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How Wireless Meshing Could Save Energy

Posted by timothy on from the 23-percent-is-a-bunch dept.

An anonymous reader writes "EE Times reports that the future of industrial automation lies in wireless mesh sensor networks. From the article: 'It is the holy grail of the factory floor: hundreds of sensors wirelessly connected, monitoring motors for problems and drastically reducing energy consumption -- all with the precision and rhythm of a philharmonic orchestra.' (Other articles here(1), here(2), and here(3).)"

10 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. Saving energy... by ackthpt · · Score: 4, Interesting
    All I need is some sort of antenna system, tuned to the wavelength of these networks and I could capture the power and run my house off it! :-)

    My dad told me stories of Back In The Day(tm) when AM radio stations would broadcast at 300,000 watts, or more, and streetlights would be lit by the radiant energy. Can't imagine that did people much good living near the antennas...

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    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Saving energy... by Uplore · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The idea of dispersing electricity through radio signals is certainly not new, Nicola Tesla had this design installed in his house. A transmitter that powered all his lights without the need for wiring. I'm not sure if this is the same technology being used here but it sounds similar.

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  2. I, for one... by ChaosWing · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ...welcome our new job-stealing wireless mechanical overlords.

    Seriously, though, this would make my job a whole lot easier...monitoring the operation of a pair of 8MW generators (or a host of other equipment) from a single location vice constantly hopping around from point-to-point looking at every little gage and meter gets real old, real fast.

  3. How secure are such setups? by LordZardoz · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Given all the slashdot stories about Wardriving and the like, how secure would these networks be? What prevents a competor with a wireless broadcast anteanna from parking in range of your factory, and sending false signals telling your machines to idle?

    END COMMUNICATION

    1. Re:How secure are such setups? by Donny+Smith · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Also - they already make wireless-proof wallpaper. I'm sure there are affordable ways to make buildings wireless-proof and in the future that will probably become a standard offering in factory construction..

  4. Intrinsically Safe by billdar · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Two years ago when I was an ASIC engineer, I would have thought this was a good solution. Having since switched to industrial control systems, I have to say no way.

    Safty and reliability are absolutes in industrial control.

    A machine like a bottler goes down at pepsi, and they are losing $250k/min when that machine isn't running. Or a pharmacutical company drops a batch worth $3 million. And now that I've climbed in or on huge presses, mixing tanks, 6ft. fans, high preasure steam, and poison vapors... I wouldn't trust thier function to a wireless web.

    I can see where this would be great for remote/hazardess sensors and transmittion, but not anytime soon for control. Hell, we still extensivly use rs232 over ethernet.

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  5. Sweet! by pyrrhonist · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Each wireless sensor will operate for years on a single battery charge, but for the future, GE is working on new technology that could harvest the vibrational energy of the motor itself to power the transceivers.

    This is pretty sweet. This way, you don't have to waste more energy by putting a transformer onto the motor's circuit. The best part is that it uses energy that you're normally wasting anyway.

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    Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
  6. Howzat? by c0dedude · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The electric charactaristics of a machine change when it's broken. I don't really understand how putting sensors everywhere will improve that situation rather than just managing eletronic load. For that matter, doesn't wireless need much energy?

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    Since when has this country used intellectual elite as a pejorative term?
  7. Labour/paper/energy saving?? by EmbeddedJanitor · · Score: 2, Interesting
    So far what evidence is there that computers save work. Sure some work has been replaced (eg. manual calculation), but it has been replaced with more complex work (typed report->3d bar graph spreadsheet etc). Nett labour has increased due to computers. Ditto paperless office: computers generate more paper than the paper based systems that they replace.

    Therefore I don't have high hopes for energy saving via a new energy saving system. I can see visions of technicians rushing around in gas-guzzling trucks to go install/upgrade/repair sensors. Once all the sums are done I don't expect an energy saving.

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    Engineering is the art of compromise.
  8. Re:Interference? by IvyKing · · Score: 5, Interesting
    The folks working on this are very aware of the problems with interference - DOE has been working on factory floor networking for several years (Wayne Manges from ORNL). In addition to interference, you have to contend with Dopler shift and fading as a result of objects moving aroound the floor (variable multipath). For those with radio experience (e.g hams) signal propagation starts to look more like HF (shortwave) than microwave.

    but retrofitting is going to be a big flop

    Actually the whole point of this work is to retrofit the factory floors (or other places using large motors). According to Wayne Manges, you're looking at $20 to $50 per foot to install wiring, so a $200 wireless sensor would be cost effective compared to running wire. The system could pay for itself by flagging one motor that is having problems before it fails - DOE's hope is that you can also tell tha the motor is chewing up electricity at an excessive rate.