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A fully automated system for monitoring and controlling of water consumption.

Country of Origin: Macedonia, The former Yugoslav Republic of
Reference Number: TOMK20170227001
Publication Date: 27 February 2017

Summary

A Macedonian company specialised in engineering and manufacturing of water installations offers a fully automated system for monitoring and controlling of water consumption. The system provides real-time information for optimising water flow, enables different levels of valve control and improves quality of measuring. The integrated cloud features data processing, multi-level functionality and an expandable user interface. Partners for commercial agreement with technical assistance are sought.

Description

Increasing the operational efficiency and thus reducing losses of finances and water are among the most relevant transformation priorities of the water and waste-water industries. Overall, there are two types of water supply management systems: (1) basic systems characterised with inability to predict and monitor relevant variables and involving manual or remote reading, and (2) partially automated systems, but not fully adaptable to the user needs. The basic systems suffer from increased possibility for reading mistakes whereas the partially automated ones experience losses due to the lacks of real-time notifications and automated alerts, inability for two-way communication and for fully automated data transmission to the billing system. 



The proposed solution is a fully automated system that aims to address the aforementioned shortcomings. It enables advanced real-time monitoring and improves system efficiency. The solution features a smart water meter as a central hardware device and cloud software enabling full automation and integration of the system. The smart meter is an electronic device installed into the water supply network, attached on poles or placed in deep underground pits. The meters are connected to the smart cloud by two-way radio frequency (RF) technology communication enabled by a network of GPRS and transponder devices with a battery capacity of 14 to 25 days respectively. These devices are powered by solar energy, waterproof and have an integrated power adapter. 



Besides managing and controlling the smart meters, the software part enables adaptation of the system to the specific needs of the users. It enables monitoring of different variables, data processing involving various calculations, real-time notifications via e-mailing or messaging, and provisioning of automated daily or monthly reports. Moreover, the software allows adding new features to the meters or other elements of the system, adaptation of the levels of sensor sensitivity, adding new sensors and other hardware components and enables seamless automated communicated through the panel for user interface. Additionally, meters from other manufacturers can be easily integrated, configured or scaled so that can be regulated and controlled by the system as their smart counterparts. 



The final users of this innovative solution are the water supply companies and all end consumers of water resources including communities and businesses. The standardised information system that reduces various costs, improved water consumption forecast and optimised water flow are few of the benefits for the end-users. Nevertheless, the domestic market being quite small offers limited possibilities for exploiting the full potential of the solution. Therefore, the company is interested in establishing cooperation with foreign partners who would introduce the solution in their existing product portfolio and thus enable increased revenues and market share for both parties. The potential clients will also experience improved clients’ satisfaction due to the improved management controls and reduced impact from variability and human factor on the systems’ effectiveness.

Advantages and Innovations

- Fully automated and real-time data collection and processing, early detection of possible malfunctions like water leakages, floods or other problems within the water supply network. 

- Electronic design that is non-complex and economical to produce, with minimal number of replaceable and easy to handle components, manufactured with the highest standards. 

- Advanced two-way communication with a centralised control and settings of the system including adjustment of various parameters such as different levels of valve control, activation/deactivation and regulation of sensor sensitivity, etc.

- Flexible cloud software that can adapt to user specific needs providing multiple functionalities, enabling free upgrades and updates and that can connect to devices and systems from other vendors.

- Price competitive solution. Many competitive solutions are partially automated, offer expensive upgrades and sold at prices several times higher.

Stage Of Development

Already on the market

Requested partner

Type of partner sought: Companies working in the automation engineering sector offering variety of automation and control systems for the water and waste-water industries. 



Role of the partner sought: Interested partners are expected to include the proposed solution in their existing portfolio of products/services under the terms of commercial agreement with technical assistance.



Tasks to be performed: The potential partners should be willing to promote the proposed solution at their local markets, ensure sales with technical support. The Macedonian company will provide the necessary technical support for installation and maintenance of the solution.