METEOR COMMUNICATIONS (EUROPE) LTD

Building Environmental Monitoring

Infrastructures

Matt Dibbs

General Manager – Meteor Communications (Europe) Ltd

• There has always been a requirement to collect diverse Environmental

Data from disparate site locations

• In the past this has been a complex, time consuming and expensive

exercise

• Networks have often been put in place to monitor specific parameters (ie

water or air quality) with little collaboration

• Technology advancements now mean that the following elements have

improved dramatically:

– Cost of infrastructure implementation

– Increased sensor interfaces and intelligent sensors

– Greater choice of communication media

– Improved integration network infrastructure (outstation to user display)

– Increased options for data review and analysis

– Evolution of web based monitoring and tools for greater data visibility and access

Building Environmental Monitoring Infrastructures (EMI)

EMI - The Past

• From sites such as these

EMI - The Past

• To display screens like this

An example system would be provision of a real time water quality

monitoring system to National Rivers Authority (Midlands region) in the

late 1980’s

• 8 Monitoring stations monitoring DO, Temperature, pH, Conductivity,

Turbidity, Ammonia

• Individual sensors with 4-20mA outputs interfaced to radio outstation

• Acquisition interval of 1 hour

• Real time data communication via long distance radio links

• Single radio receiver for reception of data

• DOS based graphical viewer and alarm package for real time data analysis

• Data available as CSV files from receiver PC

EMI – The Past

EMI – The Future

• Demonstration Test Catchments (DTC) for DEFRA

• The system will consists of over 40 sites, monitoring Water and Air Quality data,

and presenting the data in real time on a web hosted platform.

• A variety of stations are deployed on the system, including:

– Trailer / static monitors – Advanced monitoring stations with controlled pumping systems,

intelligent sondes, analysers and weather stations. Autosampler attachment available for local or

remote triggering

– Portable Outstations – IP67 equipment for instant deployment adjacent to rivers within the

catchment area. Fitted with intelligent sondes or water / air quality sensors as required. Also have

the ability to trigger autosamplers locally or remotely

• Communication option is determined by local signal conditions and data transfer

rate required:

– GPRS / GSM. For low data rates in good signal areas

– Meteor Radio. For high data rates and / or low signal areas

• Data is transferred to the Meteor Data Centre (MDC), where it is securely stored

and accessed via a number of options:

– Direct web interface – Data can be viewed using any web enabled device (PC, Blackberry etc) using a

secure system of user logins / passwords

– DEFRA / NERC Portal – A data link using XML between the MDC and data display / archiving centres

within NERC, DEFRA and other academic institutions

DTC System Overview

Main Monitor Station

Intelligent Sonde (YSI)

Analyser (Nitrate)

Pump System

Analogue sensor inputs

Subsidiary Monitor Station

Intelligent Sonde (YSI)

Autosampler

Real Time Communication

using GPRS, GSM, Meteor

Radio

Meteor Data Centre

• Secure data archiving

• Data hosting

• Data presentation

• Control capabilities

IP

Access from any web

enabled device

XML data links to

stakeholder parties

Weather Station

DTC System Equipment

Main Monitor Station

• Trailer mobile or static system

• Pumped flowcell arrangement

• YSI Intelligent sondes

• Nitrate Analyser

• Weather Station

• Integrated Autosampler

• Mains or Solar Power – battery backed

Subsidiary Monitoring Station

• Suitcase hand portable system

• Intelligent sonde

• Individual sensors as required

• Autosampler

• Integral battery pack

• GPRS / GSM Communication option

• With the common infrastructure in place, sensors can be added to

measure parameters such as:

– CO2

– NOx

– O2

• Samples are then taken on a common measurement baseline:

– Location

– Timing

– Data format

– Data collection platform

• This gives the ability to perform greater correlation analysis between all

elements of the environment, for example:

– Air quality (GHG)

– Weather conditions

– Water quality

– Soil analysis

Integration of air quality monitoring

Integrated Monitoring Station example

Monitor Station

Control Unit

Weather Water Sampling GHG

Display and control

from web enabled

devices

Links to existing

infrastructure and

databases

Integrated Monitoring System example

• Integrated view of all environmental

parameters

• Ability to remotely and locally adapt

collection rates of independent

sensors

• Alarm abilities for complex

conditions

• With an increased emphasis on Environmental Monitoring within the UK,

it is important to put in place infrastructure can deliver cost effective,

data rich monitoring solutions which deliver results for multiple

stakeholders.

• By putting in place a common shared infrastructure approach many

benefits can be derived, including:

– Cost savings

– Common data formats

– Reduced duplication of data collection

– Increased data visibility

– Ease of data interpretation and correlation

• Organisations have previously put in place infrastructure to monitor

specific parameters of interest, where a collaborative approach could be

used in future.

• Many environmental monitoring systems are already in place, and should

be utilised to form a cohesive monitoring solution.

Common EMI - Benefits

• A common network infrastructure can be used to track the interaction

between the various data collected by rationalising:

– Site locations

– Data collection frequency

– Timing of data collection

– Common samples

– Format of received data

• Many organisations require similar data, including the following:

– Environment Agency

– DEFRA

– Met Office

– Highways Agency

– Utility Companies

– Manufacturing companies

• If common environmental monitoring infrastructure is in place this

expands the capability to understand, control and monitor the effect not

only of GHG, but many other environmental parameters.

Common EMI - Benefits

This site is an example of a monitoring station deployed on the River Kennet

used by two departments of the Environment Agency, for both real time

water quality monitoring of Temp, DO, conductivity, ammonia, pH and

also Nitrate Analysis

Multimodal Site example

Through common provision of the monitoring infrastructure, which consists

of:

• Building including provision of base

• Generator system for remote power – mains not available

• Pipework and pumping system to provide common sample to all

monitoring sensors

• One telemetry outstation to interface and control all sensors present on

site, including:

– RS232 ASCII interface

– 4-20mA analogue inputs

– Digital state inputs

– Pump control via digital state outputs

• Common signal path (Meteor Radio)

• Real time data presented onto the web, segregated into sensors required

by user

Multimodal Site example

Building Environmental Monitoring Infrastructure

Questions

EMI – The Present

• System provided to Environment Agency (Thames Region).

• The system consists of over 50 sites, monitoring Water and Air Quality data, and

presenting the data in real time on a web hosted platform.

• A variety of stations are deployed on the system, including:

– Trailer / static monitors – Advanced monitoring stations with controlled pumping systems,

intelligent sondes and analysers

– Portable Outstations – IP67 equipment for instant deployment adjacent to rivers. Ideal for pollution

events, short and long term monitoring

– Trigger Stations – Devices for use with Autosamplers, enabling remote control via GPRS, GSM to

sample events in real time

• Communication option is determined by data transfer frequency, cost and signal

conditions. The following options are in use on the system:

– GPRS / GSM

– Meteor Radio

• Data is transferred to the Meteor Data Centre (MDC), where it is securely stored

and accessed via a number of options:

– Direct web interface – Data can be viewed using any web enabled device (PC, Blackberry etc) using a

secure system of user logins / passwords

– EA system access – A two way data link is in place using XML between the MDC and the EA Central

Data Hub, where data is archived and used by EA systems such as WHISKY

Thames EA System Overview

Main Monitor Station

Intelligent Sonde (YSI)

Analyser (Nitrate)

Pump System

Analogue sensor inputs

Subsidiary Monitor Station

Intelligent Sonde (YSI)

Sampling Station

Autosampler

Real Time Communication

using GPRS, GSM, Meteor

Radio

Meteor Data Centre

• Secure data archiving

• Data hosting

• Data presentation

• Control capabilities

IP

Access from any web

enabled device

XML data link to

Environment Agency

Central Data Hub

(WHISKY)

Thames EA System Equipment

Main Monitor Station

• Trailer mobile system

• Pumped flowcell arrangement

• YSI Intelligent sondes

• Integrated Autosampler

• Meteor Radio communication option

• Solar Power – battery backed

Sampling Station

• Fully portable system

• ISCO Autosampler

• GSM Voice menu activation

• Battery powered

Subsidiary Monitoring Station

• Suitcase hand portable system

• YSI Intelligent sonde

• Integral battery pack

• GPRS / GSM Communication option

Thames EA System – Data Display and control

Display Applications have been developed to provide a wide variety of user

interface, from simple alarms to complex data trend analysis:

The ethos of the Thames EA system is to provide a high resolution, real time

monitoring solution for multiple users at minimal cost to the Agency. This

has been achieved in a number of ways:

• Development of portable monitoring solutions (suitcases and trailers) for

rapid deployment and for use in different locations when required

• Use of intelligent sensors to reduce time on site and retain robust audit

trail for calibrations

• Use of existing EA infrastructure – monitoring stations, kiosks

• Use of existing EA equipment – eg water quality sondes, analysers

• Partnership with water utility companies to finance outstation

deployment, and sharing of data

• Partnership with over EA departments and research organisations to use

common infrastructure to provide multimodal monitoring from sites

Thames EA System

• Meteor Communications (Europe) Ltd have been in operation since 1986,

servicing the control and monitoring requirements of customers across the UK.

• Meteor specialises in providing a complete service, and works closely with the

customer to ensure that the optimum solution is implemented to fulfil the

requirement.

• Bespoke solutions are designed and built in house using existing technologies and

developing other enhanced capabilities. We have extensive internal resources

covering:

– Hardware design and development

– Equipment manufacture and test

– Software design and development

– On site installation, commissioning and maintenance

• Meteor has a diverse customer base, including:

– Public Utilities

– Government Agencies

– Manufacturing and Service companies

– Offshore gas producers

• Based in Hertfordshire Meteor is ideally placed for customers in the UK, Ireland

and Western Europe

Company Overview

Water Utilities - Solutions

• Thames Water Intake Protection Monitoring

– Real time Water Quality Monitoring Stations

installed to monitor intake to Thames Water

Works

– 20 sites currently installed

– Real time data collection at 15 minute logging

intervals

– Monitors Water Quality parameters such as

Dissolved Oxygen, Ammonia, Conductivity,

Turbidity and Chlorophyll

– Integrated with the Thames Water data

gatherers at Hampton and Bourne End

– Data also available over the web from any web

enabled device

– Complete managed service

– All calibration performed in EA laboratories

Water Utilities - Solutions

• Severn Trent Water Tankered Domestic

Waste

– Provision of TDW inlet logging system to 40

Sewage Treatment Works across Severn Trent.

– Monitors volume, density, temperature and

Conductivity of incoming loads

– Inbuilt processor to determine load strength

on site and inform tanker driver via robust LCD

display

– Secure access and billing via RFID user tags

– Modular secure system to minimise damage

and aid servicing

– Real time data transfer to central billing point

– Bespoke user application to generate bills and

monitor complete TDW estate

– Fully managed system including scheduled

logger calibration and callout service

– System in place for over 6 years with 99.25%

system reliability

Water Utilities - Solutions

• Anglian Water Monitor

– Real time system to monitor pollution events

and provide alarm messages via SMS for

pollution incident officers

– Project initiated by customer complaints of

mutant frogs

• Severn Trent Vaccum Sewerage system

– System to monitor approximately 150 vacuum

sewerage valves to indicate “stuck” valves

– Short range radio network covering 2 miles

– Virtual Control panel to identify faulty valve to

enable engineer visit

– Project involved development of specific

sensors for acoustic monitoring

Environmental Monitoring - Solutions

– Heathrow Terminal 5

Three real time monitors were deployed,

initially to monitor water courses across

the site whilst the terminal was

constructed. These are now permanent

installations to ensure continued

compliance

– Olympic Site monitoring

Eight stations have been deployed to

monitor water courses across the Olympic

site during the construction. These have

already highlighted a number of events,

and will be in place to demonstrate the

improvement to the local habitat after

construction is complete

Environmental Monitoring

Oil and Gas - Solutions

• Perenco Oil and Gas

– Provision of SCADA system to 10 platforms in

Southern North Sea

– Complete Platform monitoring and control

with dual backup on platform and shoreside

– Comprehensive IO compliment including 128

digital inputs / control lines, 8 analogue inputs,

32 control outputs and RS232

– Dedicated Meteor Burst Radio network for

secure data transfer

– 5 minute updates

– Integrated to Serck SCX 5 SCADA system for

true real time control

– System in place for over 15 years with 99.9%

system reliability

– Fully managed service with 24hr callout

Meteor Data Centre (MDC)

• Meteor maintain their own dedicated data centre, with secure servers to

store data for audit purposes, and to present data onto the web.

• The MDC also has the ability to interface with existing data gatherer and

SCADA systems using protocols such as:– Serck SCX

– MODBUS

– XML

– SQL

Providing a seamless interface to existing systems

• With Meteor’s in house software team applications can be developed in

short timescales and at low cost to enable tailored software solutions.

Meteor Data Centre - Solutions

• Thames Environment Agency

– Provision of data from 90 Water Quality

Monitoring Stations

– Data presented in real time to a graphical

web interface, accessible from any web

enabled device (including Blackberry and

iphone)

– XML link to central Environment Agency data

gatherer to enable data display on EA

network

– Data trend analysis, alarms (via SMS or

email) and multiple site display

– New sites can be enabled within minutes of

deployment

– Secure user access controls via password and

template setup

– Fully managed service with 24/7 support

– In service since 2005 with system availability

of 99.9%

Summary

Meteor can provide a full service, from

complete managed monitoring solutions to

simple Low Power Radio links.

• Environmental Monitoring

• Leakage monitoring

• Control Systems

• Water Treatment plant process monitoring

• Installation, Commissioning

• Service and maintenance

• Factory utility monitoring and control

• Application specific interface and analysis

software development