Asset category
Fluids & Gases
Leak monitoring for fluids and gases with IoT keeps a continuous watch on compressed air, steam, water and insulating gases. Operators see losses, consumption peaks and critical levels before they turn into costs, downtime or damage.
Assets in “Fluids & Gases”
Used in 66 projects
Beer
In a commercial brewery, IoT sensors measure the density, temperature and material properties of the beer directly in production. Breweries see values such as sugar and alcohol in real time instead of drawing samples and waiting for the lab.
Cathodic dip coating bath
In electrocoating, the temperature of the cathodic dip coating bath must remain constant. IoT monitors filters, heat exchangers and the paint circuit so that clogged filters are detected before the bath gets out of control.
Compressed air
Compressed air leak detection with IoT continuously measures flow, pressure and compressor load, revealing leaks and unused running times. This cuts the cost of one of the most expensive forms of energy in manufacturing.
Construction chemicals
Cooling water
In process cooling, IoT continuously records the flow, temperature and pressure of cooling water. Leaks and declining cooling performance are detected before motors overheat or the cooling circuit shuts down.
Cutting fluid
Diesel fuel
Drinking water
Water network leak detection for drinking water continuously measures pressure, flow and consumption with IoT and reports deviations immediately. Utilities find leaks, pipe bursts and water theft sooner and lose less drinking water.
Groundwater
Groundwater monitoring with IoT measures levels automatically and transmits them by radio to a platform. Authorities, utilities, construction sites and businesses with their own well replace manual measurements and are alerted to critical water levels or pump faults.
Leak monitoring for fluids and gases: spot losses early
Most solution examples concern compressed air, followed by indoor air, drinking water, wastewater and groundwater. For compressed air, sensors measure flow and pressure in the supply lines; for indoor air, they measure CO₂, particles, temperature and humidity. Drinking water is recorded by ultrasonic water meters that send their readings via NB-IoT, while at wells and pumping stations the cellular network transmits levels and operating data. In steam networks, LoRaWAN sensors monitor network temperatures and steam traps, and in gas-insulated switchgear a LoRaWAN solution from WIKA detects SF₆ leaks. Data is evaluated in platforms such as ifm moneo or Cumulocity or in the existing SCADA system.
The examples come from energy and environment, chemicals, consumer goods and metal and electronics, usually as leak detection, consumption recording or level measurement. At a chemical site, CURRENTA uses the LoRaWAN system SmartDampf from Conneqtive to monitor steam traps and detect leaks and condensate build-up. Customers of an IoT solution for Australian water authorities built on Cumulocity use 22 percent less water than non-users, and leaks and water theft are spotted early. Since the 2021 floods, Bad Münstereifel has monitored its watercourses with connected water level sensors from Endress+Hauser.
Leak monitoring for fluids and gases: frequently asked questions
How does leak monitoring with IoT work?
Leak monitoring with IoT continuously compares measured values such as flow, pressure, temperature or consumption with the expected state. If a medium flows although nothing is being consumed, or pressure drops unusually, the platform reports a possible leak. In the solution examples, this happens on compressed air lines, steam traps, cooling water circuits, drinking water networks and gas-insulated switchgear. The values reach the analysis via IO-Link, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT or the cellular network.
How does steam trap monitoring detect leaks automatically?
Steam trap monitoring detects leaks by having sensors watch the traps in the network permanently and report anomalies. At a chemical site with several pressure levels, CURRENTA uses the LoRaWAN system SmartDampf from Conneqtive for this purpose. It automatically monitors the steam traps for leaks and condensate build-up and also measures network temperatures, which serve as the basis for controlling the power plant. Conneqtive handles design, installation and operation.
How does connected water level monitoring work?
In connected water level monitoring, level sensors send their readings by radio to a platform that raises an alarm at critical levels. Since the 2021 floods, Bad Münstereifel has monitored its watercourses with an alerting system from Endress+Hauser and Okeanos. IoT connctd and Thomas-Krenn monitor levels in inland waters via LoRaWAN. At Kögelhof, the ifm io-key reports the water level of a well to moneo via the cellular network.
How does IoT support pipeline leak detection in water networks?
IoT supports pipeline leak detection because connected meters and sensors report unusual flows immediately. Water utilities use ultrasonic water meters from Heitland that transmit via Telekom's NB-IoT network, since leaks in underground pipes are often not visible straight away. In buildings, the RE.GUARD system from REHAU and grandcentrix detects pipe bursts and leaks in the water line and shuts off the supply automatically.
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