How to Manage Energy Usage with Ethernet I/O – Metering Project – 8400805

Metering Project – Managing Energy Usage with Ethernet I/O

Defining the Problem:

The university power plant produces both electricity and steam for the campus. The chilled water and steam condensate need to be monitored and recorded by totalizing the pulsed outputs from; magnetic, positive displacement, and vortex flowmeters. The volumetric flow rate, together with the liquid heat loss from the steam-to-heat transfer process, is used in steam cost calculations to better manage the energy demand across the campus.

System Requirements:

  • The university requires consistent installations that can be duplicated across the campus.
  • Communication with the data historian software, InStep eDNA, via Modbus TCP/IP over the campus Ethernet network.

How to Manage Energy Usage with Ethernet I/O - Metering Project App Note

Implementing the Solution:

  1. Connect a PC to the 989EN-4016, open an internet browser, then assign the network parameters, followed by configuring the discrete inputs as counters to totalize the flowmeter pulse outputs.
  2. Simulate input pulses and observe the count increase in the 989EN-4016 counter test page.
  3. The eDNA software periodically reads the current count value of each input from the 30,000 Modbus input registers; or the 43,000 holding registers. Two registers of 16-bit unsigned integer values yield a 32 bit totalized count value.

Featured Products:

Notes: 989EN-4016 modules have 16 discrete I/O where each channel can be an input or an output. Optionally, this model allows the first 8 channels to be used as non-volatile pulse counters; with the remaining 8 channels available as local output alarms for their associated input counters.

Why Acromag:

The 989EN-4016 module is an affordable, versatile discrete and counter/alarm remote I/O. With fast installations and Class 1 Div 2 ratings, duplication across the campus was easily achieved. Additionally, the campus data historian software was quickly programmed to communicate with the 989EN solution.

 

Learn more: What is Ethernet/IP?