Sustainability CorrelationsET 494 Final Project Report

Computer and Mechanical Engineering Technologies

ET-494

Spring 2017

Students: Vaughn Ferrara, Ra’Najawhan Poullard, Deuel Vaughn

Advisor: Dr. Koutsougeras

Professor: Dr. Koutsougeras

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the systems that are in place at the Southeastern Louisiana Sustainability Center and propose methods, designs, and solutions to manage its data collection needs. The operations of Sustainability Center are controlled and are assessed based on the collection of data from across Southeastern. Our target tasks are to design a data collection system for the various subsystems that comprise the Sustainability Center. We will do our own research to develop a system of our own that would be more cost effective, user friendly, and convenient than what is already available at the Sustainability Center. We will use off-the-shelf technology to design a data communication system that can be used on the existing or new mechanical apparatus to facilitate data collection and controls.

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Introduction/Background

The Sustainability Center’s goal is to make the campus more environmental friendly. One method they have taken is to install solar panels around the campus to create more renewable energy. Since the installation of their systems, they have been collecting data on their energy production and consumption. The Sustainability Center systems in place are; geothermal, solar thermal, and photo voltaic systems. All of these systems run through the Sustainability Center and can be monitored in real time. They are shown in the descriptions below.

The photovoltaic energy system consists of multiple grids of solar panels across campus and uses them to turn sunlight directly into electrical power. Refer to Figure 1.

The solar thermal energy system consists of multiple grids of solar panels across campus and uses them to turn sunlight directly into energy used for heating purposes. Refer to Figure 2

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Figure 1

Figure 2

The geothermal system takes energy from the ponds they have and transfers energy across campus to be used for heating and cooling buildings. Refer to Figure 3.

Our Purpose

The original purpose of this project was to take the data the Sustainability Center has been collecting form their energy management system, and do analysis of the data they have been collecting. However, after some reevaluations of what systems were already in place, our advisor suggested we shift our goal to selecting of off-the-shelf technology to design a data communication system that can be used on the existing mechanical apparatus to facilitate the data collection and pertinent controls.

Progress

After our changed objective, we began doing research on how to develop and construct data communication systems for power meters and the basics of data communication systems. We researched how to do so and we also looked into the equipment required. As a reference, we spoke with the Sustainability Center and asked if they had information on their existing system they could share. We discovered that they have a web application they use to see the real time data of the energy systems they have in place. We were given a username and password so that we can have access to it. We discovered it had the following information. Refer to Figure 4.

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Figure 3

Screen capture of the home page of the web application.

From the home screen, they can navigate to see the current energy use of any building on campus. This webpage displays all of the energy meters that you may choose to view. There are many readings available through this web application, more than just a single power meter reading. It can give information on the solar panel grid, solar heating pumps, and boiler temperatures and other systems they have in place on campus. Refer to Figure 5.

Below in Figure 5 a webpage that displays the energy usage of every building on campus that is monitored but the Sustainability Center.

Figure 6 depicts three solar panels. The far

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Figure 4

Figure 5

left is for the one at the Sustainability Center. The one in the middle is and far right are the two at the physical plant.

The issue we were having is that the trendlogs were not helpful in anyway. The trendlogs just show the total energy usage since installation. Not the actual usage at the time it was sampled.

This information would have been relevant in the original task, but our task now is to make a better version of the data collection already in place. One that is cheaper and allows us to see past data. Refer to Figure 7 and 8.

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Figure 6

Figure 7 Figure 8

Possible Solutions

We researched ways of setting up data communications network, but now we need to find the equipment to do it. We looked at other companies to see how they went about setting up an energy monitoring system. Power companies like Entergy use things like smart meters. Smart meters are power meters that automatically send data upon request to the companies. There are smart meters on normal homes that energy companies use to collect data for the monthly usage wirelessly from the road instead of going directly to read the meter. We decided that this is not what we were looking for.

We spoke to the workers at the Sustainability Center about what kind of power meters they have in place currently. They gave us a manual for one of their power meters called the Acuvim II Series. According to the manual, it has real time metering, data logging, time of use, and waveform capture. Modbus is one of the staples in the industrial technology world with regards to communication networks. Modbus is used in multiple master-slave applications to monitor and program devices to communicate between intelligent devices, sensors, and instruments to monitor field devices using PCs and HMIs. Finding material on this software has been difficult, but we found a book called Practical Industrial Data Communications: Best Practice Techniques. After learning what Modbus was used and how it was implemented, we looked at different power meters to compare them.

Refer to Figure 9 for a map of the current installations of solar panels on campus.

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Figure 9

The solar panels at Kinesiology and Sustainability Center are made by Company called TSUN. A company called Schuco makes the solar arrays at the biology and greenhouses at Sustainability Center.

When deciding on what meter to use, we looked at what we need for this particular job. Upon picking a meter, we discovered that we needed to know if the energy system we are trying to measure is a single or three-phase system. A single-phase system is where you only have one voltage source or circuit. Most homes in the United States are examples of a single-phase system. Whereas a three phase system is when there is more than one voltage source meaning it there is more than one circuit connecting to power system. A three-phase system is usually used when some devices require more power than others like a motor, pumps, or HVAC. The solar systems could be either single or three phased, because some are connected to the geothermal pumps in the Sustainability Center meaning, while some could be independent like the ones on the biology building. After further discussion with the Sustainability Center, we discovered that they use a single phase system that is fed into a three phased system. Since it is fed into a three phased system, it can be considered a three phased system.

The Sustainability Center has a control room where they have someone always monitoring the energy systems across campus. The newer power meters have a built in alarm system. Each user can set the limits for when the alarms go off and a warning is sent through either an email, or web application. We took this into consideration when researching meters. The main function we are looking for in a power meter is the type of communication it has to relay this information elsewhere. What we want are ones with internet communication. Through things like MasterSlave, BACnet IP, ModBus, TCp, Modbus/BACnet, and via Ethernet.

Another critical function a power meter should have is the capability of data logging. All smart meters can read current power usage, but there are some that can store data for later use for analysis. This makes it so we can see data from past days and months. When you have data over a long period of time, it creates a more accurate means for analysis of the system and its efficiency. Data logging can store waveforms of voltage and current. The waveform of the voltage and current can be seen over a predetermined period of time. These waveforms are useful for analysis a daily cycle when the most power is produced by the solar panels.

There are many ways for homes to easily measure their own power usage remotely other than going outside to look at a power meter. Most companies and the sustainability center use the same method of measuring the energy usage using a device called a Current Transformer sensor (CT). Like any other transformer, a current transformer has a primary winding, a magnetic core, and a secondary winding. A current transformer is similar to a voltage transformer. It has an iron or ferrite core and two windings, but unlike the voltage transformer, it comes with only one winding on the secondary side. The primary winding is supplied in the form of the cable that passes through the transformer core. This means it only works for currents. Thus, it will generate an output current flowing in the secondary winding that is proportional to the current in the cable that is the primary winding. Refer to Figure 10.

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The CT will generate whatever voltage is necessary to drive the secondary current. There are two types of CT’s, a ring core and a split core. The ring core requires the circuit panel to be disconnected to put on the ring. Whereas, the split core is in two parts that clips around the live wire without having to disconnect them. When installing a CT, it is important to make sure it is in the right direction because that will effect whether if it shows if power is positive when exporting or importing. One last note about the CT sensors are the ground and power connections must be two separate wires for the sensors to work. If the ground and voltage are combined as one the sensors will not work. We have checked with the sustainability center that the wires are in fact separate.

One company that primarily uses CT sensors is 2 Save Energy Ltd. who produces solar monitoring equipment. The difference is they have their own hardware that is not just a modified Raspberry Pi. Also the setup for the OWL Intuition-PV involves using two CT sensors instead of one. One CT is connected directly after the grid invert from the solar panels, and the second is before the fuse box, an example is shown in Figure 11.

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Photo of Current Transformer sensor (CT)

Figure 10

Figure 11

Another company that primarily uses CT sensors is Open Energy Monitoring. They offer a variety of methods for measuring energy usage. The one that caught our attention the most was the EmonPi. The EmonPi is an all-in-one Raspberry Pi based energy monitoring unit that can utilize either Ethernet or Wi-Fi. The data collected from the EmonPi and can be accessed from the company’s website application called EmonCMS. The EmonPi and EmonCMS then can monitor the real time and historic performance of the generation from the solar panels, and grid import. Shown in Figure 12.

Those are some the qualifications we looked for one researching the type of meters to use. With those in mind, here is a list we compiled that we believe are the closest with what we need. Refer to Table 1.

Power Meters

Embedded Web Server

Communications 3 Phase or Single Phase

Waveform Capture

Trend Logging

Internal Memory

Alarms

Power Xpert Meter 2280

Yes HTTP, HTTPS, Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, BACnet/IP, SNMP, SMTP, NTP.

Single Phase, and 3 Phase

Yes Yes 768 MB Yes

Power logicION7550 RTU 

No DNP3 Modbus TCP/IP Telnet ION 

Single Phase, and 3 Phase

Yes Yes 10 MB Yes

Acuvim II

Yes Ethernet, Profibus-Dp,

Single and 3

Yes Yes 8 MB Yes

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Figure 12

Table 1

BACnet, PhasePower Scout

No Modbus/BACnet MasterSlave, BACnet IP, ModBus TCp over Ethernet

Single Phase, and 3 Phase

Yes No None or N/A

No

OWL Intuition-PV

No Transmits over frequency to node gateway that connect over Ethernet

Single Phase Only

No Yes N/A No

EmonPi Yes Ethernet or Wi-Fi

Single Phase and 3 Phase

No Yes N/A No

BTU Meters

The way the sustainability center is currently measuring the solar thermal are with a BTU meter. The BTU meter measures the temperature difference of the glycol propylene mixture from its ambient state before and after it enters the heat exchanger. Then calculates the energy put into the system by the collector. To calculate the BTU’s created by the system use the following formula:

BTU = (weight of one gallon of propylene glycol at 25C) x GPM x System Water Temperature Change.8.62 is the weight of one gallon of propylene glycol at 25C8.62lbs * 60minutes =517.2   ~ 517 lbs*minBTU = 517*GPM*(T2-T1)

The temperature sensor is located with the flow of the water supply. A flow meter is used to measure the flow rate of water moving towards the pump and sends that information to the BTU meter. The BTU meter also receives readings form the temperature sensor to calculate total energy created.

We found two viable candidates of BTU meters to choose from. Refer to Table 2.

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Table 2

Data Storage

We were faced with choosing local storage or cloud based data storage for our system. The Sustainability Center is currently using local server storage for their system with very limited data actually on the system. We looked into the pros and cons of both server and cloud based storage to help make a decision. Local storage consists of the data only being held on a server in one physical location. If we were to go that route, we could connect storage drives to our system. The local storage would be more expensive upfront for the physical storage and would require the initial setup for it. The pros of it would be faster access and we could have more control over the data. On the other hand, for cloud storage, we would have to go through a company to host the cloud servers. Cloud storage would allow for access anywhere with an internet connection, not just on the campus local network. Another plus for cloud storage would be that we would not have to deal with the problems of updating software or hardware our self. The cons of cloud storage would be we would have less control of the data, and if the data where to be in large quantities then it would be more expensive in the long run. Choosing the cloud storage method would mean making the meters send the data to the cloud but the meter may not be able to send directly to the cloud. It may require a microcontroller to be the intermediary to send the data.

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Our Selections

Energy Meter - EmonPi

We decided to go with the EmonPi because it uses CT sensors, has the option of using cloud based storage, or servers. The EmonPi has everything needed for data monitoring of the systems. The EmonPi is cheaper than other meter monitoring systems they already have in place at the sustainability center. Such as the Veris meter that prices around $1200, or the other meter Alerton that is in the price range of $2500, whereas the EmonPi is $200 dollars for the base model. Another positive for the EmonPi is much smaller device then the other meter currently in use. Its size is only 103mm x 85mm x 99mm, which can be seen in one of the images below. The main reason we choose the EmonPi is that it uses the CT sensors that are easy non-intrusive installation process. This means they can be installed right away without any rewiring. Refer to Figure 13 - 15.

Dimensions of the EmonPi

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Figure 15

Figure 13 Figure 14

BTU Meter and Components - Scylar 5202S

We decided that the Scylar 5202S BTU meter was best for our project. Scylar 5202S is produced in the united states and is cheaper than the Hydrosplit-M3 and what the Sustainability Center currently has in place. Below is a picture of the BTU metering system we chose to use. Refer to Figure 16.

The BTU metering device comes with two temperature sensors and a flow meter. The device measures the temperature difference and the flow of the system. Then sends information with the Scylar 5202S using an interface called M-Bus. M-Bus cannot directly communicate through Ethernet, so a gateway has to be incorporated. The gateway is designed for remote reading of M-Bus meters using local area network or Ethernet. The gateway we are using is the M-Bus 810. An image of the setup of the Scylar 5202S equipped with all its components and M-Buss 810 is shown below respectively. Refer to Figure 17 and 18.

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Figure 16

Figure 17 Figure 18

Our Storage Selection

Combination of Server and Cloud Storage

We decided that the best option for our system is to use both server and cloud storage. Refer to Figure 19.

BThe EmonPi has the capability to log storage directly on to the Pi’s SD card but this form of storage would not be very effective for its purpose in the system. As an alternative method, data can also be posted to emoncms.org. Emoncms is a powerful open-source web app for processing, logging and visualizing energy, temperature and other environmental data. The main benefit of this feature is that it allows for more data storage and is easily accessible from anywhere on the web without having to open access to the EmonPi. This can be achieved in a few easy steps. First step is to create an account or log in with an existing account. There is an Apikey authentication that allows you to call actions when you are not logged in. Once the Read-Write API key is copied, it must be entered into Emoncms on the local network. Now Inputs from EmonPi should be visible on the Inputs page. Also, the EmonPi can post to other remote Emoncms accounts as well as or instead of emoncms.org. It is also possible to setup multiple EmonPi’s posting to a single emoncms.org account. This is useful if you want to monitor several installations with a single log in. By default, data from sensors connected directly to the EmonPi are tagged in Emoncms with node ID 5. If multiple EmonPi’s are posting to the same account, we need to set a different node ID to each EmonPi. Emoncms incorporates application specific dashboards that allow you to view daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly recordings. Refer to Figure 20 and 21.

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Figure 19

Figure 20 Figure 21

SyxthSense Prodion automated meter reading software comes with the Scylar 5202S meter. Prodion provides clear and intuitive user interface to the metering system, and both historical and real-time data can be displayed on its display. All data is stored in the MS SQL database and it is easily available for further analysis with Excel or other spreadsheet packages as well as through Prodion's built-in report viewers. Refer to Figure 22.

The Solar thermal storage will be on the servers located in the control room that the Sustainability center is already using.

Other Uses

The EmonPi can be used not only for solar PV but also normal metering needs. Looking at the general usage diagram it can be seen that EmonPi can be used for normal metering on any building you would need. This would allow the Sustainability Center to measure the general usage of energy around campus in almost the same setup. As mentioned previously the EmonCMS allows for one account to monitor multiple EmonPis not just one. There is a remote sensor node called an EmonTx that can be used in junction with an EmmonPi to be able to use

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Figure 22

more CT sensors. This would allow for measuring of different parts of a building. This could be used to see what parts use more power than others allowing for better data analysis.  As long as the EmonPi has Ethernet access you can add as many as needed. 

System Design

Design for the Photo Voltaic System Refer to Figure 23.

Design for the Solar Thermal System Refer to Figure 24.

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Figure 23

Figure 24

Design for General Usage Refer to Figure 25.

Conclusion

Overall, in the first half of the design project has helped us all learn the basics of a data communications networking system. In our second semester, we choose what energy monitor we had thought that would be best for this project. The solution that is easy installation, easy maintenance, and overall one of the cheaper ways to monitor the system. We believe the EmonPi and the Scylar 5202S will be a great way to better accurately measure and store the energy usage than what is currently in place. We aim to use this knowledge, and skills obtained from the Engineering Technology program, to successfully demonstrate the capability to perform and find solutions to new task regardless of prior knowledge. Then, we explored and researched the newer available technology and used what we have learned from our research to make some informed decisions to decide on what we believe is the better choice. Then we developed a design that should work just as well as to what the Sustainability Center has but at a much cheaper cost. Refer to Table 3.

Cost Analysis

Current Hardware

Estimated Cost

New Hardware

Estimated Cost

Flow Sensor Onicon F-110 $ 800 1800 Series Water Meter

$721

BTU Meter Onicon System 10

$2200 Scylar Energy Meter

$745

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Figure 25

Table 3

Backnet IP 5202STemperature

sensorsN/A N/A ISTEC 5601S $195

GateWay Sends Data

Alerton VLC-1188

$2500 M-810-5 M-810-5 TCP/IP

M-BUS GATEWAY

$606.88

Storage Hosted in Control Center

N/A Hosted in Control Center

N/A

Subtotal $5500 $2267.88

Current Hardware

Estimated Cost

New Hardware

Estimated Cost

CT sensor AcuCT-0812 5A

$53.60 CTYRZCH SCT-013-000

$12.99 X 2

Energy Meter Acvium II $395 Emon Pi $208.96Storage Hosted in

Control Center

N/A Hosted on the website

Emon CMS

N/A

Subtotal $502.20 $234.94

Total Cost $6002.20 $2502.82

Objectives Completed

1. Looked at what subsystems the Sustainability already has in place2. Find what equipment is being currently used.3. Researched sensors that can be used for measuring power4. Researched what options were available on today's market5. Researched networking concepts6. Looked into what other business have done similar concepts7. Chose the CT sensor 8. Finalized on using the EMonPi as the network communication device to send the

information9. Finished research on the remaining software and networking devices 10. Determined how and where will we store the data 11. Compare cost efficiency with current system at the Sustainability Center

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Updated Timeline

Software and Networking Research—February 1st-14th

Design System – February 15th – March 7th

Determine data storage location - March 8th -28th Determine System efficiency March 29th – April 18th Compare Sustainability system with our own April 19th – May 2nd

Contributions

Vaughn Ferrara- Researched methods for collecting data on Photovoltaic System. Researched on Ct sensors and how they are used in PV system. Researched the different meters that were available. Worked on trend log data and how we aimed to use it. Research on BTU calculations and flow rate. Constructed the drawings for final design.

Ra’Najawhan Poullard- Research the methods of the Sustainability Center. Kept in contact with Mr. Patterson to gain knowledge about types and brands of equipment that was being used. Worked on Documents and PowerPoints. Gathered prices and did cost comparison.

Deuel Vaughn- Did early research on early networking basics. Did research on the protocols that the systems use such as Modbus and Bacnet. Research Data Storage. Research ways to access data from EmonPi over the web. Researched the methods of the Solar Thermal System. Helped with BTU and flow rate calculation research.

Note: Meeting times are on Wednesdays or Early morning Thursdays.

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References

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2. “CT Sensors - Introduction." OpenEnergyMonitor. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.”3. "High Performance Power and Energy MeterAcuvim II Series." Power and Energy

Meter - Acuvim II Series. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2016. <https://www.accuenergy.com/product/acuvim-ii-power-energy-submeter>.

4. Hudson, Glyn. "Log Remotely." Guide | OpenEnergyMonitor. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.

5. “MBus TCP IP Modules | M-810-5 M-210-5 TCP/IP M-Bus Gateway.” M-810-5 TCP/IP M-Bus Gateway (M-810-5). NP., n.d Web 03 May 2017.

6. Reynders, Deon, Steve Mackay, and E. Wright. Practical Industrial Data Communications: Best Practice Techniques. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 16 Nov. 2016.

7. "Prodion Smart Meter Software - Automated Meter Readings (AMR) Made Simple." Prodion Automated AMR Software for Smart Metering - Syxthsense Ltd. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2017.

8. "PowerLogic ION7550 RTU - Schneider Electric." Schneider Electric. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. <https://www.schneider-electric.com/en/product-range/1872-powerlogic-ion7550-rtu/?parent-category-id=4100>.

9. "PowerScout 3037 Power Submeter." DENT Instruments. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2016. <https://shop.dentinstruments.com/collections/powerscout-product/products/powerscout-3037-ps3037>.

10. "Power Xpert Meter 2000 Series." Power Xpert Meter 2000 Series. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2016. <http://www.eaton.com/Eaton/ProductsServices/Electrical/ProductsandServices/PowerQualityandMonitoring/PowerandEnergyMeters/PowerXpertMeter2000/index.htm#tabs-2>.

11. "Solar PV Monitoring." The Owl. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2016.

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