Digitalized District Heating and Cooling: Pre-empting damages with optimization and pre-emptive maintenance
The Vexve iSENSE Product Family
The real-time data provided by the iSENSE product family helps to improve network efficiency, provides tools for condition monitoring, and enables fast leakage detection. All iSENSE monitoring solutions are suitable for wireless underground usage. The products are self-powered and can be retrofitted to existing district energy networks.
iSENSE OPTI enables the real-time detection of changing temperature and pressure conditions in the underground networks. Areas cooled by high heat loss and unfavorable flow directions can be located in the network and can be adjusted using precise measurement data.
iSENSE PULSE enables fast and precise leakage detection based on pulse technology via Nordic alarm wires. Leakage detection is based on reflections of the pulse and the leakage is located based on the traveling time of the pulse in the wires.
iSENSE CHAMBER enables effective online chamber monitoring. Maintenance operations can be effectively directed to the right chambers.
Why iProtoXi Custom
- Ready Platform – iProtoXi Custom allows for considerably faster and more cost-efficient product development
- All components designed for battery-operated energy-efficient IoT Devices
- The whole system – no integration, know the price on the spot
- Vexve can focus on business while iProtoXi takes care of production and maintenance
- Monitoring and managing device fleets at the field over their entire life cycle
Step one
iProtoXi Concept
From an idea to feasible: three products from scratch, less than 12 weeks.
Vexve heard of us through word-of-mouth and reached out to us with the idea of digitalizing and differentiating their district heating products. During the concept phase we discussed different implementable possibilities based on the iProtoXi Platform.
When the Concept phase was ready, we had two products on our mind: iSense OPTI for optimizing the flow, and iSense PULSE to pre-emptively track down pipe leaks. After seeing the ready iSense OPTI and iSense PULSE, Vexve asked us to begin the conceptualizing of a third product, iSense CHAMBER, for remote monitoring and maintenance optimization of chambers.
Step two
iProtoXi PoC
Device requirements and LoRaWAN radio technology were tested by using a proof-of-concept design built utilizing the iProtoXi Platform modules for the first pilot use cases. Demanding environmental conditions set the performance and durability requirements for the sensors.
OPTI PoC: Real-time detection of changing temperature and pressure conditions in underground networks.
PULSE PoC: Detecting pipe leaks.
CHAMBER PoC: Real-time monitoring of temperature and level in chambers.
Step three
iProtoXi Productizing
New features were specified, implemented, and tested after the Poc phase, and the resulting product family was given the name iSENSE.
Further product development, research, and customization was done and new features implemented:
- iSense OPTI: Flow optimization and conditions monitoring
- iSense PULSE: Leakage detection based on pulse technology via Nordic alarm wires
- iSense CHAMBER: Remote chamber monitoring and maintenance optimization
- Vexve Cloud: IoThund Pro Cloud tailored for Vexve
The first deliveries to several countries ensured seamless data transfer no matter where the IoT devices would be installed at.
Additional Services
iProtoXi Production and Maintenance
We maintain and produce the devices so you can focus on business.
iProtoXi is taking care of the mass production of the third-generation design and productized iSENSE product family.
The amount of needed support work is reduced by 50-70% since the early phase solution when development efforts are targeted to selected automatization. This is a clear indication that customization of solutions brings significant cost savings in the long term.
Interested and wish to learn more?
Get in touch with us and we’ll work out together a package that best suits your needs.
Device and Cloud brochures are available upon request.
