Energy Efficient Data Transmission Approaches for Wireless Industrial Automation

摘要

Background: The industrial wireless automation system enables the monitoring andcontrol of processes. It may be difficult to recharge the battery of sensors installed in harmfulenvironments. Hence optimization of the power is the major issue to be addressed while implementingthe network. The proposed hybrid data transmission approaches optimize data accuracyand energy efficiency of a wireless sensor node deployed in any industry.Methods: In the time-driven method, the sensor nodes periodically sense the environment andtransmit the data continuously over time. In the event-driven method, the sensor nodes transmitdata only when there is a drastic change in the occurrence of a certain event.Results: Based on the nature of the process, applications are classified as, less critical, critical andmost critical. The time-driven based hybrid transmission approach is suggested for the mostcritical applications because they need to be monitored continuously so as to attain data accuracy.In the case of critical applications, the data is not required to be sent continuously, but instead itcan be sampled and transmitted once in two seconds. Though the above suggested methodsintended to provide better outcomes in terms of power utilization, in the case of process controlapplications, most critical and critical applications need to be monitored continuously. Hence suchapplications could be done as a heterogeneous industrial automation network, which is the combinationof wired and wireless connectivity. This can be implemented by replacing all the signalcables with wireless communication system, regular power supply must be provided for the radiomodule attached with final control elements and also to the transmitters involved in most criticalapplications. For the least critical applications, the data can be sampled and transmitted once infour seconds.Conclusion: Simulation has been performed for time-driven based and duty-cycling based hybridtransmission approaches. The results can guide process engineers in selecting the transmissionapproach for optimizing the power of IWAS based on the critical level of the process. In the caseof a critical process, the time-driven based hybrid transmission approach may be used, and in thecase of a less critical process, the duty-cycling based hybrid transmission approach could be selected.By selecting appropriate transmission approach the life time of IWAS could be improved.