Global IoT connectivity for rock crushing and screening equipment
Piki, Eetu (2021)
2021
Automaatiotekniikan DI-ohjelma - Master's Programme in Automation Engineering
Tekniikan ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2021-03-29
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202102262271
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202102262271
Tiivistelmä
Gathering data on the operation and condition of a rock crushing or screening machine to a cloud requires a network connection that is usually wireless because the machines are often mobile. Rock quarries and mines, in which rock crushing and screening equipment is typically used, are usually located far from residential areas. This causes challenges for the availability of wireless networks. Furthermore, crushers and screens might be located in deep holes or next to large piles of rock, which may block wireless signals and thus endanger the reliability of the data transmission.
The global deployment of a data acquisition system like Metso Metrics is complicated by the significant differences in the network infrastructures around the world. In some countries cellular networks may provide reliable nationwide coverage, whereas in some countries the sufficient coverage of cellular networks cannot be taken for granted. Estimating whether the wireless networks reach the locations where the remote-monitored machines are used is difficult especially in countries where network operators do not provide public coverage maps.
The purpose of this thesis was to find out which wireless long-range network technologies should be utilized to achieve global and cost-effective connectivity for the data acquisition system in question. First, the current wireless wide area networks were reviewed from a technological perspective to find out which ones are applicable to be used in the target system. Secondly, the life cycles and deployment rates of the suitable networks were analyzed from a global viewpoint emphasizing the countries that produce a lot of construction aggregates or have a lot of mining activity.
The lifetime of 2G and 3G networks has already come or is about to come to an end in a couple of years in several countries, meaning that transition towards using more recent network technologies is inevitable. For Metso’s application, the viable replacements for 2G and 3G are either broadband LTE or LTE-M and NB-IoT. LTE can provide greater data transfer speeds, but LTE-M and NB-IoT have better coverage and obstacle penetration capabilities. However, the extent to which commercial LTE-M and NB-IoT networks are currently deployed globally is not sufficient for global use and other cellular technologies are still needed, especially in Africa. As a result of this work, this thesis presents a transition plan for upgrading the current connectivity solution to be more sustainable and future-proof. This proposal is constructed according to the plans of telecommunication companies and the general trends of the wireless communication industry. The results of this work are not limited to the aggregate production or mining industries, because a similar research problem is present in all global cellular IoT system deployments that include operation in rural locations.
The global deployment of a data acquisition system like Metso Metrics is complicated by the significant differences in the network infrastructures around the world. In some countries cellular networks may provide reliable nationwide coverage, whereas in some countries the sufficient coverage of cellular networks cannot be taken for granted. Estimating whether the wireless networks reach the locations where the remote-monitored machines are used is difficult especially in countries where network operators do not provide public coverage maps.
The purpose of this thesis was to find out which wireless long-range network technologies should be utilized to achieve global and cost-effective connectivity for the data acquisition system in question. First, the current wireless wide area networks were reviewed from a technological perspective to find out which ones are applicable to be used in the target system. Secondly, the life cycles and deployment rates of the suitable networks were analyzed from a global viewpoint emphasizing the countries that produce a lot of construction aggregates or have a lot of mining activity.
The lifetime of 2G and 3G networks has already come or is about to come to an end in a couple of years in several countries, meaning that transition towards using more recent network technologies is inevitable. For Metso’s application, the viable replacements for 2G and 3G are either broadband LTE or LTE-M and NB-IoT. LTE can provide greater data transfer speeds, but LTE-M and NB-IoT have better coverage and obstacle penetration capabilities. However, the extent to which commercial LTE-M and NB-IoT networks are currently deployed globally is not sufficient for global use and other cellular technologies are still needed, especially in Africa. As a result of this work, this thesis presents a transition plan for upgrading the current connectivity solution to be more sustainable and future-proof. This proposal is constructed according to the plans of telecommunication companies and the general trends of the wireless communication industry. The results of this work are not limited to the aggregate production or mining industries, because a similar research problem is present in all global cellular IoT system deployments that include operation in rural locations.