5 Reasons Why Process Industries Need Low-Power Wide Area Networks

From oil and gas, refineries and chemicals to pharmaceuticals and food and beverage, process manufacturers face the same challenges of volatile market demands and constant pressure to improve operational performance. For many businesses, failure to achieve peak performance can result in significant revenue losses. As the Internet of Things leads the next industrial revolution, process manufacturers will be among the first to catch up with this wave of digital transformation.

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At its core, IoT is about collecting data from smart sensors in thousands of devices. Data is transmitted to local, internal databases or control systems and/or cloud platforms, from which actionable insights can be derived for operational transparency and smart decision making. These powerful IoT applications are driven by new wireless connectivity that enables low-power and affordable “last mile” communications between data points.

Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN)

Unlike time-sensitive automation applications, a large number of IoT remote monitoring use cases do not require high bandwidth to transmit data. For example, data on silo fill levels or ambient temperature does not usually need to be updated with millisecond latency. For IoT sensor networks, it is more important to be able to connect more data points in an affordable and energy-efficient way.

Given that many processes and assets are located in remote and challenging locations, communications range is another key requirement. In addition, ease of installation provides the flexibility to adapt and scale to dynamic business needs. In this context, wired solutions - which are expensive and cumbersome to implement, retrofit and scale - are difficult to deliver.

Low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs) are purpose-built for large-scale, low-data-rate sensor networks running on standalone batteries and are disrupting the IoT landscape. 57% of IIoT professionals say they are researching or developing LPWAN solutions.

An interesting aspect of LPWAN is its multi-kilometer coverage and deep penetration capabilities, which outperform Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and industrial wireless mesh networks. This makes them a viable solution for geographically dispersed and/or structurally dense industrial parks such as oil fields, refineries, and processing plants. At the same time, ultra-low power designs can maintain battery life for many years, helping to reduce total cost of ownership and environmental footprint. Compared to industrial mesh solutions, LPWAN can be implemented without complex network configuration, and both equipment and operating costs are low.

Note that network performance can vary significantly between different LPWAN options. For solutions operating in environments with many coexisting radio systems, interference immunity is a prerequisite to ensure optimal reliability of the radio link. Process manufacturers who are not familiar with LPWAN may find it challenging to compare and evaluate the multiple options available on the market. From experience, technologies built on strict industry standards offer proven quality, scalability, and industrial-grade reliability. To date, Telegram Splitting - recognized in the ETSI standard for low-throughput networks (ETSI Telecommunication Standard 103 357) - is the first and only globally standardized technology in the unlicensed LPWAN market.

5 Reasons Why Process Industries Need Low-Power Wide Area Networks

The core value of IoT is unparalleled visibility into current operations. Here, versatile LPWAN networks can connect everything from fixed assets in a factory to mobile workers and their surroundings. It excels especially in hard-to-reach locations and hazardous environments where manual monitoring is too risky and inefficient.

1. Pipeline monitoring

Pipelines are an essential asset for the oil and gas, chemical and other process industries, transporting gases and liquids throughout the production process. Pipeline leaks are a major operational risk due to the severe financial and environmental consequences. In addition to asset losses, leaks of oil and other toxic substances can lead to severe pollution and associated hefty fines. Likewise, gas and chemical leaks can also be the trigger point for catastrophic explosions, resulting in irreversible consequences.

Using LPWAN, manufacturers can collect vibration, strain, flow and sound readings from multiple sensor data points to remotely monitor the health and integrity of their pipeline systems. This automates manual activities such as regular site visits to conduct inspections and record data. More importantly, structural damage and failures can be identified at the outset, allowing for early intervention to reduce repair and downtime costs while minimizing negative consequences.

2. Silo level monitoring

Silos and tanks are used to store important processing raw materials and end products. These assets need to be constantly monitored for a variety of purposes, including production planning, inventory control, and safety management. However, this is often challenging. Many silos and tanks are located far from the center of operations and are often located in inconvenient locations with complex terrain.

Even if the data could be read manually, this is labor-intensive and time-consuming, and still does not provide accurate insights into current fill levels. As a result, refilling or emptying occurs either too early or too late, which can lead to lost productivity, costly production interruptions, or wasteful and dangerous overfilling. In addition, the environment containing toxic chemicals poses health risks to workers while the data is being collected.

A robust LPWAN solution can solve these problems by effectively connecting low-power sensors on remote tanks and silos. With real-time fill level data, plant managers can strategically schedule on-site inspections and required resources as needed to optimize employee productivity and safety.

3. Predictive maintenance

Because process manufacturing is asset-intensive, equipment that is not operating at peak performance can significantly reduce productivity. Preventive maintenance—performed on a predefined, regular basis—is inherently inefficient because it is inconsistent with equipment health. Too often, this maintenance is performed too frequently or, worse, not in a timely manner—resulting in costly and unnecessary production losses.

As the demand for predictive maintenance continues to increase, versatile LPWANs provide the communications infrastructure for condition monitoring of equipment. Measurements of current, temperature, pressure, vibration, and other health parameters of critical assets can be cost-effectively transmitted from a large number of endpoints to cloud-based or on-premises analytical tools, which then interpret the incoming data to diagnose any abnormal deviations and potential wear and tear of parts and components. As a result, manufacturers can schedule maintenance only when needed, thereby improving asset reliability while reducing service and downtime costs.

4. Environmental and cold chain monitoring

Environmental factors have a significant impact on product quality and safety in many processes. Specifically, the pharmaceutical, chemical and food and beverage industries strive to seamlessly monitor their cold chains to preserve the properties and optimal shelf life of the final product. In addition, maintaining good humidity plays a decisive role in minimizing mold and bacterial growth without compromising product quality. Similarly, in the pharmaceutical industry, proper dust control is essential to avoid product contamination and mitigate harmful effects on workers' health.

Manufacturers can not only rely on the reliability of HVAC systems, but also gain unprecedented visibility into critical environmental factors throughout production and storage processes by leveraging LPWAN-enabled sensor networks. Disruptive conditions and their root causes (e.g., refrigerator and HVAC equipment failures) can be detected early to take countermeasures before minor issues turn into disasters.

5. Employee safety

Employees in processing plants face numerous imminent dangers—from regular exposure to toxic chemicals to fatal falls during inspections and maintenance, equipment accidents, and explosion risks. In addition to rigorous training and proper use of protective equipment, staying informed about employee health and the work environment can reduce the risk of fatal accidents and chronic illnesses.

Typically, smart wearable devices can transmit important indicators of field workers (such as pulse and location) to the operation center via LPWAN. Combined with contextual data from environmental sensors (such as air quality, heat, humidity, radiation), employees can be promptly reminded of long-term exposure to hazards, overwork, and accidents so that preventive measures can be taken. For example, encouraging employees to take a break when needed can greatly improve employee productivity while avoiding fatigue-related injuries and accidents.

Ensuring critical safety equipment is in optimal condition through predictive maintenance can also reduce the risk of equipment incidents. Similarly, LPWAN-enabled remote monitoring eliminates regular manual inspections, thereby reducing employee contact with hazardous equipment.

Summarize

The Industrial Internet of Things is multifaceted in nature. While wired solutions remain the mainstay of factory and process automation, LPWANs offer a complementary wireless infrastructure to enable a host of new and powerful IoT applications. While wireless connectivity is not new to many process manufacturers, LPWANs can help enhance their competitive advantage by reducing costs and increasing efficiency in a number of ways.

The coverage, power consumption, and cost advantages of these networks enable previously inaccessible assets to be connected at an unprecedented scale. In addition, simple installation and management eliminate the expense and hassle associated with network configuration, implementation, and expansion. However, not all LPWANs are the same, and choosing a solution based on mature industry standards will ensure carrier-grade reliability, security, and long-term interoperability for your IoT architecture.