Wireless sensor network: 3 applications to get the most out of them

If you are working without a network of wireless sensors distributed throughout the site, then you are still unaware of the viability, power and applications that one of these can have in an installation.

To help illustrate how ubiquitous they have become, wireless sensors in different industrial sectors, Below are three examples of wireless sensor network implementations that have become so commonplace that they could be considered guaranteed success stories.

• Wireless limit switch networks are commonly used to prevent liquid storage tanks from overflowing. Its operation is simple: as the tank fills, the liquid level forces a change in the position of the limit switch. The wireless limit switch then sends a signal to the pump controller to start pumping the tank to lower the level. When the liquid level drops to a safe level, the switch sends a signal to the controller to turn off the pump.
• Pipeline security is largely managed through a network of wireless sensors., according to Steve Toteda, vice president and general manager of Cooper Industries“ wireless business unit and president of the Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance (WINA). "We are doing a lot of work in Mexico right now to monitor and maintain oil pipelines. In these applications, there is a hierarchy of wireless sensor network tools that are used with instrumentation in the pipeline to capture data and transmit it to the control system via a high-speed return network. This combination of technologies (wired, wireless and cellular) has really taken the wireless technology at the forefront because it is combining multiple technologies for monitoring pipelines in segments of 20-30 kilometres. By doing this with several segments, you can effectively monitor hundreds of kilometres of pipes.
• A major pharmaceutical manufacturer recently decided to implement all its R&D equipment., such as incubators and cryogenic freezers, and connect them to the control system for 24/7/365 monitoring. Because much of this equipment has wheels, it was difficult to connect them, as they need to be able to move. This project is still ongoing, but there are currently nearly 2,000 pieces of equipment equipped with a wireless sensor network on the company's R&D campus, covering an area of approximately 1.5 km.

Since you are interested in learning more about wireless sensor network applications, we invite you to review this Guide to using HTTP and MQTT protocols in IIoT projects for factoriesas well as to subscribe to our Newsletter, a newsletter with content related to the topic of this article, such as the four Ways to solve latency issues in automation projects using industrial wireless technology.