Publikationsrepositorium - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

In many industrial processes the measurement and monitoring of process parameters is hampered by limited access to the process itself. This is especially true for large vessels, such as large size tanks, reactors, fermenters, etc. State of the art instrumentation is commonly applied locally and spatially resolved parameter measurement is either not feasible or too expensive. For the measurement of process parameters in a stirred fermentation biogas reactor we developed the concept of neutrally buoyant self-powered sensor particles. The prototype sensor performs logging of temperature, absolute pressure and 3D-acceleration data using appropriate commercial miniature sensors, a low power microcontroller and associated EEPROM modules integrated in a robust capsule which gives a balance between buoyancy and gravitation with respect to the liquid process substrate. In an initial test of the developed prototype its autonomous operation has been successfully proved showing feasibility for future application in a biogas reactor.