Implementing an intelligent inspection scheme for winter heating in northern regions by deploying 4G wireless temperature sensors.

I. Background and Pain Points

In the northern winter centralized heating system, the following prominent issues have long persisted:

• Room temperature does not meet the standard. : Some users’ indoor temperatures are far below the national standard of 18°C;

• Uneven heating and cooling (hydraulic imbalance) : Within the same residential complex, the near-end buildings are overheated while the far-end buildings remain unheated, resulting in significant energy waste;

• Pipeline leaks are difficult to detect. : Underground or in-wall pipeline leaks are highly concealed, resulting in significant losses of thermal energy and water resources;

• Response lag : Repair requests are triggered by user complaints, resulting in long processing times and a poor user experience;

• High operational and maintenance costs : Manual inspections are inefficient, lack data support, and make it difficult to allocate resources precisely.

These issues not only undermine residents’ quality of life but also hinder the refined management of heating utilities and the achievement of the “dual carbon” goals.

II. Solution Overview

Based on the foregoing, Hengyi Technology, leveraging IoT, edge computing, and cloud-platform technologies, has proposed an integrated system that combines… 4G CAT.1 Wireless Temperature Sensor and LoRa wireless temperature sensor The intelligent wireless temperature measurement and inspection system solution, covering “ Heat Source—Pipeline Network—User Terminal “End-to-end. Implementation:”

From “ Passive complaint "to" “Proactive Monitoring”  

From “ Experienced Operations and Maintenance "to" Data-driven ”

From “ Lag processing "to" Quick response ”

From “ Extensive Heating "to" On-demand precision control ”

The core value of the wireless temperature measurement system:

• ✅ Monitors room and water temperatures in real time, ensuring heating performance meets standards.
• ✅ Automatically identifies areas with uneven heating and cooling, assisting in scheduling hydraulic balancing adjustments;
• ✅ Multi-dimensional data fusion analysis provides early warnings of potential leaks up to 72 hours in advance;
• ✅ Reduces ineffective heating energy consumption by more than 30% and decreases water make-up requirements.
• ✅ Enhance user satisfaction and reduce temperature-related complaints by more than 95%.
• ✅ Enhance thermal energy utilization efficiency, helping enterprises reduce costs and improve productivity.
• ✅ No wiring required—plug and play.

III. Scheme Design

3.1 Overall System Functions

Faced with the long-standing, persistent challenges of uneven heating and pipeline leaks, Hengyi Technology has introduced an intelligent monitoring and proactive inspection system that seamlessly integrates 4G IoT sensors with LoRa self‑organizing network technology. This solution aims to establish a three‑tiered, comprehensive online sensing and monitoring framework—covering the pipeline network, individual buildings, and end‑user premises. By leveraging real-time data collection, cloud‑based intelligent analytics, and automated workflows, it shifts the detection of issues far upstream—from “customer complaints” and “reactive inspections” to the very early stages of potential problems—thereby achieving transparent visibility into the heating system’s operational status, proactive fault prediction, and precise maintenance scheduling. Ultimately, this approach supports core objectives of energy conservation, reduced consumption, enhanced user satisfaction, and optimized operating costs. The overall system block diagram is shown below:

3.2 Core Issues and Technical Countermeasures

• Uneven heating (hydraulic imbalance)

Question: In the same district heating network, users near the supply point are overheated, while those at the far end remain cold. — Within the same residential complex, significant temperature differences exist between different buildings and units, leading to energy waste and a sharp increase in customer complaints.

Strategy: Establish a “thermal balance” monitoring grid. At the outlets of heat exchange stations and at key nodes along branch pipelines, deploy 4G water‑temperature sensors (i.e., wireless temperature‑sensing devices) to continuously monitor supply and return water temperatures and the temperature differential, thereby assessing the baseline condition of hydraulic distribution. At each building’s thermal inlet or in representative units (such as corner units on intermediate floors), deploy… 4G wireless temperature sensor Wait Wireless temperature measurement device , thereby establishing a low-cost, high-density wireless temperature‑monitoring system with building‑level temperature reference points. The cloud platform continuously calculates the temperature differences at each monitoring point, automatically identifies areas of thermal imbalance, and issues early warnings.

• Pipeline leakage (hidden water/heat loss)

Question: Leakages in underground or wall‑embedded pipelines are difficult to detect, resulting in significant losses of hot water and thermal energy. The system’s makeup water demand rises abnormally, driving operating costs sharply higher. Moreover, leakage points in the vicinity may pose safety hazards.

Strategy: Cloud platform integration Sudden changes in supply and return water temperatures, abnormal make-up water flow, and a collective drop in room temperatures in specific areas. Collect multidimensional data, perform cross-validation, and precisely pinpoint suspected leakage areas. Install 4G water‑temperature sensors and, optionally, 4G flow meters on the supply and return pipes of heat exchange stations and major branch networks to monitor instantaneous flow rates and cumulative make‑up water volumes. Leveraging a high‑density deployment of 4G temperature sensors and water‑infiltration sensors, continuously monitor for abnormal, persistent low‑temperature zones that may indicate leakage points—such as beneath specific road sections or within particular building units.

3.3 System Architecture Design

Hierarchy	Monitoring point	Device Type	Functionality
Level 1: Heat Source/Heat Exchange Station	Supply/return main pipeline	4G water temperature sensor + flow meter + water immersion sensor	Monitoring total heat supply, temperature differential, abnormal make-up water levels, leaks, and other conditions.
Level 2: Building Entrance/Branch Pipeline Network	Thermal inlet and key valve chambers of each building	4G wireless temperature sensor or other wireless temperature measurement devices	Establish building-level temperature benchmarks and identify regional imbalances.
Level 3: User Client (Deployed on a Sample Basis)	Typical households (such as corner units or top-floor/ground-floor units)	LoRa/4G/Wi-Fi room temperature sensor, real-time online temperature monitoring	Provide feedback on the actual perceived temperature to verify the heating performance.

Note: LoRa is used for high‑density, low‑cost end‑device deployments; 4G is employed for highly reliable backhaul at critical nodes.

3.4 Data Flow and Platform Features

1. Data Collection : The sensor uploads temperature data in real time (the upload interval can be adjusted as needed);

2. Cloud-based aggregation : By leveraging the Hengyi Cloud platform for unified access, storage, organization, and visualization, a real-time online temperature monitoring system is established.

3. Intelligent Analysis : Calculate the thermal equilibrium index and compare the temperature differences among buildings within the same area;

1. Leakage Early Warning Model : Combined with the cooling rate, a sudden surge in water‑supply flow, and abnormal clustering of room temperatures in the area;
2. Alerts and Work Orders : Automatically push alerts to the operations and maintenance app;

6. Visualized Big Screen : Supports the heating company’s dispatch center in monitoring the operational status of the entire area in real time, enabling online temperature and humidity monitoring.

IV. Core Technologies and Products

4.1、 4G Temperature Sensor

• Product Features

This product is a high-performance, high-sensitivity temperature data acquisition terminal featuring a single-channel AD acquisition port. It can connect to PT100/PT1000 resistance temperature detectors and convert the measured values into temperature data, which is then transmitted wirelessly via Cat.1 to a cloud platform, facilitating engineering network deployment and industrial applications, and supporting platform integration.

• Product image

                   

• Product Specifications

Project	Parameter	Note
Functionality	Detects the temperature of objects and transmits the temperature data to the cloud platform via LoRa, LoRaWAN, or Cat1.
Temperature measurement range	-40℃~380℃
Temperature measurement accuracy	±0.5℃
Temperature measurement resolution	0.1℃
Data transmission method	LoRa/LoRaWAN/Cat1	Default LoRa
Wireless communication	Supports LoRa/LoRaWAN wireless communication, with a frequency range of 31 MHz to 915 MHz.	Wireless communication is an optional accessory; the default frequency band is 470 MHz.
Body temperature measurement site	External probe
Thermometer rod length	100CM
Operating temperature	-20℃~80℃
Power supply	Two 18505 lithium‑thionyl batteries, 800 mA

• Product dimensions

Advantages: No wiring required, plug-and-play, remote upgrades, low power consumption with long battery life.

4.2 Alternative Device: Water Immersion Sensor

4G water immersion sensor, assisting in leak detection.

V. Implementation Benefit Analysis

Dimension	Improvement effect
User satisfaction	Complaint rates have dropped by 50% to 80%, and the compliance rate has risen to over 95%, significantly reducing the workload of maintenance personnel.
Energy conservation and consumption reduction	Reduce ineffective circulating hot water by 10%–20%, resulting in annual savings of approximately RMB 150,000 per 100,000 m² in coal or gas costs, while also conserving labor and resources.
Operations efficiency	Significant efficiency gains: fault‑diagnosis time has been reduced from three days to under two hours.
Management Transparency	All data is traceable, supporting government oversight and third-party audits.

This solution is not merely a technological tool; it also represents an upgrade to the heating service model—

Make warmth tangible, measurable, and optimizable.