SOL-TOWEREYE

TOWEREYETM

THE PROBLEM

Cooling towers play a critical role in industrial operations. They provide the necessary cooling for a wide variety of applications by evaporating water to release the energy from the process. A significant amount of water is utilized in the evaporation process, as well as a significant amount of energy in pumping the recirculation water and operating the cooling tower fans.

Yet, as critical as cooling tower operations are, they often go unmonitored. They are typically relegated to the remote physical areas of a facility and are out of most operations personnel’s mind. They are susceptible to fouling by dirt and microbiological growth, and they can harbor bacteria that cause airborne illnesses.  These risks often go undetected, putting operations, assets and personnel at risk.

THE SOLUTION

TowerEye Cooling Tower Efficiency

Our TowerEyeTM program enables users to simply and effectively monitor the efficiency of a cooling tower. We do this by monitoring the cooling tower water temperatures, as well as the ambient dry bulb, wet bulb, dew point and humidity levels.  These readings are transmitted wirelessly to ProcessCentralTM, where custom analytics are utilized to determine the efficiency of the cooling tower.

The TowerEyeTM program helps to:
  • Reduce electrical use by identifying when cooling towers are trying to achieve an unattainable setpoint
  • Improve safety by reducing airborne disease risk (i.e. Legionella)
  • Protect assets by proactively identifying fill fouling

We offer 2 standard packages that have been developed depending on the degree of information desired (other options available).  The information for these packages is contained below.

STANDARD PACKAGES

BASIC
Cooling Tower Efficiency
Cooling Tower Supply Temp
Cooling Tower Return Temp
AmbiAir Air Conditions
Cooling Tower Efficiency
Recirc Rate
Heat Load/Estimated Evap Rate
Dashboards
Data Historian
Auto Reporting (Daily/Weekly/Monthly)
SEE PACKAGE
ENHANCED
Cooling Tower Efficiency + Heat Load + Evaporation Rate
Cooling Tower Supply Temp
Cooling Tower Return Temp
AmbiAir Air Conditions
Cooling Tower Efficiency
Recirc Rate
Heat Load/Estimated Evap Rate
Dashboards
Data Historian
Auto Reporting (Daily/Weekly/Monthly)
SEE PACKAGE

RESOURCES

FAQs

What equipment is included?

Click on one of the "SEE PACKAGE" buttons above to see the details for that option.  Please contact us for additional options that suite your application.

Is there an on-going expense?

We offer a free tier, where one reading per day is provided.  Data frequencies as granular as 1x/minute can be provided with an additional monthly fee.

How hard is it to install?

The goal is to make installation as simple as possible.  There are various options for the temperature sensors with the first option being submersible sensors.  These can simply be placed in the distribution deck and basin with no mechanical installation required.  The second option are surface mounted probes that can be placed on the surface of a metallic pipe, underneath insulation.  The third option would be to 1/4" MNPT sensors into a 1/4"FNPT fitting.  The last option would be for an existing temperature sensor/system to send its 4-20mA reading to a RemoteLobeTM.  If the enhanced Package is chose, we supply a strap-on ultrasonic transit-time flow meter that gets mounted on the surface of a pipe, or an existing flowmeter/system 4-20mA sensor can be utilized.  The AmbiAirTM device just needs to be located outside.

Can I monitor fan or air speed as well?

Absolutely.  Users can send 4-20mA signals for the fan speed (i.e. Hz or %) and/or an anemometer reading to a RemoteLobeTM so these can be incorporated in ProcessCentralTM to see the effect of these variables on the Cooling Tower Efficiency.

What is "Wet Bulb" and why is the "Wet Bulb" Temperature important?

A good summary can be found here but generally speaking the "Wet Bulb" temperature is the temperature at which the air is saturated.  This is important in cooling tower or evaporative processes because the wet bulb temperature is the theoretical coldest temperature a cooling tower can lower the water temperature to.  So, for example, if the wet bulb temperature was 82F, the coolest a cooling tower basin could possible be is 82F (it will actually be higher because attaining the wet bulb temperature would be difficult and not very efficient).

Most cooling tower applications are controlled based on a set-point for the basin temperature.  However; in situations with high wet bulb temperatures the set-point may never be able to be reached, yet all cooling tower fans are on 100% and resulting in a waste of energy.

Does the AmbiAir provide a wet bulb reading?

Yes, we use a proprietary algorithm to determine the wet bulb temperature without the need for a sling psycrhometer or any other complicated device.

How is the cooling tower efficiency determined?

A standard formula is used to determine the Cooling Tower Efficiency (CTeff).

CTeff = (treturn - tbasin) / (treturn - twb) * 100

How is the data transmitted?

The ProcessEyeTM ecosystem uses standard WiFi, which enables the sensors and RemoteLobesTM to be dispersed throughout a facility.  They can be granted access to a Guest-WiFi network, or a separate cellular modem with a hotspot can be used to gain access to the internet.

Can I get a report of the cooling tower efficiency?

Absolutely.  We have allowed users a robust reporting package in ProcessCentralTM that allows them to generate custom reports on a frequency that is desirable to them (i.e. daily, weekly, or monthly).

Is it secure?

Security is one of our key priorities and we use the most advanced encryption technology available to ensure secure communications.

Can the values be brought into my DCS/SCADA/PLC?

Our ecosystem uses a blend of computing logic that occurs in our RemoteLobesTM as well as ProcessCentralTM, so at this point we don't make the information available to be incorporated into existing infrastructure.  We also believe that there isn't much value in bringing this data into existing infrastructure due to the cost, complexities and lack of automated reporting.  Without the reporting capabilities the same "forgotten" condition will develop and users and organizations won't be any better off.

TowerEyeTM

THE PROBLEM

Cooling towers play a critical role in industrial operations. They provide the necessary cooling for a wide variety of applications by evaporating water to release the energy from the process. A significant amount of water is utilized in the evaporation process as well as a significant amount of energy in pumping the recirculation water and operating the cooling tower fans.

Yet, as critical as cooling tower operations are, they often go unmonitored. They are typically relegated to the remote physical areas of a facility and are out of most operations personnel’s mind. They are susceptible to fouling by dirt and microbiological growth and they can harbor bacteria that cause airborne illnesses.  These risks go undetected, putting operations, assets and personnel at risk.

THE SOLUTION

TowerEye Cooling Tower Efficiency

Our TowerEyeTM program enables users to simply and effectively monitor the efficiency of a cooling tower. We do this by monitoring the cooling tower water temperatures as well as the ambient dry bulb, wet bulb, dewpoint and humidity levels.  These readings are transmitted wirelessly to ProcessCentralTM, where custom analytics are utilized to determine the efficiency of the cooling tower.

The TowerEyeTM program helps to:
  • Reduce electrical use by identifying when cooling towers are trying to achieve an unattainable setpoint
  • Improve safety by reducing airborne disease risk (i.e. Legionella)
  • Protect assets by proactively identifying fill fouling

There are 2 standard packages that have been developed depending on the degree of information desired (other options available).  The information for these packages is contained below.

STANDARD PACKAGES

BASIC
Cooling Tower Efficiency
Cooling Tower Supply Temp
Cooling Tower Return Temp
AmbiAir Air Conditions
Cooling Tower Efficiency
Recirc Rate
Heat Load/Estimated Evap Rate
Dashboards
Data Historian
Auto Reporting (Daily/Weekly/Monthly)
SEE PACKAGE
ENHANCED
Cooling Tower Efficiency + Heat Load + Evaporation Rate
Cooling Tower Supply Temp
Cooling Tower Return Temp
AmbiAir Air Conditions
Cooling Tower Efficiency
Recirc Rate
Heat Load/Estimated Evap Rate
Dashboards
Data Historian
Auto Reporting (Daily/Weekly/Monthly)
SEE PACKAGE

RESOURCES

FAQs

What equipment is included?

Click on one of the "SEE PACKAGE" buttons above to see the details for that option.  Please contact us for additional options that suite your application.

Is there an on-going expense?

We offer a free tier, where one reading per day is provided.  Data frequencies as granular as 1x/minute can be provided with an additional monthly fee.

How hard is it to install?

The goal is to make installation as simple as possible.  There are various options for the temperature sensors with the first option being submersible sensors.  These can simply be placed in the distribution deck and basin with no mechanical installation required.  The second option are surface mounted probes that can be placed on the surface of a metallic pipe, underneath insulation.  The third option would be to 1/4" MNPT sensors into a 1/4"FNPT fitting.  The last option would be for an existing temperature sensor/system to send its 4-20mA reading to a RemoteLobeTM.  If the enhanced Package is chose, we supply a strap-on ultrasonic transit-time flow meter that gets mounted on the surface of a pipe, or an existing flowmeter/system 4-20mA sensor can be utilized.  The AmbiAirTM device just needs to be located outside.

Can I monitor fan or air speed as well?

Absolutely.  Users can send 4-20mA signals for the fan speed (i.e. Hz or %) and/or an anemometer reading to a RemoteLobeTM so these can be incorporated in ProcessCentralTM to see the effect of these variables on the Cooling Tower Efficiency.

What is "Wet Bulb" and why is the "Wet Bulb" Temperature important?

A good summary can be found here but generally speaking the "Wet Bulb" temperature is the temperature at which the air is saturated.  This is important in cooling tower or evaporative processes because the wet bulb temperature is the theoretical coldest temperature a cooling tower can lower the water temperature to.  So, for example, if the wet bulb temperature was 82F, the coolest a cooling tower basin could possible be is 82F (it will actually be higher because attaining the wet bulb temperature would be difficult and not very efficient).

Most cooling tower applications are controlled based on a set-point for the basin temperature.  However; in situations with high wet bulb temperatures the set-point may never be able to be reached, yet all cooling tower fans are on 100% and resulting in a waste of energy.

Does the AmbiAir provide a wet bulb reading?

Yes, we use a proprietary algorithm to determine the wet bulb temperature without the need for a sling psycrhometer or any other complicated device.

How is the cooling tower efficiency determined?

A standard formula is used to determine the Cooling Tower Efficiency (CTeff).

CTeff = (treturn - tbasin) / (treturn - twb) * 100

How is the data transmitted?

The ProcessEyeTM ecosystem uses standard WiFi, which enables the sensors and RemoteLobesTM to be dispersed throughout a facility.  They can be granted access to a Guest-WiFi network, or a separate cellular modem with a hotspot can be used to gain access to the internet.

Can I get a report of the cooling tower efficiency?

Absolutely.  We have allowed users a robust reporting package in ProcessCentralTM that allows them to generate custom reports on a frequency that is desirable to them (i.e. daily, weekly, or monthly).

Is it secure?

Security is one of our key priorities and we use the most advanced encryption technology available to ensure secure communications.

Can the values be brought into my DCS/SCADA/PLC?

Our ecosystem uses a blend of computing logic that occurs in our RemoteLobesTM as well as ProcessCentralTM, so at this point we don't make the information available to be incorporated into existing infrastructure.  We also believe that there isn't much value in bringing this data into existing infrastructure due to the cost, complexities and lack of automated reporting.  Without the reporting capabilities the same "forgotten" condition will develop and users and organizations won't be any better off.

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