Located in the Teutoburg Forest in northwestern Germany, the town of Georgsmarienhütte is best known for its industrial history. The steelworks has come a long way since 1856 and it is no surprise that the municipality itself would be just as open as the steelworks to adopting new technology to drive efficiency at its wastewater treatment plant.
The challenge lay in finding the right new technology. The operators of Georgsmarienhütte’s wastewater treatment plant were happy with their decanter centrifuge and had already dabbled in AI to optimize its performance, but without any positive results. They were certain that the centrate quality was a solvable problem – and well aware that correct polymer dosing would lead to significant savings in both operating costs and environmental impact.
The wastewater treatment plant processes one third each of municipal wastewater, wastewater from industrial operations, and wastewater from the biogas plant. Therefore, the centrate also contained foam, which can cause problems for traditional measuring methods. So, the remit was to find a solution that could automate the monitoring of centrate, even with variable quality and appearance, and then use that information to get the treatment parameters right all the time.
ARGOS for decanter centrifuges was the obvious solution – an optical measurement system that detects the actual centrate condition throughout the dewatering process. ARGOS adjusts the optimum polymer dose and/or machine setpoint to match changing conditions in the process, even with a foam layer on the centrate. This means autonomous production, which saves time and relieves operators for other important duties, while simultaneously improving performance and delivering process stability and reliability.
The installation was straightforward and involved a centrate box at the outlet piping and a control panel linked to the plant control system. Furthermore, addIQ Connect ensured a safe connection to the ANDRITZ environment and enables remote support for fast interaction between the operator and the ANDRITZ specialists. Over a three-day installation and start-up period, training pictures were generated to train the AI. The first 100 days also served as a trial period, with the option to return if the system failed to deliver. But after the results were in, it was clear that ARGOS would remain, along with close collaboration with ANDRITZ experts, who provide continuous support through the service level agreement.
ARGOS for decanter centrifuges was the obvious solution - an optical measurement system that autonomously detects and adjusts the centrate condition during the dewatering process. It optimizes polymer dosing and machine settings to adapt to changing conditions, even with foam present. This automation saves time, frees up operators for other important tasks, and enhances performance, stability, and reliability.
The installation was simple, involving a centrate box and a control panel connected to the plant’s control system. addIQ Connect provides a secure link to the ANDRITZ environment, enabling remote support. During the three-day installation and start-up, training images were created to train the AI.
FELIX LEIMKÜHLER
Water Management, Georgsmarienhütte
