An Integrated IoT Architecture for Smart Metering Using Next Generation Sensor for Water Management Based on LoRaWAN Technology: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This pilot study focuses on the design, implementation, optimization and verification of a novel solution of smart measuring of water consumption and crisis detection leading to a smart water management platform. The system implemented consists of a modular IoT platform based on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design using the M2.COM standard, a LoraWAN modem and a LoraWAN gateway based on the Raspberry Pi platform. The prototype is modular, low-cost, low-power, low-complex and it fully reflects the requirements of strategic technological concepts of Smart City and Industry 4.0, i.e., data integration, interoperability, (I)IoT, etc. The study was produced in cooperation with M.I.S Protivanov and VODARENSKA AKCIOVA SPOLECNOST, a.s. (industry partners distributing drinking water in the Olomouc and South-Moravian regions) to depict the current situation in the Czech Republic, characterized by extreme weather fluctuations and increasingly frequent periods of drought. These drinking water distributors are also constantly placing new demands on these smart solutions. These requirements include, above all, reliability of data transmission, modularity and, last but not least, low cost. However, smart water management (water consumption, distribution, system identification, equipment maintenance, etc.) is becoming an important topic worldwide. The functionality of the system was first verified in laboratory conditions and, then, in real operation. The study also includes checking signal propagation in the municipal area of the village of Zdarna, where the radius of the proposed measuring system was tested. A laboratory test with simulation of water leakage is also part of this work. Subsequently, the system was tested in a residential unit by means of water leakage detection using the MNF method (minimum night flow); the detection success rate was 95%.

IoT-Enabled Smart Cities: Evolution and Outlook

“…In this case, the most important aspect is the design of the network, i.e., specifying beforehand where the sensors should be deployed for an optimal monitoring, paying special attention to providing a good coverage of the monitored area and to guaranteeing connectivity of the wireless nodes. Static WSNs are heavily used in smart city scenarios as they are well-suited for smart metering of public services networks such as water and sewage [ 33 , 34 ], public lighting [ 35 ], parking [ 36 ] or traffic monitoring [ 37 , 38 , 39 ], as well as for generating the baseline monitoring of the city environment [ 38 , 39 ].…”

Industry 4.0‐Driven Development of Optimization Algorithms: A Systematic Overview

“…+++ [53,54] Interoperability It is the ability of systems to exchange information of unambiguous meaning. +++ [55,56] Smart product…”

Precise Water Leak Detection Using Machine Learning and Real-Time Sensor Data

“…To develop a smart water meter with leak-detection capabilities, the author of [14] used a set of simple sensors, mainly flow meters, to gather information about water flow in pipes, sending that information to a cloud system using LoRaWAN. To detect the presence of leaks, a simple comparison of adjutant sensors is performed, classifying a possible leak based on the drop of flow between those two points.…”

“…To improve the efficiency of water distribution and to reduce waste related to leaks, a sensor network can be used to execute those analyses with precision and in an autonomous way. Some research and development can be found in both the academic and industrial worlds, ranging from expansive fixed systems that use ultrasonic clamps to analyze real-time water flow, such as [11], to low-cost solutions found in the academic world, such as [12][13][14][15][16].…”