IoT monitoring: the first step towards digitisation
Network monitoring and the control of company assets have changed substantially in recent years, where, thanks to the use of IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, digitisation processes have enabled utilities and multi-utilities to innovate.
Onyax, an Italian electronic design company, thanks to the total synergy between easy-to-install devices and extremely flexible, open and scalable platforms, allows distribution companies in the gas, water and energy world to measure the advantages of adopting a complete and interoperable IoT solution, capable of bringing benefits in terms of both efficiency and economic savings.
With a view to innovation, Amag Spa of Alessandria, one of the largest multiutilities of water, energy and environmental services in northern Italy, has glimpsed the many opportunities offered by IoT of Onyax, introducing remote control for the monitoring of cathodic protection and city gas transmission networks.
The solution: optimisation and total control
Amag Spa’s vision of renewal and technological innovation gave ample space to the identification of individual processes to be digitised, which concerned the remote monitoring of networks, the optimisation of field operators, and the total control of processes in a single platform that can be managed directly independently.
In particular, activities focused on the monitoring of cathodic protection points and pressures in the city’s gas pipelines.
Cathodic protection
Thanks to Onyax IoT devices it has been possible to manage both active elements such as power supplies and drains, and passive elements such as characteristic and integrative measuring points. The new dual-band communication technology made it possible to acquire information in a more performant way, improving both the efficiency of the control process by increasing the battery life of the device, and the LOG discharge processes required, for example, by current regulations for railway crossings.
City gas
A real digitalisation has also taken place for city gas.
In fact, the entire gas transport network, from the first-hopping cabins to the reduction groups and down to the low-pressure points, has undergone an important evolution.
ACE platform: cloud-based data management and dynamic reporting
To meet the needs of Amag spa, Onyax designed the ACE (Acquisition Ecosystem Control) platform capable of:
- Aggregate data generated by different devices
- Process data in the cloud
- Guarantee security and reliability in the management of the entire data lifecycle
To simplify this innovative process, it was necessary to design a single interface capable of managing all devices in a single digital ecosystem. The georeferencing of the devices and the new SCADA/synoptic visualisation of the points with real-time measurements allowed easy usability and complete control of the monitored networks. Also thanks to the presence of dynamic reports that can be easily consulted through interactive links, and a mobile version of ACE, it was possible to reduce the installation time of field devices and introduce new procedures useful for improving the digital transformation process.
Improved quality and profitability of company business
“The activities started and developed with Onyax are the first step towards the innovation of our networks” – explains Paolo Bobbio, Managing Director of Amag Reti Gas Spa – “which will continue to be updated over time to allow citizens safety and quality control of the services offered, as well as improve the efficiency and profitability of the company’s business.” In fact, all the solutions implemented by Onyax comply with Italian regulations, APCE for cathodic protection and UNI/TR 11631: 2016 for operating pressure monitoring in gas distribution networks.
“Onyax’s contribution in the sensor part, the communication between devices and platform, and the simplification of actions for field operators” – explains Angelo Negri, Manager of gas networks and plants at Amag Reti Gas Spa – “has improved the collection and analysis of data and the management of each individual point, even in critical areas, allowing us to have everything under control with a digitised system”.
In conclusion, another case of modern digitisation realised through IoT sensors sees Onyax as a dynamic reality in continuous technological development in support of Italian multi-utilities.
