In 2013, the Italian electronics manufacturer launched a smart telemetric system for local and remote cryogenic tanks monitoring.
Source: AMBRA Sistemi
MiniCRIOTEL communicates by a 4G modem on GPRS cellular network and sends data to the server on AMBRA Sistemi’s web application CrioSystemSupervisor.
“The GPRS technology reduces costs significantly for data transfer allowing a high frequency of data communication,” Massimiliano Sabbatini, Business Development Manager at AMBRA Sistemi, explained to gasworld.
“A continuous monitoring system helps gas suppliers to eliminate product shortage and/or extra deliveries and ensure sufficient level for each customer.”
Level and pressure monitoring are available on two displays on the unit front panel and measurements are performed by AMBRA Sistemi’s DRT sensor, which is a combined strength-gauge transducer integrated into the unit and patented by the company.
“This sensor, specifically developed for cryogenic tanks under pressure, provides high performances regarding accuracy, endurance to mechanical bursts, reliability, compatibility, small size and low cost compared with whichever different solution available in the market,” Sabbatini continued.
“The same unit can be applied to tanks from 500 litres up to 100,000 litres for oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon and nitrous oxide gases.”
“The power supply of MiniCRIOTEL can be provided by solar cells, external 24 Vdc or long life battery pack; the aluminium housing is with protection proof IP65 and a neodymium magnetic kit allows to install the unit onboard of the cryogenic tanks quickly and in an easy way.”
“In order to minimise the energy consumption required for operations with solar cells, the device remains in sleep-mode and switches on the GPRS modem at regular frequency.”
“However, level and pressure local measurements are updated every 15 seconds for real time local monitoring thanks to the extra low power consumption of our DRT sensor.”
Sabbatini said there is a big interest from all gas suppliers to cover all their cryogenic tanks with telemetry systems.
“In many cases there are applied integrated system based on general purpose solutions which requires to involve technicians with high skill and high cost for complex installation. These limits slow down this process of telemetry diffusion,” Sabbatini highlighted.
IoT
As the world of gases increasingly looks at digitisation, optimisation and lower environmental impact, AMBRA Sistemi’s technology has been making a valuable contribution in this area for many years.
“There are still wide margins for development that will offer interesting opportunities in the short future to all companies that will have the ability to understand its potential and adapt quickly to this change,” Sabbatini told gasworld.
“With the help of the industrial 4.0 revolution it is sure that the gases industry can become cleaner, greener and smarter.”
“Cryogenic tanks, transportable pressurised vessels, gas cylinder bundles and single cylinders are destined to become increasingly complex and smart products. It is AMBRA Sistemi’s task and interest to contribute to this ongoing evolution.”
“To achieve this goal, we regularly invest in the design and development of new solutions, with an ever wider range of solutions, in the belief that this is the best way to the success.”
AMBRA Sistemi has already developed IoT solutions for monitoring compressed gas cylinder bundles with NB-IoT and Sigfox technologies.
“We have already carried out test on field with these devices for over 12 months, with positive results and interesting market expectations,” Sabbatini said.
“This project has enormous potentiality given the number of compressed gas cylinder bundles on the gases market.”
“Moreover, AMBRA Sistemi has developed a solution for monitoring individual compressed gas cylinders with NB-IoT and Sigfox technologies.”
“This project is relatively new, but the results are encouraging and the solution is of great interest for the gas market.”
“Another new IoT solution with NB-IoT and Sigfox technology has been developed by AMBRA Sistemi, focused on transportable pressurised vessel monitoring with a low-cost device which integrates the differential level sensor, display and 4-20mA output signal for local level monitoring.”