COVER STORY
Industrial Internet of Things: Future-Proof What is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)? IIoT is a myriad of interconnected sensors, instruments, and other devices networked together with digital industrial applications. The connectivity created facilitates data collection, exchange, and analysis; which allows for increased efficiency and increased profits. Let’s use the tank storage sector as a use case to show how IIoT can generate these business benefits. First, we need to think about the vast amount of assets involved in the operation of a sizable tank storage facility. If one were to build an IIoT infrastructure in such a large storage terminal, one would require thousands of physical devices. The purpose of these devices is to transmit data across vast areas to help the operators of these facilities gain critical information and usable data in real time. This data helps them make better, informed decisions regarding maintenance, safety, and general operations. Current technology has already existed for more than 10 years, but the issue with this technology is that only around 10% of assets in a tank terminal are actually connected digitally. Leaving a large gap in control, access, and knowledge. Posing the question: How do we connect the other 90% of assets? Enter LoRaWAN It’s all about networking. Unlike the seamless networking transitions that your smart phone makes (like when switching 4G to Wi-Fi), the Industrial Internet of Things is slightly more complicated, but more reliable and precise. When talking about thousands of different services connected to thousands of assets in a tank storage terminal, the LoRaWAN communications protocol is what ties everything together. LoRaWAN is low power, long-range, low cost, and has no lock-ins. It’s an open standard that works globally and securely. Admittedly, it has a
lower data transfer rate than Wi-Fi for example, but that trade-off is worth it considering the benefits of this particular use case. TWTG – Futureproof Technology TWTG, an IIOT hardware company based out of the Netherlands who specialize in helping companies with monitoring and activating critical assets within a business via IoT solutions. The scalability of solutions is at the forefront of all their thinking; from product, hardware, and software design, to connectivity and implementation, but also including the
retrofitting of existing infrastructure and business models. I’s easy to see why companies trust them to be at the forefront of the IIoT sphere. For TWTG, the Industrial Internet of Things is much more than just technology, it’s their expertise. Certified for Use in North American Hazardous Areas The Federal Communications Commission has recently approved LoRaWAN for use in North America, therefore TWTG has received FM Approval (explosion safety requirements) for their NEON temperature and valve sensors. In collaboration with Vopak, a global leader in oil and gas storage and transport, TWTG has developed their line of valve sensors which can now be used in North American markets. As gas storage systems at times require increasingly higher pressures and temperatures, companies look for costeffective ways of remotely monitoring valve movement. It’s becoming less acceptable to have to visually inspect actuators in potentially explosive, and other hazardous areas. Traditional methods of monitoring the open / closed states in valves, with actuators, can help solve this issue, but they are not used widely, because of the costs associated with the technology. Working with TWTG’s valve sensors will enable the user to monitor their valves remotely, and significantly save on their expenditure at the same time. The NEON valve sensors enable users to acquire data from the valve via LoRaWAN connectivity to a monitoring dashboard. The fact that this can be done remotely will save
Left: NEON Temperature Sensor.
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