The obvious benefits of FDDI analysis.

Author: Brian Thompson, founder and CEO of SENSUS M.I.

Last winter, entrepreneur Luciano, owner of a company specializing in services, decided to reverse the trend of declining revenue and income growth. To do this, he implemented a program using FDDI (Fault Detection, Diagnosis and Impact) technology.
It is based on the use of computer methods of remote monitoring. This step transformed the company's strategy. Costs decreased, revenues increased. Clients of the company's branches were very pleased that the comfort conditions remained stable, and the amounts of bills for maintenance and energy use decreased.

For many years, Luciano had been looking for a way to change the company's operations using predictive tools that would allow continuous monitoring of a large number of mechanisms directly from the company's offices. He wanted to use at least part of his thirty years of equipment diagnostics experience to develop an automated system. He understood that this could significantly increase the efficiency of his company. And would automatically provide him with a large number of orders for warranty service from the largest manufacturers of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

DREAMS AND TECHNOLOGIES

Luciano and his team had extensive experience in mechanics and thermodynamics. But their familiarity with computer technology was limited. The remote monitoring methods Luciano knew were too complex and expensive due to the amount of effort required to set up the necessary equipment, the cost of communications, and the large number of machine protocols involved.
Creating a system for continuous automatic fault monitoring and diagnostics would be quite difficult — the systems he serviced varied from one another in terms of configuration features, optional components and constantly changing environmental conditions. But he also knew that there were a number of solutions that would allow him to implement many of the tasks facing him.
Luciano turned to Sensus M.I., a SaaS (Software as a Service) company that develops solutions based on FDDI and monitoring via standard browser programs.
Once logged in to a web page, the browser program allows you to view the information you receive and send alerts to various devices. The latest versions of such programs eliminate the need to install special servers and software. SaaS technology provides data security, broadband, the necessary computing power, support for databases of the required size, and continuous server operation through the use of special partners who provide hosting at a level that is usually not justified by supporting just one service.
Sensus M.I. prefers to use the Internet for machine data transfer. Using conventional modems requires purchasing special equipment, maintaining telephone lines and monthly communication fees. A possible alternative is new GPRS-based solutions. But they also require certain costs that can be avoided by having a permanent Internet connection. Most commercial buildings are equipped with such connections, which eliminates the need for monthly communication fees and improves the reliability of the connection. Given all these advantages, Luciano agreed.

The first building used for beta testing was a large complex of retail and commercial offices. It was equipped with a permanent internet connection in the office of the complex manager. But the equipment that needed to be monitored was located a considerable distance from the office. Some was on the roof of the complex, large air handling units were in the basement, and several air coolers were across the driveway. The complex control system was connected only to the centrifugal units in the basement, since it was difficult and expensive to run hidden wiring to the other units. This is where the new wireless technology came into play. A reliable wireless mesh network was created to transmit the data needed to monitor and control the units. The line-of-sight distance between any two units was within wireless range. This allowed for reliable transmission of signals to the internet connection. If cables had to be laid, they would have to be run along the walls of buildings and access roads to avoid cables hanging in the air. The cheapest offer for cable installation was estimated at approximately $3,250, and the work itself would have taken more than a week. A combination of short sections of cable and wireless communication cost 73% less, and it took only two hours to install and test all the necessary equipment.
The complex manager was impressed by the wireless network (IEEE 802.15.4 ZigBee standard), which worked even in the basement next to two powerful inverters that “jammed” mobile phones and portable radios. This complex is a good example of how wireless solutions are not only cheaper, but also more effective in cases where it is impossible or extremely difficult to solve problems using standard methods.
Advantages of the wireless solution:
—Costs are reduced by 73%.
—Installation took only half a day, while laying cables could have taken more than a week.

In this case, by the way, there was another problem — the equipment being combined used different protocols for communication. Sensus MI, in cooperation with Gridlogix, managed to find a solution to this problem. Sensus uses fully integrated network administration pages and a user interface based on EnNet technology developed by Gridlogix. Data in different protocol formats from different devices via cable and wireless connections comes to the Internet and is sent to the Sensus server, where the EnNet service efficiently converts the incoming data into XML and network service formats or other required protocol formats, and then transmits the data to other machines or systems. After that, the FDDI system, administration pages, end applications and databases can easily work with the received information.

DISABLE ALARM

Typically, HVAC services are provided after complaints are received, and the solutions used are usually only aimed at quickly eliminating the problems that have arisen. Malfunction notifications begin to arrive either in the hottest or coldest weather. The technician goes to the site, often not knowing whether he has the necessary qualifications for this case, whether the available equipment and spare parts are sufficient to fix the malfunction. The cause of the problem is often not immediately identified, since the conditions may have changed since the complaint was received from the customer. It is for these reasons that technicians have to go to the site several times.
A faulty device may constantly send warning messages, but they do not specify the cause of the malfunction, its severity and possible consequences. This often happens when the threshold values ​​of sensors are incorrectly configured (too high or too low), the main task of which is to prevent the consequences of possible malfunctions.

And when triggered, they can turn off the equipment they control. Since there are usually not enough technicians, the simplest solution is to turn off the «alarm state». And then the switched on device can start working normally again, since the conditions may have already changed. But this does not exclude the possibility of similar situations in the future. The client gets a false sense of calm, although the cause remains undisclosed and still exists. And if the sensor settings were changed to turn off the alarm, this can lead to a decrease in the efficiency of the equipment and accelerated wear.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

A service company using an automatic fault detection system can receive timely information about how well the monitored equipment is working, and when faults are detected, this system helps determine their severity. Data is constantly collected from the monitored equipment and processed by the fault detection system, which diagnoses the equipment condition using artificial intelligence technologies. The key feature of such systems is multi-threaded data processing, which ensures the ability to scale the system and increases its reliability. A full FDDI system also displays short diagnostic messages about the status of the monitored equipment, which contain the names of the detected faults (for example, «low refrigerant level» or «clogged heat exchanger»). In addition, such a system calculates how these faults affect energy consumption or the service life of the equipment.

ELIMINATE THE CAUSE AND WIN

Now the service company coordinator working in the office has a dashboard of the FDDI system, where messages about malfunctions, their causes and severity, possible consequences are displayed. The coordinator sorts this data by their severity, and on this basis the work schedule of technicians is determined. And the biggest problems are not always the priority. For example, many pieces of equipment can be installed somewhere, and a technician goes there to service or repair one of its elements. He can also be ready to solve a number of small problems related to other pieces of equipment located there. The new system, of course, requires the attention of the coordinator, but it allows to reduce the number of complaints, since most of the work can be done before the malfunctions cause customer complaints.

COST REDUCTION & INCREASE INCOME

Luciano has created an alliance with service companies all over Italy and expanded his business throughout the country. He is often contacted from places where his company does not have local branches, and correctly determining the cost of services and the quality of the work performed is quite a difficult task. But the FDDI system allows for a more accurate calculation of the cost of services and work performed. And the data on equipment and its malfunctions received by the service coordinator allows for a more accurate scheduling of the company's technicians, outsourced specialists, and the assembly of tools and spare parts. The service company's services become better quality, although its employees travel to customers less often, since most of these problems are solved in one visit. This is what reduces the company's costs and frees up the time of technicians, allowing the company to expand its customer base, and therefore, to make more profit.
Energy savings:
$478 per month for two medium-sized machines with minor faults.

Understanding how faults affect equipment life and energy consumption, as well as the specifics of the equipment's operation, allowed Luciano to calculate the payback periods for repairs, spare parts, system upgrades, and the purchase of new equipment, which again greatly increased the chances of attracting new customers.
Early detection of faults even on days with normal air temperature and low load allows repair work to be carried out during the periods that service companies call «dead season». And significantly reduces the possibility of complaints on days with extreme temperatures, when all technicians are extremely busy with work.
The FDDI system has allowed the ever-cautious Luciano to offer full-service contracts to customers for the first time. The use of these sensors, warning messages, and the FDDI system results in a continuous accumulation of data that is entered into a database for analysis of past services and equipment performance. That is why the company offers fixed prices to large OEMs for the fulfillment of warranty obligations for the equipment they manufacture, as well as for continuing service beyond the warranty period. Part of these agreements is the installation of FDD systems on OEM test benches, reducing the number of manufacturing defects in equipment.
Challenges:
71% of the equipment items studied had some kind of problem

BENEFITS FOR EQUIPMENT OWNERS AND USERS

A shopping mall had two 263-ton air-cooled chillers. One had 20% of its coil surface dirty, increasing energy consumption by 5.6% and increasing energy costs by $263 per month (based on the mall's total energy consumption). The other chiller had 6% less refrigerant than normal, increasing compressor wear and tear and increasing the load, increasing energy costs by 5.0% ($215 per month). Refrigerant leaks often cause problems that disrupt user comfort and lead to equipment failure and significant increases in energy costs. However, in both cases, complaints were avoided. The problems were identified and fixed in the spring, when the equipment was not in use. This made it possible to avoid:
a) equipment downtime during working hours;
b) the need to purchase expensive spare parts;
c) reduced energy costs.
The service company's clients include several hotels and supermarkets, with buildings located in different locations. The specifics of the work of both types of clients explain why the possibility of continuous monitoring of the operation of their equipment is so attractive to them. They already have SCADA systems, building management systems and enterprise management systems installed. EnNet technology allows integrating the results of FDDI systems and the data collected with the operation of existing systems, eliminating the need for users to connect to yet another additional interface.
Sensus's administrative pages provide access to many of EnNet's interface functions via standard browser programs. It is also possible to configure email distribution, send SMS messages, and enable automatic database processing according to custom formulas and parameters. These features can be useful in cases where equipment downtime can lead to serious financial consequences.

ALL CLEAR!

The New Buildings Institute compiled the results of four studies of more than 500 pieces of equipment, weighing an average of 7.5 tons, installed on the roofs of 181 commercial buildings in five U.S. states. Seventy-one percent of the equipment had problems that affected its operation. The average number of such problems was 1.9 per piece of equipment. The California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program found that more than 28 percent of all electricity consumed in California commercial buildings is used for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). At least 10 percent of the energy is wasted due to overuse or problems with HVAC and its controls.
There is a demand for scalable and cost-effective remote monitoring systems and FDDI systems that significantly improve the quality of service and reduce the burden on the environment, while creating comfortable conditions and reducing costs. For companies specializing in the provision of service services, the key issue is still the full implementation of the necessary changes in their work and in strategic marketing policy. This is necessary so that the information flows and results provided by FDDI systems bring qualitatively new results.
The experience of those who, like Luciano, contributed to the introduction of innovative technologies and FDDI analysis in the service sector, showed that they were the ones who got the opportunity to summarize information and correctly set work priorities. And this allowed them to offer customers a new level of service. Which in turn brought additional profit.

ADVANTAGES OF THE FDDI SYSTEM IN PROVIDING WARRANTY AND SERVICE SERVICES

(Based on materials from AutomatedBuildings.com)
Note. The second issue of the Building Automation Bulletin published an article entitled “Infometrics Allows Owners to Reduce Operating Costs of Buildings and Increase Their Comfort,” which tells about the experience of the American company Cimetrics in providing building owners with a service for preventing technological accidents and optimizing building maintenance costs.