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 designed for industrial cooling towers. The system integrates continuous sensor data with automated dosing and blowdown operations, targeting facilities that seek to reduce manual sampling while maintaining consistent control over scale, corrosion, and biological growth in recirculating water.
The system continuously monitors key parameters such as 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 automatically triggers a blowdown valve to release and dilute the water, reducing the risk of 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, eliminating the need for an on-site operator.
Traditional manual water testing in cooling towers is often performed on a periodic schedule, sometimes weekly or less frequently, leaving a gap between changes in water chemistry and corrective action. Continuous online monitoring closes this gap by detecting parameter shifts as they occur and triggering treatment actions automatically. This capability is particularly important for facilities working toward compliance with frameworks such as ASHRAE Guideline 188, which addresses Legionella risk reduction in building water systems through documented monitoring and control practices, as well as for jurisdictions with mandatory cooling tower registration and testing requirements. For those discharging blowdown to municipal systems or surface waters under EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, continuous monitoring supports 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 can be integrated with existing industrial automation or SCADA systems through standard communication protocols. Continuous data logging provides facility managers with accessible monitoring records for internal water resource management and external regulatory compliance reporting.
The system is structured across four layers: measurement, acquisition, platform, and control. In the measurement layer, water quality sensors installed in the cooling tower loop continuously measure parameters. The acquisition layer uses a monitoring host to collect readings from multiple points and upload consolidated data. The platform layer offers a monitoring interface where users can view real-time data and analyze trends. The control layer allows users to issue commands from the platform to linked controllers, which execute actions such as opening blowdown valves or activating dosing pumps, closing the loop between measurement and treatment.
Deployment can be tailored to different environments, with field sensors transmitting measurements through local acquisition equipment or communication gateways to centralized software or cloud-based platforms. This flexibility is relevant for facilities with geographically separated monitoring points or where measurement records must be retained for operational review. The system can support centralized observation, historical records, alarms, and further system management, though sensor selection, installation, calibration, and maintenance depend on the application and water characteristics.
Renkeer said the system is aimed at 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.
