You may need to improve your ClO2 generator’s performance to increase capacity, improve efficiency, or reduce operating costs. Perhaps you also need support for your operations team to maximize system availability. The ERCO Smarts Product Suite offers solutions that provide remote troubleshooting, monitoring as well partial and full Advanced Process Controls (APC) for all sub-atmospheric ClO2 systems and technologies.
ERCO has leveraged more than 200 years of ClO2 design, operations, and technical service experience in the development of the ERCO Smarts Product Suite. It is the only solution that provides both on-site advanced process control and off-site access to process experts, who have secure access to your operational data and can provide advisory support.
Recognizing the increase in cyber security threats, security has been a foundational element in the development of our cloud-based system. Our secure cloud-based system works together with the ERCO software running at the customer site. The encrypted one-way data transfer protects data integrity, while eliminating the complexity of VPN configuration. Process data is encrypted during the transfer and storage processes, ensuring that our customer information remains safe in our secure private cloud data warehouse.
The backbone of the ERCO Smarts Product Suite is the ERCO Smarts DNA component. This service enables remote process data collection, remote support and data analysis. ERCO Smarts DNA also handles OPC connectivity to the customer’s OPC server. Both OPC DA and OPC UA protocols are supported. Collected data is then relayed to the cloud API for long-term storage and troubleshooting.
This is a versatile solution which can be applied to all operating processes, not just R-Series ClO2 plants.
Designed for large-scale ClO2 generators and encapsulating our industry-leading generator level control algorithm, ERCO Smarts Essentials can assist you in reducing process variability, and thereby improving efficiency and reliability, ultimately leading to increased chemical savings and increased profits.
ERCO Smarts Essentials includes all the functionality and benefits of ERCO Smarts DNA.
Designed for large scale ClO2 generators, ERCO Smarts extends the Essentials solution to all key areas of the R-Series ClO2 generator. This solution further reduces process variability, resulting in improved efficiency and reliability, chemical and energy savings, and reduces operator control intervention. By using the same calculations used in designing the plant, ERCO Smarts employs an accurate first principles model which ideally suits the requirements for advanced control in this application. As with Essentials, ERCO Smarts includes ERCO Smarts DNA data transfer capabilities and remote technical support.
The ERCO Smarts control software is installed on an OPC-connected computer on the control network at the mill site. Operational data is provided to the ERCO Smarts software package where it can be analyzed, cached locally before being encrypted for transfer via ERCO’s secure Web API for storage in our secure cloud data warehouse.
ERCO’s process experts can access the secure cloud data warehouse to retrieve data and provide remote support to our customers. Through our investment in data analytics and artificial intelligence, ERCO has a number of automated tools to interrogate process data for unusual and unexpected operational patterns and opportunities for improvement.
Through ERCO Smarts and ERCO Smarts Essentials, operational data is analyzed in real-time and remote setpoints are returned to the DCS/PLC over the secure OPC connection. Using this bi-directional OPC connection, ERCO Smarts works in conjunction with the existing control system to reduce system variability and optimize your plant’s performance.
ERCO Smarts uses the same philosophy that’s employed in the design of your ClO2 generator to control the generator. ERCO has leveraged its understanding of ClO2 first principles in combination with its intimate knowledge of the design considerations, standards and calculations applied when your generator was installed, to provide APC designs with high-fidelity and accuracy.
ERCO Smarts touches all critical areas of the ClO2 process: generator level control, chemical feed systems, generator liquor temperature, production rate, advanced ClO2 solution strength control, liquor solids control, and ClO2 inventory control. ERCO Smarts Essentials is designed to provide generator level control to a broad range of ClO2 plant technologies in order to realize reduced variability leading to improved chemical efficiencies.
Through the successful implementation of ERCO Smarts, your mill can reduce raw material and steam consumption, minimize chemical losses due to production swings, reduce process upsets, reduce mill biological oxygen demand (BOD) by optimizing methanol utilization, and automatically balance plant production rate with bleach plant demand.
ERCO Smarts is the only OEM-approved APC system for your R-Series ClO2 generator. If you would like to learn more about how our innovative APC solution can help you, please contact us for additional information.