Process Control over Real-Time Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks

Wireless technologies have been successfully applied in the process industry since the creation of the first international standard IEC62591 WirelessHART. Applications started in areas where wireless sensors provide rich process information to the automation systems. Although real and demonstrated control applications are advertised, wireless-for-control is still in the initial stage and faces a lot of challenges. In particular, feedback latency and battery longevity, which are also problems for wireless-for-sensing, are even more critical when wireless actuators are applied. There are additional challenges in using wireless actuators because they actively affect the process. This paper lays the foundation for control using a wireless actuator. It demonstrates how traditional control methodologies can be modified to effectively work with general wireless communication. The innovations are tested with simulations and experimentations, both on commercial distributed control systems.