan.
DEMONSTRATING FUTURE IMPACT A demonstration run for Raven’s SR2 reforming unit was conducted in September 2022 at Raven’s Fabrication and Machine plant in Benicia, California. Tis was the first connected Raven SR system in the field. For this demonstration, Watlow took advantage of the IoT controller’s cellular connection to the cloud, creating a mobile website that visitors could use to monitor a “mini-
SR facilities can help tackle the massive
amounts of organic waste that countries produce
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