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Wireless Sensor Networking for Remote Monitoring
Plants can use thousands of measurement and control devices to monitor complex manufacturing processes to gather information for important operational or maintenance decision making. There are often, however, processes or conditions that take place in environments where automated monitoring systems are impractical or impossible. Whether due to distant rural area or an in-plant hazardous environment, eliminating wires enables the installation of automated remote monitoring in virtually any setting.
Benefits to Remote Monitoring OEMs
For OEMs and developers of remote monitoring systems, wireless sensor networking delivers:
- New remote monitoring revenue opportunities – The elimination of wiring opens up a new market for automated remote monitoring systems where distance or dangerous environments preclude the use of wired systems.
- Increased remote system flexibility – With the elimination of wires, sensing and monitoring points can be easily moved around to accommodate dynamic processes and environments.
- More monitoring data for better remote management – Ease and lower cost of installation means that more sensing and monitoring points can be installed than in a wired environment, providing more data points to increase visibility into the system for better decision making.
Solutions for Remote Monitoring
The MeshScape system is ideally suited for remote monitoring. The hardware modules are easily integrated with sensor and control devices and can be installed quickly and easily. The robust networking protocol provides redundant and scalable wireless mesh network out of the box. MeshScape delivers:
- Power efficiency for long-term remote operation – The MeshScape system, based on an extremely lightweight protocol, offers the most power-efficient solution on the market today. Sensor nodes can operate for years on a coin cell battery.
- High reliability for mission-critical monitoring – MeshScape networks are the most robust wireless sensor networks offering the highest reliability of data delivery from sensor to host application in the industry. Mission-critical monitoring data is reliably transmitted for maximum operational efficiency.
- Proven effectiveness in RF-unfriendly environments – MeshScape networks have been successfully tested and deployed in environments where heavy industrial equipment can pose potential radio-frequency obstacles.
Remote Monitoring Applications
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From Preventive to Predictive |
Customer: |
This global instrumentation manufacturer offers a complete line of pressure, temperature, flow and level products and wanted to add wireless capabilities to expand its product line. |
Goal: |
The first application the company wirelessly enabled was for gas pads. The process of extracting natural gas produces byproducts. Typically those byproducts – such as hydrocarbons, oil and water – are stored in tanks in the gas fields and trucked off site on a scheduled basis. This manufacturer wanted to expand its line of pressure, temperature, flow and level products with wireless capabilities to enable the trucks to make the pick ups based on need rather than on a timed schedule. |
Solution: |
The company used MeshScape to install a self-sufficient, self-powered wireless sensor network to collect and communicate vital operational data to a remote monitoring center via satellite to an Internet backbone. |
Benefits: |
The new wireless product enables their customers to move away from scheduled maintenance to a predictive model to allow the truck runs to be made on an as-needed, just-in-time basis. The data gathered also provides insight into the extraction process, which can be adjusted to maximize the quality the gas. The customers benefit through improved process efficiency, significantly lower operational costs, and improved quality. |
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Industrial Automation Industry Note
Read about wireless sensor networking for industrial automation applications
Industrial Automation  |
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Reference Kits
Wireless Sensor Networking Reference Kits for Fast Prototyping
Reference Kits |
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