The Internet of Things (IoT) is the latest emerging internet technology. IoT is used in all home appliances, industries and in every device. IoT creates the relationship between people to people, people to things and things to things.
If the temperature of the steam increases boiler tubes will puncture. So, monitoring of temperature is important to avoid the problem in power plants. Measurement of water vapour content in the atmosphere and surface provides the details about the physical, chemical and exobiological processes in the surface. Gas monitoring is a part of this system which monitor the LPG gas in and around the boiler. Monitoring of boiler tank level is important to avoid an increase in maintenance cost. If the water level increases beyond the limits, the turbine will damage due to the overflow of water. If the water level decreases below the low limit value, boiler tubes will puncture. So, the monitoring of the boiler water level is important in the boiler.
- Monitoring of important Parameters, remotely for controlling is called Remote Monitoring and Controlling System
- Remote monitoring and control (M&C) systems are installed to monitor and control large or complex systems or facilities operations as well as their performances.
Why Remote Monitoring System Required?
Remote monitoring and control (M&C) systems are required for the continual improvement of:
- Performance
- Quality
- Quantity
- Safety, and
- Reduce wastage
- Sustainability, etc.
Need for Remote Monitoring System:
In Industry, it is observed that only maintenance activity is carried out mainly due to the breakdown of systems or equipment. It is always unpredictable when a breakdown can happen. The majority of breakdowns happen when the demand is high, due to seasonal variation, ageing, lack of maintenance, corrosion in the systems or equipment, low energy efficiency, etc. It is always required to monitor the system and equipment health and performance closely by monitoring some important parameters. Due to day-to-day activity, it is not possible for the maintenance engineer; it may be due to lack of time, expertise, monitoring system, etc.
Hence to bring a systematic approach to equipment and system health report monitoring system is required. The remote monitoring system will help in the following ways,
- Energy Conservation and Management: The remote monitoring system will help to monitor the consumption (of energy, water material, etc.) performance of equipment or system by monitoring key performance indicators (i.e., efficiency indicators). This helps to identify root causes, and bottlenecks and design proper solutions.
- Bringing Sustainability: The remote monitoring system will help to sort out the bottlenecks, improves firstly preventive and then goes to predictive maintenance. Ultimately this will improve the sustainability of the system or equipment.
- Water Conservation and Saving: In the water system, if the performance, flows and other parameters monitor closely, then it is possible to recycle and reuse water with proper treatment. Ultimately this will give us water savings or reduce fresh water consumption, i.e. water conservation and management.
- Improve Maintenance Schedule: Using a remote monitoring system, it is possible to reduce breakdown maintenance by proper carrying out preventive maintenance. If the preventive maintenance schedule is decided then down the time, it is also possible to design a predictive maintenance schedule.
- Reduce Down Time: Using a Remote monitoring system taking decisions on the proper maintenance of the system or equipment, automatically downtime reduces.
- Cost Saving on Maintenance and Spear Parts: Due to predictive maintenance, it is possible to improve inventory for spears. Ultimately it will reduce the inventory of spears.
- Improve Life Span: Due to proper maintenance, life span or shelf life also increases.
- Reduce Material Consumption: Due to proper monitoring, it is possible to stop or reduce material wastage, i.e. material consumption.
- Improving the safety of person and system: Remote monitoring system helps to improve the safety of equipment or system by proper remote monitoring,
- Increase Profitability: Remote monitoring system helps to reduce Energy, water and material consumption. Ultimately save on cost, which increases overall profitability.
- Taking decisions on replacing equipment or system: BY proper monitoring and data collection data analysis, it is possible to analyze the root cause, which will help to make decisions for the replacement of the system or equipment. etc.
How does the Remote Monitoring System work?
First, it is required to design and install proper monitoring for the system or equipment. This data is collected in the local data storage, using a data acquisition system. This temporarily stored data is transferred to clued storage using the Internet of Things, i.e., IoT.
This data can monitor from any place in the world using a PC or Smart Phone and the Internet. The expert team monitors the data and generates performance indicators. This expert team analyzes the performance indicators data to generate a proper solution for the system or equipment performance improvement or management.
Applications of Remote Monitoring & Controlling Systems:
Following are some of the common applications for remote monitoring systems:
- Energy, Water And Material Consumption Monitoring
- Industrial Production Process For Time Cycle Management
- In Classroom Applications, Temperature And Humidity Online Monitoring And Controlling
- HVAC Low Side, I.E. AHU Management
- HVAC, High Side Management
- Proper Fluid (CHW/Brine) Distribution Or Fluid Balancing
- Industrial Utility Operation And Management
- Commercial Building HVAC Management And Controlling
- Facility Management
- Cold Storage And Warehouse Management
- Municipal Corporation Water Supply Metering And Management
- Municipal Corporation Stps & Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) Monitoring
- Atm Center Temperature Controlling
- Remotely Operated Dg Set Operation
Which are the Parameters to Monitor and Control?
Following are the parameters that can possible to monitored and controlled.
- Temperature – Temperature sensors
- Pressure – Pressure Transducers
- Flow – Flow Sensors
- Energy – Multifunction Energy Meter
- Humidity – Humidity Sensors
- Fluid PH – Online PH Sensor
- Fluid TDS and Hardness – TDS and Conductivity Sensors
- Speed – Speedometer
- Lighting Intensity – Light Sensors
- Fluid Viscosity – Viscosity Sensors
- Video and Images – Cameras
- Movement – Occupancy Sensors, etc.
Features of Remote M & C System:
- Local Touch Screen Display for Real-Time Data Monitoring
- Data Storage in case of Loss of Network
- Cloud Data Storage
- Data logging
- USB Port for Data Transfer through Flash Drive
- Generation of Performance Indicator
- Alarm for Faults
- Indicators Showing Loss as well as Achieved Savings
- MIS On Monthly Basis
- Data Transfer in Excel Format
- Suggestions and Recommendations for Performance Improvement
JEP-Remote M & C System- Ready & Expected Modules:
- Electrical Energy Consumption Monitoring
- Refrigeration Plant Performance Monitoring
- Pumping System Management
- Temperature and Humidity for Pharmaceutical Production areas
- Compressed Air System
- Boiler Operation with Oxygen and Fuel Consumption
- Cooling Tower performance Monitoring
- Chemical Manufacturing Process
- DG Set Operation
- Effluent Treatment Management, etc.
Chetan Rajguru, Director, Jyoti Energycon Projects & Energycon Consultants with Rushikesh Deshpande, Managing Director and Project Consultant, Sustainable Biobrikets Pvt. Ltd.
