EPA approves Autoset
15 Jan 2000
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Bykom's neural network software, AutoSet, for use as an alternative emissions monitoring system.
Distributed in Europe by Stockport-based Pantek, AutoSet has proved effective in waste minimisation, quality optimisation and quality prediction. The approval from the EPA is said to be a world first in this area.
Last year, California imposed new regulations requiring most manufacturers to add continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMs). Because such systems are costly to maintain, Pantek says companies are responding by implementing new technology to eliminate all maintenance costs.
The Autoset software interfaces with existing PLC and DCS systems to predict emission levels in real-time. It uses a mixed neural network structure that the company says cannot be altered by the user because its compiled code is inaccessible.
Boiler generated process data from the process centre and corresponding CEM data is used to determine the boiler dynamics and emissions generated.
AutoSet can predict and control complex processes such as high speed fillers, (predicting fill level and air going into beer) as well as the slow process of predicting biological aspects of living yeast as they are grown in a fermenter.
