Entergy Temperature Sensing Case Study
Wireless temperature sensing in nuclear power plants.
The TL;DR
Entergy, a Fortune 500 power utility with 3 million customers, selected reelyActive as a vendor to catalyse their IoT innovation initiatives, beginning with a wireless temperature sensing solution for their five nuclear power plants. The unique combination of reelyActive's open source IoT middleware, expertise and impartial guidance expedited the realisation of an interoperable multi-vendor solution, and ultimately led to recognition with a Premier Supplier Award for Innovation.
Making Sense of Temperature
Nuclear power plants heat water into steam to generate electricity through turbines. Any loss of heat, for instance through steam leaks, reduces electric output and translates into monetary losses. A wireless temperature sensing solution facilitates the detection—and correction—of heat losses, maintaining optimal electric output and profitability.
Infrastructure-as-an-Opportunity
Retrofitting infrastructure is a challenge, especially in nuclear power plants which are highly regulated! Adding wired sensor infrastructure was not a viable option. Nonetheless, Entergy was in the process of completing a deployment of HPE Aruba Networking access points (APs), which provide IoT connectivity in addition to WiFi. This infrastructure created the opportunity to pursue previously impossible wireless sensing initiatives, starting with temperature.
reelyActive is a HPE Aruba Networking technology partner, offering seamless integration with their AP infrastructure.
Making Sense of the Solution
Entergy had in hand a commercial high-temperature wireless sensor, IoT-capable AP infrastructure and a database in which to store the data. All they needed was an integration of these parts into an interoperable solution, which could serve as a platform for future IoT initiatives. And that's where reelyActive came in:
- our Pareto Anywhere open source IoT middleware readily "glued" together the parts
- our guidance and expertise expedited the development and deployment timeline
To complete the solution, reelyActive developed two integrations:
- decoding of Efento wireless sensor packets in our advlib-ble-manufacturers open source library
- SQL Server integration using an existing third-party open source module (see barnacles-tds)
Beyond the Traditional Vendor-Client Relationship
Pareto Anywhere IoT middleware is open source and free of cost to use, both factors appreciated by Entergy in their decision to work with reelyActive. A Beyond package, which is an annual subscription to leverage reelyActive as an extension of their team, afforded Entergy access to the guidance and open source development necessary to complete the solution.
"reelyActive's impartial guidance was key to realising a proof of concept that has evolved into more ambitious initiatives."
Innovation Award
In May of 2024, reelyActive was recognised with a Premier Supplier Award for Innovation by Entergy in New Orleans for this wireless temperature sensing solution.
The award underlines the technical innovation of the wireless temperature sensing project, and—more importantly—the fostering of a culture of innovation within the organisation.
"You can't buy innovation. It needs to be nurtured within your organisation."
Outcomes
The success of the wireless temperature sensing project served as a catalyst for innovation at Entergy, opening the door to more ambitious IoT projects with an ever-growing team.
- Entergy
- USA
- Launched 2023
