EVOLV - Edge-Layer Evolution for Optimized Virtualization

EVOLV is an industrial automation platform built as a custom Node-RED package for real-time process control, monitoring, and optimization of wastewater treatment plants.

Overview

Property	Value
Package	`EVOLV` (npm)
Version	1.0.29
Runtime	Node-RED on Node.js
Database	InfluxDB (time-series telemetry)
ML/AI	TensorFlow.js (predictive models)
Thermodynamics	CoolProp
Target	Waterschap Brabantse Delta (NL)

Architecture

EVOLV provides 12 custom Node-RED nodes plus a shared utility library (generalFunctions). Each node follows a 3-tier architecture:

Entry file - Node-RED registration, HTTP endpoints for editor menus
nodeClass - Node-RED adapter layer (handles RED.* API calls)
specificClass - Pure domain logic (no framework dependencies, fully testable)

Standard 3-Port Output

All process nodes use a consistent output pattern:

Port	Purpose	Example
Port 0	Process data	Measurement values, calculated state
Port 1	InfluxDB telemetry	Time-series data for remote logging
Port 2	Registration / control	Parent-child communication, asset discovery

Canonical Units

All internal calculations use SI-derived canonical units:

Quantity	Unit
Pressure	Pa
Flow	m3/s
Power	W
Temperature	K

Platform Architecture

EVOLV is not only a Node-RED package. It is a layered platform with:

edge execution close to PLCs and field assets
site aggregation for resilience and plant-local operations
central services for APIs, intelligence, analytics, governance, and lifecycle management

Architecture pages:

flowchart LR
    subgraph EDGE["Edge"]
        PLC["PLC / IO"]
        ENR["Node-RED"]
        EDB["Local InfluxDB"]
    end

    subgraph SITE["Site"]
        SNR["CoreSync / Site Node-RED"]
        SDB["Site InfluxDB"]
    end

    subgraph CENTRAL["Central"]
        API["API Gateway"]
        CFG["Tagcodering"]
        CDB["Central InfluxDB"]
        CGR["Grafana"]
        INTEL["Overview Intelligence"]
    end

    PLC --> ENR
    ENR --> EDB
    ENR <--> SNR
    EDB <--> SDB
    SNR <--> API
    API <--> CFG
    API --> INTEL
    SDB <--> CDB
    CDB --> CGR

Node Inventory

Node	Purpose	Parent
rotatingMachine	Individual pump/compressor/blower control	MGC or pumpingStation
pumpingStation	Multi-pump station with hydraulic optimization	-
machineGroupControl	Coordinates multiple rotatingMachine children	-
valve	Individual valve modeling and control	VGC
valveGroupControl	Coordinates multiple valve children	-
reactor	Biological reactor with ASM3 kinetics	-
settler	Secondary clarifier / sludge settling	downstream of reactor
monster	Multi-parameter biological process monitoring	-
measurement	Sensor signal conditioning and data quality	any parent node
diffuser	Aeration system control	-
dashboardAPI	Grafana dashboard management and telemetry	-
generalFunctions	Shared utility library (not a node)	-

Parent-Child Relationships

pumpingStation ----------> rotatingMachine  (manages pumps with hydraulic context)
machineGroupControl ----> rotatingMachine  (group coordination)
valveGroupControl ------> valve            (group coordination)
reactor ----------------> settler          (biological cascade; settler pulls effluent)
measurement ------------> any parent       (registers via Port 2)

Installation

Prerequisites

Node.js >= 18
Node-RED >= 3.x
InfluxDB 2.x (for telemetry)
Docker (optional, for containerized deployment)

npm Install

npm install EVOLV

From Source

git clone --recurse-submodules https://gitea.wbd-rd.nl/RnD/EVOLV.git
cd EVOLV
npm install

Docker

docker compose build nodered
docker compose up -d nodered

Development

Submodules

All nodes are git submodules. After cloning:

git submodule update --init --recursive

Testing

Each node has 3 tiers of tests (basic, integration, edge):

node --test nodes/<nodeName>/test/basic/*.test.js

Deploying Flows

Editing flow files alone does not deploy them. POST to the running Node-RED instance:

curl -X POST http://localhost:1880/flows -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @flow.json

Repository Structure

EVOLV/
  nodes/                    # All node submodules
    dashboardAPI/
    diffuser/
    generalFunctions/       # Shared library
    machineGroupControl/
    measurement/
    monster/
    pumpingStation/
    reactor/
    rotatingMachine/
    settler/
    valve/
    valveGroupControl/
  .agents/                  # AI agent skills and anchors
  docker/                   # Docker configuration
  manuals/                  # Node-RED reference docs
  scripts/                  # Utility and deployment scripts
  package.json
  docker-compose.yml