Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Dealing with conditions that bring down industrial-grade wireless devices

By Paul Dvorak | June 16, 2013

This article intro comes from Moxa.

Switching disturbances, short circuits, and especially lightning strikes, inject high-level voltage spikes to cause serious damage to wireless devices. Surge protection devices, such as transient voltage surge suppressors, metal oxide varistors , and gas discharge tubes , are necessary to provide industrial-grade protection against electrical transients

Switching disturbances, short circuits, and especially lightning strikes, inject voltage spikes that can damage  wireless devices. Surge protectors, such as transient voltage surge suppressors, metal oxide varistors , and gas discharge tubes , are necessary to provide industrial-grade protection against electrical transients

Wireless failures at home or the office are an inconvenience, but in industrial applications, they can jeopardize the safety of onsite personnel, damage expensive machinery and equipment, and possibly translate into thousands of dollars per minute in production losses. In addition to network redundancy, industrial operators must also assess the application environment for elements that can impact network performance, compromise device reliability, and lead to unplanned system downtime.

Many industrial wireless applications, such as those for mining, railway, and oil & gas, are deployed in harsh environments and require the use of industrial-grade devices. While some environmental factors are obvious, such as extreme temperatures and moisture, there are other elements that are not so apparent but can also quickly disable an unprotected device. Below is a list of environmental conditions and effects commonly found in industrial wireless applications that can cause a device to malfunction or fail entirely.

• Power interference

• Magnetic field and emissions

• Flammable gases

• Extreme temperatures

• Humidity and moisture

• Airborne particles and contaminants

• Shock and vibration

Industrial-Grade Protection for Wireless Devices

Electromagnetic Susceptibility (EMS)

According to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), EMS is: “The inability of a device, circuit, or system to perform without degradation in the presence of an electromagnetic disturbance.”

Electrostatic Discharge is one of many common types of electromagnetic disturbances that can interfere with device operation. It is the sudden transfer of static electricity between two objects with different electrical potentials. For example, factory workers wearing rubber boots and gloves can easily accumulate high levels of static electricity. Physical contact with wireless devices can discharge several kilovolts of static electricity and permanently damage internal circuitry.

Read the full article here:
http://www.moxa.com/newsletter/connection/2013/06/feat_01.htm?utm_source=2013_06_Connection&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Connection

 Moxa
www.moxa.com


Filed Under: News, O&M
Tagged With: moxa
 

About The Author

Paul Dvorak

Related Articles Read More >

Equinor launches ECO Liberty service operations vessel for Empire Wind offshore project
Triton Anchor receives U.S. patents for offshore anchor
US government allows Empire Wind offshore project to resume construction
Richardson Electronics to deliver pitch energy modules to TransAlta wind fleets

Podcasts

Wind Spotlight: Looking back at a year of Thrive with ZF Wind Power
See More >

Windpower Engineering & Development Digital Edition Archive

Digital Edition

Explore the full archive of digital issues of Windpower Engineering & Development, presented in a high-quality, user-friendly format. Access current and past editions, clip, share, and download valuable content from the industry’s leading wind power engineering resource.

Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Wind Articles
  • Solar Power World
  • Subscribe to Windpower Engineering
  • About Us/Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising

Search Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe