POWER May 2022 - 35

DIGITALIZATION
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Private Wireless Solution for
Power Generation Plant
The digital transformation of power generation plants is
underway, and industrial-grade private wireless networks are
playing a key role. Private wireless is proving essential for connecting
Industry 4.0 technologies such as IoT sensors with machine learning
analytics and digital twins technologies. Industrial-grade wireless
systems also provide essential secure connectivity for enterprisewide
asset management, process optimization and data integration,
as well as improved worker communications, safety and facilities
security.
Digital operations technologies
Power generation plants, whether hydro, gas, nuclear, solar
or wind, are embracing digital technologies to optimize and
further automate their operations. They are adopting Industry 4.0
technologies to generate more detailed and accurate data with the
goal of automating processes and reducing costs.
Using low-cost, low-power IoT sensors connected by a wireless
network, plant operators can now collect data on processes that
were previously too expensive to monitor. By collecting extensive
sensor data throughout the plant, operators can create a digital twin
of their enterprise-wide system for asset management, resource
planning and computerized maintenance management systems
(CMMS). Sensor-driven asset management using conditionbased
monitoring software can identify potential problems to be
proactively addressed, for significant annual cost savings.
Consolidating network operations
The average power plant today will have multiple
communications networks from private radio and Wi-Fi to
narrowband IoT systems such as wirelessHART. Industrial-grade
private LTE and 5G networks support a wider variety of use cases
than these technologies and can either complement or fully replace
them. Consolidating multiple communications systems onto a
single wireless system reduces operational costs associated with
ongoing maintenance, system upgrades and security updates.
As well as sensor data, an LTE/5G network can support pushto-talk
and even push-to-video communications. The broadband
capabilities enable the downloading of schematics, historical data
and operational information to the worker's handheld terminal or
as an augmented reality (AR) overlay on a heads-up display.
Geo-fencing applications can use sensor data to identify
dangerous work zones and alert workers with smart PPE via haptics
and audible alarms when they are approaching areas to be avoided.
LTE/5G also support drone operations for monitoring in areas
where it would otherwise be dangerous for humans to operate.
Industrial-grade private wireless solutions
Unlike other enterprise wireless technologies, LTE/5G were
designed to provide radio coverage in dense metro cores where
tall buildings cause significant interference. This makes them the
best solution for the physical radio environment typical of power
generation plants.
Along with superior coverage, LTE/5G are also far more reliable
and secure. The LTE/5G core network has sophisticated technology
for managing device access, sharing bandwidth and monitoring
service levels. Unlike Wi-Fi, which is a best-effort
technology,
LTE/5G provide deterministic quality of service (QoS).
As power generation plants embrace digital transformation
and further automate their operations, industrial-grade wireless
technologies like LTE/5G can be expected to play a growing role in
realizing their Industry 4.0 ambitions.
The world's leading private wireless network solution provider,
Nokia has implemented hundreds of LTE and 5G private wireless
networks for enterprises worldwide, including utility power grids,
wind farms and power generation.
For more information on how private LTE/5G solutions
empower digital transformation and its new use cases,
visit us at: https://nokia.ly/power-generation
May 2022 | POWER
www.powermag.com
35
http://www.nokia.ly/power-generation http://www.powermag.com
POWER May 2022

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