New CD Lab at the JKU: AI Simulations to Optimize Industrial Processes

Chemical processes define the quality in industry. Now AI simulations can help to improve and monitor them.

The Christian Doppler laboratory at the Johannes Kepler University Linz was founded to gather the necessary know-how. It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism (BMWET) to conduct cutting-edge application-oriented fundamental research based on the fact that excellent scientists cooperate with innovative companies. It will undertake data-assisted simulations of complex flows until the end of 2032, a project that is funded with 3.2 million euros.

Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism promotes future technology research
Under the supervision of Priv. Doz. DI Dr. Thomas Lichtenegger (JKU Department of Particulate Flow), the theoretical basics and algorithms of such AI simulations will be developed in the years to come.

Federal Minister Dr. Wolfgang Hattmansdorfer says: "Calculations within a few minutes instead of waiting for weeks - this is the speed that will define competitiveness, innovation, and industrial added value. This CD lab promotes exactly those key technologies that determine our industrial strategy 2035: Artificial Intelligence, data innovation, and modern production technologies. Especially those industrial areas that require a lot of energy are under a massive innovation and cost pressure on an international level. That is why we need to integrate research faster in industrial application, and new technologies in production. Austria can only continue to be a strong industry location, if we are among the first when it comes to future technologies, keep industrial added value in Austria, and implement innovation faster again. After all, development time is a decisive competitive factor."

Data and AI-based simulations of complex processes are developed that are used for steel production, powder metallurgy, and different chemical reactors, just to mention a few. "While typical simulations take a lot of time, new AI approaches promise to happen in real-time," explains laboratory supervisor Lichtenegger. This is made possible by process twins. "We create numerical copies of real industrial plants that are supplied with sensor data by the plant on the one hand to be up-to-date, and that also predict how the process will develop on the other hand in the near future," says the JKU researcher. This is how industrial processes can be controlled, designed, and optimized better in the future. In addition to the increased economic efficiency, it also contributes to decarbonization, which is essential for the development of "green steel".

The CD laboratory will be realized in cooperation with the industrial partners Emmi AI, Plansee, Primetals, and voestalpine Stahl.

High demand for research
JKU Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs Univ. Prof. Dr. Alberta Bonanni believes that the CD laboratory can serve as an example: "I believe that CD laboratories are the real-life network of academic research and economic reality. They show that science is relevant for the competitiveness of our companies - especially in Upper Austria that has so much industry. I want to thank everybody who made this laboratory possible, and wish Dr. Lichtenegger and his team a lot of success!"

Cooperating with economy
"The new CD laboratory for data-assisted simulations of complex flows shows the growing role of the region as a leader in AI-based industrial engineering. Emmi is proud to support Thomas Lichtenegger, a partner who is decisive for our common success," explains Johannes Brandstetter, co-founder of Emmi AI.

Karl-Heinz Leitz (Corporate Research Plansee HPM) also emphasizes: "The activities of the CD laboratory ,Data-Assisted Simulations of Complex Flows' are an essential support to develop our processes sustainably and efficiently when it comes to resources and energy."

Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH explains that the CD laboratory is significant: "Primetals Technologies is a leader in innovation in the global metal industry with the aim to shift the boundaries of production towards a more sustainable world. To achieve these goals, state-of-the-art calculation and simulation tools are necessary. That is why Primetals Technologies highly estimates the cooperation with the JKU and the Christian Doppler Laboratory of Data-Assisted Simulations of Complex Flows. It offers an excellent framework to develop the next generation of simulation tools together."

The voestalpine Stahl GmbH is convinced that the analysis of metallurgy processes via simulation is an essential part of its research work. It is an industrial partner of the Christian Doppler laboratory of DI Dr. Lichtenegger, and accompanies it as a business partner to get as close as possible to perfection when it comes to energy and resource efficiency. Simulations create a precise model of complex processes, but also take a very long time, whereas the combined machine learning approach reduces computing times significantly. This is how industrial processes of the voestalpine Stahl GmbH are visualized in real-time, and even predictions of the follow-up process can be made ahead of time.

The Christian Doppler Laboratories conduct high-level application-oriented fundamental research where outstanding scientists collaborate with innovative companies. The Christian Doppler Research Association is internationally recognized for its success in promoting this type of collaboration. CD labs are financed by the public sector and the participating companies. The most important public funding body is the Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism (BMWET).