REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MUNICIPAL WATERWORKS


These notes refer to a SCADA system for monitoring and supervision of an aqueduct implemented by Elcosys Ltd in the province of Novara, Nord west Italy, which manages the water supply for over 4000 users. The System is running since 2004.

The core of this plant is a DAQFactory application that implements the data acquisition of water level, flow rate and water pressure in the 3 remote  water tanks and,  related to the current reading value, controls the 4 water pump (15 to 40 Kw power).  

The program DAQFactory manages real-time data acquired using them to control pumps and valves of the aqueduct, by communicating with the remote control units.

All photos were made during the installation and operational testing of the system

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Fig.1 SCADA Main Control Center

Main Workstation consists of: industrial PC inside rack 4U x 450 with Pentium IV 2.4 GHz, 512 MB DDR RAM, 200GB HDD, card multiserial 8-port, full keyboard and optical mouse, CDROM / floppy and WR - Acquisition Module Analog I /O digital / relay + 3 leased-line MODEM inside rack 2U - UPS 500 W 2U rack drawer - flat color monitor 17 "- keyboard and mouse-SCADA software. - Assembled 28U rack cabinet of 455 x wheels.


The main function performed by the system is to control the operation of 4 pumping stations connected to 3 reserve tanks. The data of the pumping stations, storage tanks level and water pressure data points are measured and transmitted continuously to the main control center.

         


Fig.1 is visible in the Workstation industrial SCADA running DAQFactory software, which implements the control center of the system by performing the acquisition of the data flow of the pumps and the water level and controlling the activation of the pumps in the remote stations, in order to maintain constant the level in the reservoirs. The plant also manufactures SCADA collection, graphical display and archiving of all data collected, like water flow totalizer and allows setting of all parameters of the system setup.




The system described is totally remote manageable through remote PC connected to the central SCADA system via modem, you can download the data to make real-time and historical archived and you can make remote activation and testing of controlled equipment




The pumping stations and storage tanks are located in an area of about 3 km radius around the control center and the system is integrated into a small network via leased line modems  that ensure the connection of workstations with the remote control units.




The system also may be accessed  by dial-up MODEM and / or via internet by external technical staff who, through a PC, can download the collected data and upload any new setup parameters. All the remote control units communicate with Main Central Unit through a simple proprietary command set and protocol via RS232 port.


                      

Fig. 2 PUMPING STATION #1 Electromagnetic flowmeter with signal converter and the display mounted on DN150 pipe connected to the lift  submerged pump 15 kW power.  Detail of the electromagnetic flowmeter

The Fig.2 shows an electromagnetic flow meter installed in the pumping station No. 1, (10 m from the control center) for measuring the flow rate of a group submersible pumps. The acquired data are sent via shielded cable to the analog acquisition module SCADA Workstation.


        

Fig. 3 PUMPING STATION #2  Electrical control group of 30 kW pumps with power inveter and remote control unit IDROLOG80

           

Fig. 4 PUMPING STATION #2 Electromagnetic flowmeter with signal converter and display

 

 

Fig 5 PUMPING STATION #2 IDROLOG80 remote control unit for acquisition and control remote pumping station

 

The Fig.3 and 4 refer to the pumping station N.2 (3 km from the control center),  the data acquired by the control unit  are transmitted by IDROLOG RCU trhough leased line  MODEM to the main central SCADA.

In Fig. 5 one can see the remote control unit IDROLOG80, assembled in IP55 cabinet, equipped with microcontroller module and  16-channel ADC card, 8 relay outputs and leased line MODEM, the RCU operates in slave mode, controlled by the central SCADA program, it sends the acquired data and controls the water pumps, either ON-OFF and power Inverter driven.


Fig 6 Reserve Water Tanks  Station IDROLOG80 unit, water level meter and remote alarm GSM emergency levels

 

Fig 7 Reserve Water Tanks Station  GSM Remote control  5 inputs and 2 dual voice message

Fig.  6 and 7 show the inside of the station remote control of the three tanks of 300 cubic meters of reserves each site on a hill about 80 m high. A unit IDROLOG80 acquires pressure data from transducers and water level, shown locally on an LED display and transmit them to the control center via leased line modem.

There is also a safety remote alarm GSM (Fig. 6) to transmit any messages of alarm thresholds are exceeded (min or max) to real-time monitoring of the technical water supply.


Fig 8 PUMPING STATION #3 - Cabinets control group of 40 kW pump and flowmeter

 

Figure 8 documents the development phase and set point adjustment of the flow of the pump station No. 3, about 3 km from the SCADA main control center.