EcoThermo PROJECT
AN INNOVATIVE SYSTEM TO
CONVERT OLD CENTRAL BUILDING
HEATING PLANTS
1. OVERVIEW OF THE ECOTHERMO
SYSTEMSCOPES
EcoThermo SYSTEM SCOPES, CONTEXT OF USAGE DESCRIPTION
What EcoThermo is
• A (1) wireless and (2) remote controllable (3) building
automation system intended to (4) convert old
centralized heating system without local temperature
control and (5) aimed at maximize heating savings
• Basic system functions
• (1) independent, (2) active (3) local (flat level)
temperature control for each tenant/final user
• accurate autonomous heat cost allocation based on
real heating energy consumption of each living unit
(flat, office, common area, etc.)
• control and monitoring for final users (tenants),
building administrators and heating contractors of
• Flat settings
EcoThermo SYSTEM SCOPES, CONTEXT OF USAGE DESCRIPTION
What EcoThermo is
• Central heating system performance and state
• Allocation procedure management and rules customization
• An innovative wireless communication infrastructure ready to support new
building automation services and devices
Context of usage
• Buildings with old heating system
without local control
• Heating systems indifferently with
vertical (70%-85% of cases in big
cities) or horizontal hydraulic
distribution circuit
• Buildings with already installed heat
cost allocator devices to be dismissed
because their batteries are discharged
Vertical distribution
Horizontal distribution
EcoThermo SYSTEM SCOPES, CONTEXT OF USAGE DESCRIPTION
EcoThermo whole initiative aims
Realize a heating conversion system
• Less intrusive than the state of the art
• That increases heating saving with respect to the state of the art
• That decrease the wasting of batteries and electronic devices w.r.t. the state of the art
• That better support final users and building providers of services (building
administrators and heating contractors)
• That replaces the state of the art technology
Heat cost
allocator
Heat meter
State of the art technologies
Basically two technologies for heat cost allocation and two
technologies for independent temperature control
• Heat cost allocation
• based on indirect measures realized by the so called heat
cost allocator devices
• Based on direct and more accurate measures by the so
called heat meter devices (not usable on vertical
distribution circuits)
EcoThermo SYSTEM SCOPES, CONTEXT OF USAGE DESCRIPTION
State of the art technologies
• Independent living unit level temperature
control realized
• (98% of cases) with thermostatic valves
• (minor cases) with electronic valves
Thermostatic
valves
Electronic valves
EcoThermo SYSTEM COMPARISON OF BENEFITS AGAINST STATE OF THE ART
Benefits
2. New technology to recharge electronic
1. Less intrusive: halved the number of
valve batteries without wires (no need of
devices per radiator
batteries replacement)
2. Acceptable active control system
3. Higher accuracy and metrological
(electronic valve)
traceability (less tenants disputes)
a. Lower price
4. Reduction of wastes
b. Batteries lasting really for 4-5 years
(against 1-1 and half)
a. Avoid 15M of electronic meters disposal a
year due to batteries discharge
EcoThermo SYSTEM COMPARISON OF BENEFITS AGAINST STATE OF THE ART
Benefits
iii.
b. Avoid 15M of lithium batteries disposal for
metering devices
c. Limit or avoid disposal of batteries for
electronic valves
5. Increase energy savings up to 2.5 times
a. Because it is used an active temperature
control system and because its electronic
valves can be finally accepted by the
Market
b. Two IT Expert Software Modules aimed at
i. Increase heaters efficiency (expected
2%-3% more savings)
ii. Better management of indoor «low»
temperature and transitions between
«low» and «high» temperature
(expected 1.5%-2.5% more savings)
c.
Better management of indoor «low»
temperature and transitions
between «low» and «high»
temperatures (expected 1.5%-2.5%
more savings)
iv. Automatic suggestions creation i
case of potential erroneous or not
efficient final user system usage
Remote control: tenants can change
settings when they are outside according
to their new needs
6. Decrease management costs
a.
Heating contractors/ESCOs: avoid to move
people for the 2-3 annual inspections to
check heater efficiency (constant remote
monitoring)
EcoThermo SYSTEM COMPARISON OF BENEFITS AGAINST STATE OF THE ART
b.
7.
Building administrators: possibility to send
official communications to tenants
directly on the flat control unit
Can be applied on usage context not
compatible with traditional heat cost allocators
such as
a. Radiating panels
b. Fan coils
EcoThermo SYSTEM FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES
1. Expansion of the system functions and capabilities
Electric
power
gas
MEETERING
Direct heat
meter
Big appliance
Water
meter
2. Market the innovative wireless communication
infrastructure for third parts building automation
products
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Lighiting control
Able to manage +10k devices
Self on-air collisions proof protocol
Self configuring – plug and play
RF and time cells organized
Management of indoor mobile devices
Management of batteries powered end devices (99%
of time off line)
House smart
grid
CONTROL
FUNCTIONAL ARCHITCTURES: A SIMBOLIC OVERVIEW
FCU-HI
• User can set the desired
temperature
• User can set indoor weekly
temperature profile
• User can read the measured indoor
temperature
• The device sends wirelessly the
measured temperature to the FCUCTRL unit
FCU-CTRL (base station)
• Batteries
powered
• It is the
real Flat Control Unit
• One
per
flat
• Directly plugged to the main socket
• It retrieves the measure of indoor
temperature from FCU-HI and WRTS
devices
• It communicates with BCU and
Central Server
• It send opening/closing commands
to the BVA
• It logs measures and events data
• It is always on line
• It can be hidden in any place in the
flat
6. FUNCTIONAL ARCHITCTURES: A SIMBOLIC OVERVIEW
BVA
• It actuates the body valve of the
radiator on the base of FCU-HI
commands
• It measure the inlet and outlet
temperature of the radiator
• One per radiator
• Batteries powered
WRTS
• It offers an extra point of measure
for the indoor temperature
• It sent the temperature measure to
the FCU-CTRL unit
• It shows the measured temperature
6. FUNCTIONAL ARCHITCTURES: A SIMBOLIC OVERVIEW
RR
• Extend the wireless range of
communications
• It is installed one every 2-3 floors in
the staircases
• Main powered
• Always on line
BCU
CENTRAL
HEATER
• It is the main control unit for the
entire EcoThermo installation
• I retrieve all the system data and log
them
• It communications with the Central
Server
• It is close to the heater and control
its working point
6. FUNCTIONAL ARCHITCTURES: A SIMBOLIC OVERVIEW
WRTS
BVA
FCU-HI
Central Server
FCU-CTRL
RR
BCU
Roland van Straten
SYSTEM DEVICES
9. MAIN TASK 4.1: SYSTEM PROTOTYPE DEVICES
DESIGN
RTD under FP7 Grant
context
Roland van Straten
Studio 1
BCU (Building Control Unit) FUNCTIONS (1/2)
• Communication gateway between the building
wireless network and the remote server;
• Real time response capability to external
commands;
• Storage of the data from all the installation devices
(measurements and events);
• Advanced graphical human interface;
• High accuracy DAQ capable of sensing up to 16
channels to measure flow rate, differential
pressure, temperature of hot water, external
environment temperature, metering pulse signals;
Studio 3
Studio 2
MECHANICAL
ASSEMBLY STUDIO
BCU (Building Control Unit) FUNCTIONS (2/2)
• Control of the Heaters and Circulation Pump working points
• Primary Coordinator of the Building Wireless Network
• Capability to Power the Radio Repeaters at Low Voltage
• Power Back Up Capability For Itself and the Eventually Radio Repeaters
• for at least 3 days in average Power Demanding Conditions
BCU COMPONENTS
MAIN BOARD
• CPU 1GHz Cortex-A8
• Memory RAM 512MB, Flash 512MB
• Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• USB HOST (4)
• SDCARD
• Linux (Ubuntu)
• RS485/RS232
• 3 Radio Transceivers
• LCD + Touch up to 1450x1050pixels
It enables local and remote management of a
complete building with RRs, FCUs and BVAs
BCU COMPONENTS
DAQ
• 32-Bit Cortex-M3
• 16 Channel 24-Bit accuracy Analog to Digital
Conversion
• Industrial communication RS485
• Connection to Main Board: USB
• 8 Channels of Pt500 Temperature
measurement
• 8 Channels of Voltage (-10/+10V) or Current
(4-20mA) measurement
• Battery Powered
• Data Logging
It measures all physical quantities of the heating
system with high accuracy independently
RR (Radio Repeater) FUNCTIONS
• Extension of the coverage range of the network
• Wireless network routing
• Three RF channels management
(main network channel, secondary network channel,
service channel)
• Data storage capability
• Always on-line device for real time commands
transmission (from BCU)
CHASSIS
DESIGN SKETCH
RR COMPONENTS
• Cortex M3 CPU
• Memory Flash 512kB
• Industrial Bus RS485
• SD Card
• 3 Radio transceivers
• Remote and local power
Forms the backbone of the
communication infrastructure
FCU (Flat Control UNIT) FUNCTIONS
• Main user interface for the local (flat/apartment level)
control of the system
• Measurement of the premise ambient temperature
• Intuitive setting of the desired temperature
and mode of operation (manual or automatic
with temperature profiles)
• Management of extra remote wireless temperature
sensors and extra independent flat sub-areas
• Communication with the BCU by wireless radio
transceivers
• Commands to the flat electronic valves (BVA)
• Local data and events storage
CHASSIS
DESIGN SKETCH
FCU COMPONENTS
HUMAN INTERFACE
• CPU Cortex-M3
• Temperature Sensor
• LCD
• Battery Power
Provides the tenant a local
human interface to control the
indoor temperature settings,
monitor the indoor measured
temperature and the heating
costs
FCU COMPONENTS
BASE UNIT
• Two RF transceivers
• Cortex-M3 CPU
• Offline power supply
• Data storage
The Base Unit acts as a liaison
between the wireless network, the
FCU human interface and the BVAs. It
controls the end devices of same flat.
BVA (Body Valve Actuator) FUNCTIONS
• Open and close the radiator body valve
• Receive wirelessly opening commands
from the FCU
• Measure the radiator inlet and outlet water
temperature
CHASSIS AND
ELECTRO• Show the device state on a display
MECHANICAL DESIGN
• Perform tampering-proof strategies
• Batteries power and back-up power source
• BE READY FOR DOWNGRADED VERSION OF
EcoThermo (JUST BVA – PREMISE AIR
TEMPERATURE DETECTION AND EXTENDED HUMAN
INTERFACE)
• Ready for external antenna mounting
• Challenging req.: batteries shall last for real 4 years 
strong mechanical design effort
BVA COMPONENTS
• CPU Cortex-M3
• Motor Driver with Limit Switch
• DataFlash storage
• Battery voltage measurement
• Energy Harvesting input
• Graphical Display
• NTC temperature measurement
• RF Module
• Proportional opening of the valve
• Tampering protection
• RF Transceiver
The BVA individually controls each
radiator and measure the inlet/outlet
temperature
BVA: MECHANICAL DESIGN
• A challenging requirement: batteries shall rest for at least
4-5 years, really
• Estimated a worst case for which BVA
• open 20 times a day the radiator valve
• close 20 times a day the radiator valve
• all the days for 6 months a year
• To satisfy this performance requirement every actuation
must consume a maximum of 0.8J-0.7J (incredibly low)
• TWO COMPLETE MECHANICAL DESIGN HAS BEEN DONE
• MAIN PROBLEM: to win the thrust of the opening spring
(40N-50N) that keeps the body valve normally open, with
very low energy consumption
WRTS (WIRELESS REMOTE TEMPERATURE SENSOR) FUNCTIONS
• It measures a premise air temperature
• It shows the measured temperature and
statistics
• It sends the measured figures to the fcu
• It stores data and events
• it is not an essential device for the main
functions of EcoThermo
• it is useful for big flat or flat with
retired people to creat independent
sub-areas temperature control
CHASSIS SKETCH
PRELIMINARY STUDY