inCTRL

What is your technology?

opsCTRL is a flexible and rugged monitoring and control platform for water resource recovery facilities (WRRF) and biogas plants. The software system addresses and overcomes hurdles people face when implementing and operating advanced control solutions or other intelligent water infrastructure that rely on high-quality data. opsCTRL adds a secure and protected layer to existing SCADA or DCS systems and seamlessly integrates with other operational databases and software. Operators of the software choose where and how it collects and stores all necessary data. Then automatically or under controlled supervision, opsCTRL applies industry-leading data quality evaluation methods, and executes classic control or model-based solutions. All information is presented in a browser-based dashboard using user-friendly visualizations.

Some Highlights:

• Powerful database enables data integration from any source.
• Industry-leading data tools guaranteeing high-quality and complete data sets at all times.
• Sensor, equipment, controller, and process monitoring onsite and remotely.
• Packaged and tailored digital solutions for highly efficient operation (from process metrics to proven process controllers to Digital Twins).
• Unique controller performance monitoring and auto-tuning tools.

What are the benefits to implementing your technology?

• Better and More Complete Data: Data is at the heart of any intelligent water solution. However, the maintenance of sensors and analyzers is expensive and takes away from potential savings. opsCTRL enables an innovative, multi-layered predictive maintenance strategy and reduces cost, increases data availability, and improves data quality.
• Important Things First: WRRFs are collecting more data than ever before, but one of the biggest obstacles in achieving sustainable operation of any water system is to provide the most relevant information along with clear decision criteria to the operators. opsCTRL presents information in a graphical and highly interactive way via configurable dashboards.
• Operate Advanced Control Solutions: opsCTRL makes advanced control cost-effective for smaller plants, mitigates the risk of operating highly efficient, but potentially more error-prone control solutions, and offers intelligent water solutions like model-based control or digital twins that really work and lead to robust and highly efficient treatment plant operation.
• Model What You Cannot Measure: opsCTRL connects to the process simulation platform SIMBA# and also provides data-driven capabilities for a more complete picture of your plant by using augmented reality, digital twin, or soft sensor solutions.
• Let the Experts Support You: inCTRL has a dedicated team with expert skillsets in instrumentation, process, monitoring, control, modeling, and data analytics. Frequent or occasional expert advice and remote diagnosis help our clients get the most from their facility.

Has the technology been tested, demonstrated, or implemented anywhere to date?

The City of Grand Rapids, MI uses the first generation Monitoring & Control Platform for data quality assessment and applies the inCTRL patented ABAC-SRT controller as part of the platform. The first generation platform has also been tested in several pilot facilities and at a full-scale plant in Germany.

The second-generation opsCTRL platform has been extensively tested in our simulation benchmark environment and implementations are underway for the Wiesbaden WRF, Germany, and Pima County AZ, USA (as part of WRF project 4973, Guidelines for Optimizing Nutrient Removal Plant Performance).

What are some of the next steps needed to advance the technology?

After the experience from the first generation, the new opsCTRL platform has been completely rewritten with a special focus on standardization, facilitated configuration and implementation, and visualization of results. We have developed an elaborate simulation system to extensively test opsCTRL. The next steps on the path to market launch are a full-scale demonstration of the framework and the base modules. Additional modules will be made available over the next months and our development pipeline will keep us busy for years to come.

LIFT helped us to focus on getting market-ready and we hope that with support from the LIFT program we will be able to start piloting five to 10 additional opsCTRL installations in the next six months.

Liev Rieger, Ph.D., P.Eng.

Chief Executive Officer

inCTRL Solutions Inc.