ABB adds mobile connectivity to electromagnetic flowmeter

According to the World Wildlife Fund, an estimated two-thirds of the world’s population will potentially face water shortages by 2025. Yet every year, billions of litres of water are lost before ever reaching destinations. A detailed understanding of per capita demand, growth of demand and costly leakage can be achieved by accurate and timely flow data coming into and going out water operations.

ABB says its AquaMaster4 Mobile Comms flowmeter is the latest wireless solution for continuous flow measurement, the logging of accurate data and communication of information that is critical for today’s water management. Providing connectivity on 4G-LTE and NB-IoT networks, the AquaMaster4 electromagnetic flowmeter is said to enable 60% lower power consumption, identifying leaks 10 times faster than the market standard.

Claiming to be the world’s first electromagnetic flowmeter with bidirectional connectivity, AquaMaster4 Mobile Comms provides near-real time data used for intelligent water management. Operators can be hundreds of miles away and read values from the device remotely, giving them access to manage the device and their operations wherever they are located and at any time. Historical logged values of pressure, flowrate, alarms, battery life and activity record can also be retrieved remotely.

“AquaMaster 4 Mobile Comms allows you to stay connected to the flowmeter instead of just relying on data being communicated, providing dynamic insights into supply and demand and allowing better control and hence intelligent water management,” said Krishna Prashanth, Global Product Line Manager Electromagnetic Flowmeters with ABB Measurement & Analytics. “This is a significant step forward in the digital journey in water networks, helping to save resources in an industry that is focusing so much on conservation and sustainability.”

The enhanced flowmeter provides the ability to identify low-flow night-time leaks that would otherwise be undetected. The high accuracy and connectedness offer increased measurement and billing confidence.

By using high-speed, low-cost mobile data accessible via an internal SIM card connected to a mobile network, ABB says the AquaMaster4 Mobile Comms provides an adaptable and agile solution for deployment from virtually any location. Costs are further reduced by the flowmeter’s high battery life, which removes the need for cumbersome, costly cables and field visits.

The flowmeter also detects battery life and can be reconfigured to a suitable power mode. The device recovers itself by re-booting in case of faults and allows for task automations. It can also be renewably-powered.

The AquaMaster4 was recently awarded a Solar Impulse Efficient Solution label for its high-tech response to the global need for water crisis mitigation and adaptation.