The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing a number of fields in our day and age, including water management. By means of IoT technology, water utilities may enhance their operations, boost efficiency, and ensure the dependability of clean water distribution to societies.
This case study looks at how IoT has been used by a reputable water company in a coastal and mountainous city to enhance water management practices.
The Background:
Managing its vast network of water supply and wastewater treatment plants was a difficulty for the water business, in charge of providing clean water to over 10 million residents and tourists. The firm started an IoT project to link several pump stations to a central control center, therefore allowing real-time monitoring and control.
The Challenges
Prior to enhancing the water management system, the company faces the following challenges:
Complex Equipment Surroundings
Operating in demanding settings with high temperatures, the pump stations housed a wide spectrum of devices ranging from variable frequency motors to pumps to PLCs. Reliable communication and equipment protection suffered in this complicated surroundings.
Distance Management of Remote Facilities
The city's mountainous terrain made it difficult to visit various facilities, which resulted in remote management and lower demand for on-site personnel.
Different Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCS) Routes
The pump stations made use of PLCs from several vendors, each with own protocols and setups. One major challenge was combining several protocols and MQTT data transfer to the cloud platform.
The Solution
In order to solve the challenges faced by the water company, they have used an IoT technology. This IoT technology from Robustel have the following features:
Strong Transmission Devices
The R3000 Lite was chosen to link the PLCs because of its optical isolation, which allowed it to run in severe temperatures and resist the complex electromagnetic environment.
Edge to-cloud connectivity
Using RobustOS's Edge2Cloud capability, the business created programs to combine several PLC systems and send data to the cloud via MQTT hence enabling smooth data flow.
All- Around Device Management
Robustel's RCMS was used to handle devices all throughout the city, so enabling remote monitoring, firmware upgrades, and remote setups, so greatly lowering running expenses.
Topology
This diagram below shows a network configuration meant for cloud-based remote monitoring and management of industrial equipment.
Linked to the cloud over a protected VPN IPSec connection, SCADA—Supervisor Control and Data Acquisition—is a method for tracking and regulating industrial activity.
Hosts "above net" and "bridgemanager" services from the cloud, therefore providing centralized access and management.
Through VPN connections, R3000L routers act as gateways connecting numerous Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Remote I/O devices to the cloud. They make advantage of Ethernet/UTP communication systems and RS485.
Programmable logic controllers, or PLCs, are industrial computers linked to routers that regulate particular processes.
This system provides a flexible solution for monitoring and managing various industrial applications. Its open access design supports a wide range of industrial protocols, ensuring seamless connectivity between different devices such as boosters, treatment plants, and pressure measurement points. Moreover, this allows for comprehensive monitoring and control of diverse operational units within a single, integrated platform.
Advantages Using Robustel’s IoT Solution in Water Management
Real-time monitoring and management of pump stations. This let the water firm maximize water distribution and treatment methods, thereby improving operational efficiency.
Enhanced Reliability: The strong communication tools and remote management features guaranteed dependability of important infrastructure, therefore reducing disturbance of the water supply.
Predictive maintenance and remote monitoring. This let the water business spot any problems before they became more serious, therefore lowering maintenance expenses and downtime.
Improved judgment of decisions. Real-time data and analytics enabled the water corporation to decide on infrastructure, treatment, and water distribution allocation with knowledge.
Conclusion
This case study shows how IoT technology can revolutionize water management techniques. Dealing with the difficulties the water company has, the IoT solution from Robustel such as applying R3000L to enhanced operational efficiency, dependability, and economy of cost. IoT technologies should become even more important in determining the direction of water management as they develop.
