Achema 2009: Siemens exhibits solutions aimed at optimizing plant and processes, …

The Siemens appearance at Achema 2009 centers on sustainability. The exhibits show how the process industry can benefit from Siemens products, systems and solutions in such areas as energy efficiency, emission protection, waste avoidance and water treatment.

For optimizing plant and processes, Siemens offers a coordinated portfolio to provide enhanced productivity, flexibility and efficiency throughout the entire plant and production lifecycle. As a partner for the process industry, Siemens demonstrates to its customers how they can optimize the use of resources in production and improve their energy efficiency. In the interests of protecting the environment, the utilization of water and energy can for example be optimized, as well as emissions reduced and waste avoided.

The stand motto reads “How do you achieve sustainable business?”. Siemens provides answers on how process industry companies can combine their responsibility for society and the environment with success in their business, and also on how they can improve their productivity and sharpen their competitive edge. With a comprehensive range covering process instrumentation, drives, process controls, Manufacturing Execution Systems and Lifecycle Management, Siemens shows how, taking the entire lifecycle into account, investments in energy efficiency, emission control, waste avoidance and water treatment often soon pay off.

In terms of energy efficiency, the energy-saving motors from Siemens usually pay their way within as little as three years: For, generally, 97% of the lifecycle costs of a motor are accounted for by energy, and only 3% by the purchase price and the costs of installation. With pumps and fans too, power consumption can be substantially reduced – where variable-speed drives with frequency converters are used, by up to 60%. Process instrumentation and analytics from Siemens enable high efficiency in process management and lower energy consumption, by allowing the processes to be run closer to the prescribed specifications. So that energy can be saved and exhaust gases monitored, the in-situ diode laser spectrometer Sitrans SL for example measures oxygen concentrations directly in the combustion area of a boiler. The process analyzers Oxymat, Fidamat, Maxum or MicroSAM measure exhaust gases in the burning of solvents. Environmental regulations can consequently be reliably adhered to with continuous monitoring of exhaust gases. The Siemens products themselves contribute to reducing energy consumption: Typical examples are the ultrasonic fill level controller Sitrans LUC 500 with energy saving algorithms, and the micromechanical gas chromatograph MicroSAM with gas and energy consumption up to 80% less than conventional types.

In energy management, waste avoidance and water treatment, Siemens shows solutions and concepts for using considerably lower quantities of valuable resources in various production processes, thereby cutting costs. A key element for reducing waste is Process Analytical Technology (PAT). Sipat, the PAT software solution from Siemens, provides the user with a detailed insight into the process, and leads to product release in real time. In water treatment, Siemens illustrates the S3 process: the water is purified only if it is really needed. In comparison to continuously operating recirculation systems, consumption of water and power is clearly less.

Process optimization and productivity improvement likewise play their part in sustainability. Siemens offers high-performance automation products and systems. For example, the process control system Simatic PCS7 is used in the production of environmentally sustainable energy in biogas plants. The new version 7.1 contributes (with its extended functions) to shortening the time required for engineering, installation and commissioning, ensuring savings in operating and maintenance costs at the same time.

The software solutions from Siemens underscore sustainability throughout the entire plant lifecycle. The integrated, object-oriented lifecycle plant management system Comos reduces the time and costs needed for planning, commissioning and operation of individual machines and whole plants alike. In addition, Siemens offers its customers consulting services on energy-related topics, such as the energy optimization service EOS, with the aid of which energy costs and CO2 emissions in industrial plants can be lowered by up to 30%.