An Integrated IoT Architecture for Smart Metering Using Next Generation Sensor for Water Management Based on LoRaWAN...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science and Engineering
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Increasing global water scarcity due to climate change and extreme weather necessitates advanced water management solutions.
• Traditional water monitoring systems lack the real-time data and crisis detection capabilities required for modern infrastructure.
• Industry 4.0 and Smart City initiatives demand integrated, interoperable, and low-cost technological solutions for resource management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, implement, and verify a novel smart water consumption measurement and crisis detection system.
• To develop a modular, low-cost, and low-power Internet of Things (IoT) platform for smart water management.
• To address the needs of water distribution companies for reliable and cost-effective smart solutions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a modular IoT platform using Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design with M2.COM standard.
• Integration of a LoRaWAN modem and a Raspberry Pi-based LoRaWAN gateway for data transmission.
• Verification through laboratory testing, including simulated water leakage, and real-world deployment in residential units and municipal areas.

Main Results:

• The developed prototype is modular, low-cost, low-power, and low-complexity, aligning with Smart City and Industry 4.0 principles.
• Signal propagation was tested in a municipal area, defining the system's operational radius.
• Water leakage detection using the minimum night flow (MNF) method achieved a 95% success rate in a residential unit.

Conclusions:

• The novel smart water management system demonstrates high reliability and effectiveness in measuring consumption and detecting crises like water leakage.
• The system's modularity, low cost, and low power consumption make it suitable for widespread adoption in smart water management.
• The successful verification in both laboratory and real-world conditions validates the system's potential for enhancing water resource management and addressing drought challenges.