Next Generation, Fully Integrated Control Solution Delivers Clear Results for Water-treatment Company

By standardising on a common platform and control architecture, it could more easily manage multiple sites, while making it far simpler to expand and scale its solutions into other markets and applications. Standard platforms also allow for the creation of common HMI and visualisation templates for control solutions, making life easier for operators and maintenance engineers alike.

For this new approach at a pool/spa facility in Stenungsund, on the south west coast of Sweden, it turned to Automationsteknik Lidkoping AB (ATLID), a Swedish system integrator with many years’ experience in electrical and automation applications, from initial consultation through to finished systems. ATLID recognised that a fully integrated control solution from Rockwell Automation would deliver precisely what Enwa required and set about designing the new architecture.

Challenge

There are many challenges associated with building a modern swimming pool. First, stable and safe water quality is paramount, and that is achieved by monitoring temperature control, chlorine dosing and PH levels. Present-day demands also require that controlled purification processes are deployed to reduce environmental impact and save energy.

According to Gunnar Wikstrand from ATLID, “For this particular solution, Enwa requested a high performance, energy efficient single-network SCADA-based system that incorporated robust IT security.”

Using smarter sensors, the new solution had to offer:

• Error diagnosis of all components (to Industry 4.0 standards)
• A simple-to-use SCADA-based weekly planning tool for operation and maintenance staff
• Full traceability of events and alarms in the SCADA solution
• SMS/email error reporting
• A flexible interface for operators that also delivered information for visitors, and
• Secure external connectivity to Enwa’s remote support, process and technical support team

Traditional pool-water-treatment solutions are based on simpler control systems, with basic sensors and transducers and, as a result, do not have the capacity to meet the demands of a modern facility. In addition, a mix of suppliers also hinders programming and configuration and, typically, these legacy systems provide no opportunity for remote technical support. Targeted energy efficiency is also lacking in many instances, as pumps are rarely deployed with inverters.

Solution

This new scalable, common-platform solution – based on Rockwell Automation products – sees a programmable automation controller (PAC) delivering the primary integrated control, communicating with all networked devices via standard EtherNet/IP™ using industrial I/O modules and Ethernet switches. A power monitoring module is used for load profiling, cost allocation or energy control and furthering these capabilities, the EtherNet/IP network will also be used to control variable-speed drives, which are planned in future installations.

This single-platform architecture, based around a modern HTML client-based SCADA, keeps all system functionality within the PAC-program, delivering a less disparate, more integrated higher-integrity solution. The PAC controls the majority of the features, with subsystems that deploy other fieldbus architectures being connected via EtherNet/IP linking devices.

Results

The new system, develop by ATLID, delivers exactly what Enwa wanted. With its open, single-platform architecture, robust and more secure data paths and fully integrated operating environment, it is set to form the basis of many class-leading control solutions in the future.

Morgan Kullander, CEO of ENWA explains: “Enwa Control is the new name of our system solution, and forms one of the key technologies to providing customers with good water quality in an energy-optimised way. Rockwell Automation was a natural choice, as the Enwa Group has used its technology in the past. ATLID also had experience of its systems from other industrial applications, such as food, cement and manufacturing. It is an enormous advantage to have an open platform, with the scalability that it offers also being a primary benefit. We are extremely pleased that we chose Rockwell Automation as a supplier; and I envisage that it will be a strong supplier to the entire Enwa Group and its water treatment systems.”

Allen-Bradley, CompactLogix, PowerFlex, PowerMonitor, POINT I/O, Rockwell Automation and Stratix are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.

EtherNet/IP is a trademark of ODVA, Inc.

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