Shandong Renke Control Technology Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of environmental sensors and IoT monitoring equipment, has launched an online water quality monitoring system designed for industrial cooling towers. The platform integrates continuous sensor data with automated dosing and blowdown operations, enabling facilities to reduce manual sampling while maintaining consistent control over scale, corrosion, and biological growth in recirculating water.
The system continuously tracks key parameters such as conductivity, pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), residual chlorine, and turbidity. When conductivity rises above a set threshold—indicating the water has reached its target cycles of concentration—the system triggers a blowdown valve to release and dilute the water, mitigating scale formation. Similarly, when ORP or residual chlorine readings drop below preset levels, an automated dosing pump releases biocide or corrosion inhibitor to restore the target range, all without requiring an operator on site.
Traditional manual water testing in cooling towers typically occurs on a periodic schedule, often weekly or less frequently, leaving a gap between changes in water chemistry and corrective action. Continuous online monitoring closes that gap by detecting parameter shifts as they occur and triggering treatment actions automatically. This real-time responsiveness is critical for optimizing water usage and preventing costly system issues.
The system also supports compliance with water management frameworks such as ASHRAE Guideline 188, which addresses Legionella risk reduction through documented monitoring and control practices, as well as jurisdictions with mandatory cooling tower registration and testing requirements. For facilities discharging blowdown to municipal systems or surface waters under EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, continuous monitoring can provide more consistent tracking of discharge water quality.
Built around Renkeer's industrial water quality sensor portfolio—including pH sensors, conductivity sensors, dissolved oxygen sensors, COD sensors, ORP sensors, residual chlorine sensors, and turbidity sensors—the system can integrate with existing industrial automation or SCADA systems through standard communication protocols. Continuous data logging provides facility managers with accessible records for internal water resource management and external regulatory reporting.
The system operates across four layers: the measurement layer (sensors installed in the cooling tower loop), the acquisition layer (a monitoring host collects and uploads data), the platform layer (a monitoring interface for real-time viewing and trend analysis), and the control layer (commands issued to linked controllers to execute actions like opening blowdown valves or activating dosing pumps). This closed-loop architecture ensures that measurement directly informs treatment.
Deployment flexibility is a key feature. Field sensors can transmit measurements through local acquisition equipment or communication gateways to centralized software or cloud-based monitoring platforms. This is particularly relevant for facilities with geographically dispersed monitoring points or those needing to retain records for operational review. Depending on configuration, collected data can support centralized observation, historical records, alarms, and further system management, while sensor selection, installation, calibration, and maintenance depend on the application and water characteristics.
The system targets industrial facilities operating cooling towers as part of HVAC or process cooling infrastructure, including manufacturing plants, data centers, and commercial buildings with centralized cooling systems. By triggering chemical dosing and blowdown based on measured thresholds rather than routine intervals, the online water quality monitoring system can effectively reduce errors and delays associated with manual sampling, offering a more reliable and efficient approach to cooling water management.
