a smart landfill gas control system design to optimize roi & performance
TRANSCRIPT
A Smart Landfill Gas Control System Design to Optimize ROI & Performance
@Affinity_Energy
Islands of Automation• Each has its own controls
(PLCs)– Apply to one specific
application or smart instrumentation
– Critical pieces of data to manage in separate packages
– Own native format
LG2E Syste
m
Blower
Moisture Removal
Siloxane Remova
l
Engine / Generator
SCR
Environmental Controls
Electrical Switchgear
SCADA Solves That Problem• Supervisory Control and
Data Acquisition (SCADA)– Single pane of glass– HMI (real-time status)– Set-point management– Alarms & notification– Trending & reporting– Analysis of overall plant
SCAD
A
Why Don’t LFGTE Specify SCADA?• “My _____ manufacturer provides HMI/OIT
already.”• “SCADA costs too much.”• “We’ve run other facilities without SCADA.”• “What would we do with all that data?”• “We don’t have IT resources.”
Debunking the Myths• If you’re content w/ multiple systems…
– How well are you trained on all three? – How do you get alarms? (Email, AND pager, AND web?) – What about remote access and support?
• If you’re worried about duplicating…– Make sure they provide an open protocol– System integrators can easily take points, incorporate
graphics, and trend and report key performance indicators.
Bottom line: you can’t manage what you don’t measure
Control System & Information System
• Today’s SCADA systems are multi-faceted. When designed properly, they help operators and owners:
– Efficiently see / analyze whole plant– Effectively operate and maintain equipment– Respond to abnormal conditions faster– Drive operational efficiency through trending
and KPI analysis– Send operation reports to key personnel– Remotely control or monitor operations– Receive fault and alarm notifications via
email or text
CONNECTING THE ISLANDS OF AUTOMATION
Case Study: Concord Energy• Republic Services’
CMS landfill in Concord, NC serving 7,700 NC residences
• 11.5 MW• Landfill gas fuels
2 Solar Taurus turbines
Multiple Manufacturers…Difficult to Know What’s Going On
• Extremely complex system w/ 22 different devices made by 12 different manufacturers– Gas turbine generators– Gas compressors– Gas blowers– Air coolers– Glycol chillers– Blow-off flare
• All output critical data in totally separate packages
SCADAOne Interface To Rule Them All
• After integrating all equipment, operators monitor plant via single HMI
• Advanced visualization capabilities
• Central location display and consolidated reporting
• Remotely start and stop turbines/generators
• Troubleshoot problems via archived data
DESIGNING SCADA FOR MAXIMUM EASE OF USE
4 Keys For Owners1. Know your pricing signals
– They tell you when to worry– Don’t freak out about being offline on Sunday at 2pm. It
only costs $30/hour!2. Understand responses3. Measure and monitor to those responses4. Help operations teams understand
– This should feed decision making process
What Data Points Should You Monitor?
• Specify right data points for real-time and historical analysis– Do you actually understand what you’re measuring?– What are your KPIs?
KWh, PF, Methane %, O2%, CO2%, Gas Flow, Gas Temp, Gas Pressure, Flare Flow
Maximum Visibility, Minimum Noise• Interfaces should be
clear, easy to interpret
• Only show pertinent data
• Should give a clearer picture of how your facility performs
Only Alarm When Necessary• Love SCADA, HATE alarms• Events vs alarms
– “It’s cloudy today!”– Oxygen alarms & barometric
pressure…. do you really want to know there’s a weather system coming in?
• Alarms signal an abnormal condition. Never confirm normally running processes.– Signal an operator call to action
Well-Formed Alarm Messages• What does operator/alarm recipient need to know?• Consistent and based on standard, agreed upon terminology known
and used by all operators
T1 LL AlarmTank 1 LowLow Limit Alarm
Fuel Oil Tank #1 approaching LL Limit
• Messages should tell the operator the problem, then guide toward action
USING SCADA TO Maximize ROI/Optimize
Change Operator View of SCADA• Difficult to align goals/objectives
– Owner measurement: long term profitability
– Operator measurement: 100% uptime no matter what
• Result– Operator alerts owner to problems– Owner would rather shut site down– Both parties annoyed
• Contract is key. Educate operators.• Remember: what you measure is what you get
Electric / Environmental Correlation• Can’t just think about electric output.
Other factors impact.– Environmental (air permit, catalytic
reduction, low NOx system)– Gas inputs
• Watch what’s happening to front end so you can adjust back end
– Run as close to permit as possible• Little gas as possible, to make as
much energy as possible, to produce as little pollutant as possible
Energy
Gas
Preventative Maintenance• Routine maintenance tests every
10,000hrs– Fuel in vs. energy out– Environmental (NOx sensors)
efficiency changes– CH4, oxygen, nasties
• Helps you get in FRONT of issues– Respond to SIGNALS before become
ALARMS– When to schedule maintenance
(scheduled and condition based)
• Emergency shutdowns
Don’t Forget About Reporting
Reports can be generated:1. On-demand2. Per schedule3. Triggered based on a
condition.
SCADA: more than real-time status, set-point adjustment, trending and alarms.
Remote Access• Semi-unattended
operation with remote telemetry and alarm notification
• Fewer operators required
Adjust Variables & Monitor Changes• Landfills = living, breathing, non-static
environments• Must identify changes that occur, and adjust
based on changes• SCADA adjusts blower to pull harder/softer
based on BTU• Every landfill built different, active variables
are site specific– Rain– Barometric pressure– Temperature– Trash input
45% CH4 X 500 CFM = 1600kw
40% CH4 X 530 CFM = 1600kw
55% CH4 x 470 CFM = 1600kw
The Owner/Integrator Two-Way Street• Integrator to Owner
– Make owner aware of full SCADA capabilities– Design a system that syncs with the way the owner plans
to operate and maintain the plant and aligns with goals.– Design a system that focuses on information vs. data– SCADA should make the owner and operator’s life easier
• Owner to Integrator– Help integrator understand trends or flags that signal
maintenance– Help identify and prioritize alarms based on potential
impact to primary goals– Help integrator understand just building a screen to show
trends and highlights and out of bounds alarms is not enough
Why SCADA Important to Owner?• SCADA only makes sense as an information system.
Not just an alarming tool• SCADA exists so owners can be calm, cool, and
collected on Easter, Christmas, July 4• Ultimate scenario:
– wear and tear– hours run– energy produced
