Project Overview
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fernald Preserve in Hamilton, Ohio requested an upgrade to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system and wireless communications network for the existing remediation wastewater treatment control system. The existing wireless communications system was failing to provide reliable control and data acquisition of the leachate collection at the site. SCADA and HMI communications for the well field had also proved to be operating extremely slow and the request was made to improve the speed at which the wellfield control system performed.
T&M engineering staff designed an entirely new radio system that was installed to improve the leachate collection system communications. T&M specified, designed and installed 5.8 GHz, Ethernet radios and small PLCs at each leachate collection station. The installation required removing the I/O radios and wiring the new small PLCs and mounting the new radios in their place, all while keeping the existing treatment system operational. Reliability of the communications has been greatly improved.
The wellfield communications were improved by installing and designing an upgraded SCADA software package. The upgraded SCADA software package allowed for re-structuring of the PLC program to handle the wellfield data and the HMI interface more efficiently, improving the speed of the control system. All twenty-one (21) extraction wells communicate on a fiber optic network utilizing Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs). T&M is providing ongoing active Instrumentation & Controls support services.
