Are there any practical examples of the use of wireless valve controllers?

Is a wireless remote control being used? If that’s the case, isn’t it less reliable than wired ones?

This post was last edited by wbzbnjed on 2019-10-17 at 09:48. The “BoCai Wireless Monitoring and Control System”, developed independently by Ningxia Ruibo Network Co., Ltd., utilizes advanced LPWAN (Low-Power Wide-Area Network) technology available in China. By integrating cloud-based SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems and WeChat mini-programs, it enables wireless monitoring and control of processes and equipment. It automatically collects data on the operating status of these processes or equipment; in the event of any abnormalities, it triggers alarms. This allows managers to stay informed about the equipment’s operating status as well as trends in historical data. Additionally, wireless technology can be used to remotely control the start/stop of equipment and the opening degree of valves. This facilitates early detection of potential problems, enables preventive measures, and ensures the safe, reliable, and stable operation of production processes. By installing wireless monitors, ordinary transmitters or instruments can be turned into wireless ones, thereby being upgraded to wireless transmitters or instruments. The Boce wireless monitoring and control system is compatible with transmitters or instruments of any brand or model, without being restricted to specific suppliers; in order to replace such transmitters or instruments later, only standard products need to be purchased. Wireless monitors can upgrade ordinary HART instruments into wireless ones. Transmitters that can be upgraded wirelessly include those for pressure/level/flow/temperature, as well as digital signals; they also include transmitters for detecting corrosion/vibration/gases or leaks. Boce wireless offers the following advantages: 1. Long range – in areas with obstacles within the factory premises, the wireless coverage radius of the base stations is 3 kilometers, while in open areas it is over 5 kilometers, ensuring stable and reliable signal transmission. For example, a medium-sized chemical plant only needs one or two base stations to achieve wireless coverage throughout the facility, significantly reducing investment costs. 2. Low power consumption – lithium batteries with a capacity of up to 114 amp-hours can be used to power transmitters or instruments; under normal conditions, a set of batteries can last more than three years, and replacing them is also straightforward. 3. Interference resistance – the wireless system operates in the unlicensed frequency band of 470–510 Hz, with electromagnetic interference suppression of up to 19.5 dB, giving it excellent resistance to interference. 4. Remote control – a wireless adapter can be equipped with a process parameter control module that receives commands and outputs 4–20 mA signals to control process equipment, such as the opening degree of valves, thereby improving work efficiency. 5. Security – data transmission and storage are carried out using encryption algorithms to ensure data security. Wireless monitoring solution for valves: Trap valves – In a typical factory, the energy loss resulting from steam leaks caused by the trap valves installed in the steam pipelines amounts to over 100,000 per year. If conventional manual inspection methods are used, it will result in high labor costs. If wireless leak detection transmitters are used for wireless leak monitoring, the cost is far lower than that of manual inspection. Pressure relief valve: Detecting leaks as early as possible when they first occur can yield significant economic and environmental benefits. Using hardwiring for leak monitoring is costly. By using wireless acoustic or ultrasonic transmitters, wireless temperature transmitters, and wireless pressure transmitters to detect various leaks wirelessly, it is possible to obtain pollution emission data in real time with ease, which not only saves costs but also offers significant environmental benefits. Emergency shower valves: Emergency shower valves installed in remote locations within the factory also require the same monitoring scheme. Laying cables in hazardous areas and monitoring the status of emergency shower valves in real time is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also costly. By applying industrial wireless technology and using digital transmitters, the on/off status of the emergency shower valves can be monitored remotely in real time; compared to wired solutions, the wireless approach saves significant installation costs. The wireless solution meets the requirements for safety monitoring, preventing potential fines for accidents, while also ensuring the safety of factory workers. Wireless control solutions for valves: Sometimes, process requirements change, and it becomes necessary to replace existing manual process valves with automatic on/off valves or control valves. If the existing valves are in good working condition and have the necessary conditions for installing actuators, then automating these valves and connecting them to wireless monitors allows control signals to be sent from the monitors to the valve actuators. This enables remote control of the valves’ opening/closing or degree of opening using wireless technology, while valve position transmitters can be used to monitor the valve’s status remotely. This approach helps reduce costs and improve efficiency. Our company is also testing the possibility of controlling valves via mobile phones using factory wireless technology; stay tuned for more updates. Boce Wireless: www.rbiot.cn

Wireless is unreliable. Thunder, lightning, strong winds, and heavy rain can cause disruptions to wireless signals. Disasters such as earthquakes can cause congestion in wireless networks. Using wireless for the control system poses too high a risk. .

Whether wireless is reliable depends on the communication technology and the construction methods. Wireless communication within factories generally makes use of low-power wide-area network technologies such as LORA, which feature resistance to interference, strong penetration capability, and low power consumption. Unlike traditional wireless technologies such as WIFI, Bluetooth, and 4G, wireless base stations are usually installed at high locations and need to be connected to a lightning protection system. As long as the base station has a proper power supply, the signal will not be affected. Wireless technology cannot replace wired connections; it is generally used for controlling some non-critical devices, such as pipeline valves that are installed at high places and difficult to access, making wireless control suitable for such cases

Wireless three-remote control, wireless four-remote control; in the 1990s, my classmates were already working on this, and they even took me to work on it with them. It is said that back then, the fee for using one testing site was at least 10,000. Back then, there were plenty of people who earned 200 to 300 per month; they were everywhere. Watching them debug, watching them work outdoors, watching them climb up and down like monkeys, watching trains roar past by.... I really, really, really don’t like it. So I swallowed my saliva and didn’t join in. :lol