Solar Powered Wireless Communications for Industrial Process Measurement and Control

Analynk Model A650 Solar Power Supply

Wireless connections of process measurement and control equipment sometimes are accomplished in remote locations without readily available electric power. Analynk, as part of its full line of industrial wireless connectivity products, provides their model A650 Solar Power Supply for locations that require a small amount of DC power to operate instrumentation and an Analynk transmitter.

The power supply unit comes complete with solar panel, battery, charge controller, and NEMA 4 enclosure. Options are available to accommodate specific installation requirements. Custom units can be designed for larger power requirements and other special applications.

The data sheet below provides more detail. Share your wireless process measurement and control connectivity challenges with Analynk for effective solutions.

Solar power supply for industrial wireless transmitters from Analynk Wireless, LLC

Process Connections - Wireless is Simple Solution to Many Challenges

Wireless connections for industrial process signals

The operating personnel at almost every facility have something to which they would like to connect. Remotely located equipment, activities that require a human to be present to monitor operation, and other scenarios are all candidates for a wireless connection. Have you ever thought that it would be helpful to know more about the current status of a remotely located piece of gear, for example, the back-up generator located across the parking lot? Budgets, time constraints, cabling difficulties, and other factors seem to continually outweigh the benefits of making the connection and gathering the data. Those days are gone. In fact, they have been gone for some time.

Industrial wireless transmitters, receivers, and repeaters can be applied in place of wires, cables, conduit, trenches, overhead supports, and all the other hardware associated with a wired installation. Data is gathered using whatever process measurement hardware you prefer, just specify commonly used output signals like 4-20 mA, or a host of others. Connect the measuring device output to the transmitter input. Locate a receiver where you want the sensor information delivered. The transmitter converts the sensor analog signal to digital and the receiver converts back to analog. The connection can be accomplished in a very short amount of time without disturbance to the real estate between the two points.

How can I tell if the wireless connection can be accomplished without interference?

The transmission is accomplished in either the 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz band, delivering adequate range and power for most facility-wide applications. Obstructions can be overcome with the use of a strategically located repeater.

What about power needed to operate the sensors and wireless equipment?

Most process sensors have very small power requirements, as do the Analynk transmission units. Power, if line voltage is not available at the location, can be provided by batteries, or combination of battery and photovoltaic. Little power needs to be provided for operation.

There may be simple and effective wireless solutions to many of your remote monitoring challenges. Don't assume it is difficult, it is not. Don't assume it is expensive, it is not. Share your ideas and challenges with the experts at Analynk. Combining your facility and process knowledge with their technology and product expertise will lead to effective solutions.

Wireless Access Points Installed in Hazardous Locations

Hazardous area wireless access point enclosure
with explosion proof antennas.

Installing the IT department's chosen wireless access point in an area classified as hazardous due to the potential for ignition of flammable or explosive gases and vapors poses a challenge. While there can be real benefit to maintaining uniformity throughout the wireless network hardware, the gear installed in the office areas cannot be installed in a hazardous area without proper accommodation.

Analynk manufactures rated enclosures for industrial wireless access points, facilitating their installation in hazardous locations. Each access point enclosure is specifically targeted and designed to provide easy installation of specific wireless access points from a range of manufacturers. Every model is provided with UL listed explosion proof antennas, a mounting bracket designed for the target access point, and RF cables to make the antenna connections. Enclosures have penetrations specifically located to accommodate the target access point.The current offering accommodates a range of units from Symbol, Cisco, Meru, Aruba, HP, and Motorola, with more models added regularly to accommodate additional wireless access points.

The newly added AP620 is designed for the Motorola/Zebra AP-7532 Access Point

Analynk Wireless specializes in industrial wireless communications. Your wireless communication challenges are welcome at Analynk, so make contact and share your application requirements. Combining your process expertise with Analynk's product specialization will produce an effective solution.

Hazardous Area Access Point Enclosure from Analynk Wireless, LLC

Increasing Generator Set Starting Reliability

Genset monitoring application is ideal for use
of the A16000 Expansion Module

Standby electric generators, often powered by gas or diesel fuel, are critical to maintaining operations in the face of electric power outages. Generator sets for industrial or commercial use are often provided with onboard controls to automatically start the unit, activate a transfer switch, and take the unit back off-line when grid power is restored.

A generator set is a risk mitigation asset, intended to prevent loss of operations when certain adverse conditions occur. Power failures are generally infrequent, so the equipment remains idle most of the time. Automatic controls can test run the unit periodically, but continuous monitoring of a few points on the equipment can provide information that increases the assurance that the unit will start when commanded. Delivering the data to an operations center for monitoring and storage for analysis provides a supervisor a snapshot of unit readiness in real time, anytime.

Some items to monitor that can increase your assessment of startup reliability:

• Fuel Level - Clearly, knowing the current fuel level is useful. Being able to read the engine fuel level from your operations center saves technician time and provides a continuous means of estimating available generator runtime.
• Engine Block Heater - Measure the current flowing to the engine block heater to make sure the heater is functioning properly. 
• Battery - A voltage reading provides indication of battery health.
• Ambient Temperature - While not essential, logging temperature along with the other items can provide some useful data that may reveal some correlations.
• Generator Controller Fault Indicators - If the generator control system provides any outputs that will indicate detection of a fault, monitoring their status at the facilities office brings the data to where it can be acted upon immediately.

There may be other aspects of a generator set that can be monitored during standby to increase the assurance of a startup on command. A careful assessment of each system in place will reveal the possibilities.

Analynk manufactures all the transmitters and sensors necessary to deliver the data points needed. With many generators located remotely from the point where the data should be delivered, Analynk's wireless communications products can be employed to deliver all the data from the generator to the facilities or operations center without having to install any cabling between the locations.

Reach out to Analynk with your performance or process monitoring and data delivery challenges. Combing your process and facilities knowledge with their product application expertise will produce effective solutions. 

RTD or Thermocouple for Your Temperature Measurement Application?

Wireless transmission of temperature signals can be
easily accomplished with Analynk transmitters and receivers

Proper temperature sensor selection is key to getting useful and accurate data for maintaining control of a process. There are two main types of temperature sensors employed for industrial applications, thermocouple and resistance temperature detector (RTD). Each has its own set of features that might make it an advantageous choice for a particular application.

Thermocouples consist of a junction formed with dissimilar conductors. The contact point of the conductors generates a small voltage that is related to the temperature of the junction. There are a number of metals used for the conductors, with different combinations used to produce an array of temperature ranges and accuracy. A defining characteristic of thermocouples is the need to use extension wire of the same type as the junction wires, in order to assure proper function and accuracy.

Here are some generalized thermocouple characteristics.

• Various conductor combinations can provide a wide range of operable temperatures (-200°C to +2300°C).
• Sensor accuracy can deteriorate over time.
• Sensors are comparatively less expensive than RTD.
• Stability of sensor output is not as good as RTD.
• Sensor response is fast due to low mass.
• Assemblies are generally rugged and not prone to damage from vibration and moderate mechanical shock.
• Sensor tip is the measuring point.
• Reference junction is required for correct measurement.
• No external power is required.
• Matching extension wire is needed.
• Sensor design allows for small diameter assemblies.

RTD sensors are comprised of very fine wire from a range of specialty types, coiled within a protective probe. Temperature measurement is accomplished by measuring the resistance in the coil. The resistance will correspond to a known temperature. Some generalized RTD attributes:

• Sensor provides good measurement accuracy, superior to thermocouple.
• Operating temperature range (-200° to +850°C) is less than that of thermocouple.
• Sensor exhibits long term stability.
• Response to process change can be slow.
• Excitation current source is required for operation.
• Copper extension wire can be used to connect sensor to instruments.
• Sensors can exhibit a degree of self-heating error.
• Resistance coil makes assemblies less rugged than thermocouples.
• Cost is comparatively higher

Sensors are often part of a transmitter assembly that provides an output signal suitable for connection to controllers or monitoring instrumentation. Challenges of distance can be easily overcome using Analynk's wireless process control connection products. Whether the distance is meters or miles, Analynk has a solution that is effective and simple to apply.

Each industrial process control application will present its own set of challenges regarding vibration, temperature range, required response time, accuracy, and more. Share your process temperature measurement requirements and challenges with a process control instrumentation specialist, combining your process knowledge with their product application expertise to develop the most effective solution.

Specialty Valve for Transmitter Isolation

Transmitter Isolation Valve
Courtesy PBM Valve Solutions

Fluid process control applications frequently employ tanks and vessels as part of the processing chain or for storage and holding. Level transmitters can be installed on the tank to provide indication of liquid level. While there are numerous combinations of fittings and valves that could be used to mount and connect the transmitter to the tank, one manufacturer, PBM Valve Solutions, has designed a specialized valve intended to mate a transmitter to a tank fitting with great advantage.

The specialized transmitter isolation valve minimizes dead space to prevent media residue buildup. It can be configured to accommodate CIP and drainage without process interruption. Calibration ports and industry standard mountings allow for broad application throughout the fluid process control industries.

Establishing a connection between the transmitter and its associated monitoring or control equipment is a specialty of Analynk Wireless. Analynk provides end to end solutions for delivering transmitter signals using wireless communications that can span across the room or around the globe. Reach out to Analynk for effective and easy to implement wireless solutions.

Analynk's Telmar Brand of Process Control Products

Telmar enclosed 2-wire transmitter

Analynk Wireless, in addition to wireless process signal transmitters, receivers, and repeaters, manufactures a broad line of industrial process control products under the Telmar brand.

• 2-Wire Transmitters with AC, DC, mA, slidewire, RTD, or tachometer inputs. General purpose enclosure is standard, with options for others to meet any rated environment.
• 4-Wire Transmitters with dozens of combinations of input and output signals. Alarm outputs available as option.
•  Signal Alarms that accommodate inputs from thermocouple, DC current, DC voltage, RTD, AC voltage, AC current, tachometer, slidewire, or strain gauge.
• Pneumatic Transmitters for pressure to current, current to pressure, pressure to voltage, and voltage to pressure applications.
• Tachometer Transmitters
• Explosion Proof Transmitters with or without local indicator for thermocouple or RTD input.



RTD transmitter with explosion proof enclosure and display

• Indicators and Meters with general purpose or explosion proof enclosures in loop powered or external powered versions.
• Sensor Assemblies for general, corrosive, or explosion proof applications. Thermocouple or RTD.

The Telmar brand provides complementary products for wired process control applications, or can be supplemented by Analynk's wireless products to provide wireless connectivity between point of measurement and point of control.

Reach out to Analynk with your process control challenges, combining your process knowledge with their product expertise to develop effective solutions.