Data acquisition
How to make sense of big data
Deploying RTUs on industrial assets is an important element of capturing, interpreting and using big data from an industrial process. In this article, Jean Burton, technical sales support manager at Ovarro, supplier of remote monitoring technologies, looks at how RTUs play a key role in accessing big data, helping improve situational awareness, security, productivity, safety and operations.
allows operators to regularly verify from a laptop or smart device that is operating withing agreed
T parameters. RTUs capture big data so
that operators can monitor all critical applications in a process, ranging from hours of run time, oil temperature, through to faults and load levels. They monitor the external environment, too; for example, local temperature. This can be particularly useful in harsh environments as it allows engineers to take pre-emptive actions to prevent overheating or freezing. The alternative is to send an engineer for
routine inspection, which, in a remote location or expansive industrial site can be hazardous and time consuming. In some cases, it will require a second visit because they will only be able to identify faults when on site and then must source a replacement part back at base. Knowing this information beforehand can save valuable time by carrying out maintenance in a single visit. RTUs, such as Ovarro’s TBox, act as
both the site controller and the site communications gateway. They collect data directly, or provide a secure VPN, to PLCs used to monitor the asset. The collected
he principle benefit of being able to remotely monitor an asset using an RTU is that it
data is then made available to the operators who can issue commands back to the RTU to control the asset. In parallel, the RTU relays key information to the asset owner or maintenance partner. With its ability to report alarms and historical data via email, SMS and FTP, it means nominated personnel are always being updated on its status.
RTUs On The JOURney TO The InDUsTRIal InTeRneT Of ThIngs (IIOT) Operating an aged or geographically remote asset can make it a challenge to access IIoT. The physical constraints of not being on the ‘net’ is the first hurdle, whilst the age of some gensets means that operators believe that they must undertake considerable investment to replace ‘old’ assets with new, ‘smart’ versions. The best way of thinking about RTUs is
that they are ‘mini-computers in the field’, so adding one to an older genset can turn it into a ‘smart’ asset. In terms of benefits, RTUs help optimise industrial assets in both near and remote applications by providing greater monitoring and control. As such, they are a powerful, cost effective method of getting on the IIoT journey. Once fitted, an RTU allows organisations to monitor and control processes
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May 2021 Instrumentation Monthly
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