When remote control and monitoring are essential

Tuesday, 30. October 2012

When remote control and monitoring are essential
In order to become even more attractive and efficient, the crocodile farm "La Ferme aux Crocodiles" of Pierrelatte in France has decided to modernize its installations for temperature and humidity control. To this end, they had a real-time remote control and monitoring system developed by Topaza-Pella installed. At the heart of this system is Crouzet's Millenium 3 Smart. Here is the case study: The Pierrelatte crocodile farm, founded in July 1994 and already a real institution in the French department of Drôme, is home to no less than 400 crocodiles from ten different species (some of which are among the rarest in the world), as well as turtles and birds. Every year, about 330,000 visitors pay a two-and-a-half-hour visit to the farm, including 150,000 in July and August alone. Controlling the temperature and humidity in the gigantic greenhouse, which covers an area of about 6,000 square meters, is essential to keep everyone comfortable: Animals, visitors, employees and even the plants. Before the modernization, hygrometric and thermometric control was performed by staff separately in each of the four areas into which the facility is divided. Depending on the measured temperature and humidity, the greenhouse roof hatches were opened or closed manually and the values were set by hand. With so much "time wasted", the employees were distracted from their real main tasks: caring for the animals and looking after the visitors.
General plan of the crocodile farm, which served as the basis for Topaza-Pella's zoning of the temperature and humidity control system to be upgraded. ©Topaza-Pella
Remote monitoring Samuel Martin, veterinarian and director of the crocodile farm, was convinced that with the right technology, this activity could be carried out more efficiently without exceeding the budget for modernization. In search of a solution, he turned to Topaza-Pella, a medium-sized company based in Livron in the Drôme department. After analyzing the customer's needs, the company proposed a user-friendly system for real-time remote control and monitoring: The TPZModBus solution, linked to the Millenium 3 Smart mini-controller for reliable control of the existing system of heating equipment, opening mechanisms and humidification equipment. "We mapped the site to determine the ventilation, temperature and humidity control needs of each area. Using this data, we installed hygrometers and temperature sensors at various points on the farm to monitor the respective values in real time. We then programmed three Crouzet mini-controllers to automatically adjust the parameters based on the set points," explains Franck Principaud, founder and CEO of Topaza-Pella. Similarly, the greenhouse's 15 roof hatches open and close automatically depending on the preset setpoint temperatures as well as wind strength and direction. The installed system also allows remote monitoring of all thermometric and hygrometric parameters. For example, setpoint temperatures for all climate zones of the greenhouse can be changed remotely via the Internet in real time. "During the big cold snap last winter, I sat in front of my laptop day and night to be able to react promptly to any system alarms," reports Samuel Martin.
The main greenhouse of the crocodile farm.
The heart of the system: three Crouzet small controllers. At the heart of the system is Crouzet's Millenium 3 Smart mini-controller, a programmable module for regulating and controlling small and medium-sized systems. Three Millenium 3 Smart mini-controllers, which are networked with the monitoring system via Ethernet, control the air conditioning in the crocodile farm's greenhouse. Automatic actuation of the actuators is based on status signals from sensors installed throughout the facility, as well as time-dependent and through the program developed using Topaza-Pella's M3 Soft software. "The system is characterized by extremely simple installation, programming and operation," explains Mathieu Merchat of Topaza-Pella. As a result, the staff in charge of the crocodile farm maintains control of the thermal and hydrostatic values in the greenhouse at all times. "Another reason for choosing the Millenium 3 Smart was the availability of the Crouzet teams who assisted us in installing the system," adds Franck Principaud. Controlling energy consumption at the site The initial results suggest that this system is helping to reduce energy costs on the farm, as desired. "We are one step closer to optimal energy consumption, which saves us money while protecting the environment," explains Samuel Martin. This is in line with the commitment to environmental protection of this tourist attraction, which also donates 1000 fertilized eggs to research each year.
Products and series for this application
Small PLC