Leveraging I.O.T For Smart ETP Operations Through Remote Terminal Units

Effluent treatment plants play a vital role in ensuring that economic growth and prosperity do not compromise our fragile ecosystem. Monitoring of the critical parameters at effluent treatment plants help to limit side effects of industrial activities and make them environmentally sustainable. Waste water treatment is a challenging task and accurate data on properties of the effluent such as concentration, flow and temperature parameters is required to design an optimal treatment plan.

Traditionally, ETPs have met this challenge with very little technological support. With the Industry 4.0 digital technologies, it is possible to provide efficient, transparent, reliable and accurate information to key stake holders and help them to make informed decisions.
Remote terminal units (RTUs) connect the different hardware in a network to a distributed control system or a SCADA system. They are microprocessor based electronic devices that pass on sensor data from various units to a central processing system. With the advent of Industry 4.0, it is imperative to not only collect this data, but also to analyse trends and provide insights to enable optimise processes for efficient operations. Smart RTUs meet the requirements of Industry 4.0 by combining the functionalities of traditional RTUs and PLCs to transform large data sets into useful information.

CETP Operations

In its efforts to minimise pollution in ground water and air, the government has directed leather, textile and chemical industries to ensure maximum reuse of process waste water.
The water recycling process is not cost effective at each plant level, hence the need of common effluent treatment plant.
The effluent from all member industries is collected at the effluent treatment plant. The effluent is then treated and the recycled water is pumped back to them for reuse. This not only enhances water utilisation, but and also curbs ground water pollution.

The CETP is responsible for measuring discharge of pollute from each member unit and also intake of the recycled water. The cutting edge technology of Smart RTUs provides many features that contribute to better analysis to improve day-to-day operations of central effluent treatment plants.

Edge Intelligence

Edge intelligence in SMART RtTUs’s provides accurate data on key operational parameters, such as amount of discharge, TDS, concentration at your finger tip. They also have an inbuilt computation facility.

Inherent Diagnostics

With the SMART RTU, It is possible to now remotely manage equipment located at different effluent discharge locations. Specific operations like controlling effluent discharge pumps can be managed from central ETP locations.

Single Point Device Functionality

Deploying distributed database in the SMART RTUs can avoid the need for manual data logging or sharing of reports. Key users can control access and availability of data to various stakeholders.

Cross Platform Compatibility

The central repository software can run on a cloud as well as on-premise server. Utilising the cross platform compatibility (capable of running on open source as well as licensed platforms) of the central software, the CETP members can have access to the data on work station / laptop or even mobiles.

Cyber Security

24*7 access to useful information is made possible due to high level security, utilizing the VPN end to end encryption, and inbuilt firewall in the Smart RTU’s provides a high level of cyber security, to ensure critical data integrity and security for safe handling of the CETP’s.

Smart RTUs can help assess CETP performance on the following aspects :

Total Concentrate :

Measuring pollutes is tricky. Only volumetric measurement, though necessary, does not suffice. The quality of pollutes also adds to the load on the Central ETP. These parameters also need to be measured to effectively benchmark the member industry.
Total Concentrate is the calculation of volume and dissolved solids in the discharge in real time. It is therefore an apt benchmarking tool for quantifying the member industry.

With the Edge Intelligence the RTU’s can calculate “Total Concentrate” in addition to the Discharge Volume in users campus itself. Thus sending “useful information” in place of “Raw data” to Central software. It also helps users to access the information locally providing maximum transparency. This schemes help reducing the load and the cloud computing charges involved for translating the raw data into information at the central source.

Schedule CETP Load :

The discharge from member units needs to be pumped into the transmission system via a flow meter. Through the smart RTU the discharge pump can be controlled remotely from the CETP. The CETP can schedule pump operations zone wise to manage loads 24×7 and maximize its efficiency. This also enables the CETP to block/unblock individual users, if required.

Discharge Pump Motor Health :

Due to the corrosive nature of effluents, pumping efficiency of motors is reduced over a period of time. Motor health is key to ensure maximum outflow from member units and also schedule treatment at maximal loads at the CETP. Correlating the amount of energy consumed with the flow discharged through the motor helps evaluate the motor health in real time.

Tamper-proof Operation at Member Sites :

With advanced communication and event generation being handled as independent tasks, the smart RTU can monitor mishandling of the flow meter/skid/UPS/TDS sensor, ensuring trouble free operation of the whole unit homogenously. In the event of tamper, the smart RTru201 directly sends an SOS SMS to preset numbers, in addition to an email /central location notification to ensure maximal attention. The rules can be programmed remotely from time to time.

Edge Computing with Zero Data Loss :

The smart RTU is capable of handling multiple tasks like continuous PLC programming for sequential applications, artificial intelligence support and complex protocols to perform data aggregation for generating reports on an hourly, daily, monthly and yearly basis. Information on salts discharge and similar information for reused water can also be provided, together with linkage to metering of individual, ensuring true distributed applications.

Connectivity to SCADA/On-Premise/Cloud Solutions :

The Smart RTU supports “many-to-many connectivity “model and support for various protocols like OPC UA/ IIot based protocols. Users can opt for a central SCADA / on premise solution or cloud SCADA on the go without worrying about the loss of data at any time during the project life cycle.

Abiding Government Norms :

The Smart RTU can also act as miniature routers. Thus can interface with a IP camera to display the live video feed of each location to various parties like CPCB/SPCB servers’ helping the CETP to work as per government norms.

Support for Complete Project Life Cycle :

The Smart RTU’s offers on-the-air connectivity solutions for device management, configuration, firmware upgrades and device diagnostics making it an easy to maintain solution.