Gas Boiler System monitoring project.

Projects General Guidance
1

I'm a noob at Arduino, programing and electronics building.

I have a project that I need to build that needs to monitor various sensors at various gas boiler systems in various geographical locations. The values of the various sensors a each gas boiler system need to be sent out, so that the readings can be displayed on a dashboard on the web/mobile for each boiler system. If the values of the sensors are a certain value or parameter, then warning emails/messages are sent out to service and maintenance crews.

On the hardware side, I have looked at youtube on all the various projects on monitoring the individual different sensors.

What I'm trying to establish is if this project is best suited for Arduino or rasberryPi or something else to monitor all the different sensors at the same time?

List of sensors at each boiler system:

1 x Power Sensor
2 x Current Sensors (230v)
1 x Pressure sensor (Natural Gas Pipe)
2 to 4 x Temperature Sensors (Hot Water In Pipes)

Projects details:

The boiler system(s) that I need to monitor is supplied by Natural gas, so a pressure sensor will be needed to monitor the gas pressure in the pipe supplying the boiler system.

The boiler also requires 230v AC supply for the boiler to operate,. A sensor is required to only monitor if the power supply is on/off, not to concerned on the actual reading/value of the voltage.

There are generally two circulating pumps. I would like to have a CT monitoring the amperage of each pump.

There are generally 2 to 4 different hot water pipes I need to monitor. Have been looking at using some type of a DS18B20 probe sensor.

There is AC power for the supply and charging of a backup battery at each boiler system.

The communication for the monitoring of each boiler sytem will most likely be either via sigfox or GSM module, and if available WI-FI.

I would also like to have a LCD screen locally to see the current values on the unit.

2

Have you presented this plan to the insurance company that has insurance on the boilers and the properties?

Paul

3

No.

This is for a company that install's and maintains these boiler systems. They require remote montoring of these systems.

4

Emitton:
No.

This is for a company that install's and maintains these boiler systems. They require remote montoring of these systems.

Thanks. I asked because a friend, long since dead, was a boiler inspector for an insurance company.

Has the company determined the cost of failure of any part of the system? I am asking because this seems to be a consulting project for you and you are getting hobby level advice.

Paul

5

Hi Paul,

Thank for your valued responses.

The gas boiler systems are centralized hot water systems.

The reason for the companies remote monitoring requirement,is for their own use, to be able to be more proactive on there response to a boiler system failure and being able to contact their customer and inform them that a technician is on-route to attend to a potential problem, before the customer physically calls and reports that there is no hot water.

Also knowing what part of the installation may be the cause of the problem, from one of the various sensors, would also assist them with diagnosing the problem quicker. For example, if the gas sensor indicates there is no gas pressure in the gas supply pipe supplying the boiler system, they could check with the maintenance manager, if the gas stoves are working in the building. If not, then it could potentially indicate a gas supply problem from the gas supplier to their building. This then would need to be logged and handled with their gas supply company, and a technician from the boiler company would not then need to be sent out to location.

I was looking at the Arduino "platform" as the quickest way and more cost effective way to proof off concept, and then manufacturing the monitoring system specifically as/with the components required.

As a matter of interest from your response, it seems Andruino should not be used in a commercial environment?

6

As a proof of concept and as a way to find system-wide design problems, the Arduino is a good way to go .

We had a customer do exactly that to develop a grow light system using an Arduino and various custom LEDs. I think we built 30 or so systems. Then the customer went to custom design board from China and we did not get to do any production runs!

Paul

7

Hi Paul,

I hate it when that happens. Lucky the installation company is a business partner of mine.

Thank you again. Value your concerns and "headsup"

8

You can probably infer what is happening looking at temperature profiles on supply and return pipes - eg if pump is running , if boiler is running , if it is controlling flow temperature etc .
In my opinion there is no point in measuring gas pressure ( it may need zoning anyway) . A signal of off / on would also help.