Incinerator bottom ash (IBA) is a valuable by-product from waste-to-energy-power generation plants. Specialising in the transformation of IBA, company Blue Phoenix is a leader in recovering valuable metals and aggregates for reuse. Key to this processing is the ability to manage large volumes of unsorted feedstock whilst delivering optimum recovery rates.
Advanced plant control is essential to optimise recycling uptimes and enabling operators to quickly address anomalies and conduct troubleshooting. The automation controls systems need to be robust to withstand the harsh operating conditions present in IBA facilities. Moreover, the control panels and core equipment must remain unaffected by the high concentrations of metal particulates in the air.
Blue Phoenix was experiencing issues with the plant waste-to-energy control system at its Widnes site and needed a reliable solution. The plant runs almost continuously, and unplanned downtime is disruptive and costly. To overcome these challenges, the company contacted its preferred automation system integrator, Total Automated Solutions (TAS).
Says Nigel Mitchell, Operations Director at Blue Phoenix. “The controls were becoming unreliable and were less user friendly than newer ones provided by TAS, a Mitsubishi integration partner. The old recycling processes often stopped. Moreover, it was hard to find the cause of a fault as troubleshooting was difficult, leading to increased downtime.”
Waste-to-energy control system
Most of Blue Phoenix’s sites use similar control systems and equipment to ensure reliability as well as performance across processes. This standardisation also helps operators effectively interact with and monitor different plants whilst using the same procedures and tools. The Widnes location differed from the other installations, resulting in a lack of uniformity and operational challenges.
Retrofitting reliability
Mitsubishi iQ-R controller
To lessen the downtime from a changeover to a new control system, TAS suggested upgrading the existing PLC with a Mitsubishi Electric iQ-R. This would also communicate with the EtherNet/IP already used on site. As a result, TAS did not need to make any network modifications whilst ensuring effective communications between the PLC and all the drives across the plant. The SoftGOT2000 PC based HMI software would then control and visualise the recycling processes whilst also helping with troubleshooting.
Chapman added. “In addition to reliability and performance, the versatility of Mitsubishi Electric’s control system was crucial to upgrading Blue Phoenix’s facility. Their automation components are compatible with network technologies and devices from multiple vendors, making it straightforward and cost-efficient to update existing systems.
Automation to support effective recycling.
They completed installation of the PLC and its configuration in short order and within a planned downtime window of only two hours. Craig Simmons, Support Systems Coordinator at Blue Phoenix, comments: “We are happy with the new waste-to-energy control system. The plant is now much easier to manage and aligns with our other IBA processing sites. We can also rely on higher visibility and accessibility, which support better diagnostics. It is now much easier to maintain the facility and its activities.”
