Pace Today - Apr 2017

APRIL/MAY 2017 | VOL.70 NO.2 | Est. 1953

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APRIL/MAY 2017 | VOL.70 NO.2 | Est. 1953

INSIDE PACE

Industry Interview

AND AFTER BIG DATA SOLVES ALL OUR PROBLEMS WE’LL RIDE AWAY ON MAGIC FLYING UNICORNS

Automation and information will coalesce: Pilz MD

Internet Of Things

Test and measurement

What the IIoT means for plant operations

Reducing risks and cutting costs in gas storage

Post Print Approved PP100008186

WILL AUTOMATION BE THE NEXT JOB KILLER?

EXCLUSIVE: Keeping electrical workers safe

CONTENTS

XXX

Managing Director: John Murphy Managing Editor: Branko Miletic Ph: (02) 9439 7227 branko.miletic@primecreative.com.au

Journalist: Stephanie Stefanovic Ph: (02) 9439 7227 stephanie.stefanovic@primecreative.com.au

IN THIS ISSUE

Sales/Advertising: Nick Baker Ph: (02) 9439 7227

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nick.baker@primecreative.com.au Production Coordinator: Kristina Peric Ph: (02) 9439 7227 kristina.peric@primecreative.com.au Art Director: Michelle Weston Designer: James Finlay, Blake Storey, Sarah Doyle SUBSCRIPTIONS: $99 pa incl GST NZ: $A109 pa & OS: $A119 pa Subscriptions: Gordon Watson Ph: (03) 9690 8766

30 News 6

Industry analysis 25

Industry leader interview 8

Water & Wastewater 26-29

Chemical Engineering 10

•

Zenith Awards 12

Condition Monitoring 30-31

Espionage and IoT devices Automation and information will coalesce: Pilz MD Copyright PACE is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in PACE is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

The opinions expressed in PACE are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated. © Copyright Prime Creative Media, 2017 Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

Head Office 11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 P: +61 3 9690 8766 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.primecreative.com.au Sydney Office Suite 303, 1-9 Chandos Street, Saint Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia

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CSIRO to improve flow of chemical manufacturing A preview of the 2017 PACE Zenith Awards Electrical safety 14

Keeping electrical workers safe Communications technology 16

Australian physicists open door to improved communications Internet of Things 18-21

• •

What the IIoT means for plant operations The transformative power of the IoT

Energy management 22-23

•

Will automation become the next job killer?

•

Delivering high-quality compressed air to Sydney’s largest wastewater treatment plant Quality wastewater management crucial to industry success

Cloud-based condition monitoring now a game changer New Research 32

New materials could turn water into the fuel of the future Test and measurement 34

Reducing risks and cutting costs in gas storage New Products 37-39

The latest new products for the process and control industry

Are opportunities increasing in the renewable energy sector?

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4 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

VEGAPULS WL 61 APRIL/MAY 2017 | VOL.71 NO.1 | Est. 1953

The VEGAPULS WL 61 sensor is for all applications including pump stations as well as overflow basins, for flow measurement in open flumes and gauge monitoring.

The flood-proof IP68 housing ensures a maintenance-free permanent operation.

The benefits for users include: • Maintenance-free operation thanks to non-contact measuring principle • Wear and maintenance free

• Exact measuring results independent of product, process and ambient conditions • Emits extremely short microwave pulses through the antenna.

The Bluetooth version of the instrument enables a wireless connection to standard adjustment units. This can be smartphones/ tablets with iOS or Android operating system or PCs with PACTware and Bluetooth USB adapter.

COMMENT

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

Branko Miletic Editor

These days, who’s really got the power?

ACCORDING to the University of Queensland’s John Quiggan writing in The Conversation website, most state governments have sold their electricity enterprises wholly or partly.

Victoria and South Australia fully privatised its systems by the early 2000s. NSW partially privatised its network business after 2015.

Queensland privatised its retail sector but maintained public ownership of its network and some electricity generation.

Contrary to the hopes of advocates, breaking up these integrated entities has delivered no benefits.

It has also led to recent system failures in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.

Quiggan said the real “tragedy is that all this could have been avoided if we had seized the opportunity in the 1990s to build a unified national grid, with a single authority running transmission networks and the interconnectors between them”.

“This would still allow competition in generation, but would abandon the idea of market incentives in the provision of network services. Electricity networks are considered to be natural monopolies,” he noted.

“Unlike other industries, where it makes sense for lots of businesses to compete and drive costs lower, the cost and importance of supplying electricity means it make sense for one business to control the market,” Quiggan said.

But ownership is just one part of the energy management puzzle.

While renewables have been listed by the federal government as the reasons behind South Australian power woes, other countries are quietly going down the renewable path.

According to the Japan Times, Hitachi has developed a technology

to allow the use of bamboo as fuel for boilers and power generation.

The new technology is expected to address a situation in which unused bamboo forests have been increasing due to decreased bamboo demand, a problem that has become serious mainly in Japan’s southern Kyushu region.

For its part, Bamboo contains high amounts of chlorine and potassium which damage combustion equipment or the environment when burned as it is.

Now the engineers at Hitachi have developed a way to reduce the chlorine and potassium densities by crushing the material into particles and then immersing them in water.

Ensuring that nothing goes to waste, Hitachi said even the water that is used to immerse the bamboo can be used as fertiliser for plants.

The new technology can be applied

to other untapped materials, including bamboo grass, weeds and cedar bark.

Hitachi will consider using such materials in future projects.

Then there is everyone’s (current) favorite battery maker Tesla, whose battery division head Lyndon Rive recently noted that the company could solve South Australia’s electricity supply issues because of increased battery production out of Nevada’s Gigafactory.

Rive said that the company would be able to install 100-300 megawatt (MWH) batteries within 100 days of any contract with South Australia.

He also claimed in an interview with the Australian Financial Review (AFR), the company said it was able to also supply Victoria with batteries which would help ameliorate the closure of Hazelwood power plant.

Rive said the cost for large

installations had come down to A$800 per kilowatt-hour of capacity depending on the configuration, or about $A65 million per 100MWh, with reductions for large-scale installations.

Tesla has stated that its domestic Powerwall Two units, which have a retail cost up to $10,000 each installed in Australia are able to be stacked larger in housing or businesses, up to nine in each stack, carrying about a 126KWh of capacity.

All this is very important as the issue of power is now starting to affect the viability of businesses, with calls to quarantine up to 15 per cent of LNG output for domestic (read: local industry) use only.

Whichever way this debate ends up, it seems that the issue of power is going to be very much in the news for some time to come. PACE

APRIL/MAY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 5

NEWS

Who could spy on IoT Devices?

Are espionage agencies gearing up to spy on the the world’s connected devices, asks Alan Grau from Icon Labs.

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ecent WikiLeak documents allege that the CIA developed, or sought to develop, or even “borrowed”, cyberattack technology that could target a wide range of IoT devices, including smart TVs, connected cars, and mobile phones.

The concepts of using connected devices for gathering intelligence or perpetrating malicious acts is certainly not new, but the scope of activities reported in the WikiLeak documents is startling to some.

Are IoT devices targets?

All too often, companies building connected devices either ignore security completely, try to bolt it on late in the development cycle, or treat

6 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

it as a “nice to have” feature.

The companies viewing security as a critical feature and taking a comprehensive approach to securing their devices and networks are in the minority.

It is not surprising an organisation with the resources of the CIA could develop effective cyberattacks against a wide range of IoT devices.

DIY device hacking

It doesn’t take a nation-state attack to exploit these vulnerabilities.

Devices including basic cybersecurity defenses often fall short. They may provide a level of protection by encrypting network traffic or harden the device using code signing for trusted boot or provide other defenses against cyber-attacks.

Each device is different, but many fail to provide security on all the device’s interfaces, leaving something open to attack.

For example, a number of IoT devices have implemented SSH to provide secure communication, but have used an identical shared key for an entire product line.

If that shared key is compromised, all devices using that key are vulnerable.

Lessons from WikiLeaks

The glaringly obvious conclusion is that security can no longer be viewed as a “nice to have”. It is critical to address security during the earliest design stage of a device. While creating a “completely secure device” is a huge challenge, it is important to set the bar as high as possible.

Even if it is not practical to implement a full security roadmap in your next product release, it is important to get started.

If you can create a base of security in your device, you can build upon it in subsequent releases.

Adding secure remote update capability, intrusion detection, and security management are critical features and a great starting point.

These features allow detection of attempted cyber-attacks against your devices, receiving notifications of those attacks, and to take action to mitigate attacks.

The only way to stop attacks is to begin taking security seriously.

Regardless of the device or application, it is critical to build in security from the beginning. PACE

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INDUSTRY INTERVIEW

Automation and information will coalesce: Pilz MD It’s been hard to miss the curiosity around “the Fourth Industrial revolution” across industry news stories and conversations over the past few years. Scott Moffat, managing director of Pilz Australia tells PACE magazine how automation is set to be industry’s big game changer.

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ndustry 4.0 is a vision of a world where the cyber and physical worlds merge, providing real-time, self-optimising production and complete visibility of everything in an organisation’s value chain.

It will bring highly networked system structures involving a variety of people, IT systems, automation components and machines.

It will also enable far more flexibility and adaptability in factories, with scenarios involving what is known as “batches of one”.

Automation and information will coalesce, and feed off each other.

“The level of preparedness for Industry 4.0 varies across markets, but the need to invest in new equipment is

generally understood,” said Moffat.

A survey of 300 manufacturing leaders in the US by McKinsey last year found only 48 per cent consider themselves ready for Industry 4.0.

Those surveyed estimated 40 to 50 per cent of the machines used today would need to be upgraded or replaced.

A much-cited report by consultants Strategy&, also from last year, found

“The only way Australian manufacturing is going to be able to compete on a global scale is with the adoption of Industry 4.0.”

that of 235 German industrial businesses surveyed, 80 per cent of these expected to have digitised key value chain processes by 2020.

They also expected to spend 3.3 per cent of their revenues on Industry 4.0 solutions doing so.

On the other side of the world, the Australian manufacturing sector’s capital investment has been at a worrying low for some time.

Fortunately, there are signs things could be starting to improve. “The willingness to invest couldn’t come at a more appropriate time,” said Moffat.

This is just as well, with manufacturers in advanced economies seeking to gain the edge through technology.

The benefits of the fourth

An ever more globalised manufacturing world means being globally competitive.

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revolution suit the profile of the kinds of firms that tend to thrive in Australia: generally high variability, high complexity, low volume producers.

And those who know suggest that not joining the march to Industry 4.0 could be disastrous for local industry.

An ever more globalised manufacturing world means being globally competitive, digitising operations wherever possible.

Asked if Australian manufacturers could survive without being a part of the movement, Moffat said: “I personally don’t think so.”

“The main difference I see between Germany and Australia with the adoption of Industry 4.0 is that Industry 4.0 is an initiative of the German government and they have

INDUSTRY INTERVIEW

a whole Industry approach. This includes government departments, industry bodies, machine and plant OEM’s and manufacturers all working collaboratively on Industry 4.0 themes and initiatives,” noted Moffat.

“As a result, it has permeated through all levels of business and there is now question that Industry 4.0 is a must for German manufacturing and equipment suppliers to be successful in the future.”

“In Australia however,” said Moffat, “the approach is a little more disjointed with a large reliance on industry 4.0 technology being mainly promoted by German-based vendors and suppliers.”

“We are seeing pockets of good collaboration within industry with examples such as the establishment of ‘Factory of the Future’ research center, the Prime Minister’s task force for Industry 4.0, and set up of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) however there does not seem to be the same level of acceptance with Industry 4.0 as I see when visiting Germany.”

“In my opinion,” noted Moffat “the only way Australian manufacturing is going to be able to compete on a global scale is with the adoption of Industry 4.0.”

“We need to reinvigorate and further develop our local

“I see Big Data and Industry 4.0 as very distinct things.

Big Data has more of a consumer feel to it and is more aimed at the retail or B2C markets. Industry 4.0 is more aimed at the manufacturing process.” manufacturing with smart technology so that it is both efficient and globally competitive as well as being supported by a vibrant local high tech machine, plant and equipment supply market.”

“We need to also choose the specific industries to which we can compete and develop these with a view to being global leaders and suppliers for these markets.”

“We then need to adopt Industry 4.0 themes and concepts to these markets and develop specifics around this. We are already seeing progress in this space as such with some phases coined like Mining 4.0, Medical 4.0 and Defence 4.0,” noted Moffat.

“Finally,” he said, “we need to make sure we create a vibrant and globally competitive machine / equipment / plant supply industry to support this. This second tier industry can also be a provider of equipment and machinery globally and provide great export opportunities.”

“Unfortunately, at the moment I

Pilz said it has rigorously and deliberately pursued this modular and distributed approach with its latest automation system the PSS 4000.

am seeing the opposite with the trend of the supply of plant and equipment from overseas and local manufacturers being squeezed out of the market.”

“I see Big Data and Industry 4.0 as very distinct things. Big Data has more of a consumer feel to it and is more aimed at the retail or B2C markets.

Industry 4.0 is more aimed and the manufacturing process.”

“One of the big challenges with Big Data is as the creation of data exponentially grows and the opportunity to cross link all of these different sources of data to provide greater insight we will be challenged to ensure that we objectively analyse this data.”

“I can see a significant amount of time being wasted analysing data for spurious outcomes or biased outcomes where the data has been preselected to engineer the desired outcome.”

“We will need to develop local talent as well as import talent from overseas to help train up and develop local resources,” said Moffat.

For its part, Germany’s Pilz is among the worldwide leaders in the movement. It is already providing solutions relevant to Industry 4.0. It is part of numerous I4.0 initiatives including the Industry 4.0 Management Team at ZVEI, the manufacturer-independent demonstration and research platform SmartFactory KL, and the Industry 4.0 Platform.

It understands what is possible and has its own, unique approach. A safe automation specialist, it is wellplaced to meet the parallel – and wellknown – challenges related to security as communications become more and more decentralised and distributed.

New challenges with regard to modularisation, networking and distribution of control functions into ever smaller sub-functions are the result.

Pilz said it has rigorously and deliberately pursued this modular and distributed approach with its latest automation system the PSS 4000 and

Scott Moffat, managing director of Pilz Australia. its real-time Ethernet based safety Protocol (SafetyNETp).

The PSS 4000 automation system is easily implemented and allows control functions to be distributed simply, using its state-of-the-art programming software, PAS4000.

The software platform has been specifically designed and created from the ground up using Industry 4.0 principles.

A further extension to the PAS4000 software is Pilz’s new visualisation software, PASvisu. This enables a realtime view of the entire factory on a smart device, and enables the user to cut through the streams of complex content with highly customisable visual displays.

In other words, If Big Data is to be useful, it must be made sense of and put forward in a simple, visible format.

This is something that is trying to be achieved through Pilz’s newlylaunched PASvisu software, which syncs with the software program right from the start and is designed to provided highly-tailored visualisation, on the move, at any time on your device.

As the Industry 4.0 implementation approaches, there will be plenty of conversations had about the effect on manufacturing.

While some in the industry continue to talk about it as a kind of coming revolution that will one day make its way to Australia, it’s arguably – at least in some ways – already here. PACE Pilz Australia 03 9560 0621 www.pilz.com APRIL/MAY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 9

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

CSIRO to improve flow of chemical manufacturing The FloWorks manufacturing centre has been designed to provide cutting-edge research into flow chemistry capability, making it more accessible to the chemical manufacturing industry.

S

enior research scientist with CSIRO’s manufacturing sector and director of the new FloWorks centre, Dr Christian Hornung, said flow chemistry offers a cleaner, smarter and more efficient way of making chemicals.

“The benefits of using the flow process include reduced reaction times and plant space, which equate to less energy cost, more efficient processes, reduced waste and a much safer environment,” Hornung said.

Contrary to traditional batch chemistry methods, starting materials are fed into a reactor where the chemical reaction takes place in a continuous stream, a method that in

many cases has proven to be a more efficient and cost-effective way of producing chemicals.

Multi-stage processing, which eliminates the need for manual handling of chemicals in between steps, greatly improves safety, while in-line purification makes the system more streamlined.

Smart monitoring and on-line analysis is used to automate the manufacturing process.

Industry partner, Zoran Manev from Boron Molecular, uses flow chemistry at his Noble Park plant to manufacture fine chemicals for Australian and international pharmaceutical and materials science clients.

CSIRO’s new FloWorks Centre for Industrial Flow Chemistry will improve chemical manufacturing processes in Australia.

10 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

“CSIRO helped us integrate flow chemistry into our operations,” Manev said.

“We use our unit to develop a number of processes or convert them from batch to flow.

“Flow chemistry enables us to make purer molecules, so we have fewer side products and fewer issues when we scale up to manufacture from small scale to larger tonne lots.

“With flow we’re using far less solvents and energy and discarding far less waste material into the environment than we would otherwise,” he said.

FloWorks offers a complete package all the way through development; from early discovery stages to industrial

scale-up and tech transfer.

A purpose-built 410m2 facility will be housed at CSIRO’s Clayton site in Melbourne’s south east.

Incorporating all of CSIRO’s flow chemistry equipment, its capabilities will range from small-scale discovery tools to large-scale industrial reactors.

Hornung said the new collaborative space would generate greater engagement with industry and other research bodies.

“I see flow technology eventually being taken up by chemical manufacturers in all areas,” he said. PACE CSIRO 1300 363 400 www.csiro.au

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ZENITH AWARDS

2017 Zenith Awards come of age After 15 years of showcasing the very best Australia’s process control has to offer, PACE is proud to announce the return of the annual Zenith Awards for 2017.

L

aunched back in 2003, the annual PACE Zenith Awards have grown into a respected and prestigious awards program – in fact they are the only national B2B awards for the process control & instrumentation industry.

The 15th PACE Zenith Awards will officially recognise companies and individuals that have shown innovation and engineering excellence. It will highlight the hard work of companies and individuals across the country, bringing their success to light and providing the recognition they deserve.

A prestigious occasion, the Zenith Awards will recognise the very best in process and control engineering with the 2017 celebration to be held on Tuesday 15 August at the spectacular Doltone House Hyde Park in Sydney.

The Zenith Awards are also an opportunity for the industry to come together and celebrate the very best products and projects that are being invested in, network with other likeminded industry members and learn about the latest in technological innovations and advancements.

As usual our fully independent judging panel will select from the many awards entries across across 10 key

industry and people related categories.

So in other words, now is the time to send your entries in.

From a promotional point of view, the Zenith Awards sponsorships offer an extensive marketing campaign including attendance at the gala presentation dinner for awards entrants, sponsors, their business colleagues and associates.

As nominations are now open for 2017, PACE encourages all companies involved in the sector to nominate their projects for one of these esteemed awards.

2017 Zenith Awards Sponsors

Bestech Australia Proudly sponsoring Best PLC, HMI & Sensor Product Bestech Australia supplies state of the art industrial sensors, instrumentation and teaching equipment from world leading manufacturers, and provides quality customer service. Bestech delivers a wide range of products for university and research laboratories

as well as various applications in manufacturing, military, mining, steel, rail, construction, automotive, chemical, pharmaceutical, food and water industries.

SICK Proudly sponsoring Young Achiever of the Year Independence, Innovation and Leadership are the core values that continue to drive and motivate SICK. For more than 60 years SICK has continued to develop a long line of industry firsts to protect personnel and machinery. As inventors and innovators SICK is proud to once again align with the spirit of the awards and in particular the Young Achiever of the Year award.

developing products that become trendsetting innovations. At B&R, we turn this motto into reality by providing customers with a complete automation solution that provides maximum flexibility and economic efficiency. From customised products to large-scale series production, meeting our customers’ needs is our main focus.

All finalist projects are automatically deemed entrants for Project of the Year.

To nominate, or for more information on the 2017 Zenith Awards, please visit www.paceawards.com.au.

The actual awards submissions should include product or project name, 800 words, the authors details, contact details for technical enquiries. PACE If you have any questions, you can contact our events team at event.organiser@ primecreative.com.au

B&R Automation Proudly sponsoring Machine Builder At B&R Automation, “Perfection in Automation” means we put all of our knowledge and creativity into

THE CATEGORIES ARE: • Best Network Implementation • Best PLC, HMI & Sensor Product • Power & Energy Management • Water & Wastewater Control • Young Achiever of the Year • Mining & Minerals Process Control • Safety System Innovation • Manufacturing Control • Machine Builder • Project of the Year 12 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

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SAFETY

Keeping electrical workers safe Working with medium-voltage (MV) switchgear, internal arc flash accidents are rare, but when one happens, the consequences are severe. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to pay attention to arc resistance and the safety of personnel, says Tomas Kostovcik from ABB.

A

n arc flash is the most unwanted phenomenon in electrical systems. It is a type of electrical explosion or discharge that occurs when electric current leaves its intended path and travels through the air between conductors or to ground. The most common causes of arc flashes are human mistakes, insulation failures, and over-stress of components, such as when a circuit-breaker fails during a switchoperation.

The energy released during an arc flash in an 11kV switchgear can be up to 300MW, which is equivalent to the amount of energy needed to start six space shuttles. The temperature

14 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

may rise up to 20,000 degrees celcius, which is five times more than the surface of the sun. In the chart below, we can see that after 100ms the cables will ignite, after 150ms cooper starts to burn and after 200ms metal sheets start to burn.

On top of ensuring that the personnel are properly trained and skilled for the task, the switchgear must be type-tested and classified A. There are other ways to further manage and reduce the hazards of arc flash accidents, starting with selecting the correct internal arc current and duration rating for the application, and defining the correct classification for access to the enclosure.

For evacuation outside the building, there is a gas duct with an outlet.

This type of solution is very effective for smaller switchgear rooms, such as containers, as it does not set particular size requirements.

SAFETY

The IEC 62271-200 Edition 2 For evacuation outside the building, standard lists three categories for there is a gas duct with an outlet. restricting access to the enclosure: This type of solution is very effective • A – restricted access to authorised for smaller switchgear rooms, such as personnel only containers, as it does not set particular • B – unrestricted access size requirements. This approach calls • C – restricted by installation out for additional civil works for preparing of reach holes in the wall – and also additional Categories A and B are to be marked safe space is required outside of the with additional letters F (front), R building – and it must be ensured that (rear), L (lateral), to indicate the sides this space is fenced. of the switchgear that are arc resistant.

The second approach is to release The classification of switchgear has to hot gas inside the switchgear room, be clearly indicated on the switchgear which requires a top chimney solution. label, including arc withstand current With this approach, no additional in kiloamperes (kA) and duration in civil works are required, but extra seconds. space above the switchgear has to be Choosing the correct gas duct system available. This space has to be clear is another important safety measure. of any material above and it is highly When there is an internal arc in the recommended that a calculation of switchgear, hot gases and metal debris pressure increase inside the switchgear must be evacuated in a safe manner. room is made, especially if the To do this, each switchgear is to be switchgear room is small. PACE equipped with a gas duct system. There ABB are two approaches: either evacuation outside A D _of Pthe A building C E A Mor S safe F E release B_ 1 3 . p d f P a g e 1 9 / 1800 0 1 222 / 1 435 3 , www.abbaustralia.com.au inside the switchgear room.

The energy released during an arc flash in an 11kV switchgear can be up to 300MW, which is equivalent to the amount of energy needed to start six space shuttles.

1 0 : 0 0

AM

APRIL/MAY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 15

COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Australian physicists open door to improved communications ANU researchers believe magnets are the answer to better and cheaper communications systems.

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esearch led by ANU on the use of magnets to steer light has opened the door to new communications systems which could be smaller, cheaper and more agile than fibre optics. Group leader Professor Wieslaw Krolikowski from the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering (RSPE) said the team’s breakthrough would be crucial for developing tiny components to process huge amounts of data.

“This technology is also expected to be applicable in sensors, data storage and liquid crystal displays,” said Krolikowski.

Today’s communication technologies aim to maximise data transmission rates and require the ability to precisely direct information channels. These technologies use electronic components for signal

16 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

“This technology is also expected to be applicable in sensors, data storage and liquid crystal displays.” processing such as switching, which is not as fast as light-based technology including fibre optics.

Krolikowski said the team used a magnetic field to stimulate liquid crystals and steer light beams carrying data, which enables an innovative approach to data processing and switching.

“Our discovery could lead to communications technology that could power a new generation of efficient devices such as compact and fast optical switches, routers and modulators,” he said.

Co-researcher Dr Vladlen Shvedov

from RSPE said the team’s innovation, based on liquid crystals with properties modified by light, promised a more agile system than fibre optics.

“This touch-free magneto-optical system is so flexible that you can remotely transfer the tiny optical signal in any desired direction in real time,” said Shvedov.

Co-researcher Dr Yana Izdebskaya from RSPE said while the innovation was in the early stages, it was highly promising for future communications technology.

“In the liquid crystal the light creates a temporary channel to guide itself

along, called a soliton, which is about one tenth the diameter of a human hair.

That’s about 25 times thinner than fibre optics,” said Izdebskaya.

“Developing efficient strategies to achieve the robust control and steering of solitons is one of the major challenges in light-based technologies.”

Izdebskaya said controlling solitons in liquid crystals had only been achieved by applying voltage from inflexible electrodes.

“Such systems have been restricted by the configuration of electrodes in a thin liquid crystal layer. Our new approach doesn’t have this limitation and opens a way to full 3D manipulations of light signals carried by solitons.” PACE This article was sourced from Australian National University.

INTERNET OF THINGS

What the IIoT means for plant operations The advent of the Internet of Things will result in a complete overhaul of industrial operations, according to Richard Ronc, Product Sales Manager at Advantech Australia.

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hile the concept of smart machines is not exactly new, never has there been such a widespread movement to create large networks of connected machines. This is so much so that entire cities are inundating their streets with sensors in order to join the growing list of ‘smart cities’.

Industrial sectors have seen the same movement, with plants racing to implement smart devices that will communicate real-time information to other connected devices and

18 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

systems, resulting in increased transparency and efficiency, and lower costs.

However, in the rush to digitise industrial processes and reach the coveted ‘Industry 4.0’, many people are missing the point. There is a lot of confusion around the Internet of Things (IoT) and what it actually means. Some people think of IoT as a “product” that they need to buy in order to remain competitive. Others are confused about the difference between IoT and machine-tomachine (M2M), with 45 per cent

of respondents in Gemalto’s IoT Outlook 2016 report considering the two to be exactly the same.

And then there are those that don’t mention IoT in their projects at all, with some businesses hoping to solve problems completely within their own organisation.

The official definition of IoT is a network or networks encompassing the use of standard Internet Protocol (IP) technologies to connect people, processes and things to enable new cyber-physical systems. This concept transcends

individual organisations, which end up serving as independent “data collectors” that communicate information to other organisations to solve a bigger problem. For example, in order to communicate available parking spots to Google Maps users, individual carparks send data to Google, which is then collated and programmed into Maps to be made available to drivers. This “horizontal” data-sharing is a key component of the IoT, and applies not just to the consumer world, but to industrial operations as well.

INTERNET OF THINGS

“With the advent of the IIoT, use of vertical data flows alone no longer makes sense. This is because in order to fully exploit the potential of the IoT, data must be free to flow wherever in the system it can add value.”

The Industrial IoT (IIoT) can be seen as a subset of the IoT, where wireless connections exist to produce goods for the marketplace and monitor the processes involved. The horizontal flow of data is enabling the IIoT to revolutionise industrial processes in many ways.

In manufacturing for example, the Purdue model of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) has dominated the operation of manufacturing systems for the past 20 years or so. The Purdue CIM model is hierarchical in nature, involving the upward flow of information in a pyramid-like structure from the shop floor to high-level enterprise Projekt1Essentially, 21.02.17sensing 09:40 systems Seite 1 systems.

like PLCs, sensors, motors and drives are at the bottom of the pyramid, feeding information to control and device networks like SCADA, which then travels up to the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and then finally to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.

With the advent of the IIoT however, use of vertical data flows alone no longer makes sense. This is because in order to fully exploit the potential of the IoT, data must be free to flow wherever in the system it can add value. This is the difference between M2M and Enterprise IoT systems. With M2M, there are vertical silos of data that do not add value beyond a specific sub-system. In

an Enterprise IoT system however, everything is interconnected and the right data flows to the right place at the right time, allowing better insight into industrial processes. In this modern, interconnected system, it is important that data flows are both vertical and horizontal, intersecting at key points.

Indeed, by connecting machines to machines, people to machines and machines and people to a more expanded system of systems, manufacturers can create intelligent networks and factory systems along the entire value chain. This will lead to factory systems that communicate and control each other simultaneously with significantly reduced operator intervention. For example, the supplier of a specific product may be able to “see” a factory’s stock levels and take action to prevent the factory from running out (with permission of course). This is just one example of how industrial operations can be further streamlined with use of the IIoT. While transitioning to an Enterprise IoT system poses many

challenges to industrial plants, the benefits of this new, highly connected system will far outweigh these challenges. Harnessing the IoT will also become increasingly important for companies to remain competitive as the industrial landscape continues to change. PACE Richard Ronc is an IIoT Business Development Manager at Advantech Australia with a background in electrical engineering.

With almost ten years of experience in the industry and within Advantech, Richard is an expert on industrial hardware and customised HMI solutions. He possesses key insights and knowledge in the IIoT market and its products with adept understanding of IIoT applications.

Advantech Australia 1300 308 531 www.advantech.net.au

APRIL/MAY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 19

INTERNET OF THINGS

The transformative power of the IoT In the next 10 years, the Internet of Things (IoT) will dramatically alter Australian industry and transform how people will work through new interactions between humans and machines. PACE magazine was at the recent Industrial Internet Summit 2017 to report on these issues and talk to some of the important industry players.

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he IoT, say industry commentators, will bring unprecedented opportunities, along with new risks, to business and society. As was recently noted at the Industrial Internet Summit 2017, it will combine the global reach of the Internet with a new ability to directly control the physical world, including the machines, factories and infrastructure that define the modern landscape.

However, many important questions remain, including how the IoT will impact existing industries, value chains, business models and workforces, and what actions business and government leaders need to take to ensure long-term success.

Changes in the skill profiles

According to current research, there are going to be large skill shortages in Australian manufacturing.

Mike Grogan, director of the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, said there will be a need for an influx of up to almost 100,000 people across different industries. In addition, he said there would be changes at the lower skill end of manufacturing.

“We are also going to see the exit of about 50,000 jobs at the bottom, and as you’d expect, they are blue collar. It all depends on whether we are going to be looking at our competitive advantage in design and management, R&D, logistics, marketing and the capacity to add value to products.

There is going to be a large change

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in the skill profile of manufacturing,” Grogan said.

Grogan added that Australia is going to have up to 40,000 “high end” jobs in the managerial bracket. He noted that the lead-time on workers gaining high-end skills is about eight years.

Australia must spend more time on educating people in STEM and manufacturing now or else when demand for skilled labour increases, the country won’t be able to ‘exploit opportunities’, according to Grogan.

How skills will be used in the 4.0 Age

David Chuter, CEO of Innovative Manufacturing CRC, said no one can know for sure which skills will be

in demand. However, according to Chuter, employees won’t be learning new skills in factories. An example would be car dealership employees being certified to create replacement parts using a 3D printer, instead of having to order the part from overseas.

“If you go to car dealerships and today you buy a car and your gearbox breaks down, you may wait two months to get a spare part from Europe. Now, imagine a world where the car dealership where they are making a replacement part for you and it’s all approved and certified so suddenly now you could have thousands of employees or potentially hundreds of thousands of employees making parts to repair cars,” Chuter said.

BAC Modular Workplace and Drawer Storage Systems Ian Burnett, Dean of UTS school of engineering & IT, believes the 40,000 ‘high end’ jobs are going to be for people with a broad set of skills. For example, mechanical engineers are going to need to know about augmented reality which they could be using to maintain their equipment.

The manufacturing sector and universities need to be aware of changes to industry’s skill requirements so they can guide children to study the right courses and degrees.

Burnett also said the semantics around degrees and certifications significantly affects what careers parents want for their children.

“Primary school parents would not be using the ‘word’ manufacturing as something they would like their children to go into. There are only two or three universities that have ‘manufacturing’ in the title of their degrees,” Burnett said.

“If you put manufacturing in the degree name, you can guarantee that the quality of your students drops. I cannot remember the exact figure but my previous university has a degree with manufacturing in the title and I know the ATARs they can get for that degree are some ten points lower than for mechanical engineering.

Currently, manufacturing is not viewed as a ‘future’ career path for children and this is a problem.”

“What we call the ‘Industrial Revolution’ and what we call the ‘future of manufacturing in Australia’ will have real impact in terms of developing the skills we need particularly if it’s a 5-15-year gestation period.”

The changes needed to get skills into manufacturing

Manufacturing has several cultural problems. Firstly, the government does not “do enough” to help provide skilled labour when they clearly need it and secondly, there is the issue of gender disparity in the sector, Grogan said.

Grogan also added that the industry expects skilled labour to be available when they need them and the government can’t justify the employment of more graduates without explaining the need to do so.

“If manufacturers have opportunities open and they do not receive enough

interest from local skilled labour, they will request that the jobs be put on the Skilled Occupations List,” he said.

Grogan also said the Australian manufacturing sector has a terrible gender balance. He said that the mentioned upcoming 40,000 jobs would be very attractive in terms of gender because they would likely be “family –friendly”.

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Getting the schools involved

The end of automotive manufacturing creates many opportunities for skill development in other developing areas.

“If you look at how Industry 4.0 is being described, there are nine industry technologies or toolkits from augmented reality to big data to simulation. There is probably only two of those, big data and the industrial internet itself, that haven’t been around for the last 15-20 years,” Chuter said.

Chuter describes this as “a once in a lifetime opportunity without poaching”. He encourages manufacturers to go out and observe automotive supply bases because these places have skilled people who have used technologies for up to 15 years that has now evolved into Industry 4.0.

“We have bodies of knowledge where this capability exists. We just need to make sure that it doesn’t get diluted and disseminated once vehicle manufacturing stops.”

He also noted that students have access to Industry 4.0 skills at primary school level like simple coding.

“What I hope is that these students get the problem-solving skills and interest in technology from these things because at the end of the day the ability for human-machine interaction is where the key to success is going to lie.”

Burnett added that there are a lot of international students who come to Australia because they still believe it is an opportunity for them.

“They are getting the message about STEM that domestic students are not. Local students have to get a feel for logically solving problems but not all of them need to learn code.

They need to learn how to look at the problem and implement a solution.

The solution may be implemented overseas Australia will miss out on the insight and the opportunity,” Burnett said. PACE

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ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Are opportunities increasing in the renewable energy sector?

With the push for greater development of clean renewable energy sources, there will likely to be an increasing focus on potential opportunities for involvement of Australia’s manufacturing industry in supplying this market segment, Hartley Henderson writes.

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ction to phase out coal fired power plants, the escalating cost of gas, and moves to prohibit onshore gas exploration are factors that could assist in opening up increasing opportunities in the solar and wind power sectors. A particular focus is the development of battery storage technology which has been described as ‘the missing link’ in greater uptake of solar power.

According to the Clean Energy Council’s Director of Large-scale Energy, Alicia Webb, one of the biggest challenges with renewable energy is keeping up with the latest advances.

“Not only is the cost of various technologies like large-scale solar and wind falling in price compared to fossil fuels and other competitors, but every week there is some new system, software or technological platform that helps everything talk to each other better and squeeze the maximum amount of value out of it for energy consumers,” she told PACE. “Wind turbines are getting bigger, both in their size and generator capacity, which means more energy can be generated for less money and with less turbines. Solar panels and inverters are also getting more efficient too.

“There are really two parts to the solar industry – one that is mostly focussed on smaller-scale household and commercial solar, and the other that wants to develop major projects.

Large-scale solar is still relatively new in Australia, but the cost of solar panels has come down rapidly over the last few years and it won’t be long before it is competitive with wind power.

“The three largest solar plants in the country have been developed in NSW

by AGL and First Solar, with assistance from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the NSW Government and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

22 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL 2017

“There is still plenty of activity at the household level as well, with more than 1.5 million solar power systems installed across the country.

“Cheap battery storage is really the last piece of the puzzle for renewable energy. While Australia can accommodate a much higher level of variable renewables such as solar and wind than we do at the moment, at some point battery storage will be required to help smooth out the supply of renewable energy. That is, we can store energy when the wind and sun are generating more than we need, and use it later on.”

Alicia believes manufacturing is an emerging space for the renewable energy sector.

“Like a lot of industries, many of the components are currently made overseas due to the lower cost of labour, but there are opportunities for high-value manufacturing of components,” she said.

“The national Renewable Energy Target is locked in now, and we can get on with building projects over the next 4 to 5 years.”

Solar panels

Based in Adelaide, Tindo Solar has some 30 employees and is Australia’s only solar panel manufacturer.

The company is vertically integrated, from local manufacturing to installing and owning rooftop solar systems, and then selling the power to residential and commercial customers under a power purchase agreement.

According to Tindo’s founder, Adrian Ferraretto, the company is doing very well in the developing market and has just implemented a second shift in its manufacturing operations.

“There are certainly opportunities for Australian manufacturers in the

Simon Hackett with the ZCell battery enclosure

XT N NE RATIO NE GE

“Developments in battery technology are also allowing excess energy to be stored and this in turn is enabling the installation of more solar panels.” renewable energy sector, but it’s important to have the confidence to proceed and take calculated risks. For us, a key factor in our success is our integration strategy where we go from the solar panels production line to rooftop installations, which enables us to compete against solar panels from China,” he said.

“There has been significant improvement in the efficiency of solar panels in recent times. Our solar panels are manufactured specifically for Australian conditions and we control the entire process from our robotic production line to commissioning the solar generation system at your residence or commercial premises.

“Developments in battery technology are also allowing excess energy to be stored and this enables the installation of more solar panels. As feed-in tariffs are wound back, instead of feeding surplus solar energy into the grid, it can be stored in batteries instead for night time use.”

Adrian says that as energy prices continue to rise, solar electricity is the best way to control and manage the cost of your future energy needs.

Battery technology

Based in Brisbane, Redflow produces solar energy storage batteries for homes and small businesses. According to the company’s executive chairman, Simon Hackett, its core ZBM2 module can also be easily clustered to support large commercial and grid scale deployments.

“It is ideally suited to a number of energy storage and delivery applications including on-grid solarself-consumption and off-grid diesel/ renewable hybrid deployments,” he said.

“It is still early days for battery storage in Australia and the world generally, but there are signs that the industry is about to hit a huge growth phase globally.

“Australia is a world leader in residential rooftop solar and this means that the majority of overseas innovators

in this space are interested in using Australia as a test bed. Renewable energy related manufacturing work is certainly a new opportunity for Australian manufacturers,” he said.

“Redflow has designed its globally unique flow battery in Australia. It manufactures the core battery in North America for a world market, and makes the ZCell enclosure for residential Redflow battery deployments in South Australia.

“The Redflow ZCell flow battery is unique in terms of its capabilities and suitability for hard-working (daily deep cycle) applications. It’s the only flow battery small enough to work in a residential setting and it comes with an internet-savvy battery management system that provides remote access, monitoring and control of the battery system.”

Simon believes further development of battery storage technology is critical to growth of the renewable energy sector.

“Battery storage is the missing link to allowing solar energy to become a 24/7 base-load energy source,” he said.

“Energy storage, especially storage that can handle daily 100 per cent deep cycling without long term loss of capacity, which the ZCell is uniquely capable of, is the element that frees solar, wind and other renewable sources from the fallacy that they are only useful when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, so it’s a pretty fundamental change.” PACE Hartley Henderson is a regular contributing writer to PACE, covering industry developments in Victoria and South Australia. Prior to that, he held senior positions in government, semigovernment and business enterprises and was National Program Director with the Productivity Promotion Council of Australia.

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AUTOMATION

Will automation become the next job killer?

Automation is on track to become the ultimate job killer. In fact, much like the industrial revolution 200 years ago, the automation of human tasks is revolutionising both the workplace and society. What this means for the manufacturing sector can be both thrilling and frightening depending on whose point of view you take, writes Branko Miletic.

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ccording to a recent article in phys.org, within 20 years, 35 per cent of all UK jobs are at risk of vanishing from automation. So this might be a good time to see how our future working lives will be affected by the rise of the machines.

Research published last year by Oxford University and Deloitte said in the UK there is a 77 per cent probability of 1.3 million administrative and operative roles being automated.

While factory workers are very familiar with automation taking over repetitive, precise and physically arduous tasks, the list also found that work performed by police, teachers and even journalists is open to being automated. Similar research in the US by McKinsey has backed up these findings.

Having said that, another Deloitte study found that while automation had reduced agriculture and manufacturing employment in the UK over the past 150 years, the corresponding growth in other professions had more than offset this downward trend.

The McKinsey research pointed out that the discussion can be misleading if

by the term ‘job’ we mean ‘occupation’, and added that only some functional activities will be automated, leading to a “redefinition of occupations in the same way that automatic cash machines changed that of the bank clerk”.

The researchers found that less than 5 per cent of US occupations could currently be completely automated, while at the same time also finding that 60 per cent of occupations could have around a third of their activities automated And for a local perspective, in an article last year in The Conversation titled ‘Australia must prepare for massive job losses due to automation’, Griffith University lecturer in Applied Ethics and Socio-Technical Studies David Tuffley said the next 20 years are likely to see significant changes in industries that are currently considered safe.

“We know that jobs in agriculture, mining and manufacturing have been squeezed in recent years, but sectors that have been relatively immune to technological disruption, such as health, are also under pressure,” said Tuffley.

Creativity and innovation, he noted were not just cliches of the modern

age, but rather part of a long historical pattern from which we should all learn from.

Going one step further and with an eye on the legal ramifications of automation, recently, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) asked the European Commission to establish a legal status for robots to exploit their economic potential, while guaranteeing citizen safety and security, including job security.

But according to economist Alan Kohler in a recent op-ed in The Australian newspaper, it’s not just our leisure time we’ll be restructuring if automation and robots take our jobs but also the tax and political systems.

“The common line that economic growth in the 19th century meant that those who were displaced by mechanical looms and steam power eventually got jobs is rubbish,” wrote Kohler.

“They just died — poor and young, mostly from the lack of sanitary and medical technology,” he wrote.

“Real wages,” said Kohler “fell 10 per cent between 1770 and 1840, and took 60-70 years to sustainably rise again. Per capita consumption

rose only 22 per cent from 1760 to 1830, a growth rate of 0.28 per cent per annum.”

“The result was a massive widening of inequality and aggregations of colossal wealth in a few oligopolies and monopolies,” resulting, he pointed out, in “…Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and The Communist Manifesto of 1848.”

Kohler also pointed out there is now “a debate getting started about whether automation and artificial intelligence really will lead to mass unemployment, and therefore require a fundamental restructuring of the welfare system and society’s approach to the idea of work itself”.

“It’s a bit like the debate about climate change, only less tangible,” he somewhat wryly pointed out.

To add to this bubbling cauldron of potential socio-economic inequity is the ‘Internet of Things’- which in itself is worthy of a whole new discussion on the job killing effects of automation.

Automation has been around for a very long time, but it remains to be seen if some of our jobs can say the same. PACE APRIL/MAY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 25

WATER/WASTEWATER

Delivering compressed air to Sydney’s largest wastewater plant As part of the Malabar Waste Water Treatment Plant Process and Reliability and Renewal Improvement Project, an ageing compressed air system at the plant was recently upgraded with three Kaeser CSDX series rotary screw compressors, along with a Sigma Air Manager 4.0 compressed air management system.

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ustralia’s largest water and wastewater service provider, Sydney Water run the Malabar Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). It has an average daily discharge of almost 500 ML and it collects and treats around 1.5 billion litres of wastewater each day through a network of over 25,000 kilometres of wastewater pipes, 677 pumping stations, 14 water recycling plants and 16 wastewater treatment plants.

A significant project was recently initiated at Malabar WWTP to improve the reliability of the processes that treat wastewater, to ensure Malabar WWTP continues to comply with its environment protection license requirements, improve safety and working conditions and reduce operating costs.

This will ensure that Sydney Water continues to deliver great value for their customers and better conditions for their staff.

The project is being delivered by 4Malabar, an alliance between Sydney Water, John Holland, UGL Engineering and GHD. Work on the Improvement Project started in 2014 and is expected to be completed by mid-2019.

Since work has commenced, a number of improvements have been completed and include an upgrade of the ageing compressed air system.

Compressed air is used for a number of plant site services across Malabar WWTP including valving, pneumatic actuation and sparging. A reliable and efficient supply of quality compressed air is critical to deliver these site services and was therefore key criteria in selecting the new system.

Following a successful tender process, three Kaeser CSDX series 26 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

rotary screw compressors, along with a Sigma Air Manager 4.0 (SAM 4.0) compressed air management system were selected to meet the requirements for Malabar WWTP. The latest generation CSDX series rotary screw compressors from Kaeser has been designed to push the boundaries when it comes to compressed air efficiency, providing significant energy savings in multiple ways.

For example, every CSDX series rotary screw compressor is equipped with a low speed and highly efficient screw compressor block featuring the high performance and flow-optimised Sigma Profile rotors.

The Sigma Profile achieves power savings of up to 15 per cent compared with conventional screw compressor block rotor profiles for a highly energy efficient solution.

Efficiency is further enhanced, the company said, with the inclusion

of a premium efficiency IE3 drive motor, which complies with and exceeds prevailing Australian GEMS regulations for 3-Phase electric motors, the company said.

According to the company, the Kaeser 1:1 drive design is engineered to eliminate the transmission losses associated with gear or v-belt driven systems as the motor directly drives the screw compressor block.

To reliably and efficiently manage the compressed air system a Sigma Air Manager 4.0 (SAM 4.0) was installed.

An in-house centralised control system, SAM 4.0 enables compressor performance to be precisely matched to actual air demand thereby allowing additional energy savings.

The SAM 4.0 utilises adaptive 3D advanced control to make air generation and treatment more intelligent, reliable and efficient.

The algorithm of the adaptive 3D advanced control orchestrates the

Compressed air is used for a number of plant site services across Malabar WWTP including valving, pneumatic actuation and sparging.

operation of the Kaeser compressed air system.

As a result, just the right amount of compressed air power is provided to suit the specific needs of the application, with maximum energy efficiency, according to the company.

The adaptive 3D advanced control continuously analyses the relationship between various parameters (e.g. switching and control efficiency), and pro-actively calculates the optimum combination from a range of many in order to achieve optimum efficiency.

According to Margaret Riley, Senior Project Manager at Sydney Water, “Kaeser’s compressed air system is proving to be reliable and efficient in delivery the high quality compressed air that the Malabar Waste Water Treatment Plant requires.” PACE Kaeser Compressors Australia 03 9791 5999 www.kaeser.com.au

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WATER/WASTEWATER

Quality wastewater management crucial to industry success As water supplies continue to dry out, governments are looking closely at business operations and how water is used.

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ustralia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, with the least amount of water in rivers, the lowest run-off and the smallest area of permanent wetlands of all the continents. Yet each year, Australians use as much fresh water as it would take to fill Sydney Harbour approximately 48 times. Metals-related industries, manufacturing and industrial plants, along with mining, are the biggest users of water and are the largest contributors to hazardous wastewater.

As environmental protection laws become more stringent, industries must tighten up water management processes so as to

reduce consumption, limit waste and minimise impact on the environment.

Pressure transmitters and level sensors are crucial instruments used in the level monitoring and control of water systems and water treatment processes, giving companies the opportunity to avoid disastrous outcomes caused by leaks or flooding.

To do this however, companies must first overcome problems with data accuracy, reliability and remote communication, and learn to understand the limitations of monitoring equipment before exposing it to corrosive and hazardous environments.

Because of the location of most monitoring systems, operator access can again be limited, making the task of maintenance and data collection an extremely difficult process.

28 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

Improving current provisions

Wastewater management is an inherent aspect of many industrial operations with the performance of water holding facilities evaluated through regular leakage monitoring and visual inspections. Remote locations or hard

to access areas like wet wells or bore holes where water is usually stored either underground or in cramped shells, can pose a threat to data integrity as readings are often carried out irregularly and maintenance of equipment is extremely difficult to carry out. Quick and unlimited access

In 2000, a leak at the Ranger Uranium mine in Northern Territory, caused 2000 cubic metres of tailings to leak out as a result of pipeline corrosion, with some of it entering the culvert which flows to the Corridor Creek Wetlands.

WATER/WASTEWATER

to data puts companies in a position to react to abnormalities immediately, which in the case of a genuine leak or overflow is crucial in minimising risk to the environment.

Consideration must also be given to the threat of outside interferences, such as adverse weather conditions and lightning strikes, which threaten performance and reliability of instruments. Because of the location of most monitoring systems, operator access can again be limited, making the task of maintenance and data collection an extremely difficult process.

In 2000, a leak at the Ranger Uranium mine in Northern Territory, caused 2000 cubic metres of tailings to leak out as a result of pipeline corrosion, with some of it entering the culvert which flows to the Corridor Creek Wetlands. It was deemed that had routine analysis of water been carried out, the leak could have been detected several months earlier. The monitoring program

“Companies must overcome problems with data accuracy, reliability and remote communication, and learn to understand the limitations of monitoring equipment before exposing it to corrosive and hazardous environments.” in place was judged to be deficient, with the problem worsened by the lack of monitoring locations within secondary containment systems.

In the case of pressure monitoring instruments used in pumping stations to monitor flow and prevent flooding, remote location of stations and corrosion or damage to instruments may lead to major operational failures. Pressure transmitters used in lift stations, usually holding highly corrosive media and bio-waste, function to alert systems that storage tanks are full and pumps need to be turned on, and vice versa.

The importance of reliable and

compatible measurement technology in these circumstances reduce risk of overflow substantially.

Why is this a concern for industry?

Considering it only takes one litre of oil to contaminate one million litres of water, any leakage or overflow of wastewater into the environment, no matter how small, is unacceptable.

The social impact of concerned communities and authorities can seriously hinder future plant expansion plans, posing a threat to the whole industry and further undermining public confidence.

Monitoring of water levels is crucial to protecting the environment from contamination and maintaining a reputable, responsible business image. Leak of tailings water or industrial waste to external environments is a breach of environmental requirements and can incur a conviction and maximum penalty of up to $1 million. When coupled with clean-up costs and downtime, a leak can quickly transcend into millions of dollars of lost revenue.

Apart from assuring that the signals and data received from transmitters and sensors are totally accurate, eliminating ‘in field’ sensor faults and reducing costly field maintenance procedures is essential to reducing plant operation costs, especially in the current economic climate. PACE Bestech Australia 03 9540 5100 www.bestech.com.au

APRIL/MAY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 29

CONDITION MONITORING

Cloud-based condition monitoring now a game changer Manufacturing systems and processes are becoming increasingly complex, making more rational decision-making in process control a necessity. Therefore, better information gathering and analysis techniques are needed for effective condition-based monitoring.

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ondition-based monitoring is where the measurable condition(s) of a machine are continuously monitored by checking pre-defined parameters such as temperature, vibration, oil levels etc. that enables the tracking of patterns that help predict equipment failure.

This failure prediction in turn allows for timely action and prevents major or catastrophic failures later on.

Condition monitoring is one major component critical of preventive maintenance by ensuring that equipment is always properly maintained by checking the variance of the actual parameters that are being monitored.

Another benefit of condition monitoring is that it allows users to work out when their equipment is nearing the end of its life which enables a smooth replacement plan.

“Machine monitoring across multiple channels/platforms can significantly increase the probability of detecting failures in a machine.

For example, vibration analysis on a motor might not be enough, the customer will also require temperature monitoring to find out more information about the machine,” noted Jas Singh, Systems & Solutions Manager for ifm efector.

Connecting the cloud with the reality

When it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT), the lifecycle of technology can be monitored in real time and continuously using four main areas: • • • •

Connected devices and sensors Ubiquitous data networks Cloud storage Big Data processing In other words, every ‘thing’ connects and then communicates its status back to software platforms.

These cloud based software platforms are able to swiftly process information and provide a range of insights, which is a direct requirement for predictive maintenance.

Another benefit of condition monitoring is that it allows users to work out when their equipment is nearing the end of its life Some of the most critical industries where condition monitoring is needed include manufacturing, utilities and transportation, where the need for up-to-date information is a must for the safe and smooth running of the given process.

According to Singh, monitoring equipment like vibration monitoring will “generate massive amounts of data that can be sent to the cloud and then analysed which will help predict the failure of the machine.”

Why data transportation matters

Standardisation of data is one way to ensure that data coming from different sources tell the same tales.

30 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

In the asset-intensive manufacturing, utilities and transportation industries, success is dependent on the safe and reliable performance of those assets.

By capturing and analysing more complete operational data, analytics can help these industries manage and maintain their assets to improve safety, performance and equipment life .

With the IoT, the volume of data collected is so huge, that data

collection and data integrity are issues that need to be thoroughly assessed for any condition-based monitoring regime to be effective.

How data quality is addressed with the IoT

Standardisation of data is one way to ensure that data coming from different sources tell the same tales.

Thomas Davenport, analytics guru with Babson College and MIT, urges enterprises to hold device manufacturers’ accountable.

“First, there should be rigorous calibration before the device leaves the factory, and an on-installation calibration routine to ensure that the device works as expected.

Second, ongoing calibration is required to make sure the device continues to work properly. Ideally, the on-installation and ongoing calibration routines should be built-in and automated.”

Ultimately, Davenport cautions, “you should not expect perfection,

CONDITION MONITORING

Some of the most critical industries where condition monitoring is needed include manufacturing, utilities and transportation

particularly with new devices. But you must insist on rapid improvement.”

Ensure data viabilty

According to Singh, the IoT will “enable appropriate conversion of this data into information, the tools available will be able to give us much more information then we have right now, and in the end enable smart decisions to be made.”

When it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT), the lifecycle of technology can be monitored in real time .

“In our eyes, the IoT will be an enabler,” he said.

When it comes to condition monitoring, energy efficiency and data transportation, ifm has released the SmartObserver suite for a range of industries but especially for manufacturing, utilities and transportation.

Engineered for the continuous condition monitoring of machines and

systems, SmartObserver is designed to provide trend analyses, limit values, evaluation of all process parameters, data acquisition, evaluation to DIN ISO50001, visualisation and evaluation with trend displays.

These trend displays can include pressure, flow, temperature, rotational speed, the operating conditions of machines, the organisation and planning of maintenance tasks, data

provision for higher-level systems and alarm escalation.

According to Singh, ifm’s SmartObserver is “highly suited for condition/vibration monitoring in most industries including mining, water, food manufacturing and also utilities monitoring systems.” PACE ifm efector 1300 365 088 www.ifm.com

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APRIL/MAY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 31

NEW RESEARCH

New materials could turn water into the fuel of the future Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and California Institute of Technology have nearly doubled the number of materials known to have potential use in solar fuels, writes Dan Krotz.

S

olar fuels, a dream of clean energy research, are created using only sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. Researchers are exploring a range of possible target fuels, but one possibility is to produce hydrogen by splitting water.

Each water molecule is comprised of an oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen atoms are extracted, and then can be reunited to create highly flammable hydrogen gas or combined with CO2 to create hydrocarbon fuels, creating a plentiful and renewable energy source. The problem, however, is that water molecules do not simply break down when sunlight shines on them—if they did, the oceans would not cover most of the planet. They need a little help from a solar-powered catalyst.

To create practical solar fuels, scientists have been trying to develop low-cost and efficient materials that perform the necessary chemistry using only visible light as an energy source.

Yan have found 12 promising new photoanodes.

“What is particularly significant about this study, which combines experiment and theory, is that in addition to identifying several new compounds for solar fuel applications, we were also able to learn something new about the underlying electronic structure of the materials themselves,” said Neaton, the director of the Molecular Foundry.

Gregoire, JCAP coordinator for Photoelectrocatalysis and leader of the High Throughput Experimentation group, said: “It’s exciting to find 12 new potential photoanodes for making solar fuels, but even more so to have a new materials discovery pipeline going forward”.

Previous materials discovery processes relied on cumbersome testing of individual compounds to assess their potential for use in specific applications. Instead, the

scientists combined computational and experimental approaches by first mining a materials database for potentially useful compounds, and then rapidly test the most promising candidates using high-throughput experimentation.

In the work described in the PNAS paper, they explored 174 metal vanadates—compounds containing the elements vanadium and oxygen along with one other element from the periodic table. The research reveals how different choices for this third element can produce materials with different properties, and reveals how to “tune” those properties to make a better photoanode.

Computational resources at NERSC performed hundreds of comprehensive high-throughput theoretical calculations, and software and expertise at the Molecular Foundry enabled the scientists to analyse and understand the most

“To create practical solar fuels, scientists have been trying to develop low-cost and efficient materials that perform the necessary chemistry using only visible light as an energy source.”

Over the past four decades, researchers identified only 16 of these “photoanode” materials. Now, using a new high-throughput method of identifying new materials, a team of researchers led by Caltech’s John Gregoire and Berkeley Lab’s Jeffrey Neaton, Kristin Persson, and Qimin 32 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

Scientists at JCAP create new materials by spraying combinations of elements onto thin plates.

promising photoanode materials candidates.

Through analysis of nearly 200 compounds in the Materials Project database, the scientists found that compounds composed of vanadium, oxygen, and a third element possess a highly tunable electronic structure with band gaps in the visible light range that is uniquely favourable for water oxidation.

“Importantly, we were able to explain the origin of their tunability, and identify several promising vanadate photoanode compounds,” said Neaton.

Added Gregoire, “The key advance made by the team was to combine the best capabilities enabled by theory and supercomputers with novel high throughput experiments to generate scientific knowledge at an unprecedented rate.” PACE This article was sourced from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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TEST AND MEASUREMENT

Reducing risks and cutting costs in gas storage Dirk Kuiper, general manager of AMS forecasts that global natural gas consumption will almost double by 2040 for industrial and power generating applications, making its use and storage much more widespread.

W

hile gas production is relatively predictable, its consumption is marked by seasonal and daily weather variations. Energy companies compensate for variable demand by storing gas. Natural gas may be stored in several ways, but it is most commonly held underground under pressure, ideally close to where it is consumed. Energy companies reuse depleted hydrocarbon fields (oil and gas), aquifers and salt caverns to store natural gas inventory, which enables

34 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

them to more easily meet peak loads.

Each method of storage has specific physical characteristics including porosity, permeability and retention capability. The store’s capacity and deliverability rate – the speed at which gas can be withdrawn – are particularly important because they impact the economics of the storage facility.

Why is measurement important?

One of the consequences of storing gas underground is that inevitably, it

becomes impure. Pumping gas into what is essentially a ‘wet hole in the ground’ will increase its moisture content. It is well known that strict control of moisture concentration is essential for safe and efficient operation of the transmission network.

Therefore, energy companies require a fast, accurate and reliable means of measuring moisture which is made when gas is exported from storage.

This is to judge if dehydration processing is required in order to fulfil the tariff limit/contractual specification

for moisture content required by the transmission pipeline operator receiving the gas.

Energy companies measure moisture in natural gas using a range of techniques, each of which has its advantages and drawbacks in terms of accuracy, speed and cost of measurement. Technologies available for moisture measurement include impedance and capacitive sensors, chilled mirror, quartz crystal microbalance and tunable diode laser spectroscopy.

TEST AND MEASUREMENT

If the analysis is inaccurate, there are two possible outcomes. The consequences depend on whether the analysis returns an over- or underestimate of the true moisture content.

Over-reading is when the analysis reports a pessimistic or higher-thanactual moisture content level. This will increase costs and add delays as the operator performs more moisture removal processing than is necessary.

Incremental processing costs can quickly become significant as gas volumes continue to increase.

Under-reading refers to reporting lower moisture levels than reality.

This incurs the risk that the operator will not remove sufficient moisture from the gas. This could lead to hydrate formation in the downstream transmission pipeline with the potential for pipeline blockage and compressor damage. In the worst case, breaching contractual specifications or tariff limits can lead to shut-off of the transmission pipeline incurring

commercial losses and fines, increased risk of pipeline corrosion and ultimately catastrophic pressure failure.

Measurement technique

Tunable diode laser absorption spectrometers (TDLAS) are especially suited to measuring moisture content in natural gas. Michell’s OptiPEAK TDL600 is an analyser that automates online measurement of moisture in

such as biomethane. This additional error increases the confidence band to around 14 degrees celcius dew point.

The OptiPEAK TDL600 offers accuracy of ±1ppmv over real-world gas compositional ranges. This level of accuracy guards against both unnecessary process costs from overdrying and shut-off due to overly pessimistic measurements. We estimate that improving the accuracy to this level

“Strict control of moisture concentration is essential for safe and efficient operation of the transmission network. Therefore, energy companies require a fast, accurate and reliable means of measuring moisture which is made when gas is exported from storage.” variable compositions of natural gas and biomethane. It offers class-leading accuracy, with an operating range down to 1ppmv and a fast response time. Its low maintenance, simple installation and setup and built-in selfverification ensures its low overall cost of ownership.

Real-world accuracy

TDLAS analysers suffer from significant interference when interacting with methane, ethane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide; all of which are present in natural gas. The level of interference governs detection limits and accuracy, but these errors can be mitigated by calibrating the analyser for the gas composition in use. However, real-world natural gas composition varies dramatically, which results in errors outside of manufacturers’ performance claims. A specified TDLAS performance limit of ±4ppm suggests a confidence band of approximately 2 degrees celcius dew point. Realistically, this variation could be as high as 20ppmv and could occur at any point of measurement where the composition of natural gas is changing, such as transmission gas pipelines supplied from multiple gas wells, where fed with regassified LPG or downstream of non-conventional fuel gas injection,

has the potential to deliver efficiency savings of up to 20 per cent when processing real-world gas.

Non-contact measurement

The most common and cost-effective way to remove water from natural gas is to use glycol as a liquid dessicant within a glycol absorber or contactor process. Although this approach is well established, it has some risks.

One potential issue is that excessive gas velocities can force glycol out of the top of the column along with the dry natural gas stream. Glycol has a high-dielectric constant, so

any downstream moisture sensor that uses metal-oxide capacitive/ impedance sensor technology will detect the glycol and return inaccurate or full-scale wet readings.

The use of TDLAS technology, which is a non-contact measurement, is immune to the effects of glycol contamination.

Choosing the right analyser

As this sector continues to grow by extracting natural gas from new and diverse sources like shale, and injection of non-conventional fuel gas such as biomethane becomes more commonplace, operators need faster, more accurate and robust measurement technologies.

Existing TDLAS analysers appear to offer a solution but often fail to deliver in the real-world as, in situations where gas composition changes, background interference can result in significant errors.

The OptiPEAK TDL600 is capable of quantifying natural gas contaminant concentrations such as moisture, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide with single figure ppmv precision. This level of accuracy can unlock potential efficiency savings of up to 20 per cent when applied to the processing and removal of moisture from natural gas. PACE AMS Instrumentation and Calibration 03 9017 8225 www.ams-ic.com.au

APRIL/MAY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 35

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NEW PRODUCTS

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Adjustable Pressure Sensor

NP620 4-20mA pressure transmitters can be configured to zoom up to 1/3 of their normal range.

0-10 Bar, 0.25% accuracy and 1/2” BSP process connection.

SKU: NOS-205 Price: $219.95 ea + GST

Radar sensor for continuous liquid level measurement

GSTBidirectional DC current transducer

THE VEGAPULS 64 is engineered to that measure liquids at a frequency of 80GHz. The radar level sensor VEGAPULS 64 is designed for use in the chemical industry, pharmaceutical and food industries due its hygienic materials and design.

The VEGAPLUS 64 also produces exact measuring results, independent of process condition and measures up to 30m, and to temperatures up to 200 °C.

Split core hall effect current transducer presents a 4 to 20 mA DC signal representing the DC current flowing through a primary conductor. -25 to 25 A primary DC current range.

SKU: WES-080 Price: $75.00 ea + GST

15W Ultra Slim DIN Rail Supply

Vega Australia 02 9542 6662 www.vega.com

The HDR-15-12 from Mean Well is a 15w, 12VDC supply, just 17.5mm wide.

5, 24,and 48 VDC also available, suitable for industrial requirements.

SKU: PSM-0171 Price: $28.00 ea + GST

Synchronous servo motors BOSCH Rexroth has extended their range of IndraDyn S synchronous servo motors with the MS2N series that have maximum torque ranging from 4Nm to 360Nm. The digital encoder systems with ACURO link interface allow for the single-cable connection with up to 75m cable length and offer certified safety according to SIL2 PLd. From the smallest frame size (MS2N07), the motors are optionally available with forced ventilation or water cooling and thus cover the range from 17.5Nm to 214Nm continuous torque at standstill with considerably increased power density and high energy efficiency.

With the MS2N series, the fan is completely

integrated into the motor and offers this performance advantage in the smallest installation space.

The cooling circuits of the water-cooled motors are completely designed in stainless steel and allow for the simple and reliable connection to most different machine cooling systems. Watercooled motors keep the loss power away from the machine.

This thermal decoupling allows for the realisation of applications with highest requirements on the machining precision.

Bosch Rexroth 02 9831 7788 www.boschrexroth.com

Trace oxygen analyser THE XZR400 oxygen analyser from Michell Instruments is designed to measure trace levels of oxygen in pure, inert gases such as nitrogen, argon, helium and carbon dioxide. Capable of detecting oxygen down to 0.01 parts per million, the analyser is used to ensure the purity of gas produced by cryogenic air separation.

The XZR400 uses Michell’s MSRS zirconium oxide oxygen sensor, which contains a metallic sealed reference and ensures long-term repeatability of measurements. The MSRS means that no reference air is required. The technology is non-depleting which gives the sensors a long life span of over seven years. Calibration is required every three to six months and can be carried out with just one calibration gas saving time and money.

The XZR400 range features four configurations: rack, wall, bench mount and transportable. All models include an intuitive touch-screen interface for quick and easy operation, barometric pressure and digital flow meters as standard.

One or two 4-20mA outputs are available and other options include digital outputs such as Modbus RTU over RS485 protocol, RS232, internal or external sample pumps and process pressure correction.

AMS Instrumentation & Calibration 03 9017 8225 www.ams-ic.com.au

2wire inductive proximity sensor Shielded cylindrical shaped 8 mm in diameter 2 wire inductive proximity sensor with NO style output and 2 metre cable.

SKU: IBS-0088 Price: $32.95 ea + GST

240W DIN Rail Supply

Measuring just 63mm wide the NDR-240-24 supplies. 24 VDC at up to 10 A output. This series has a working efficiency up to 88%.

SKU: PSM-1943 Price: $120.00 ea + GST

Out of Range Trip Amp Relay A monitoring relay designed to monitor the integrity of a 4-20mA signal. If the signal falls outside4-20mA the internal relay is activated.

SKU: NTR-305 Price: $139.00 ea + GST

Loop Powered Temperature Sensor This is a simple 4 to 20 mA output loop powered temperature sensor with measurement range from -10°C to +125°C designed for monitoring rooms and cabinet temperatures.

SKU: KTW-267 Price: $54.95 ea + GST

For Wholesale prices Contact Ocean Controls Ph: (03) 9782 5882 oceancontrols.com.au Prices are subjected to change without notice.

APRIL/MAY 2017 www.pacetoday.com.au 37

NEW PRODUCTS

Non-magnet linear position sensors BESTECH Australia has released the SS-7 series of linear position sensors used to measure the ram position of hydraulic and pneumatic cylindersin industrial, mobile, or subsea applications.

This new model features a non-magnet design, drastically reducing installation and cost of ownership without

sacrificing accuracy specifications.

The sensors come in four versions: ME (embedded version), MR (port mount version), MHP (port mount 25mm hex housing) and SS-7 (subsea port mount), and fit into a gun-drilled cylinder similar to how a magnetostrictive sensor would be installed but without the counterbore necessary for the magnet.

Key features include: • Operates to a depth of 3600m • Measurement range from 25 to 600 mm • IEC IP-67 aluminum or stainless steel housing • Contactless; no wearout • 85 degrees celcius operation (with 105 degrees celcius option) • DC voltage or current analog output • SenSet Field Adjustable Scaling Bestech Australia 03 9540 5117 www.bestech.com.au

Transparent material sensor with RFID THE RFU65x RFID sensor detects tags at long range, recording the direction in which objects are moving at the same time. The associated user data can be sent directly to an ERP or MES system.

The operating range of the new RFU65x covers an angle of +/- 45° with a typical sensing range of up to 5m.

The RFU65x RFID saves space, time, and money in applications for identifying vehicles and vehicle parts. Although objects with tags that are located in the immediate vicinity are identified, they are filtered out as “static” tags and only used if required for diagnostic purposes. As well as cutting costs, the RFU65x also simplifies and accelerates application processes in logistics and the automotive industry.

The product family provides system integrators with the ability to install additional application software directly within variants of the RFU6xx. The user can develop and manage device-specific application software through the SICK development environment, and even transfer this to other devices.

This can be facilitated via a range of programming techniques, including JAVA, LUA, and C++ (in the planning stages). The platform thus offers maximum flexibility to support solutions for the IT tasks of the future.

SICK www.sick.com 1800 334 802

Servo cables for harsh environments THE CF29 servo cable series comes with a gusset-filling extruded TPE inner jacket that provides stability as well as a highly flexible TPE outer jacket.

The series is suitable for the smallest bending factors for servo cables down to 6.8xd and can be used in a temperature range down to -35°C so can be even used for moving applications in deep-freeze warehouses.

This is made possible by the igus halogen-free TPE outer jacket material, which offers a high resistance to oil and also allows the cable manufacturer to guarantee a service life of 36 months for all cables.

Treotham Automation 02 9907 1788 www.treotham.com.au 38 www.pacetoday.com.au APRIL/MAY 2017

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