The widely improved technological advancement in artificial intelligence, data acquisition and monitoring, and advanced controllers make the realisation of Unmanned Machinery Spaces (UMS) a possibility.

The advantages that come with UMS are numerous. Cost savings are a natural bi-product and driver for UMS, owing to reduced working hours, and the associated salaries and costs. Further, powered by advanced controls, the reduced reliance on human intervention may result in improved efficiency through optimisation of machinery use and faster error detection as well as reduced maintenance costs, as predictive maintenance takes the forefront. UMS also improves safety simply by removing personnel from machinery spaces and, hence, reducing risks of injury, death and exposure to hazardous materials.

In the District Cooling industry, specifically, automated plants still largely rely on human interventions for their operation. These plants are assisted by personnel to perform necessary assessments, checks, operation and safety procedures. It takes a higher level of automation, data analytics and advanced controls, accompanied by all necessary safety interlocks and redundancies, to achieve a fully automated unmanned space. In this article, I am attempting to explore how to automatically operate and monitor multiple District Cooling plants from a central station with minimal human interference.

So, what are the basics needed as a stepping stone to make a plant “remote-ready”?

On the design and installation front

A plant should house a comprehensive network of accurate sensors, actuators and transmitters to enable the intended control logic. The first step is to draft a solid control philosophy, identify the measurements required, and design the network of sensors and associated transmitters as well as valves actuators, accordingly.

The machinery and equipment, on the other hand, should seamlessly integrate with the control and monitoring system at the plant. Designs should allow for redundant and fault-tolerant systems to ensure continuity.

An advanced and suitable control and monitoring system (CMS) is the most critical element completing the installation requirements for a full and successful integration of plant equipment, sensors, actuators and machinery. The use of machine learning and artificial intelligence will continue to shape and advance control systems to enable effective adjustments in the operation of chillers, pumps and other equipment to achieve optimal energy efficiency and system performance. The CMS should be completely functional and integrated to a distantly located command centre.

The central command centre should be capable of acquiring data from the different plants or premises connected to it, while displaying all the instantaneous operating parameters, faults, and alarms in a clear way to the operators. When well implemented, the real-time data can provide operators with valuable insight into system performance and help identify potential issues before they become problems, allowing operators to make necessary adjustments. It is vital to develop emergency response plans that include procedures on how to respond to issues that may arise, like equipment failures, systems malfunction and power outages. The plans should include the course of action, shutdown procedures and the protocols to be followed by the operators and maintenance personnel. Training the remote personnel on such protocols is vital for the success of UMS.

There are several means of integration between plants and a central command centre. Fibre Optic networks and GSM are quite widely used. The selection criteria should take into consideration area/distances, construction constraints, availability, reliability, speed and maintenance needs.

With the high level of automation and connectivity, cyber security becomes a potential threat, though. So, it is essential to implement measures to protect the plant and its systems through incorporating firewalls and intrusion-detection systems and through regular software updates.

On the operational front

The plant should be set up with adequate, reliable and safe auto-control sequences. Strict and robust safety strategies should be embedded, accommodating different levels of alarms, facilitating timely intervention by remote well-trained professional operators for critical issues.

Omnia Halawani

Predictive maintenance takes an important role in achieving successful UMS. Techniques like condition-based monitoring and predictive maintenance should be used to identify potential issues prior to breakdown. Regular planned inspections of the plant machinery are also a good measure to ensure reliability and continuity of service.

To enable a truly unmanned space, the systems in the plants should produce meaningful, informative, and periodical automatic reports and trends that provide clear visibility on the plant’s performance, efficiency and compliance for analysis and predictions. They allow operators to track performance over time and identify trends and patterns of energy consumption, operational costs and maintenance needs. Reports also help with regulatory and standards compliance monitoring, like metrics on emissions and safety incidents.

UMS can profoundly reduce human intervention in operation. Indeed, remote control and monitoring from a central station would result in reduction of operational cost, and improved overall plant management and efficiency. A qualified consultant can help clients in their stride towards advanced automation by providing systems specifications, guidelines and scope of works. It takes an ambitious and future-centric client, a knowledgeable consultant and enabling solutions providers to successfully integrate advanced technological applications.

The writer may be contacted at omnia@grfn.global.