Unmanned Vehicle Wireless Data Relay for Industrial Plants
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial plants, particularly metallurgical plants, face high susceptibility to communication errors and disruptions due to excessive data traffic, leading to interference and malfunctions in production processes.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an unmanned vehicle (UF) with transmitting and receiving devices that moves to a designated transmission location near communication partners to exchange data, using coordinated communication to ensure secure, reliable, and efficient data transfer, reducing the risk of interference and optimizing data exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wireless data transmission is used between plant components and communication partners, then data exchange efficiency is improved, but communication errors and disruptions increase due to high data traffic and frequency interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an unmanned vehicle as an intermediary communication node between plant components and the central control system. The vehicle travels to communication partners, establishes local wireless connections, and relays data to a base station, thereby mediating the communication process and reducing direct interference in the overall system.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple frequencies and communication channels are used simultaneously in a small space, then data acquisition capacity is improved, but frequency interference and communication disruptions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication system into multiple independent wireless links: one between the unmanned vehicle and communication partners, and another between the vehicle and the base station. This segmentation allows different frequencies to be used in each link without interfering with each other, thereby increasing data acquisition capacity while reducing frequency interference.
3Measurement precision
If sensors and communication devices are installed on plant components, then operational monitoring capability is improved, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The unmanned vehicle serves multiple functions: it acts as a mobile communication relay, a data collection point, and a temporary storage unit. By consolidating these functions into a single mobile platform, the system reduces the need for permanent sensors and communication devices on each plant component, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining operational monitoring capability.
4Speed
If data is transmitted continuously from plant components to central control, then real-time monitoring is improved, but communication disruptions and production downtime increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous transmission, the system uses periodic action where the unmanned vehicle periodically travels to communication partners, collects data, and returns to the base station. This periodic approach reduces the overall communication traffic and frequency interference, thereby reducing disruptions while still providing timely monitoring through regular data collection cycles.
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
Method for data acquisition in an industrial plant, in particular a metallurgical plant, especially preferably in a cold or hot rolling mill, a strip processing plant or a steel plant, wherein data is preferably exchanged wirelessly in the industrial plant, the method comprising: providing at least one unmanned vehicle (10) having a transmitting and receiving device for transmitting, preferably wirelessly, and receiving, preferably wirelessly, data; providing one or more communication partners (10, 20, 30) each having a transmitting and/or receiving device (21, 22, 23) for transmitting, preferably wirelessly, and/or receiving, preferably wirelessly, data;wherein the transmitting and receiving devices (21, 22, 23) are set up to exchange data between the unmanned vehicle (10) and the communication partner (10, 20, 30), and wherein, in order to exchange data between the unmanned vehicle (10) and the communication partner (10, 20, 30), the unmanned vehicle (10) goes to a transmission location in the vicinity of the communication partner (10, 20, 30) in order to then carry out the data exchange.