Automated monitoring of high-temperature reactors

Camera and control technology Automated monitoring of high-temperature reactors

2025-01-24 Source: Wago | Translated by AI 5 min Reading Time

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With a combination of thermal camera, Wago IoT gateway and seamless integration into the process control system, Air Liquide automatically monitors a new reactor around the clock. Anomalies are detected at an early stage and condition-based maintenance can take place.

As part of the decarbonization of its synthesis gas plant at the Stade site, Air Liquide introduced round-the-clock monitoring of a new reactor.(Image: Wago) — As part of the decarbonization of its synthesis gas plant at the Stade site, Air Liquide introduced round-the-clock monitoring of a new reactor.
(Image: Wago)

At the latest since the introduction of CO2 emissions trading in the European Union and in Germany, many companies in the basic materials industry began to make concrete plans to optimize current processes so that fewer expensive certificates would have to be purchased in the future. This was precisely the politically desired reaction. Nevertheless, there are companies that have long since anchored sustainability in their corporate strategy and are investing in climate protection. Like Air Liquide at the Stade site (northern Germany).

Certificate Trading: Incentive to Invest

Emissions trading is the central element in reducing CO₂ emissions in Germany and the EU. Certificates gradually make the emission of CO₂ more expensive. Companies and individuals that produce climate-damaging carbon dioxide must purchase the rights on the energy exchange, the price of which fluctuates daily. Anyone who saves CO₂ can sell certificates again. A steadily decreasing total quantity of certificates is issued.

Making synthesis gas production more sustainable

Successful negotiations for long-term supply contracts led to a fundamental upgrade of existing systems in Stade, one of the largest chemical production sites in Lower Saxony. Industrial gases specialist Air Liquide invested almost 40 million euros (approx. 41.9 million USD) here last year. The aim of the project was to make synthesis gas production more efficient and environmentally friendly.

In addition to the modernization of two air separation plants, the partial oxidation plant (POx) quickly came into focus. Previously, the CO₂ produced in the reactor alongside hydrogen and carbon monoxide was released into the environment. Overall, this increases the energy efficiency of the plant by around 15 percent. At the same time, CO₂ emissions are reduced by around 15,000 tons per year. This corresponds to 80 percent of the direct CO₂ emissions of the Air Liquide site.

Air Liquide is very proud of this innovation, which has a positive impact on the environment. "The 16-metre high new reactor for our partial oxidation plant was particularly impressive. It weighs 58 tons and has delivery times of more than a year. Protecting it as the heart of our plant from unplanned downtime in the future was at the top of our list of priorities," says Hendrik Gollek. He is a Project Engineer for the Central Europe Cluster in Düsseldorf in the Automation department and carried out the project together with the technical team at Air Liquide's northern plant network.

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The reactor core must be permanently monitored.(Image: Wago)

Air Liquide uses the thermal camera from TTS Automation and the Wago PFC200 as an interface for this purpose.(Image: Wago)

Thermal cameras can be used to detect hazards at an early stage. This works here in combination with intelligent control technology from Wago, such as the PFC 200, which detects thermal anomalies regardless of other ambient conditions.(Image: Wago)

Programmable logic controllers from Wago are cost-efficient automation solutions for numerous applications.(Image: Wago)

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Detect thermal anomalies during operation

Due to the extreme reaction conditions of around 30 bar and over 1000 °C (1832°F), the interior of the reactor is lined with fireclay bricks. There are only a few technical options for detecting the inevitable damage to this brickwork over time. All of them are either expensive, give ambiguous results or both. Air Liquide was therefore looking for a method that could provide a reliable statement about the condition without having to shut down the reactor for inspections "on suspicion" or according to a rigid schedule.

"I was already familiar with the temperature monitoring system consisting of TTS cameras and a Wago controller from our plant in Oberhausen and wanted to use this solution in Stade as well. Setting up our special interfaces worked without any problems," says Hendrik Gollek, Project Engineer Cluster Central Europe Düsseldorf, Air Liquide.(Image: Wago) — "I was already familiar with the temperature monitoring system consisting of TTS cameras and a Wago controller from our plant in Oberhausen and wanted to use this solution in Stade as well. Setting up our special interfaces worked without any problems," says Hendrik Gollek, Project Engineer Cluster Central Europe Düsseldorf, Air Liquide.
(Image: Wago)

Start-up procedures after a shutdown are inefficient and cost-intensive. To avoid this, the experts at Air Liquide proposed early hazard detection with the help of industrial thermal cameras. Prometheus from TTS Automation was selected, which detects temperature anomalies and is based on a combination with intelligent control technology from Wago such as the PFC 200 from the 750 series. The system detects thermal anomalies regardless of other environmental conditions.

"The package comprising our cameras, 750 series control technology and edge computers from Wago is used in many companies in the chemical industry. They detect situations before they become dangerous," explains Thomas Striegel, Managing Director of TTS Automation. This anomaly detection is also used at Air Liquide. It creates preventive maintenance indicators to which operators can react and thus plan their production accordingly.

The new system warns long before the outer metal jacket would glow through. In such a case, Air Liquide shuts down the process in a controlled manner. The reactor is flushed and the inner protective layer is restored. Thanks to the Wago technology, the process does not have to be stopped unnecessarily for control purposes, but only if there is a defect. The second advantage is that it is possible to intervene at an early stage, i.e. in the event of small or localized damage. A completely new lining of the tank would take months. On the other hand, small defects can be repaired within a few days. If the outer shell is damaged, a new reactor would be needed. The plant would then be shut down for a much longer period of time, with the associated costs and production losses.

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Seamless integration into the automation landscape

A decisive factor for the engineers at Air Liquide in opting for the combination of camera system and Wago controller was the future viability of the solution. "It was important to us not to operate the measuring system as a stand-alone solution, but to integrate it into our Yokogawa process control system. This minimizes manual work with all its disadvantages, such as time expenditure and susceptibility to errors," says Gollek. Two times three cameras, arranged radially around the reactor and one looking down on the container from above, are sufficient for seamless monitoring. These seven cameras installed in the upper, hot half of the reactor display all relevant information in the control system: Maximum and minimum values, divided into sectors. Together, fixed alarm values were defined, which only issue a warning if they are exceeded or not reached.

"Seamlessly integrating devices such as industrial cameras into production facilities in the process industry is our specialty. The management and processing of data at PLC level relieves the system and operators can access the devices in the field directly from the control system," says Wolfgang Laufmann, Business Developer Smart Factory at Wago.(Image: Wago) — "Seamlessly integrating devices such as industrial cameras into production facilities in the process industry is our specialty. The management and processing of data at PLC level relieves the system and operators can access the devices in the field directly from the control system," says Wolfgang Laufmann, Business Developer Smart Factory at Wago.
(Image: Wago)

The camera software runs on the Wago IoT box. No translator is required and no contacts need to be transferred or wiring carried out. The gateway speaks the same language as the TTS camera. A key argument in favor of integration with the Wago IoT box was the interface to the control system. "Seamlessly integrating such devices into process industry productions is our specialty. With the help of our solutions, Air Liquide can use all camera functions and process the raw data. In addition, managing and calculating the anomaly data at the PLC level relieves the system and the operators can communicate with the camera electronics directly from the control system," explains Wolfgang Laufmann, Business Developer Smart Factory at Wago.

At the same time, interfaces are an issue in every system. "It doesn't really matter what the user requires, whether Modbus TCP, OPC UA, MQTT, telecontrol protocol or another interface to connect to a Scada and/or cloud system. Our toolbox is large and we have been able to implement every special solution quickly and easily so far," says Laufmann. The advantage of relatively low cabling costs fits in with this. Cameras, gateway and process control system are not networked via the normal field instrumentation with any additional distributors, but via thin fiber optic cables. At Air Liquide in Stade, neither scaffolding nor the installation of field distributors was necessary. "This is a cost-efficient installation that Wago offers us here," confirms Gollek.

"But for now, I am delighted that so many internal and external experts are saving many tons of CO₂ in the new plant and that we have simplified maintenance with the monitoring camera and Wago IoT box. In the best-case scenario, we will be in production until the next major overhaul in five years' time," laughs Gollek.