Project Background
The cooling water system of a photovoltaic power station is critical for heat dissipation. The original flow monitoring method was outdated, unable to provide real-time data, resulting in unstable cooling efficiency and high energy consumption. The station planned to upgrade the flow monitoring system, but the pipes could not be taken out of service.
Customer Challenges
- No pipe shutdown allowed, so traditional insertion or spool-piece flowmeters were not feasible.
- Complex on-site conditions: pipe materials included carbon steel and stainless steel, with diameters ranging from DN50 to DN300.
- Remote data transmission was required for centralized monitoring and analysis.
Solution
30 sets of SIENCUN TDS-100 clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters were adopted. The flowmeters use transit-time technology, with sensors clamped onto the pipe exterior, requiring no contact with the medium, enabling installation without stopping flow. Each flowmeter has RS485/Modbus interface, data are aggregated by local data collectors and uploaded to the station's monitoring system for remote real-time monitoring.
Implementation Process
The project was implemented in two phases: Phase I installed 20 sets on main branches, Phase II installed the remaining 10 sets and optimized the communication network. All installations were performed while pipes were in normal operation, with average installation time of 40 minutes per unit. During commissioning, sensor positions and signal strength were calibrated to ensure measurement accuracy within ±1.0%.
Results
- Real-time monitoring of all cooling water branches achieved, with data refresh rate of 5 seconds.
- With remote networking, operators can view flow data in the control room; alarm response time reduced to within 2 minutes.
- Cooling pump operation strategy optimized based on flow data, reducing comprehensive energy consumption by approximately 8%.
- System operated stably for 6 months with zero failures and zero maintenance costs.