Siemens Accelerating the progress of renewable fuels User Manual
Accelerating the progress of
renewable fuels with Siemens
automation and instrumentation
National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center
Pioneering partnership
Biofuels – renewable energy sources
derived from organic material such
as corn – are increasingly viewed
as a cleaner, cheaper, more efficient
alternative to traditional fossil fuels.
For nearly two decades, the National
Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center
(NCERC) at Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville has accelerated the growth
of the biorenewables industry through
the commercialization of advanced
biofuel products and technologies.
Featuring analytical and fermentation
laboratories, an intermediate-level
fermentation suite and a demonstrationscale pilot plant, the center is uniquely
positioned to provide clients with a full
range of commercialization services –
from project design and proof of
concept to validation and scale-up.
Biofuel and bio-based material
producers across the globe make use of
NCERC’s vast resources to evaluate new
ingredients, processes and equipment,
with the ultimate goals of improving
yields and reducing costs.
instrumentation solutions from
Siemens. For well over a decade,
Siemens has partnered with NCERC to
elevate renewable fuel production with
state-of-the-art technology for process
control, simulation and monitoring.
A flexible DCS to meet diverse needs
Originally designed as a small cornto-ethanol production facility, NCERC’s
24,000-square-foot pilot plant has
been modified and upgraded to handle
a much wider variety of biofuels,
biopolymers and specialty chemicals.
At the heart of its operations is the
SIMATIC PCS 7 distributed control
system, which automates, visualizes and
optimizes the core process equipment
for every client. With PCS 7, NCERC has
the flexibility to offer continuous or
batch runs for multiple feedstocks.
PCS 7 has been operating at NCERC
since 2007, when Siemens made a
formal donation of the DCS. The center
has since modernized to PCS 7 Version 9
to take advantage of intuitive operator
tools such as alarm management and
interlock visualization. Their installation
includes SIMATIC PLCs (S7-1200
To ensure the success of every project,
NCERC provides clients with access to a
world-renowned staff of experienced
engineers, operators and scientists –
and to facilities equipped with leadingedge process automation and
The SIMATIC PCS distributed control system automates, visualizes and optimizes the core
process equipment for every NCERC client.
usa.siemens.com/process
controllers and S7-1500 controllers with
PROFINET) as well as SIMATIC AS 410
controllers connected to SIMATIC ET200
distributed IO.
NCERC also utilizes SIMATIC BATCH addon software for batch automation, which
allows them to configure, plan, control
and log batch processes directly in PCS 7,
as well as the PCS 7 Process Historian
server solution for centralized archiving
and reporting of all batch data, process
values, tags and alarms in real time.
With their modular approach to PCS 7
configuration, NCERC is able to change
campaigns quickly and with minimal
effort – making it possible to support
a large number of clients with diverse
needs. “We depend on PCS 7 with BATCH
and Process Historian to gather all
process data and export it directly to our
clients,” says John Caupert, Executive
Director of NCERC. “PCS 7 enables us to
provide every client with the information
they need to make important decisions
about how to move forward with their
project – whether the campaign lasts
three days or nine months.”
Real-world experience with
simulation
As the only organization in the world
to offer both classroom training and
hands-on instruction specific to the
biorenewables industry, NCERC plays a
key role in filling the growing need
for qualified personnel to operate and
manage biofuel refineries. Each year
the center hosts dozens of motivated
college students, interns and
apprentices interested in learning
how to operate a process plant. The
centerpiece of this dynamic workforce
education program is the SIMIT
Simulation Platform for PCS 7.
SIMIT creates a virtual model of a plant’s
original PCS 7 control screens, making it
possible to train operators on a variety
of procedures and critical scenarios –
without disrupting production or
endangering worker safety. NCERC
uses SIMIT to develop fully functional
replicas of the DCS operating in their
pilot plant. The software is downloaded
to a SIMIT Virtual Controller, which
emulates a physical controller and
eliminates the need for additional
hardware. NCERC leverages two unique
features of the Virtual Controller to
enhance the effectiveness of training:
Virtual Time Management, which
allows users to speed up or slow down
simulations, and Snapshots, which
save current controller and simulation
states to be re-loaded for future
training sessions.
“SIMIT has proven very cost-effective in
training students and interns as well as
new part-time and full-time employees,”
says Caupert. “When we hire someone
with little to no experience, we use the
software as part of their onboarding
process to familiarize them with PCS 7 –
how to turn on a pump, how to trend,
how to detect whether something
is going wrong. SIMIT really helps
to optimize the NCERC workforce
by familiarizing them with the
important control system terminology
and technology.”
Additionally, as NCERC uses the
Advanced Process Library (APL) feature
of PCS 7, they benefit from tight
integration between PCS 7 and SIMIT.
APL includes pre-configured function
NCERC trains students and new hires using the SIMIT Simulation Platform, which creates a virtual model of a plant’s original PCS control screens.
Loading...