Relying on green hydrogen energy
Together we shape a carbon-neutral future
The road to a climate-neutral future is already being paved. Digital solutions and innovative products from Phoenix Contact combine openness and security for energy-efficient, resource-saving production. We will support the automation, electrification and digitalization of the solution process in the Power-to-X field.
Relying on Power-to-X technology to supply energy on demand
A major element of the concept of an all-electric society is the generation of electricity from renewable resources, which is where Power-to-X technology comes in.
In solar, wind and hydroelectric plants, when there is too much sunlight, wind or water, there is a surplus of electricity. This excess electricity can be used to produce fuel (power-to-fuel), hydrogen and methane (power-to-gas), ammonia and methanol (power-to-liquid fuel), and other chemicals. In the context of an all-electric society, some of the resulting substances can also be used to generate electricity. They can therefore act as energy storage substances to buffer the fluctuations of the above-mentioned renewable energy sources and ensure uninterrupted power supply. Such Power-to-X technologies will facilitate industry coupling, enabling the interconnection of the electricity, heating, gas and mobility sectors.
smart solution
Open and secure digital solutions have long been widely used in traditional process industries.
1 Future-proof automation systems
In order to make the Power-to-X system meet the requirements of future applications, it is necessary to integrate a new automation design. In the context of digital transformation, the openness of automation design and the use of new industry standards play an important role.
The PLCnext Technology ecosystem is the basis for open and standardized digital solutions. The system enables the implementation of concepts such as Open Process Automation (OPA) and the integration of modular system components into larger systems via Module Type Packages (MTP). MTP helps to speed up system design, build and debug.
PLCnext Technology also supports the NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA) scheme. This enables easy and secure use of production data for continuous optimization of processes and predictive maintenance. The open source platform of PLCnext Technology meets the needs of future applications and is the basis for the automatic transformation of the system under development.
2 Control and monitoring of electrolysis plants
We monitor, automate and digitize electrolysis operations through related processes and systems. These include: water treatment, electrolyte treatment, gas and liquid storage tanks, and cooling systems. In addition, we are also able to monitor and automate compressors. Phoenix Contact provides all the necessary technologies and has extensive experience in the automation of chemical plants to ensure high availability of electrolysis plants and thus increase competitiveness.
In order to further reduce plant costs, principles such as cost-oriented design need to be followed, and the same should be true when increasing production capacity. In addition, digital transformation offers further possibilities, such as process optimization and modernization using digital twins. Digital transformation opens up new ways to increase the efficiency of electrolyzers and other systems in the Power-to-X industry.
3 Monitoring pipeline
In addition to pipelines for transporting various gases, the Power-to-X industry also requires piping systems for building supply applications. Phoenix Contact offers efficient pipeline leak detection systems for detecting small leaks and precisely calculating their location. The monitoring solution is suitable for both synthetic oil pipelines as well as syngas and hydrogen pipelines.
4 Monitoring the tank system
As part of the Power-to-X supply chain, more storage tank farms are being built continuously. The tank farm is not just a temporary storage place for fuel cell hydrogen. A large storage tank farm at the industrial site will also provide hydrogen feedstock for the power-to-gas and power-to-liquid fuel processes.
For efficient liquid level control, we can provide a series of SIL functional safety technology certified products, intrinsically safe signal isolators and modular control systems. In addition to level control, an overflow protection device is installed, using a special valve circuit to prevent the tank from overflowing.
5 Control and monitoring of fuel cell and cogeneration plants
Today's combined heat and power plants already use natural gas to generate electricity and heat. The natural gas used here can of course also be replaced by green fuels in the Power-to-X industry. This makes this effective and efficient process even more climate-friendly.
Another way to turn green energy into electricity is through the use of hydrogen fuel cells, a technology that is increasingly being used in vehicle technology and other applications.
01 New communication technology
New technologies such as 5G, APL, TSN, and OPC UA together form the basic framework of future communication technologies. These new concepts will also be part of the new Power-to-X industry, as this is the only way to ensure safe, simple and fast networking of individual data points.
We are actively involved in all key standardization committees. These committees aim to develop a new cross-manufacturer communication standard for automation.
02 Network Security
To meet stringent IT security requirements, it is not enough to simply install a firewall somewhere in the critical infrastructure. Customers need to formulate protection goals in order to reduce various network security risks as much as possible. Such protection targets are based on the established standard IEC 62443 "IT Security of Industrial Automation Solutions".
03 Functional Safety
Risk management is not only essential for environmental protection and personal safety, but also for system maintenance and thus investment security. In addition to Safety Integrity Levels (SIL), Performance Levels (PL) also play an important role in the application of automated safety systems. Distributed solutions such as SafetyBridge technology support flexible configurations and are used in a variety of SIL3 applications. Such solutions can be easily integrated into the controller.
Safety controllers from Phoenix Contact are suitable for complex applications and can be integrated into Profisafe and Profinet networks. This enables safe shutdown, safe gas detection and other functional safety functions independent of the manufacturer. In addition, our modules feature surge protection. Cameras are responsible for monitoring distributed infrastructure and security. We also offer comprehensive training courses to our customers.
