Measuring vibrations wirelessly in pipelines with IoT

IoT solution to provide insight in the condition of water pipelines

We developed an IoT solution that measures vibrations in water pipelines remotely and wirelessly. The system measures vibrations, pressure, force and flow rate. This provides real time insights in the condition of the water pipelines. Now Vitens is able to save costs by detecting and repairing failures faster and also by predicting and preventing them.

IoT system with wireless sensors

We developed this IoT system specifically for Vitens. The solution is entirely based on measuring vibrations that provides insight into the condition of the pipelines.

With the accelerometer we measure vibrations on the spindles of the valves of the water pipe. They recognize a normal pattern of the water flow and therefore are able to immediately detect deviations by means of the vibrations on these spindles. When a deviation is detected, an alarm is sent to Vitens.

Insight into quality thanks to vibration measurements

The vibration measurements provide extensive real time insight in:

• The condition of the flows through the pipelines
• Disruptions in the flows at an early stage
• Potential problems in pipelines
• Possible deviations and their location

All measurement data is sent wirelessly to a central point after which the information is instantly presented on a dashboard.

Ground-breaking

Thanks to the IoT system the vibration behaviour of pipelines can be monitored accurately. Any deviations are visible at an early stage and result in immediate action. This way, Vitens prevents outages and expensive repairs caused by major damage to pipelines.