Der Wandel von der aktuellen Automation zum smarten Sensor ist im vollen Gange. Automatisierungstechnik, sowie die Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik (IKT) verschmelzen zunehmend. Eine Topologie für smarte Sensoren, die das Zusammenwirken mit daten- und modellbasierten Steuerungen bis hin zur Softsensorik beschreibt gibt es bis heute jedoch noch nicht. Um zu einer störungsfreien Kommunikation aller Komponenten auf Basis eines einheitlichen Protokolls zu kommen sollte die Prozessindustrie die Weichen für eine smarte und sichere Kommunikationsarchitektur stellen. Sie verwehrt stattdessen die Entwicklungen ihrer Zulieferer und wartet lieber ab. Der Beitrag greift die Anforderungen der Technologie-Roadmap „Prozess-Sensoren 4.0“ auf und zeigt Möglichkeiten zu ihrer Realisierung am Beispiel eines Online-NMR-Analysators, der im Rahmen eines EU-Projekts entwickelt wurde.
Monitoring chemical reactions is the key to chemical process control. Today, mainly optical online methods are applied, which require excessive calibration effort. NMR spectroscopy has a high potential for direct loop process control while exhibiting short set-up times. Compact NMR instruments make NMR spectroscopy accessible in industrial and harsh environ¬ments for advanced process monitoring and control, as demonstrated within the European Union’s Horizon 2020 project CONSENS.
We present a range of approaches for the automated spectra analysis moving from conventional multivariate statistical approach, (i.e., Partial Least Squares Regression) to physically motivated spectral models (i.e., Indirect Hard Modelling and Quantum Mechanical calculations). By using the benefits of traditional qNMR experiments data analysis models can meet the demands of the PAT community (Process Analytical Technology) regarding low calibration effort/calibration free methods, fast adaptions for new reactants or derivatives and robust automation schemes.
Validation report on NMR
(2017)
The departure from the current automation landscape to next generation automation concepts for the process industry has already begun. Smart functions of sensors simplify their use and enable plug and play integration, even though they may appear to be more complex at first sight. Smart sensors enable concepts like self-diagnostics, self-calibration, and self-configuration/ parameterization whenever our current automation landscape allows it.
Here we summarize the currently discussed general requirements for process sensors 4.0 and introduce a smart online NMR sensor module as example, which was developed for an intensified industrial process funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (www.consensspire.eu).
Improvement in deep process understanding is a mandatory prerequisite for the application of modern concepts like Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or “Industrie 4.0”. This is particularly relevant in new process concepts such as intensified production in modularized plants. The direct hyphenation with online methods of process analytical technology (PAT) allows profound insights into the actual reactions within chemical and pharmaceutical production steps and provides necessary information for associated advanced control strategies.
While the industrial application of online Raman spectroscopy has already been successfully demonstrated, low-field NMR spectroscopy is not yet adequately developed as an online method for use in process industry. The high information content combined with the low calibration effort makes NMR spectroscopy a highly promising method for modern process automation with a high flexibility due to short set-up times and novel calibration concepts. This is a major advantage especially within multi-purpose production plants, as well as for processes suffering from fluctuating quality of raw materials.
The concept was evaluated on several example processes of pharmaceutical and chemical industry. The one presented here represents a stage of the synthesis of the industrially important solvent tetrahydrofuran consisting of the catalytic hydrogenation of 2-butine-1,4-diol was monitored. This reaction is proceeding via an intermediate product and suffers from competitive reaction paths. In this application, different spectroscopic methods were combined with the data obtained from classical process sensors, e.g., pressure, temperature, and flow transducers for the development of innovative control concepts.