OPEN SOURCE AUTOMATION

摘要

Software plays a decisive role here too and Awite Bioenergie GmbH relies upon Open Source software, which is employed on Kontron's automation PCs. The decision to use Kontron products was made due to the supported Embedded Linux for the hardware, the Linux support and the excellent Board Support Packages. In Germany, there are approximately 4000 biogas plants which - according to data from the end of 2008 - produced approximately 11 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, enough for 3 million households. Besides the delivery and production of substrate and the routine maintenance jobs that have to be carried out, the plants are fully automated and even self-optimizing, provided that an optional expert system with fuzzy logic controls the processes during operation. The production of electricity and gas in biogas plants is a technology in which new insights are constantly being gained and new process optimization is permanently taking place, in order to increase efficiency - even in existing plants. In that respect every biogas plant could be compared to a racing car, which constantly has to be tweaked and tuned and its motor control continually improved, in order to achieve best results. Awite is also challenged to deliver the right know-how even during operation.