How should we tune into better understanding of online measurements?

Metso Automation’s Newsletter of Kajaani Product Line 1, 2004 “The Analyzer” Wrote, “In process automation, rapid  technological development from business systems down to intelligent field devices and analyzers is progressing to meet existing and coming demand. New control and communication protocols are linking different system levels more tightly which emphasizes the importance of accurate measurements. The solution is as strong as its weakest link. Too often it is still the measurement area.”

The approach sounds Top-Down for me. At the early days of Kajaani Electronics the measurement was they key for everything and based on that we could think about process management and control.

Nevertheless, corporate cultures change over time. On-line measurements are based typically on in-direct measurements correlated to laboratory standards. Quite often we try to measure something that is not even well enough defined to start with.

Multipoint measurement has been along for quite some time. But according to The Analyzer “A new way of measuring originates from different engineering sciences combined together.”

Developing an analyzer needs at least physics, chemistry, micromechanics, electronics, sampling, software and many other engineering sciences. The real challenge is about how to handle the complexity and end up with simple and versatile solutions working in demanding operational environments.

When the level of complexity increases automation suppliers must understand the requirements arising from the process. We should also think about the ways to get that understanding. We need to have close contacts and an open dialog with our clients. The processes don’t talk but people managing them are eager to give us insights if we’re able and willing to listen.

A way to cope with the complexities is to combine ones own knowledge with collaborating partners and experts participating in networks working towards a united goal.

Big and small companies are learning to utilize the power of open and closed networks. These consist of universities, research centers, customers and specialized suppliers.

Critical mass is needed to develop, maintain and keep up the networks.

Process Vision

Process Vision: "Process Vision Oy is an IT house specialized in information systems and applications for energy business. The company provides also simulators for process industry and power plants. The company, founded in 1993, employs currently around 100 IT and energy professionals in Helsinki, Jyväskylä and Uppsala.

Process Vision Oy has focused on developing versatile total solutions for deregulated energy market targeted for distribution companies, energy retailers, balance coordinators and system operators. These solutions consist of wide measurement data warehouses, systems for balance settlement and balance management, EDIEL/ETSO ESS data transmission functions and systems for contract and portfolio management.

Besides power companies, PV software solutions serve also district heating and gas companies thanks to the basic system architecture supporting multiutility operations."

Helge: 100 process visioners in Jyväskylä and Uppsala. I've to take a closer look. What is PV doing in the field of "district heating?"

We take The Renewalbe Fischer Tropsch Fuel a step further

The alternate is to gasify the black liquor and put the off gas through a Fischer Tropsch Process to generate a multi molecular weight, renewable feedstock that is more valuable than crude.

The Fischer Tropsch process is new to the forest products industry. However, it is used in other industries and is commercially available. The renewable feedstock is commonly known as RFTF (Renewable Fischer Tropsch Fuel).

The economics appear to be much better than the typical power case. However, with current technology, the recovery boiler needs to be at the end of its useful life and the mill sufficiently viable to warrant replacement.

I write to the people that are interested in this statement: "An engineering study is currently being conducted to confirm or change the assumptions made."

Metso Paper Lay-off twohundred employees | Uutinen | Kauppalehti Online

"Metso Paper is decreasing workforce with 170 - 220 people from the beginning of 2008 to increase profitability," Writes the Finnish Business Daily Kauppalehti. I got anonymous a blog posting yesterday indicating that something was happening.

• Lay-offs in Finland
  
• Metso is an engineering company
  
• The demand for paper machines is shifting
• The structural change in the forestry industry
• New innovations needed
  
• New processes
  

Metso Paper vähentää pari sataa | Uutinen | Kauppalehti Online: "Metso Paper vähentää pari sataa Torstai 11.10.2007 klo 17:08 (päivitetty to 17:08) STT Paperikonevalmistaja Metso Paper aloittaa yt-neuvottelut. Yhtiö aikoo vähentää Suomesta 170-220 henkilöä.

Neuvottelut koskevat kaikkia Paper and Board -liiketoimintalinjan henkilöstöryhmiä

1. Anjalankoskella,
   
2. Hollolassa,
   
3. Jyväskylässä,
   
4. Järvenpäässä,
   
5. Karhulassa,
   
6. Turussa ja
   
7. Valkeakoskella.
   

Näissä yksiköissä työskentelee noin 4 000 ihmistä. Suurin yksikkö on Jyväskylässä.

Yhtiö ei vielä kerro julkisuuteen, kuinka paljon milläkin paikkakunnalla jaetaan lähtöpasseja. Vähennykset tapahtuvat ensi vuoden alkupuoliskolla.

Henkilöstövähennysten jakautuminen selviää yt-neuvottelujen aikana, kertoo liiketoimintalinjan johtaja Hannu Mälkiä. Neuvottelut alkavat ensi viikon lopulla, ja ne käydään paikkakunnittain. STT"

How to use Seond Life in Biotech

Project for using Second Life and 3D to visualize Biotech processes and microbiological events.

satun posted to #pvk:

Mihin käyttäisitte second lifeä näin ensitutustumisen perusteella?

17 hours, 25 minutes ago.

2 comments so far

• 
  

  VirtuaaliAMK yhteyshenkilöiden tapaamisen voisi järjestää SL:ssä. Opettajat painivat virtuaaliopinnoissa opiskelijoiden luotettavan identifioinnin kanssa, joten virtuaalitapaaminen pesukarhuksi naamioituneen opiskelijan kanssa voi olla äkkiseltään yllättävä ;-)

  12 minutes ago by irmamanty.

• 

  En ole vielä käyttänyt, mutta olemme pohtineet pienessä porukassa sen soveltuvuutta esimerkiksi Bioteknisten prosessien ja mikrobiologisten tapahtumien kuvauksessa. Kaikkea sellaista, joka tarvitsee "kasvot" ja uuden muodon. Kaikenlaisen näkymättömän tuominen reaalitodellisuuteen. Miten paperitehdas toimii fermentorina, vedenpuhdistuslaitosten toiminta, juomaveden puhtaus, sairaalabakteerit... Sovellusmahdollisuuksia laajasti. Avtareilla basiliskot muuttuisivat mielenkiintoisemmiksi. Hiukan kafkamaista, mutta mielenkiintoista. Löytyisikö AMK kumppania, joka lähtisi tuunaamaan pöpöille profiileja. Ehdotan EU-projektia. Lisätietoja tästä blogista http://smartroad.blogspot.com/

Blogging about biotech process engineering

2007.03.20 02.11 | Blogging My Way

We are not ready to reveal too much yet, but will soon. We're working with a Biotech cluster in Finland / Europe on a new Biotechnology Microbiology Process Engineering company.

I'd like to be a part of a globally networking team that want to co-create and collaborate for a better world.

Everything in this world is designed except the nature. I'd like to speak with my biotech and microbiology friends about the need to move back towards something that is less designed, still beutiful, and very natural.

Mother earth will tell.

Hopefully we’ll cause a little bit of disruption in the industry when we launch. It will be lots of fun to get out with the new products to the market.

We also have a new story boiling up and out. This is about the innovation strategies in Europe. We like to tell that there are pretty good things going on.

Blogging hasn’t been a big thing over here at the old continent. But I feel that the European blogging spring is about to come. New ideas are emerging and we are getting to grips with personalization of information and how to attract readers.

It has been a pretty demanding job. Learning to write attractive blogs that have reader magnetism is not an easy task. English isn’t my native language.

I’ve travelled to the skill through lots of writing and my mother tongue is Swedish. On a daily basis I write in Finnish and English.

Wood-based Ethanol Plant Slated for Georgia

The Author: David Adams Date Posted: 8. Februaru 2007

Wood-based Ethanol Plant Slated for Georgia: "I attended the Atlanta agri-business breakfast Wednesday where the announcement was made by Georgia Governor, Sonny Purdue. 'It's going to change the geo-political nature of the world when you can take a passive waste product like biomass from Georgia and turn it into an alternative fuel,' Purdue said.

Some experts question the readiness of Range Fuels' two-step thermo-chemical inversion process. Unlike other cellulosic processes, it does not use bacteria or enzymes. But Mandich told me the company is ready for commercial production.

Any technical difficulties have been overcome, the company says. With 24 million acres of forest land, Georgia certainly has no shortage of woody biomass. Forestry Commission officials say they have data showing there is enough wood waste potentially to produce up to two billion gallons of ethanol a year. That is more than one third of Georgia's total consumption of gasoline. - David Adams The Fueling Station"

Helge: A lot is happening around cellulosic ethanol which is a better alternative to corn based ethanol production.