Secure routers and gateways.

Contemporary Controls has expanded its line of BACnet routers and gateways to incorporate HTTPS to provide secure Internet communication and protect the integrity of client data. Their resident HTTPS web servers allow for commissioning, status reporting, and troubleshooting using any standard web browser.

With the integration of building management system (BMS) networks within an IT infrastructure, BMS devices must manage a lot more traffic. Each device uses a more powerful processor to accommodate this increased traffic volume. Both models have an opto-isolated EIA-485 port with switchable DIP switches for bias and termination.

The BASrouterSX is a high-performance BACnet router that provides stand-alone routing between BACnet networks such as BACnet/IP, BACnet Ethernet (ISO 8802-3), and BACnet MS/TP. This multi-network router features an MS/TP status webpage with a graphical network map that provides real-time status of all BACnet MS/TP devices on the network. It has advanced features, such as MS/TP slave proxy support with auto-discovery and diagnostic MS/TP frame capture for Wireshark® analysis.

The BASgatewaySX Modbus to BACnet Gateway provides gateway functionality between Modbus Serial (RTU or ASCII), Modbus TCP and BACnet/IP. The gateway supports up to 200 devices and 2000 mapped points and features virtual routing that allows each connected Modbus device to appear as an individual BACnet-compliant device. Using HTTPS webpages and a resident database of common Modbus device profiles, Modbus data points from Modbus Serial or Modbus TCP devices can be mapped to BACnet objects.

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@ccontrolsgmbh #Pauto #BMS #Communications

Datacentre sustainability.

A novel sensor system has been developed to help datacentres optimise the energy efficiency and sustainability of their operations.

Anu Kätkä from Vaisala (right) describes the development of a modular daisy-chain temperature/humidity sensor configuration, which has dramatically reduced cabling requirements and lowered the carbon footprint of building management systems (BMS).

Background.
The global demand for datacentres is being driven by cloud-based services, AI, automation and digitisation. These data handling facilities house large amounts of IT infrastructure and require high levels of power to run the equipment and to cool it. The latest servers are more energy efficient and able to operate at higher temperatures. As major consumers of power and land, data centre operators have an undeniable responsibility to aggressively reduce emissions and lessen environmental impacts wherever possible. In addition, datacentres frequently contain critically important data, and it is not uncommon for 99.999% uptime to be a requirement. The monitoring and control requirements are therefore comprehensive and stringent.

Partners in innovation.
Vantage Data Centres powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across five continents in North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data centre design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.

Vaisala’s development project was initially prompted by the sustainability requirements of the new Vantage campuses. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve both the efficiency and sustainability of our datacentres,” explains Eugenio Lukianov, Principal Automation Manager, EMEA, Vantage Data centres. “Due to their accuracy and reliability, Vaisala sensors are frequently specified in the requirements of our new or refurbished datacentres worldwide. Many of our facilities are large, and the sensor cabling requirement can be enormous, so we were keen to find a better solution.” 

Engineers from Vaisala and Vantage found that the amount of cabling required at datacentres could be significantly reduced if the sensors could be re-designed to be daisy-chained, rather than each having their own individual cable. A sensor development project therefore progressed with this as its key objective, but additional benefits were also realised by the new sensor solution. “In order to facilitate the daisy-chain, it was necessary for the sensors to be ‘plug and play’ which made installation so much easier,” Eugenio says. “The sensor cables are initially coiled in the roof space, and then, once the servers are installed, the sensors are simply dropped into place. This modular approach also simplifies ongoing maintenance because any damaged sensors or cables can be quickly and easily swapped out.”

The cable reduction potential of the daisy-chain solution is very significant. For example, a single 100m datacentre aisle, with 30 instruments at 3m spacing, each with a dedicated cable and a 3m cable drop would require about 1695 metres of cable, which is more than a mile of cable! In contrast, if the same aisle is equipped with the daisy-chain solution, the cabling drops to just 187 metres, representing an 89% drop in carbon footprint.

Environmental measurements at Vantage Data Centres.
One of the key measures of sustainability at datacentres is power usage effectiveness (PUE), which is derived by dividing total power consumption by the power used to operate the IT equipment. So, the more efficient the datacentre, the lower the PUE, and Eugenio says: “This is an important metric for us - we continuously create downward pressure on this figure with accurate measurements and tight control of the cooling operations.”

The sensor daisy-chains at Vantage transmit data to the Vantage servers, and the ongoing accuracy of the measurements is essential for the efficiency of cooling. Vaisala sensors are also deployed outside the building, so that outdoor air can be utilised by economisation to reduce the energy required for cooling and thereby lower the PUE.

In addition to the critical areas of the Vantage datacentres, Vaisala sensors are also located in non-critical rooms such as storage areas and offices, providing data for normal HVAC control.

At Vaisala, we believe that by specifying our measurement technologies, datacentre customers can ensure that the efficiency of their cooling operations is underpinned by accurate data. However, at Vantage, Eugenio believes that the benefits extend beyond long-term accuracy and energy efficiency. “The modularity of the daisy-chain saves time and money during installation and maintenance, and with our partners and system integrators utilising Vaisala technology, we have been able to reduce the volume of spares and training that are required.”

The daisy chain systems have now been installed for up to two years in British campuses, and Eugenio says: “We are very pleased with the way that Vaisala responded to our request, working collaboratively with us to develop the daisy-chain solution.” Reflecting on performance to-date, he adds: “So far, the accuracy has been very good and there have been no complaints from our operational teams.”

Looking forward, Eugenio says: “The number of organisations looking to use datacentres is constantly expanding, and all of them want to secure a minimum 5-year capacity, so the sector is set for even more growth. We will therefore ensure that more sites benefit from the sensor daisy-chain solution, as our business further embraces sustainability.”

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@VaisalaGroup @VantageDC @_Enviro_News #Datacenter #PAuto

Innovation beginning with Building Automation

Digital connectivity technologies in building management systems to help reduce cost, waste, and downtime

Honeywell and Analog Devices have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the digitization of commercial buildings by upgrading to digital connectivity technologies without replacing existing wiring, which will help reduce cost, waste, and downtime. The strategic alliance would bring this new technology to building management systems for the first time.

Many of the commercial buildings in the United States are outdated and inefficient and, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the majority of them were built before the year 2000. Additionally, organizations are relying on networking technology to transmit ever-greater volumes of data, causing a surge in demand for cloud storage and processing speed. Digitizing building management systems will allow managers to reduce energy consumption through real-time decisions, while it will upgrade a building’s network performance and security to current Internet-protocol networks without extensive costs and remodeling.

“For more than a decade, ADI and Honeywell have collaborated on driving the next waves of innovation,” said Martin Cotter, senior vice president, Industrial and Multi Markets and president of ADI EMEA region. “In this next phase of our work together, we are thrilled to see these ADI technologies move beyond factory automation and into Honeywell’s building management system to help customers reduce building energy consumption, which can save money, improve resiliency, and help meet emissions reductions goals.”

"Honeywell is revolutionizing building management systems to help building owners tackle today’s biggest challenges,” said Suresh Venkatarayalu, Honeywell’s chief technology officer. “This collaboration with ADI would offer building owners the ability to upgrade and enhance their wiring without a significant upfront investment, and with less labor and environmental impact.”

Honeywell plans to adopt ADI’s single-pair Ethernet (T1L) and software configurable input/output (SWIO) solutions in its building management systems. ADI’s single-pair Ethernet enables long-reach Ethernet connectivity with the possibility of reusing a building’s existing wiring, reducing installation time and cost, and reducing waste. Single-pair Ethernet complements existing Ethernet connectivity in building management systems, bringing enhanced connectivity from the edge to the cloud, helping eliminate data islands and better utilizing assets.

ADI’s offering would also reduce product complexities by enabling Honeywell to build a single version of the product for different needs, allowing more future-proofed control and automation for when a building is remodeled, or requirements change. This helps increase the speed of product installation, reduces inventory needs, and enables easier and more affordable changes.

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@honeywell @HWusers @ADI_News #BMS #Digitization

Data centre automation business enhanced.

ABB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement with ATS Global^* to extend the reach of the ABB Ability™ Data Center Automation (DCA) business. The company has become a Global System Integrator (GIS) and will work with ABB to combine expertise and resources, testing the advantages and effectiveness of potential collaborations for data center customers and growing their respective businesses.

DCA is ABB’s industrial solution for on-premise and hybrid cloud environments. It is a controls, hardware and software solution for control, monitoring and optimization of data center infrastructure, with mechanical control in building management system (BMS), electrical power management system (EPMS), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and data center infrastructure management (DCIM) capabilities in a single, ruggedized industrial solution.

ABB and ATS Global will jointly strengthen their distribution channels, improve industry knowledge and increase lead generation. ABB will gain representatives familiar to local standards, laws and regulations where it does not always have a presence. Over the long term, the two parties intend to explore new business opportunities for data center customers across a wide range of industries.

“Our client base, some with multiple sites across geographies, has increasing requirements for reliable automation in their data center facilities as their volume of data rises,” said Martin Matse, Global Business Development Manager, Data Centers, ATS Global. “Now we have the opportunity to deploy the same standard of ABB Ability™ Data Center Automation in all of our regions, enabling improved performance and competitive advantage through technology updates, optimization solutions and continual customer engagement alongside ABB.”

“The demand for reliable data center automation solutions and digital transformation expertise is continuing to rise,” said Madhav Kalia, Global Head of Data Center Automation at ABB. “ABB and ATS Global can work to our respective strengths and deliver complete solutions to customers in Europe, the Americas, across Asia and Australia. We are committed to aligning and growing with our new channel partner.”

ATS Global’s next steps with ABB’s industrial-grade, cyber-secure and digital-ready integrated automation solution follows the successful execution of more than 100 data center sector projects worldwide. The GIS will ensure fast mobilization for ABB and existing and new customers in ATS Global’s network, maximizing uptime and availability in customer facilities.

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^* Founded in 1986, ATS Global, based in the Netherlands, is known for digital transformation and offers data center management and control services and solutions. The team’s expertise includes building, cooling, energy, capacity and billing. The company works with partners to ensure expert automation, quality and IT for customers.

@ABBgroupnews @ATS_Int #Automation, #PAuto #EurAsia

Building Management Systems for warehouses.

Schneider Electric is introducing EcoStruxure Building Management Systems (BMS) for warehouses. This is part of the new collective end-to-end offering for the manufacturing and logistics industry, which will ensure hyper-efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability.

With the logistics industry under pressure from increasing volumes and supply chain challenges, ensuring process efficiencies and robust operations are critical to meet the expectations of modern logistics customers. The World Economic Forum recently reported that e-commerce deliveries increased by 25% in 2020 alone. In addition, 99% of global retailers are expected to be offering same-day delivery to customers within the next three years, compared to 35% being able to do so today.

Schneider’s innovative IoT-enabled EcoStruxure BMS enables centralised, secure and efficient management and monitoring of infrastructure equipment (such as heating, cooling and ventilation) across multiple different workflows. This platform also features pressure transducers that detect changes in physical building infrastructure that might indicate a need for maintenance (such as a leaking pipe). This enables maintenance and service engineers to respond in a timely way and before a more serious issue arises, ensuring operational continuity and regulatory compliance.

Additionally, the EcoStruxure BMS offering will allow warehouse operators to monitor, control, and optimise their building’s performance throughout its lifecycle, ultimately reducing energy consumption and increasing efficiency. 

Other key features include:  Improved maintenance with vibration monitoring: helps maintenance engineers track how motors and pumps are performing, indicating the need for repairs or replacements and reducing potential production downtime. Remote Condition Monitoring: RCM enables engineers to track data for on-site machines at a distance, incorporating multi-level sensors to integrate the whole value chain Sustainability as a priority: See up to 30% energy savings while creating a healthy, sustainable environment.

Mark Yeeles, VP Industrial Automation UK and Ireland at Schneider Electric, said: “EcoStruxure Building Management Systems is a crucial tool to meet today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges. We are excited to launch a comprehensive offering that will provide the logistics industry with reliable and efficient software that delivers the right information when, where and how you want it. Customers will experience a reduction in unscheduled maintenance and energy costs, enabling an unparalleled service to customers.”

@SchneiderElec @wef @bringg #BMS #Manufacturing

Remote monitoring of HVAC systems.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems play an important role in the everyday operation of commercial and industrial buildings. They ensure comfortable temperatures and good air quality for occupants, as well as appropriate climate control for merchandise. But how do you know if your HVAC system is operating normally and whether it is running optimally to save energy and money?

According to Moxa remote monitoring systems that allow facility managers to visualize the status of various HVAC equipment and environmental parameters can help prevent potential system failures and improve operating efficiency.

HVAC equipment is usually controlled by a building management system (BMS) or building automation system (BAS). Various sub-systems go into a BMS. The mechanical system is where the actual physical operations of the building take place. These operations include cooling, pumping, and ventilation, involving many pieces of mechanical equipment. The electrical system, as the name suggests, involves electrical and power equipment, such as transformers, panels, generators, and uninterrupted power supplies (UPS). Along with boilers, generators, heat pumps, fans, chillers, and pumping units, all these critical sub-systems need to be monitored to detect any abnormal readings and alert building operators so that they can perform proactive maintenance.

Therefore, connectivity is the first and foremost step in developing a remote monitoring system for your HVAC system. To make the installation and operation of your connectivity solution hassle-free, Moxa suggests you keep the following considerations in mind:

Interoperability Made Easy
The purpose of a connectivity solution is to make remote field information available to building operators. The monitoring devices chosen must be able to retrieve data from numerous HVAC equipment and sensors that communicate through a variety of protocols, such as Modbus TCP or BACnet/IP. For equipment that does not have a communication interface to output status data, additional hard-wired sensors are needed to capture equipment data and environmental conditions. Environmental monitoring applications often require sensors to measure CO2 density, water pressure, airflow, temperature, and humidity. For equipment monitoring, vibration, power failure, and power consumption are also commonly measured in the field. Advanced sensors often come with networking interfaces that can directly connect to the main communication backbone. If such sensors are not available, then remote I/O units might be required.

Connectivity Solutions That Simplify Configuration and Troubleshooting
Depending on the project scope, an HVAC system might require a large number of monitoring devices. The larger the implementation scope, the more installation and configuration effort is required. Wiring is also something to consider when you are planning your monitoring network. Some features, such as Ethernet cascading, could go a long way in increasing installation efficiency.

Configuring monitoring devices one by one can be painstakingly slow if no user-friendly tools are available. Routine maintenance tasks, such as configuration backups or device firmware upgrades, are often time-consuming and cumbersome if performed manually. Therefore, when selecting connectivity devices to monitor your HVAC system, consider solutions that already come with easy-to-use configuration tools and troubleshooting utilities that can help you quickly pinpoint the cause of a communication problem and minimize downtime.

Pay Attention to Cybersecurity
Although enabling remote connectivity for all your devices allows you to benefit from the convenience of real-time information, it also exposes you to additional cybersecurity risks. Always make sure the selected devices come with basic built-in security features, such as password protection, secure network protocols, and data logging for events. Besides security on the device level, the system level should also be protected by firewalls and regular vulnerability scans to minimize potential risks.

Case Study: Supermarket Savings
Moxa has helped customers around the world develop reliable communication for remote monitoring their HVAC systems. For example, in Taiwan, Moxa assisted the operator of major grocery chain in monitoring the power usage in their HVAC systems in order to optimize energy consumption. Specifically, the operator wanted to enable automated demand response control — based on the real-time temperatures in the hypermarket during business hours — to decrease the activation time of chiller systems and help save energy and reduce operating costs. To automatically enable the settings adjustment of the chiller, pump, and fan, Moxa ioLogik 2500 smart remote I/Os were deployed to provide programming-free control logic through Moxa's Click&Go Plus function. Also, Moxa ioLogik E1200 Ethernet remote I/Os were used to collect serial, digital, and analog data from chillers, pumps, power meters, and resistance temperature sensors (RTD). Moxa remote I/Os come with MX-AOPC suite, making the integration of a variety of field data acquisitions into MYSQL or other databases easy.

@MoxaInc #PAuto #BMS #Food

Ensuring clean air!

HMS Networks has launched a new IR-based Intesis® AC interface that enables integration of any Air Conditioning unit, regardless of brand, into Modbus or BACnet Building Automation Systems.

The importance of controlling Air Conditioning systems
HVAC systems are usually the largest energy-consumers in a building. Therefore, it is crucial for building owners to monitor and control these systems to save costs and energy. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has made it increasingly important to find new ways of installing and using AC units, as ventilation and “clean air” has become a major concern.

The Air Conditioning market is growing fast with new brands and different types of AC units constantly emerging. This makes it challenging for building owners to integrate AC-units into their specific Building Management System (BMS).

A Universal IR interface compatible with more than 100 AC Units
The Intesis offering includes the most comprehensive portfolio of AC interfaces on the market, enabling monitoring and control of air conditioning units from any home or building automation system.

The portfolio is now further strengthened as HMS launches a universal IR-based Intesis AC interface for integrating AC units to Modbus or BACnet-based automation systems. The new interface connects to the AC unit via the IR link which is already used by most AC units to communicate with their remote control. The Intesis IR-based AC Interface is already compatible with more than 100 IR remote controllers and their associated AC units.

Fast configuration and diagnostic thanks to Intesis MAPS
The new AC interface solution is configured using the Intesis MAPS tool, which brings many advantages for the system integrator. With a project-based configuration, all the interfaces installed can be configured in a single MAPS template, making it easy to copy device configurations and set up new projects. Thanks to the diagnostics function, the commissioning process and any post-installation assistance is also simplified. 

@hmsnetworks @intesis @mepaxpr #BAS #HVAC

Factory floors and buildings – connected.

New Intesis gateway makes communication between EtherNet/IP and BACnet easy

 

A new Intesis™ protocol translator that integrates between EtherNet/IP and BACnet IP/MSTP-based Building Management Systems has been announced by HMS Network. Thanks to its unique design, it is easy to bring data from a factory network to a BMS.

Many of the processes in a factory are depending on proper monitoring and control of the building where the factory equipment is installed. For example, temperature, humidity, and air quality can be monitored and controlled to ensure beneficial manufacturing and working conditions. In the same way, lighting in the building can be aligned with working hours to reduce energy waste or to improve the management of emergency situations.

When trying to connect all these factory and building installations, system integrators often struggle as not all systems communicate using the same protocol. BACnet is mostly used in Building Automation applications like HVAC, lighting controls and access control, while EtherNet/IP is used in PLCs and networks within industrial automation.

With the new Intesis protocol translator from HMS Networks, system integrators can easily integrate any Ethernet/IP-based PLCs, such as Rockwell™ Allen-Bradley™ PLCs models, with any BACnet BMS. The gateway offers bi-directional communication between EtherNet/IP PLCs and BACnet controllers. With a capacity of up to 1200 data points, the gateway is a BACnet IP/MSTP server/slave on one side and an EtherNet/IP adapter on the other, featuring independent Ethernet ports. The gateway has been BTL-certified for BACnet and carries the UL mark in order to guarantee the highest communication and quality standards. It is also ODVA pre-certified thanks to its inbuilt Anybus® CompactCom™ module.

The free Intesis MAPS configuration tool for all Intesis protocol translators offers a very intuitive configuration process for system integrators. With MAPS, integrators are helped further in their projects by providing valuable EDE files for the BACnet integration, as well as EDS files and configuration reports for usage in EtherNet/IP PLC configuration tools like Rockwell´s Studio 5000 software.

#BMS #Pauto 

Predictive maintenance in pumps.

Omni recently installed a pair of pumps and wanted to monitor vibration as an indicator of their operating condition. The goal was to integrate the measured signal into the existing BMS system to provide predictive maintenance reporting to the service team in order to avoid unplanned downtime.

While choosing a sensor, it was determined that a combined vibration/temperature sensor could be obtained at a small additional charge to add temperature monitoring as well. The logical location for the sensor was at the most likely point of failure, the drive motor end bearing. Fitting the sensor was straightforward. The problem then became how to integrate the collected data into the BMS.

Contemporary Controls was approached with the problem and suggested a solution utilizing the BAScontrol22 unitary controller which supports BACnet/IP and Sedona using a 2-port Ethernet switch connection. The controller complies with the B-ASC device profile having a convenient mix of 8 universal inputs, 4 binary inputs, 4 analog outputs and 6 relay outputs. Unique to the unit are 48 web components which link Sedona wire sheet readable/writeable data to web pages, and 24 virtual points which link Sedona wire sheet readable/writeable data to a BACnet client.

The sensor’s 0 to 10VDC temperature and 4 to 20 milliamp vibration outputs were easily input into the BAScontrol. The free Sedona drag-and-drop programming methodology of assembling components onto a wire sheet was then used to create the application.

Utilizing the BAScontrol22’s BACnet/IP interface, the data was then available to the BMS. By operating at the BACnet/IP level, the BAScontrol22 can share the same Ethernet network with supervisory controllers and operator workstations. The unit can be configured for a fixed IP address or can operate as a DHCP client receiving its IP address from a DHCP server. A real-time clock with a supercap backup allows for creating local schedules.

The customer then created graphics and alarms. Manufacturers data confirmed that the bearings should be serviced at 40°C., so an email alarm was set to alert the maintenance team if this value was reached. The vibration data was more about degradation of the data trends, so again an alarm was set slightly above the average value. A second alarm at a higher value was set for both the above to allow the operators to monitor a value that had gone over the first limit as well as a backup alarm for a critical failure.

Predictive maintenance techniques are designed to help determine the condition of in-service equipment in order to estimate when maintenance should be performed. This approach promises cost savings over routine or time-based preventive maintenance and avoids a “run to failure” approach by being more proactive.

#CControls #PAuto 

Factory floor talks to building management!

A new Intesis™ protocol translator for communication between PROFINET PLCs on factory floors and Building Management Systems with BACnet IP/MSTP has been announced by HMS Networks. With this, full data integration, monitoring, and control is enabled between factory floors and building facilities.

In factories, it is essential that environmental dimensions such as temperature, humidity, and air quality are controlled and monitored automatically to ensure optimal conditions for manufacturing and working staff. And, by ensuring efficient control of facilities such as HVAC and lighting systems, factory owners can save a lot of energy and manage emergency situations in a safe way.

However, when system integrators plan for factory-to-building integration, they normally face a heterogeneous and challenging communication situation. BACnet is typically the protocol used in the Building Management System (BMS) to control the facilities inside the building, and PROFINET is one of the most used factory networks for controlling production processes.

Focusing on this situation, the new Intesis PROFINET - BACnet IP/MSTP protocol translator from HMS Networks is a cost-effective and easy-to-install gateway solution that offers bi-directional communication between PROFINET PLCs and BACnet controllers. Able to connect up to 1200 data points, the gateway is BACnet IP/MSTP server/slave on one side and PROFINET I/O device on the other, featuring independent Ethernet ports. The gateway has been BTL certified for BACnet and carries the UL mark in order to guarantee the highest communication and quality standards.
Thanks to its strategic placement between the factory and building systems, the gateway becomes an enabler of very interesting applications such as energy metering of devices and machines in the factory from the BACnet-based BMS system, HVAC monitoring, and control from the PROFINET PLC, as well as easy alarm definition and management.

Intesis MAPS, the common configuration tool for all Intesis protocol translators, offers a very intuitive configuration process for system integrators covering both sides of the gateway. MAPS help integrators further in their projects by providing valuable EDE files for the BACnet integration, as well as GSD files and TIA portal TAG files for fast configuration of any connected PROFINET PLC controller.

Extending the comprehensive range of existing Intesis BACnet protocol translators, the new PROFINET - BACnet version is the first product in a new line of Intesis gateways for factory to building integration that will be released step by step by HMS Networks. In these gateways, HMS combines its proven Anybus® and Intesis communication technologies for industrial and building-oriented communication respectively, trusted by customers in millions of installations worldwide.

@intesis @hmsnetworks #PAuto #BMS #MEPAX

Watching the weather!

OTT Hydromet has launched a suite of high quality weather monitoring sensors that are ideal for the construction and building management sectors. “

Our latest Lufft sensors, the WS Series, deliver professional-grade weather data with instruments that are extremely compact, rugged and reliable,” says OTT Managing Director Nigel Grimsley. “In the past, customers would have had to purchase multiple sensors to monitor outdoor conditions effectively, but this can now be achieved with substantially less costly devices; many of which would fit in the palm of your hand.”

Weather monitors are routinely employed at construction sites to check that conditions are suitable for work such as pouring concrete or crane operation, but with facility managers looking for more sustainable solutions, Nigel says the big market is now building management.

OTT Hydromet is a specialist manufacturer of smart weather instruments for environmental monitoring and building automation purposes. With no moving parts, OTT’s comprehensive range of compact, low-energy multiparameter sensors offer long-term reliability for almost any weather parameter with easy integration into building control and HVAC systems.

The WS range offers customers the ability to select from a range of parameters including temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, wind velocity / direction, precipitation amount / intensity / type, UV index, sun direction, brightness and twilight, and global radiation.

#BMS #Environment @OTTHydromet @_Enviro_News

World famous library upgrades building automation system!

France's biggest library – and one of the most important in the world – has chosen drive and motor solutions from Emerson to maximise the reliability of its air conditioning units.

The National Library of France (BnF - Bibliothèque nationale de France) looked to source the drive systems from a single supplier capable of offering expertise and value-added service. The BnF's collections are unique throughout the world, comprising fourteen million books and periodicals, but also manuscripts, prints, photographs, maps and charts, musical scores, coins, medals, sound archives, videos, multimedia, stage sets, costumes and much more. And they're growing constantly.

The library is home to a vast documentary heritage encompassing all disciplines, whether intellectual, artistic or scientific. Its physical spaces are frequented each year by more than one million visitors, and its digital library, Gallica, provides free access to more than three million documents.

To protect these treasures and welcome its many visitors, the BnF was acutely aware of the need to maintain an extremely reliable air conditioning system. With this in mind, an initial project was defined: to replace an asynchronous variable speed drive assembly with a new drive system that would be used to power an air conditioning pump, itself responsible for half of the library's reading rooms.

"The results of an energy optimisation study revealed in particular that the application’s operating efficiency fell to just 50% in the winter. The ROI calculation showed that it would make far more sense to swap the asynchronous drive system for the Dyneo® high-performance synchronous technology from Leroy-Somer", explains Jérôme Hardy from GED ADREM, a partner company of the Leroy-Somer service network.

To handle the variable torque load (also referred to as the quadratic torque) of the pump and ventilation applications, Emerson implemented a solution comprising a Leroy-Somer Dyneo LSRPM 250 (85 kW) motor and a Control Techniques Unidrive M600 variable speed drive unit.

The permanent magnet synchronous motor is perfectly suited to applications of this kind, offering enhanced efficiency of up to 96% over the whole operating speed range. Another advantage, in terms of cost, comes from the sensorless control. This function, integrated into the Unidrive M drive unit, simulates an encoder input with a high degree of precision.

"With this solution, not only do we eliminate the cost of the encoder, but we also reduce the number of components and thus the probability of a breakdown", added Jérôme Hardy.

The BnF gave top priority to the service life and availability of the equipment. It commissioned Leroy-Somer as the sole supplier on the strength of its ability to guarantee operational reliability, including a performance warranty and the full interoperational compatibility of the components. A global approach was adopted with the consistent aim of maximising reliability:

"We applied Leroy-Somer's premium service centre procedure. This extremely rigorous method uses multiple control points during installation and start-up. Operations such as alignment control, dielectric measurements and phase balancing offer real benefits in terms of both reliability and power consumption."

Since then, the equipment has been monitored, particularly by means of vibratory analysis, and the resulting data compared with the data collected during commissioning. This makes it easier to detect drift, premature wear and overconsumption.

The original motors, also from Leroy-Somer, were overhauled and kept as backup. The assembly is connected to the BMS (building management system), an automated, centralised supervision system that gives the speed setpoint. The next phase will involve conducting an energy efficiency study on the central air treatment systems and replacing the drive solution. Further system modernisation measures are also envisaged over the coming years.

Certification ensures a high level of expertise in the buildings management!

ControlMaestro™, the ELUTIONS’ Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition solution installed in many monitoring and control applications in the Building Management field, has been recognised as BACnet Advanced operator WorkStation (B-AWS) according to the BACnet 09 version test procedure of the BTL/WSPCert accredited laboratory.

Related to the new ControlMaestro 2013 version released this month, this Certification provides further proof of the software’s robustness and strengthens the ELUTIONS’ position in the SCADA market for building automation monitoring and control as well as their intelligent and efficient management.

In a constantly changing market more and more driven by standards and safety aspects, the ControlMaestro technological innovations enable it to provide answers in a meaningful way and to keep ahead of its competitors while providing open connectivity and supporting all common communication protocols. ControlMaestro is also compliant with the FDA21 CFR Part 11 standard for information systems security.

"Member of the BACnet Interest Group (BIG-EU), we are closely monitoring developments in the BACnet protocol that include all the features that may be encountered in the BMS space and that are constantly evolving to meet the field’s requirements.", explains Didier Pedreno, Technical Manager at ELUTIONS.

Thanks to this interoperable open protocol and to the easy configuration of all devices existing on the network(s) as well as the ability to natively access all the properties of a BACnet object without any additional tools, ControlMaestro 2013 offers maximum flexibility and optimal management of operations by enabling products and various intelligent vendor systems to exchange different data types (temperature, instructions, schedules, alerts, etc.) while increasing equipment performance. SCADA operations are easily accessible. Data sharing, scheduling, alarming and trending services are fully integrated within the SCADA system.

In this context, ControlMaestro provides valuable benefits in terms of productivity, engineering, security, user mobility and integration of third party systems.

          
Beyond the technical aspects, ControlMaestro also offers many economic benefits allowing Real Estate owners and operators to reduce operating costs and save on maintenance costs with the additional possibility to integrate the complementary solution for the energy management: Maestro™.

Drives and motors achieve spectacular energy savings at exhibition venue

An iconic conference and exhibition venue based in central Manchester is one of Britain's first major venues to achieve the new ISO 20121 standard for sustainability.  Part of this goal has been achieved with the decision to replace the ventilation fan drive system for the large venue with a new and far more efficient solution supplied by WEG.

When combined with an intelligent interactive building management system (BMS), the new installation has provided significant savings, amounting to a 30% annual reduction in the energy costs for the venue and an ROI of less than nine months.

Located in the heart of Manchester's city centre, the iconic venue was originally a train station, which underwent a transformation in 1986 to become an exhibition and conference centre. Now, nearly 25 years on, the original plant and equipment is under review with a determined effort to reduce energy consumption and improve overall efficiency. This process recently focussed on the ventilation system for the main hall, covering 10,000m2.

Projected savings
The first stage of the project was to define the scope and to calculate projected savings to ensure that the venture would provide the expected returns. The original system comprised a number of fans, fixed speed motors and dampers which controlled the air flow; however, the motors had reached the end of their operating life and the dampers had become ineffective and were adversely affecting the performance of the system as a whole. It was decided the motors and dampers should be replaced with modern equivalents, fitted with controls connected to a new BMS.

An independent assessment was carried out by one of the country’s leading specialist MRO product and service providers to benchmark the energy consumption and costs of the ventilation system and then compare them to projected figures using replacement dampers and a downsized drive system, with matched inverters and higher efficiency IE3 motors, supplied by WEG. These calculations led to a predicted return on investment of less than 12 months and with that, the project was given the green light.

Due to the power and efficiency of the WEG inverter / motor package the entire system could be downsized significantly, reducing both installation and operating costs. The impact of the replacement system however was magnified by the change from Direct-on-Line (DOL) motors operating at fixed speeds to inverter driven motors that could operate at variable speeds, which can have a massive effect on energy consumption.

The original system ran either at full power, or not at all, using the dampers to control the air flow. The inverters now allow three set speeds and a smooth transition between each speed. To put the saving into context, using the cube law - a 25 percent reduction in speed equates to a 50 percent reduction in energy usage. A pump or fan running at 50 percent of the original speed for example; will use only 25 percent of the energy it would have used at full speed, so the savings are compounded.

The 1980s system comprised of 75kW motors for the supply fans and 18.5kW motors for the extraction fans, all of which were controlled by DOL starters. As such, all of these ageing motors ran at full speed when switched on, there was no capability for speed control. In addition, the drive coupling to the fan shaft consisted of an old v-belt arrangement, which could mean a delay of several minutes before the fan speed matched the motor speed on start-up.

The replacement WEG W22 IE3

high efficiency motors are rated at 

between 94.4% and 95% efficient

The engineers at WEG designed a new drive system which comprised 55kW supply motors and 15kW extraction motors from its W22 Premium Efficiency IE3 range and these were powered by matched WEG CFW-11 Frequency Inverters. The drive couplings were also addressed and new synchronous drive belts were installed with corresponding sprockets, which accounted for an additional three percent energy saving alone.

Drive technology
Housed in a rugged, powder-coated, IP54 metal enclosure, the CFW-11, which is available in ratings up to 370kW, is designed to operate in open conditions, i.e. without the need for a costly panel or cabinet.

Daniel Griffiths, Technical Area Sales for WEG comments, “This project really shows what is possible when a complete system, which has been designed and optimised for a specific application and uses matched equipment, is installed. The CFW-11 has been developed with this sort of fan application in mind and by using the adaptable nature of the design, real savings can be achieved, providing short ROI and a positive contribution to the bottom line on operating costs.”

The new generation of inverters from WEG contain state-of-the-art technology for three-phase induction motor control as well as many innovations which help the customer to maximise the benefits available. A clean sheet design, the CFW-11 development was based on the Plug & Play principle, which offers simplicity in installation and operation. The ability to accept FLASH memory, I/O cards and a whole range of communication protocols makes this new drive extremely versatile.

For the application in Manchester, the new installation has brought a host of improvements, not least being the huge energy savings. Using variable speed operation and run times agreed with the independent energy assessors, the projected savings in energy costs will allow for the drive system to have paid for itself within nine months. Even this figure may be conservative since the exact efficiencies of the original motors were unknown and were generously assumed to be equivalent to IE1 class equipment.

Benchmarking
Daniel Griffiths continues, “To enable clients to understand the return on investment for any project such as this, it is essential to know the performance and cost of the original equipment. In this case, an independent consultant was used to perform the bench-marking calculations.
“The original equipment, having been installed in 1986 was assumed to be classed as IE1, which is particularly generous since the classification was only introduced in 2005. The efficiency figures for a 75KW IE1 motor operating at 50Hz was assumed to be 89 percent, which, bearing in mind the age and technology employed, was generous as this is what a new IE1 motor is expected to deliver now.
“The replacement WEG W22 IE3 high efficiency motors are rated at between 94.4 and 95 percent efficient, over and above what qualifies them for the IE3 efficiency standard. The difference is, being inverter driven, they can also operate at a different frequency range, (20 – 40Hz in this case), allowing efficiency to be maximised.”

Understanding the function and usage of the motors is also crucial for applying the correct annual hours running time. Using performance information provided by the facilities manager, combined with the British average electricity charge allows a final energy cost to be produced for each motor.

This can then be compared to the efficiency figures for the new equipment with the revised running time based on improvements to the control philosophy and using the same electricity price. Costs were presented per annum with the difference being the annual cost saving.

Building automation - system integration
The ability to integrate the ventilation system into the BMS was a huge improvement and provides peace of mind with the ability to check the whole system over the internet, so the organisers can be sure that the hall will be ready for the next exhibition. In combination with the Wi-Fi network within the venue, the maintenance team are able to control the entire BMS, including the ventilation system, remotely with the use of a tablet computer.

The site maintenance engineers responsible for the running of the venue no longer have to worry about whether the main hall will be up to temperature in the morning, they can pre-set the air temperature and take the tablet computer home to monitor the live system and its operation remotely via Wi-Fi and the internet.

The drive for environmental standards
This project, in conjunction with a number of others undertaken at the venue, has resulted in it being one of the first to achieve ISO 20121 in Britain., This is the industry's most sought after sustainability credential.

ISO 20121 is a management system standard that has been designed to help organisations in the events industry improve on the sustainability of their event related activities, products and services. ISO 20121 is based on the earlier British Standard called ‘BS 8901 Specification for a Sustainability Management System for Events’ which led to an international version of the standard to coincide with the London 2012 Olympics.

The results of participation are intended to include becoming more socially responsible and reducing the environmental footprint of a business while continuing to be financially successful.

BMS in historic Paris building

The Business Louvre in Paris (F) has selected ARC Informatique's PcVue supervisor to manage its building management system (BMS)

The building’s owner SFL (Lyon Property Company) undertook extensive renovation, especially for office accommodation. An efficient BMS was needed to enable the company to operate and monitor the 37,000m2 of available floor space. In particular, this had to be managed and optimized to allow energy consumption to be reduced by 20% to 30%.

This building dates from 1852 and is situated opposite the Louvre Museum in Paris. It was built on the instructions of French emperor Napoleon III and initially used for shops. Today, the first two levels of the Antique Dealers’ Louvre contains over 250 stands in 10,000m² and 30 artistic specialty shops with artifacts from Europe, Asia and the Middle East.  Six upper floors are dedicated to the business centre called The Business Louvre (Louvre des Entreprises) which has hosted prestigious tenants since 1990, including the Ministry of Finance, the U.S. Embassy and the Banque de France.

The company ESOPE was entrusted with project management and APILOG AUTOMATION took charge of the BMS package. The works include some for The Business Louvre and some for common equipment and supplies between it and the Antique Dealers’ Louvre.

The PcVue supervision monitors the following LonWorks© equipment:
- France Energie heat pumps with KARNO OEM regulators; in all, 1,200 heat pumps will be monitored.
- Lighting with ACELIA infrared multi-sensor modules.
- Blinds with ACELIA modules for 230V motors.
- THERMOKON remote controls for centralized control of heat pumps, lighting and blinds.
- Data acquisition from divisional panels on several levels, via JOHNSON CONTROLS FX15 PLCs.

This architecture uses LonWorks© technology and is complemented by:
- Supply equipment: air conditioning units and substations for electrical regulation and distribution, controlled via TREND IP devices.
- All of the tenants' meters and the central low-tension boards: PcVue processes and analyzes data from some 250 meters on Modbus. A TSX PLC supports management of the backup supply (GE).

Eventually this project will comprise over 2,500 LonWorks© nodes.

The BMS architecture mainly consists of 36 Loytec L-INX servers, 3 PcVue supervisory stations with WebVue thin-client access via Internet/intranet and NL Facilities from Newron System (using the Monitoring and Zoning version for surveillance and subdivision of areas).

Together with PcVue's flexibility and advanced technology, APILOG AUTOMATION has been able to achieve open systems integration of the hardware and software. The solution provides for management of all of the building's equipment and quick response times in case of emergency. It exhibits easy-to-use, effective behavior that affords quick control of each area plus dynamic reconfiguration. This application is outstanding for its management and optimization of energy consumption, with expected energy savings in the order of 20% to 30%.

BMS in ultra-low-energy building in Luxembourg!

This trend-setting building comprises a clinic for physiotherapy and medical muscle-building plus the offices of the builder, Steffen Holzbau. All of the efficiency systems are monitored from a PcVue 9.0 BMS system with remote WebVue access linked to BACnet controllers and communication.

As a specialist in design of wooden buildings, Steffen Holzbau planned and built the facility in cooperation with Sanichaufer based in Luxembourg – where the building is situated – and the contractor GIGA-Automation of Saarbrücken (D). GIGA-Automation is a PcVue Solutions Certified Partner which provides integrated building management systems (IBMS) in Germany and Luxembourg. The BACnet network was developed to rigorous specifications: PcVue for the operator workstation and control system, DDCs from SAIA Burgess with native BACnet communication and a Menerga Control System for the swimming pool and therapy controls.

The building conforms to the Passivhaus standard for energy efficiency with minimum ecological footprint. The clinical and administrative areas have each been optimized for ultra-low energy usage across several kinds of heating and cooling. Two central ventilation systems provide sterilized air to both areas. The cooling and heating plant uses special convector systems built into the floors and arranged in front of the window surfaces.

The ventilation is equipped with efficient heat recovery systems and adiabatic cooling. There are approximately 50 m² of solar panels on the roof for hot water production and heating support. As backup for the solar water heating (140 kW) both the ventilation and the pool heating are assisted by woodchip boilers (100 kW) and an oil-burning system.

The therapy pool of high-grade steel has a water treatment plant installed to ensure water quality. The pool is equipped with a countercurrent feature and underwater massage nozzles. Space heating and dehumidifying of the swimming-pool area are achieved with a special air handling unit.

PcVue 9.0 combines the data from those systems and from 65 sensors at various points in the façade, roof and outer surface of the building to measure temperature and in some cases humidity. The results are sent to a laboratory for evaluation to assess the influence of external conditions on the internal environment and thus help to optimize the building’s energy performance.

For complete control of the clinical and office areas the BACnet EDE-File Import process populates the PcVue database automatically. The BACnet communication gives access to 2,000 BACnet I/O points in total. The project also includes BACnet Scheduling for the pool heating cycle. Historical data will be archived using Microsoft SQL Server 2008. Reporting is via SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services (SRSS) for data exchange with scientific institutions, including spreadsheet export for the energy analysis.