PROBLEM
When supplying eco-products abroad, the farm is faced with the need to improve the storage conditions for fruits and berries to improve the quality of products and increase the shelf life. After analyzing the situation, it turned out that the parameters of temperature, humidity were not measured in the warehouse, and the ventilation schedule was not observed. The microclimate system was controlled manually, which significantly affected the safety of products.
SOLUTION
The specialists of our company proposed a budget model of the LoRaWAN base station for installation in one of the storages. Despite the fact that this is a semi-basement and there are difficult conditions for the propagation of radio signals, it is possible to cover the entire territory with one station. You can also install a system of wireless sensors:
- temperature and humidity sensors in each of the storage areas for various crops, including cold rooms – special sensors for working in low temperatures.
- sensors for the state of opening / closing doors and ventilation valves.
- motion sensors were installed to control personnel access to the warehouse and control lighting.
- to control the operation of the cooling and ventilation equipment, current sensors were installed on the electric motors.
Thingsboard software was chosen as an application server for displaying data. The same application allows you to control equipment to maintain a microclimate in storage.
LoRaWAN wireless technology provides large-area coverage with a sensor battery life of 3 to 5 years.
RESULT
The introduction of a monitoring and control system for the storage conditions of fruits and berries made it possible to reduce energy consumption for maintaining the premises. The ability to maintain optimal air parameters extended the shelf life of products not only in warehouses, but also on store shelves. In addition, the workload on staff has decreased, and there is more time for solving additional tasks. The refrigeration equipment monitoring system made it possible to monitor the equipment performance and prevent critical breakdowns.