Q IWA Publishing 2009 Water Science & TechnologyWST | 60.

2 | 2009

321

From a black-box to a glass-box system: the attempt

towards a plant-wide automation concept for full-scale
biogas plants
J. Wiese and R. Konig

ABSTRACT
Biogas plants gain worldwide increasing importance due to several advantages. However,
concerning the equipment most of the existing biogas plants are low-tech plants. E.g., from
the point of view of instrumentation, control and automation (ICA) most plants are black-box
systems. Consequently, practice shows that many biogas plants are operated sub-optimally

J. Wiese
GKUGesellschaft fur kommunale Umwelttechnik
mbH,
Heinrichstrasse 17/19,
36037 Fulda,
Germany
E-mail: Juergen.Wiese@uewag.de

and/or in critical (load) ranges. To solve these problems, some new biogas plants have been
equipped with modern machines and ICA equipment. In this paper, the authors will show details
and discuss operational results of a modern agricultural biogas plant and the resultant
opportunities for the implementation of a plant-wide automation.
Key words

| anaerobic, automation, biogas plants, control, instrumentation, renewable energy

R. Konig
HACH LANGE GmbH,
Willstatterstr. 1,
40549 Dusseldorf,
Germany
E-mail: Ralf.Koenig@hach-lange.de

INTRODUCTION
Agricultural biogas plants based on energy crops win more

during periods of high costs for farm products (e.g., wheat).

and more importance, because of numerous energetic,

On the other hand, a biogas plant with a plant efficiency of

environmental and agricultural benefits. In these biogas

95% can be a good investment with payback periods of only

plants (BP) biogas can be produced by using numerous

8 to 10 years. Consequently, some modern biogas plants

different farm products: cattle and pork liquid manure/

have been equipped with suitable machines and compre-

dung, poultry excrements, wheat, green rye, corn/maize,

hensive ICA. In the following, the authors will show details

rape, sunflowers, sugar beets et cetera. General information

and discuss operational results of a modern biogas plant,

about biogas plants and their potential can be found in Lens

which were collected during the first two years of operation.

et al. (2004) or Trogisch & Baaske (2004). Concerning the

The authors will also give an outlook on the resultant

equipment (e.g., machines, automation), most of the biogas

opportunities for the implementation of plant-wide auto-

plants are still low-tech plants. That is, from the point of

mation and decision support.

view of ICA most biogas plants are black-box systems

because only few on-line process data are available, which
could be used for optimization and decision support.
Consequently, practice shows that many plants run suboptimally and/or are operated in critical (load) ranges.

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS: BIOGAS PLANT

SBW BIOGAS LELBACH

Another effect is a low average plant efficiency of older

BP Lelbach (investment costs: approx. 2 million e), which

plants (e.g., in Germany < 70%). But, based on actual

was put into operation in 2006, consists of following key

investment/operating costs, the break-even point can only

components: a silo for biosolids (12,000 tonnes), a storage

be reached, when the plant efficiency is higher than 80%.

tank for liquids (250 m3), one digester and one post-digester

That means many biogas plants are losing money, especially

(1,700 m3 each), an slurry storage tank (5,000 m3), and a

doi: 10.2166/wst.2009.337

J. Wiese and R. Konig | Black-box to glass-box: automation concept for biogas plant

322

service building with a centralized pumping-station, a

control room, a switch cabinet, a dosage system for
biosolids, and a combined heat and power generation unit
(CHP). On this plant biogas is produced using farm
products: cattle manure, cattle dung, ensiled maize/green
rye/Sudanese grass, poultry excrements and sugar/fodder
beets. The biogas plant was designed according to following
procedural principles:

Water Science & TechnologyWST | 60.2 | 2009

ICA equipment
BP Lelbach is equipped with numerous on-line measurements (Table 1), powerful programmable logic controllers
(PLC) and a modern PC-based industrial supervisory
control and data acquisition (SCADA) system (investment
costs: < 70.000 e). The plant is equipped with a digital
process fieldbus.
Between May 2007 and April 2008 a near-infrared
spectroscopy (NIRS) system (800 1,800 nm, hardware

Two-stage process with digester and post-digester to

increase operational safety.

costs: 30,000 e) with two sensors was installed for research

purposes (Figure 1): one NIRS sensor was installed in the

Simultaneous wet fermentation: 7.3 7.8 pH, 5 9% total

suspended solids (TSS).

pumping station to measure all liquid streams (e.g., organic

acids, NH4-N, TSS), the second sensor in the dosage system

Mesophilic conditions: 408C (or 313 K).

was installed to measure the biosolids (e.g., energy content,

Hydraulic retention time (HRT): .60 days for efficient

oDM). That is, because of the centralized pumping station it

was possible to measure all liquid/material flows with the

use of ensiled maize.

Automatic dosage system for biosolids: container with

NIRS system. Such instruments are already in operation in

load cells, push-rod discharger and several vertical resp.

the agribusiness (e.g., quality control), but are unique for

horizontal screw-conveyors.

biogas plants. Some details about the results (e.g., calibration)

Centralized pumping station (1 pump, 1 cutter, 9

of the NIRS system can be found in Wiese et al. (2008).

pneumatic slides).
Digester tanks are covered with 2-layer membranes for
collection and storage of biogas.

CHP unit

High level instrumentation and automation (see below).

The utilization of biogas occurs with a second-hand gas

Internal aerobic hydrogen sulfide removal.

engine (year of manufacture: 2004) and a synchronous

Table 1

On-line instrumentation of BP Lelbach

Plant components

Instrumentation

Gateway

Heavy-load weighing machine

Pre-storage tank

Level meter, overfill sensor, armatures (status signal)

Dosage system

Weighing machine, status signals, energy consumption, NIRS

Pumping stationp

Pressure, inductive flow meter, temperature, pH, ORP, TSS, NIRS

Anaerobic digester and post-digester

Compressed air control (soft top), level meters (gas/liquid phase), temperature meters
(digesters, 2 heating system), overfill sensors

Slurry storage tank

Stirring devices (status signal, energy consumption), level meter (liquid phase, anaerobic
digester), inductive flow meter

CHP unit

Engine: engine power/speed, temperature in each cylinder, gas temperature and numerous
other data Generator: power, active/reactive energy, power factor et cetera

Biogas

Gas flow rate, gas analyzer (CH4, CO2, O2, H2S)

Heat use concepts

Heat meters, temperature in the heating circuits and heat exchangers

Stirring devices, geares, pumps etc.

Status information, frequency, run time monitoring, number of switching operations, energy
consumption

Laboratory (off-line)

Moisture analyzer, lab meter for pH, ORP and electrical conductivity

By using the pumping station it is possible to pump from every tank into every tank; i.e. TSS and pH/ORP can be measured in each tank.

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Figure 1

J. Wiese and R. Konig | Black-box to glass-box: automation concept for biogas plant

Water Science & TechnologyWST | 60.2 | 2009

NIRS: (a) spectrometer, (b) sensor in pumping station and (c) sensor 2 at dosage system.

electric generator (power: 530 kWel, efficiency: 35.6%) with

(3.6 Kg oDM/(m3d)), the concentrations of organic acids

an upstream gas cooling. The electricity is fed into the local

are usually low (, 200 mg/l). In case of an overloading of

electricity network. The heat is used to heat both digesters

the digester it is also possible to switch digester and post-

and the machine hall (< 70 kWth). In order to increase

digester via the SCADA system until the process is

energy efficiency as well as revenues the surplus heat is used

stabilized.

to dry wood chips (six mobile containers with 35 m3 each)

for a local wood manufacturer. Depending on the weather
conditions, between 350 and 430 kWth are used for drying.

During the first 30 months of full-load operation, the

operational results of BP Lelbach were very good (Figure 2):
the average monthly electricity production was 516 kWel
(or 4.5 million kWh per year) or 103% of the design value
of the anaerobic stage or 97.4% of the gas engine capacity.

OPERATIONAL RESULTS
Because of the numerous measurements a high-level
automation was implemented, e.g.:

Table 2 shows some operational key data (which are very

popular in the German biogas branch) and comparable
values from two different German benchmarking studies.
Table 2 shows that the operational results are very good,
especially because the biogas yield of maize and manure

The temperature, which is measured continuously in the

digester and post-digester as well as in the heating
circuits, can be controlled on a steady state level through
automatic control of the heating system.
The pH/ORP/TSS-values are checked several times per
day in both digesters for an early detection of overload
situations. The gas composition and the gas flow rate can
also be used to identify process disturbances.
The hydraulic retention time (HRT) is calculated by
using the data of the different flow and level meters in
order to guarantee an efficient use of the ensiled maize

is (much) lower than that of organic residues (e.g., grease,

glycerine), which are used in many other biogas plants.
BP Lelbach is no longer a black-box, because
numerous of process data is used for automation and for
an early detection of process disturbances. Nevertheless, the
actual automation strategies are rather simple (e.g., a weightbased sequential dosage control) and up to now most of
the information is not used for optimization, decision
support or predictive maintenance. That is, BP Lelbach is
still rather a grey-box system than a glass-box system.

and green rye (HRT . 55 60 days).

High-level automation and the large container (60 m3) of
the dosage system enable a quasi-continuous feeding: 24
times per day (for liquids as well as biosolids). The
manure is pumped only into the digester, but in order to

FROM A DATA CEMETERY TO A KNOWLEDGE

TREASURE CHEST?

use both reactors efficiently the biosolids can be dosed

As a first step to convert BP Lelbach in a glass-box system,

into digester and post-digester. Consequently, despite the

the collected data of two years of operation were evaluated

fact that the organic load rate in the digester is high

to find new applications and cause effect relationships:

J. Wiese and R. Konig | Black-box to glass-box: automation concept for biogas plant

324

Water Science & TechnologyWST | 60.2 | 2009

change (today: fixed periods of 1,000 operating hours): the

practice shows that in case of low H2S concentrations and
a low water content in biogas it is possible to use the
engine oil longer than 1,500 hours.

OPTIMAL FEEDING STRATEGIES

The (organic) dry matter content (oDM/DM), the methane
concentration and biogas yield of the different input
substrates can vary, which can influence the energy proFigure 2

Electricity productions (monthly average) of BP Lelbach since starting

operation.

duction. A good example for this typical problem is shown in

Figure 3 (left): a periodic sampling of the ensiled maize has
shown dry matter contents between 22.8 and 37.5% DM.

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE CONCEPTS

That is, a dosage strategy for biosolids, which is only based

The aim of predictive maintenance concepts is to reduce

on weighing (e.g., 30 tonnes/d), is suboptimal, because

the down times of pumps, engines et cetera as well as to

in case of a high DM content more biogas is produced than

reduce operational costs. One bottleneck in the process is

necessary and in case of a low DM content not enough biogas

the rotary-piston pump in the centralized pumping station.

can be produced to use the full CHP capacity. Two different

Abrasion of the rotary-pistons leads to a reduction of the

feeding strategies are reasonable to solve this problem:

flow rate and an increase energy costs. So, according to

the conventional maintenance concept, approximately

Using a mixture of different substrates

every 4 months the rotary-pistons have to be changed to

avoid a breakdown. But, an analysis of the curves of the
flow rate and the energy consumption has shown that
because of the high energy prices it is economically more
reasonable to replace the rotary-pistons every 80 days.
That is, it is possible to create a simple tool, which is able
to calculate the cost-effective moment of maintenance.
Other possible applications are the continuously observation of temperature curves of the 16 cylinder heads of
the gas engine to predict the cost-effective moment of the
changing of the ignition plugs. In combination with the

Sugar/fodder beets are an ideal supplement of slowly

biodegradable substrates like maize, because beets are
easily/quickly biodegradable. Figure 3 (right) shows an
example: the SCADA recognized a lack of biogas in the gas
storage of the post-digester. By pumping 3 tonnes of
smashed fodder beets into the post-digester, it was possible
to produce biogas within a few hours.
Feeding strategy based on the energy content of
biosolids

H2S sensor it is also promising to create a soft sensor,

The first results of the NIRS system are very promising

which is able to predict the optimal moment for the oil

(Wiese et al. 2008): by using this technology it seems to be

Table 2

Operational key data of BP Lelbach in comparison with benchmarking values of FNR (2005) and Hesse (2006) (a average value, m median value, r min/max range)

Operational key data

Unit

BP Lelbach

Benchmark

Electricity production to input ratio

kWh/tonneinput

249

53 570 r, 150 m

Electricity demand (biogas plant)

7.7

3 14 r, 8 a

Electricity production to biogas ratio

kWh/m3Biogas

1.81

1.4 2.4 r

CH4 production to effective reactor volume

m3CH4/(m3R d)

1.33

0.3 1.1 r, 0.74 a

Degree of engine utilization (530 kW)

97.2

62 a

Degree of degradation

% of oDM

77.3

61.5 a

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Figure 3

J. Wiese and R. Konig | Black-box to glass-box: automation concept for biogas plant

Water Science & TechnologyWST | 60.2 | 2009

Results of a periodic sampling of ensiled maize (DM dry matter) (left), peak load production of biogas by using smashed fodder beets (right).

possible to measure on-line the concentrations of (organic)

Furthermore, prices can vary significantly, especially for

dry matter (Figure 3), proteins, nitrogen (TN, NH4-N),

wheat (60 160 e/Mg) or ensiled maize (20 35 e/Mg).

volatile fatty acids and acetic acid. That is, it is not only

Consequently, the database was evaluated to find cost-

useful to use NIRS for a detection of process disturbances

effective combinations of the organic load rate (OLR) and

but also to create a feeding strategy based on the weighing

different substrate mixtures. Based on first results, it is

machine of the dosage system and the on-line measured

promising to develop in the next step a decision support

oDM content of the different biosolids (e.g., 8.5 tonnes

tool to find cost-effective operation ranges and substrate

oDM per day).

mixtures.

BENCHMARKING

NEXT GENERATION BP LELBACH 1

Benchmarking tools/studies, which are widely used in

The prototype of the next generation BP Lelbach was

numerous industries to evaluate plant performance, are

equipped with some additional measurements to collect

used up to now only rarely in the biogas branch. But, in

more data and to create new control strategies:

order to operate BPs more efficiently, it is necessary to use

such tools. Therefore, the use of SCADA systems in

The pumping station was equipped with an electrical

combination with on-line measurements and additional

conductivity sensor. In combination with ORP, pH and

lab analysis is indispensable for a technical/economical

controlling. In case of BP Lelbach it was possible to set up
an almost complete closed material flow balance (Table 3).
Based on such (automatically calculated) mass balances a
reliable calculation of important operational values (see
Table 2) is possible.

OPTIMISING ORGANIC LOAD RATE AND A COSTEFFECTIVE SUBSTRATE MIXTURES

The prices for biosolids are the most important cost factor
for an agricultural BP (500 kWel: input costs < 300,000 e/a).

Table 3

Parts of the material flow balance for BP Lelbach (August 2006July 2008)

Dry matter (organic)

Unit

DM

oDM

Input

Tonne

8,173

7,635

Output

Tonne

1,695

1,172

Change of volume (storage tanks)

Tonne

28

21

Sub-total 1 < biogas production

Tonne

6,450

6,442

Biogas production: 5,151,279 m3

Unit

Biogas

CH4 production (2,797,564 m3 CH4)

Tonne

1,971

CO2 production (2,211,709 m3 CO2)

Tonne

4,278

Air supply (internal desulfurization)

Tonne

189

Sub-total 2 biogas production

Tonne

6,428

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Water Science & TechnologyWST | 60.2 | 2009

TSS it is easier to detect overload situations (optimal

manure: pH 78, ORP , 2300 mV, EC 1215 mS/cm,

values in digester/post-digester: pH 7.2 7.7, ORP ,

TSS 25%).

2 350 mV, EC 16 22 mS/cm). The data can also be

used to identify substances (see below).
The digester was equipped with an explosion-proof video

COST BENEFIT CALCULATION

supervision system in order to detect scum and foam

problems, which are typical for biogas plants using maize
or grass. Furthermore, the video system can be used to
optimize the control of the stirring devices.
Digester, post-digester and the gas-tight slurry storage
tank are equipped with gas pressure (^) sensors
(resolution: 0.1 mbar). By using these sensors and a
PID controller it is easier to operate the gas engine than
by using only gas level meters.
The data of the O2 and H2S sensors are used to control

It is very difficult to measure the economic benefit of the use

of ICA equipment on biogas plants because the overall
performance of a biogas plant also depends on other factors
(e.g., design of the plant, quality of the operator). Nevertheless, the authors will try to show the benefits with the
help of several examples:
The annual turnover of a German 530 kWel biogas plant
(based on renewable energy crops) with a capacity
utilization of 90% and a suitable heat using concept is

the aerobic hydrogen sulfide removal process by adapt-

approx. 1 million e. In case of BP Lelbach the on-line

ing the amount of air, which is injected into the gas

measurements detected a serious overload situation in

storages of digester, post-digester and slurry storage tank.

December 2006, which was caused by a handling error of

The pneumatic slides are equipped with flushing valves.

the operator. The biological disturbance was detected

Due to the fact that the end positions as well as the

early enough to start counter measures (Wiese et al.

closing time of the slides are monitored, an automatic

2008) to avoid a breakdown (and a restart) of the

flushing of the slides is possible to avoid clogging.

system. Consequently, a financial loss of more than

Every submersible stirring device is equipped with a level

80.000 e could be avoided. That means, in this example

meter, so it is possible to monitor the level of the height-

the payback period of the ICA equipment was less

adjustable stirring devices continuously and thus to

than a year.

reduce the risks of sedimentation and scum/foam

problems.

The practice shows that on biogas plants, which are

equipped with numerous online measurements and a

The gas flow meter was equipped with a gas temperature

powerful SCADA system, the start-up period can be

and gas pressure compensation to increase the validity of

reduced to a minimum. E.g., the duration needed to

the gas flow rate.

achieve a stable full-load operation was reduced on BP

Nordholz (type: BP Lelbach ) significantly (regular: 12 to 16 weeks, practice: 6 to 7 weeks), which
resulted in higher revenues of more than 60,000 e.

PATTERN RECOGNITION FOR THE DETECTION OF

(HAZARDOUS) SUBSTANCES

Taking into account actual investment and operating

costs for biogas plants, the break-even point is reached
when the plant efficiency is between 75 80%. On the

On agricultural biogas plants the unknowingly dosage of

other hand, the owner of a biogas plant with an efficiency

some (hazardous) substances can cause serious process

of 90 to 95% can earn much money. In some cases equity

disturbances. By using a mixture of different measurements

yield rates from more than 20% p.a. can be reached.

(e.g., pH, ORP, EC, TSS) some hazardous substances

Some financing companies (e.g., banking corporations,

(e.g., manure contaminated with detergents: pH @ 8,

insurance and leasing companies) have already built up

heavily polluted stormwater run-off from silo areas:

specialized teams to assess the technical design of biogas

pH , 4, ORP . 0 mV, EC < 8 mS/cm, TSS , 1%) can

projects (e.g., ICA equipment, machines). Depending on

be segregated from normal farm products (e.g., cattle/pig

the assessment results, the interest rates as well as the

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Water Science & TechnologyWST | 60.2 | 2009

insurance rates can vary significantly. This means that

essential. In these cases, it is necessary to use complex

the biogas plant owner has convincing financial reasons

controllers, which could be based on model predictive

to reach a high efficiency and a stable process.

control and artificial intelligence. On the basis of the

economic benefits of on-line monitoring and control, the
authors draw the conclusion that the use of ICA on biogas

CONCLUSION AND OUTLOOK

plants is only at the beginning. Nevertheless, it will last at

least several years and further research and development to

The ICA level on existing biogas plants is still relatively low,

convert a biogas plant into a real glass-box system.

which leads often to a poor performance of these black-box

systems. During the last years, a few modern biogas plants
have been built, which are equipped with modern ICA

REFERENCES

equipment and reliable machines. In case of these grey-box

systems, numerous process data are available which can be
used to realize a high-level automation. This new generation
of biogas plants can reach very high plant efficiencies.
Nevertheless, there is still potential for further improvements, because common control strategies are still almost
exclusively based on conventional controllers (e.g., timebased controller, PID); mostly manual intervention by the
plant operators is also necessary. But, because of the
complex dynamics/structures of anaerobic processes and
biogas plants these controllers are often overstressed. If
biogas plants should be operated close to the capacity limit,
while at the same time minimizing operating costs and the
amount of output/input substances, the consideration of
these boundary conditions in the controller strategy is

FNR (eds) 2005 Ergebnisse des Biogasmessprogramms (Results of a

biogas plant measuring study), Fachagentur Nachwachsende
Rohstoffe (FNR) (Agency for renewable resources), Germany:
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biogas_messprogramm.pdf
Hesse (eds) 2006 Biogas Hessen (Biogas in Hesse), Hesse Ministry
for Environment, Germany, ISBN 3-89274-249-9.
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Resource Recovery and Reuse in Organic Solid Waste
Management, Integrated Environmental Technology Series,
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Trogisch, S. & Baaske, W. E. (eds) 2004 Biogas Powered Fuel
CellsCase Studies for Their Implementation. (ISBN 3 85487
626 2) Trauner Verlag, Austria.
Wiese, J., Kujawski, O., Konig, R., Dickmann, K. & Andree, H. 2008
Applying Instrumentation, Control and Automation for Biogas
PlantsResults of Full-scale Applications. Proceedings, World
Bioenergy Congress, Sweden.