DL28 in HORIZON 2020 projects

DECODE was engaged to provide and implement technical solution for a part of a project which is treating problematic of:

• distance surveillance, control and predictive maintaining of heating substations within two apartment buildings,
• distance reading of heat energy consumption for each apartment (reading independent secondary heat meters) and total heat energy consumed by each building (reading of primary heat meter from a substation),
• distance surveillance and control for apartments chosen as representative specimens;
  • distance reading of electricity parameters, AC and boiler el. consumption, inside temperature and humidity, and
  • implementation of possibility for distance heating, on/off, control.

Client`s choice was based on significant experience that Decode has on projects of similar character, which include communication linkage of different type of the equipment/devices/meters and integration of devices from different manufacturers, into one system.

REQUESTS

Providing data from substations, remote read/write from distinct centre:

• reading of available data from PLC and setting up adequate controlling parameters,
• supervision of recirculating pumps,
• reading of primary heat meter (calorimeter),
• reading of water meter,
• supervision of pressure control system in secondary/building installations
• collecting of all data from sensors that are not covered by a substation PLC

Providing data from the apartments:

• electricity parameters, voltage and current for main power supply, three phases, and additionally for independent circuits of AC (Air Conditioner) and boiler,
• temperature and humidity,
• monitor and control of heating consumption,
• valve activation for heating control.

General:

• local logging of collected data,
• generation of periodical report for logged data and upload to a FTP server,
• pushing data over mqtt to a distinct server,
• data visualisations; IoT platform and Android application
• modbus TCP to modbus RTU conversion
• modbus TCP/RTU to mqtt

Decode DL28 in Heating substation control

Decode is aiming to provide best possible support in remote telemetry, signal conversion and smart metering. DL28 is a communications processor that handles data communication connections between measuring and control devices in a heating substation and their integration into remote monitoring and control systems (SCADA) by using diverse transfer routes – LAN, WLAN, GSM/GPRS/3G… By using our DL28 you will have a real-time monitoring of heating substation.

DEVICES

• DL28
  communications processor

• EXIO module
  extension module

• IPM 5010
  PLC for pressure stabilization

• MM20-24
  Mbus-RS485 interface converter

• GeniBus to Mbus
  Interface converter

• 3G router
  dual SIM, Ethernet

• power analysers

• DMS110
  temperature and humidity sensor

• GT900-110
  industrial GSM/GPRS device / GPRS Router

• electrically driven valve as actuator

SOLUTION

By using just one DL28 in heating substation we’ve managed to solve problems of measuring primary heat consumption – connection with primary heat meter via wired M-bus, control of combi-valve over the control unit (PLC), control of pressure maintenance system for secondary installation via M-bus connection over another of our own products – IPM5010. Communication with circulation pump has been established over GeniBus to Mbus converter. Consumption of water is read over the wired Mbus protocol. Data from some sensors that were not covered by PLC are also included by DL28 using EXIO extension module. Pressure from primary circuit is measured by pressure transmitters with 4-20 mA output which are digitalised by EXIO module and read by DL28 over the I2C.

MM20-24 is used as Mbus extension for DL28 connected to the serial port, RS485, on one side and on the other side to independent Mbus line for reading of secondary heat meters by wired M-bus.

All data are kept in local memory of DL28 device. From there, DL28 pushes all these data by internet connection to VPS (virtual private server). Users have access to this server and from there they can take data and use them further. For this purpose, is used a regular SIM card. Modbus map of DL28 is read, simultaneously, by SCADA software using other GSM channel, GPRS-VPN.

IPM5010 is developed as dedicated controller for pressure stabilisation, of a heating fluid, in high buildings. Communication has been established over the wired Mbus for transferring of all relevant parameters for secondary heating circle.

Communication between a building heating substation, as a local centre/master, and devices from the apartment has been realised wirelessly using GT900-110. This solution was chosen to avoid cabling through a concrete walls and speed of installation.  Communication is through a VPN/APN (Virtual Private Network) by using a special SIM cards with a static IP by modbus TCP/RTU. GT900-110 in functional setup as GPRS Router is working as modbus TCP to modbus RTU converter for communication with network analysers and temperature sensor.  Same device is used for activation of the control valve, for heating on/off, connected to the relay output.

Internal sensor for temperature and humidity are with OLED display therefore they could provide visual readings, too.

Bonus functionality

Everybody is interested in energy savings – ecological thinking, lower bills etc.

There is a tenant application for PC and mobile phone that collects all relevant data, which could be used to calculate optimum consumption, improve efficiency and finally make some savings.

Each tenant has possibility to follow energy consumption for his apartment. They have a possibility to control it by turning the heating on and off, during the working hours or vacation period or similar.

Benefit analysis

Decode DL28 integrated complete control and communication for buildings heating system. Two representative buildings have been specially chosen so their state is showing the state of complete settlement of 44 buildings. With this solution company that provides heating has remote access to consumption of each building and each tenant, periodically, in an adjustable time, possibility to see any problem in distribution or measuring, more efficient way of billing and current state of the equipment which is crucial for predictive maintaining.

On the other hand, tenants also have insight to their consumption on daily bases, and possibility to make savings by using most efficient way of heating for current weather conditions.