Vexve’s iSENSE District Energy Network Monitoring

Challenge or problem: When, for example, one more pump station is added to the district heating pipe network, it can affect the flow direction and thus the efficiency of the network. Measuring with temperature and pressure sensors, such changes are detected immediately. The network consists of a steel pipe through which district heating water flows. In addition, there is an insulated protective cover on top of the pipe. The iSENSE device is in a chamber belonging to the district heating system, where the valve is located. The sensors measure both pressure and water temperature from the valve and pipe. In addition, the device measures the conditions of the well and the humidity of the pipe shell insulation. Moisture in the insulation indicates that either the pipe is leaking or moisture is getting into the insulation from somewhere else. A pipe leak is of course the worst thing, but the moisture in the insulation can also cause corrosion and rust the pipe. About a year ago, the iSENSE Pulse device reported a possible network leak. Since the network in that area had just been built, a leak was unlikely. However, 900 meters away, a 600-millimeter-diameter trunk pipe was found, which had rusted to the point of bursting. The reason was the leaking protective cover of the district heating pipe. A leak in the protective cover of a district heating pipe does not mean that the pipe itself is leaking. However, the moisture accumulated under the shell causes corrosion on the surface of the steel pipe. As the corrosion progresses, the pipe also begins to leak over time. Typically, leaks in the district heating network occur at the worst possible time. Usually when there is the greatest need for heating in the winter. Even the occasional dog walker notices the biggest leaks, as the entire street may be flooded with water. Leaks in the protective casing of the pipeline are not detected in time. Thus, leakages also incur costs. Due to the leakages the district heating network operators lose customer billing and have to pump more water into the pipeline.

Solution: The most important task of the iSENSE automatic monitoring system of the district heating system is to monitor the condition of the pipeline and the operation of the system. The first pilot devices were installed in real network conditions in September 2017. The project was implemented with good results, after which the final device was produced. Monitoring brings stability to both district heating companies and their customers. When the operation of the network is better understood, it is possible to optimize energy use and improve customer satisfaction. The reliability of the network improves when service interruptions can be minimized with timely and proactive maintenance. This is precisely where the information provided by the iSENSE product family is needed. The system brings added value to remote energy networks, making the entire energy system smarter.

Result: In our example case, without the iSENSE system, the leak would not have been detected in time. The groundwater in the area is high, so the pipes are under water in many places all year round. On top of all that, groundwater is challenging in Finland, because salt is utilized on the streets in the winter time. The water is therefore not fresh water, which accelerates corrosion even more. While the contractor was doing repair work, more leaks were found in the pipeline shell. Repairing a single leak requires both machinery and manpower and work may take several days. An investment of a couple of thousand euros in a monitoring system is a small amount compared to repair work worth millions of euros. In the case of this particular leak, many costs were saved also because the pipeline was newly built. It was lucky in the accident that the defect was discovered during the warranty period of the pipeline. Without the iSENSE smart monitoring system, the leak could only have been discovered years later, when there would have already been a leak in the pipe.

Platform(s) Included in Success Story: iProtoxi's IoThund IoT System

Device(s) Included in Success Story: iSENSE

Industries (Solutions):

Functionality (Devices):

Applicable Environment (Devices):

IP Rating (Devices): IP67

Access technology: LoRaWAN

Certified members: iProtoXi

Contact information: sales@iprotoxi.fi

Company website: www.iprotoxi.fi