The main goal of this project is to develop and build a competitively-priced, online spectroscopic measurement system for measuring and analyzing liquids in industrial processes, based on Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) technology.
FT-IR instruments are often high-end and lab-based, but this project aims to break the price barrier for applying FT-IR spectroscopy to online processes using an FT-IR design developed by SINTEF during the last five years. It is particularly well suited for industries where investment in measurement technology is limited due to low margins.
Prediktor aims to establish a commercial prototype of an online FTIR system based on SINTEF's design. It will be adapted for liquid-based applications and will employ novel calibration techniques developed by Nofima.
Potential end-users Nutrimar, Biomega and VEAS will be evaluated during the project. Each has the potential to improve their process by incorporating high-level analysis.
Nutrimar And Biomega are involved in commercial enzymatic protein hydrolysis, a growing industrial segment world-wide, is the process of cutting long protein chains into shorter soluble fractions using enzymes. The process is increasingly used for producing defined protein products from by-products from the agricultural and marine sectors (e.g. skin, head, bones etc.).
VEAS is involved in wastewater treatment, which is a highly complex process with many different processing steps. One of these is the anaerobic fermentation of wastewater sludge to short chain fatty acids, producing biogas and this process will be examined in Liq-IR
