Shandong Renke Control Technology Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of environmental sensors and IoT monitoring equipment, has announced the launch of its online water quality monitoring system for industrial cooling towers. The platform integrates continuous sensor data with automated dosing and blowdown operations, aiming to reduce manual sampling while maintaining consistent control over scale, corrosion, and biological growth in recirculating water systems.
The system continuously tracks key parameters including conductivity, pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), residual chlorine, and turbidity. When conductivity exceeds a set threshold, indicating that 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, if ORP or residual chlorine readings fall below preset levels, an automated dosing pump releases biocide or corrosion inhibitor to restore the target range without requiring on-site operator intervention.
Traditional manual water testing in industrial cooling towers is often performed weekly or less frequently, leaving gaps between changes in water chemistry and corrective actions. Continuous online monitoring closes this gap by detecting parameter shifts in real time and triggering treatment actions automatically. This capability is particularly relevant for facilities aiming to comply with water management frameworks such as ASHRAE Guideline 188, which addresses Legionella risk reduction through documented monitoring and control practices. It also supports jurisdictions with mandatory cooling tower registration and testing requirements, as well as facilities discharging blowdown under EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, by enabling more consistent tracking of discharge water quality.
The system leverages 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. It integrates with existing industrial automation or SCADA systems through standard communication protocols, and continuous data logging provides facility managers with accessible records for internal water resource management and regulatory compliance reporting.
The system architecture comprises four layers: measurement, acquisition, platform, and control. At the measurement layer, sensors installed in the cooling tower loop continuously measure parameters. The acquisition layer collects readings from multiple sensor points and uploads consolidated data. The platform layer offers a monitoring interface for real-time viewing and trend analysis. The control layer executes commands to linked controllers, such as opening blowdown valves or activating dosing pumps, closing the loop between measurement and treatment.
Depending on the monitoring environment, the system supports various deployment architectures. Field sensors can transmit data through local acquisition equipment or communication gateways to centralized software or cloud-based platforms. This flexibility is crucial for facilities with geographically separated monitoring points or those requiring retained measurement records for operational review. Sensor selection, installation, calibration, and maintenance remain dependent on the application and water characteristics.
Renkeer 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.
