Electricity and Control March 2025

Control systems + automation WRITE @ THE BACK

Flexible, automated production of fertiliser from slurry Stefan Ziegler, Beckho Automation On a farm in the USA, valuable ammonia is extracted from slurry in a large fermenter and processed into ammonium sulphate. NSI Byosis has transformed this complex process into a modular system concept that can be adapted to dierent operating scales and organic raw materials. This modular approach requires an automation solution with flexible scalability in both hardware and soware, which this Dutch company has found in PC-based control from Beckho.

B iogas is produced by bacteria during the fermentation of organic waste, sewage sludge, and slurry. One resulting byproduct is ammonia, which is toxic to the bacteria and must be removed from the reactors. “We extract the ammonia from the slurry stream and convert it into ammonium sulphate, which can then be spread on fields as fertiliser,” explains Dylan Veelers, Project Engineer at NSI Byosis. The ByoFlex systems from NSI Byosis BV, located in the Dutch town of Raalte, are commonly used alongside biogas plants, waste and sewage treatment plants, and are also installed in industrial environments. A large Byosis system was recently installed for an agricultural business in the USA. The dimensions reflect the size of the operation and quantity of slurry: each line of the modular system comprises a 3 x 12 m frame with three polypropylene towers. “With a capacity of up to 40 m¨ per hour, more than 70% of the ammonia is extracted and converted into valuable fertiliser,” says Veelers. TwinCAT replaces graphical engineering tool Veelers joined Byosis in 2021. Reinoud van Bennekum, Sales Engineer at Beckho† Netherlands, notes: “At that point, the company was looking for a new control platform to replace the previous graphical programming system.”

“The initial tests with a C6017 ultra-compact Industrial PC demonstrated that we could make significant progress in standardising automation technology with PC-based control – especially with TwinCAT as a development environment,” Veelers comments. Programming with TwinCAT is more straightforward, more intuitive, and open. As EtherCAT had already been used in previous projects, fully switching to PC-based control from Beckho† was simply the next logical step. Since then, Byosis has been automating the ByoFlex systems with a C6025 ultra-compact Industrial PC. The company uses its three configurable Ethernet ports to read out flow meters and pH transmitters via EtherNet/IP. “The advantage for our customers is that we support any Ethernet-based communication,” van Bennekum highlights. Byosis adds another Ethernet interface via a CU8880 USB-to-LAN adapter. The browser-based system visualisation is implemented with TwinCAT HMI and runs on a CP2921 multi-touch control panel. This means technicians can access the systems remotely from any location as required. The system used for commissioning, diagnostics, and service can be supplemented with Teamviewer, OpenVPN, or Anydesk to suit the customer’s preferences. A PC-based platform makes all this very easy to implement, according to Veelers, who is impressed by more than just the technology, “The Beckho† experts also provide quick and

Whether it’s 5 mƒ or 40 mƒ, Byosis automates the systems for ammonia extraction from slurry and other organic materials with PC-based control from Beckho . © Biosys

4 Electricity + Control MARCH 2025