CNG refueling equipment monitoring for transit fleet with 50% faster development than competing SCADA packages.
Industry: Transportation & Logistics (Mass Transit)
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Customer | MetroLINK (Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District) |
| Integrator | ANGI Energy Systems |
| Ridership | 3.5 million rides per year |
| Tags | ~750 total, 454 communication points |
| Development | Few weeks (less than half time of Wonderware) |
| Access | Web Clients (no software installation required) |
| Legacy Alternatives | Wonderware, InteractX |
The Challenge
Challenge: Monitor and control Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refueling equipment to support MetroLINK's fleet of alternative fuel buses, including compression systems, gas management, and dispenser production.
Specific pain points:
- Needed better control and monitoring for CNG processes
- Required logging and reporting on dispenser KPIs
- Previous experience with Wonderware and InteractX proved inflexible
- Proprietary scripting in competing packages was inefficient
- Tag-based licensing in competitors was costly
- Needed remote access without installing software on every computer
Impact: Without efficient monitoring, MetroLINK couldn't optimize CNG refueling operations for their alternative fuel bus fleet.
The Solution
Architecture
| Tier | Component | Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Field | CNG Equipment | Compression systems, dispensers |
| Central | FrameworX Server | Real-time monitoring, historian |
| Database | Custom Data Tables | KPI logging, queries |
| Reporting | Data-Grid Controls | Selectable parameters, reports |
| Clients | Web Clients | Remote access, no installation |
Processes Monitored
| Process | Function |
|---|---|
| Compression Systems | Design and control |
| Gas Management | Flow and inventory |
| CNG Dispensers | Production control |
| Dispenser KPIs | Logging and reporting |
Scale
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Tags | ~750 |
| Communication Points | 454 (real-world I/O) |
| Annual Ridership Supported | 3.5 million rides |
Communities Served
- Moline
- Rock Island
- East Moline
- Silvis
- Milan
- Carbon Cliff
- Hampton
- Colona
Services Supported
- Metro bus service
- ADA paratransit
- Special Transportation Services
- Channel Cat Water Taxi (seasonal ferryboat)
Key Enablers
FrameworX capabilities that made this solution possible:
| Capability | Application |
|---|---|
| Name Spaces | Wealth of information without additional tags or scripts |
| Communication Point Licensing | Lower cost than tag-based systems (454 vs 750) |
| .NET Technologies | Efficient custom features (database, reporting, scripting) |
| Complete Package | No time spent ensuring required modules installed |
| Custom Data Tables | KPI logging with queries and data-grid controls |
| Web Clients | Remote access without software installation |
The Results
50%+ Faster Development — Project completed in few weeks, less than half the time of Wonderware
Lower License Cost — Communication point model (454 points) vs tag-based (750 tags)
Real-Time Visualization — Historical and live representation of refueling process
Enhanced Monitoring — Better control of compression, gas management, and dispensers
Custom Reporting — Data-grid with selectable parameters for informative reports
Remote Access — Web Clients allow access without installing software on every computer
Minimal Custom Scripting — Name Spaces provide information without additional tags
Baseline for Future — First project became template for subsequent ANGI projects
Customer Testimonials:
"FactoryStudio helps us to get the data we need and deliver meaningful information."
— James Tuttle, Systems Administrator, MetroLINK
"The Name Spaces in FactoryStudio projects provide a wealth of information to use in projects without requiring additional Tags or Scripts to use. Just pluck the information from the Name Space to use in animations, scripts, alarms, wherever you'd like."
— Larry Stall, Controls Engineer, ANGI
Resources
Download case study: CaseStudy_SupportSystem.pdf
This case demonstrates CNG refueling equipment monitoring for mass transit with 50% faster development and communication point-based licensing.
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