Novosibirsk State Technical University NETI is developing an analysis and notification system, the main task of which is to promptly respond to emergency situations of municipal energy infrastructure facilities, such as individual heating points of educational institutions.
The project is able to ensure the reliable functioning of engineering systems, reduce the response time to emergency situations and improve the quality of service for service consumers. The students of NSTU-NETI calculated that, thanks to the implementation of the developed analysis and notification system, the emergency response time will be reduced by 10 times.
As part of the project, predictive diagnostics modules based on machine learning algorithms and multidimensional data analysis are being developed for the remote monitoring system of municipal facilities engineering systems, previously created at NSTU-NETI and built on a domestic hardware and software base. There are three modules in total: video surveillance, technological data and notification. Each of them is autonomous.
The development is carried out by students and undergraduates of the Faculty of Automation and Computer Engineering Grigory Perevalov, Nikita Blinnikov, Nikita Zaitsev and Maxim Romanovsky under the guidance of Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Engineering of NSTU-NETI Irina Yakovina and Associate Professor of the Department of Thermal Power Plants of NSTU-NETI Alexander Dvortsevoy. The project "System for analysis and notification of the state of municipal energy infrastructure facilities" became the winner of the grant competition held annually at the university An educational session in the nomination "Implementation of a student engineering project".
According to the developers, the municipal energy infrastructure, which is critically important for ensuring energy security and comfort of the population, is subject to wear and aging over time and during operation. Corrosion, mechanical damage, technical malfunctions and other factors can lead to emergencies and disruption of the operation of municipal energy facilities. It is important to promptly collect data on the state of energy systems, respond to emergency situations to prevent consequences, including possible accidents, interruptions in energy supply and damage to the population and economy.
"The existing technological solutions, which are equipped with individual heating points, do not allow for data collection, transmission and analysis operations, and the function of detecting accidents and notifying that some parameters go beyond the maximum permissible regulatory values is also not implemented. The engineering solution we offer is a complex of several information technologies, which is the main advantage of the development. For example, the processing of technological data and the comparison of data from the video surveillance module make it possible to comprehensively analyze and monitor the condition of objects. This approach makes it possible to identify potential problems and their sources more effectively and in a timely manner. And the introduction of the notification function for decision makers reduces the response time to failures and emergencies, minimizing the likelihood of serious disruptions in work," Irina Yakovina said.
The Video Surveillance module uses a video surveillance system to analyze the condition of objects at individual heating points. With the help of modern computer vision algorithms based on data from video surveillance cameras, it is planned to solve the problem of detecting potential problems (for example, visually detectable gusts and flooding from a long distance, malfunctions or illegal interference in the operation of system nodes) and transmit information about the recognized situation to the input of the "Notification" module.
The Technological Data module uses traditional measuring equipment and methods for analyzing technological data. By measuring temperature, pressure, and flow, information about the condition and operation of heat supply facilities will be obtained. The analysis of this data will allow you to identify deviations from the norm, predict possible failures, emergencies and the need for maintenance and repair of facilities.
The "Notification" module consists in using a telegram bot to promptly notify about the status of objects. This is a convenient and fast way to transfer information about problems or emergency prevention to decision makers. The bot can send notifications about anomalies that have occurred, warn about operational activities and provide, upon request, brief reports on the state of municipal energy infrastructure facilities.
"In addition to collecting information from sensors, we also process the image that comes from the video camera in order to monitor the appearance of a person, changes in the parameters of the air environment (smoke, steam, etc.). For example, the sensor has failed, and the video camera captures everything that happens. Thus, thanks to the Video Surveillance module, we increase the stability of the system's performance," adds Irina Yakovina.
Future users of the product are operational and technical specialists in the field of municipal energy, as well as government organizations responsible for ensuring the reliability and safety of municipal infrastructure.
The system is being developed to service engineering systems of schools and kindergartens subordinated to the Department of Education of the Novosibirsk City Hall and maintained by the engineering company Ecotherm LLC. The plans include the pilot operation of the developed solution at several municipal energy infrastructure facilities with verification of the reliability and efficiency of engineering systems, that is, we are talking not only about individual heating points, but also about thermal installations in general, such as a heat point, hot water treatment systems, ventilation systems, heat metering devices.