Many facilities have a complex system for liquid and gas transfers from an entry point or control center to other parts of the facility. Along this system, there are typically points where a section of the system can be isolated from or connected to another part via shut-off valves. Managing all of these junction points can be a challenge, and is typically a manual process involving a technician that has to visit one or more manual valves to perform a shut-off. Even then, monitoring the flow-rate of a liquid through the system is difficult at each junction in the system, and often has to be manually discerned by observing flow state at an exit point, and then working backwards to the source of an issue. All of this is manual and time-consuming for facilities managers.

This project provides a simple, cellular-based system for controlling the open-closed state of a valve, monitoring the flow-rate of liquid through the valve, and a web app for monitoring valve information, controlling valve open-closed state, and managing alarms. The application uses a solenoid for controlling the valve, and a flow rate sensor for determining liquid flow through the valve, when open. A Swan-based application provides remote control and sensor monitoring, and sends valve state and flow rate to the Notecard. Alerts, valve flow-rate and state can be viewed via a web-based dashboard, and valve state can be controlled by the same web app.

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