Rapidly Evolving Benefits to Refinery Operators Adopting Wireless Infrastructure Projects
Written by: Erica Bartlett, Control Systems Resource Manager with Linda Ricard
Published October 2024
Transforming disparate operation and communication systems into a smart, automated, wireless mesh industrial network takes meticulous planning, detailed engineering, and extensive knowledge of wireless hardware, fiber optic installation best practices, and communication protocols.
While Wireless Plant Networks (WPN) have been shown to improve industrial operations from an efficiency standpoint, their adoption has been limited by the perceived security and reliability risks that these wireless systems can present. Today’s highly robust, reliable, and ruggedized wireless technologies are rapidly advancing to address these cybersecurity risks with stringent IIoT security features to keep hackers out while also supporting the evolving industrial applications of tomorrow.
Currently, the main justification cited for moving to wireless technologies is to give engineers and operators the ability to monitor, manage, and maintain equipment in the field without being confined to an office or control room. The ability to access live plant data and current drawing records on their tablets during field walks saves time and money.
Once the infrastructure is installed, WPNs open up enormous opportunities that can give operators the ability to install wireless devices for maintenance applications (i.e., condition or event monitoring) without the expense of control wiring or capacity limitation issues. Edge devices can also be used to take advantage of cloud services and applications.
Real-Time Actionable Intelligence
The goal of an Industrial WPN is to securely transfer information across multiple sensors, wireless transmitters, smart gateways, and networks within the WPN to meet ISA 100 (Wireless Systems for Automation requirements). The resulting real-time data can provide operators with heightened situational awareness. With this information, operators can quickly resolve issues, even from outside of the control room. This cost-effective and efficient approach to delivering mission critical data gives operators the ability to run their units more efficiently for better uptime.
One of the core benefits of WPN is reliable communications. Wireless devices with antennas and sensors send data to a gateway. If an issue with a device occurs along the way, the information is subsequently rerouted by forming a new path through another device to continue transmission to the gateway.