Towards “Water 4.0” – Berlin Institute uses digital twin for water management
Towards “Water 4.0” – Berlin Institute uses digital twin for water management
Water
TU Berlin
Berlin Germany
How to ensure secure water
supply and waste water treatment in times of urbanization and climate change? It
is no coincidence that such an innovative project is located in Berlin. Here, the
effects of urbanization and climate change are already visible. Berlinhas
gained almost 300,000 residents and today is home to a population of 3.6 million,
a growth of 10% in just 20 years. In 2030, another 200,000 people could be
added to that number. Moreover, the last few years were exceptionally hot and
dry – and at the same time, forecasts predict an increasing number of heavy
rainfall events. These two trends are having a particularly significant impact on
waste water systems.
The digitalization
provides important tools to network systems and to support novel approaches to
data analysis in operation and maintenance. Some of these approaches are being studied at the TU Berlin using a demonstration plant of a sewage pumping station equipped with high-tech automation and digitalization solutions from Siemens. The solutions include the acquisition and digitalization of assets, process instrumentation, motor and pump management, the Simatic PCS 7 process control system, Comos for engineering and the simulation of plant conditions and PlantSight providing 3D visual context of the digital twin.
The point digital twin provides a single digital
environment for all pumping station information, from design to operation and
maintenance data, including partially autonomous systems for fault detection
and troubleshooting.
Integrating
intelligent tools into the demonstration plant has allowed Thamsen to implement
the first innovative concepts. One application targets pump clogging by fiber
residues that become entwined in waste water eddies and build up at the pump
wheel. In a worst-case scenario, the pump is blocked. “With the digital twin,
we can detect clogging based on operation parameters and clean the pump through
reverse operation,” says Thamsen.
Because the
demonstration plant uses industry components that are also employed in many
industrial waste water plants, new solutions can be deployed faster in the
industry, Thamsen explains: “We can use our plant to demonstrate how to
integrate solutions in an industry environment and show live results in the
demonstration. With our digital twin, we are able to provide a hands-on
demonstration of what digitalization looks like and make this complex subject
accessible, including to operators in plants and to maintenance staff. This is
what makes this project a true milestone for Water 4.0.”
The Hermann-Föttinger Institute Fluid System Dynamics department at TU (Technical University) Berlin is developing strategies for efficiency in the water and waste water industry.