The project "SmartOption - Smart Yeast Filtration" deals with the automation and optimization of the filtration of surplus yeast in a brewery. The aim is to recover existing beer from this yeast by means of filtration. GEA Westfalia Separator Group GmbH is currently developing the "Rotoramic" industrial plant for this purpose, which uses dynamic cross-flow filtration technology with rotating ceramic discs. Difficulties in implementation are the adjustment based on different quality and quantity of the yeasts to be filtered on the one hand and the cleaning condition of the filter membranes on the other.
Now a highly digitized filtration plant has been delivered as a prototype of Rotoramic produced by GEA and immediately put into operation. Three institutes of OWL University of Applied Sciences and Arts are carrying out the project at Innovation Campus Lemgo in close cooperation: the Institute for Life Science Technologies (ILT.NRW), the Institute for Energy Research (iFE) and the Institute Industrial IT (inIT). The joint project "SmartOption - Smart Yeast Filtration" thus enters a new important phase.
inIT board member Prof. Dr. Markus Lange-Hegermann and his colleague Jörn Tebbe are developing intelligent algorithms which enable an automated and optimized process control using data-driven models. The models consider measurement data of the machine like torques, pressures and flows, as well as spectral data of a near-infrared sensor. Until now, the model evaluation could only be done on a smaller cross-flow plant.
In cooperation with the industrial partner Weidmüller, the algorithms are to be realized and developed for industrial operation.