传感器网络综合了传感器技术、嵌入式计算术、计算机及无线通信技术、分布式信息处理技术,能够通过各类集成化的微型传感器以协作方式实时监测、感知和采集各种环境或监测对象的信息, 通过嵌入式系统对信息进行处理, 并通过自组织无线通信网络将所感知的信息传送到用户终端。
无线传感网络可以定义为通过无线连接，利用安装在各地的传感器收集数据，并通过终端节点进行数据通信的网络。根据通信架构的不同，数据可以直接发送至网关，或通过多个终端节点返回网关。之后，网关可以连接到其他设备或有线网和无线以太主干网，将传感器信息传递到控制系统。
无分行业类别，这些网络可以用于监测各类工况，几乎覆盖所有过程控制参数，包括但不仅限于压力、流量、温度和液面。
无线传感网络（WSNs）的出现，对那些想要获得行业竞争优势的油气公司来说可谓是一项关键技术。WSNs出现以来，OleumTech等许多制造商对产品进行了改进，产品性能得到了大幅提升，可应用于恶劣环境。同时，针对该技术，OleumTech还改良了通信架构和安全体系，提高了设备可靠性，降低了电量消耗。
在整个油气产业链（包括上、中、下游）以及电力、水/废水处理以及制造业等领域的行业市场，无线传感网络正逐渐取代行业标准的电缆传输网络，使用范围越来越广。
OleumTech公司OEM&战略部副总裁Brent E. McAdams称，“据统计，在多数行业应用中，无线设备的成本还不足有线设备的十分之一。而正是由于无线网络在设计、施工、物流方面可以节约大量成本，同时借助于数据传输频率和可靠性的提升，无线传感网络相关项目的启动和盈利进度变得更快。”
油气行业是使用无线传感网络最多的行业，通常部署在偏远的地形条件恶劣的地区、海拔较高的地区、极端天气地区。从油罐到压缩机，从发电机到分离器和井口，无线传感网络可用于监测、管理和控制各种设备仪器。石油圈原创www.oilsns.com
随着运营成本的不断增加，同时油价已经跌至近8年的新低。在有线网络费用太高或者不适用的地区，与传统的有线网络相比，无线传感网络无疑具有着无与伦比的优势。
无线技术在应用上不断取得进展，使企业得以告别有线网络，进而部署费用更低的无线网络。无线传感网络可以包含不同的传感器，涵盖大部分行业应用，如压力、温度、流量、液面高度或者只是简单地通过离散发射器传递闭合信号。石油圈原创www.oilsns.com
无线传感网络主要应用于监测近实时过程控制数据、安全、监管和生产信息。
“由于替换电池不方便，如何进行‘能量采集’成为油田无线传感网络设计的关键因素；替换部署在偏远地区的无线传感器节点上的成千上万块电池，是一项成本昂贵令人头疼的工程。”
无线传感器终端节点可以使用多种能源形式，太阳能、机械能、热能是主要的驱动能源。其中太阳能是使用最多、采集方式最复杂的能源。数据发送的频率直接影响着能量的消耗。对于特定的监测应用，如监测油罐液面，延迟不是主要问题，而可靠性至关重要。石油圈原创www.oilsns.com
McAdams称，“受各行业对先进技术方案强烈需求的驱动，为了提高生产率、效率和盈利性，众多企业纷纷开始采用无线传感网络。正是数据技术对创新的驱动，才使作业者有能力提高对过程的控制，降低成本，提高效率，做出更好的决策，满足运营商的特殊需求。”
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来自/OleumTech 译者/白小明 编辑/Leia
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have emerged as a key technology for oil and gas exploration and production companies looking to gain a competitive advantage. Since initially introducing WSNs, manufacturers like OleumTech have enhanced product offerings to operate in the most inhospitable of environments while fortifying the technology with more robust communications architectures, hardening security, increasing reliability, and driving down power consumption. Through the entire oil and gas value chain (upstream, midstream, and downstream) as well as other industrial markets including electric power, water/wastewater, and manufacturing, wireless sensor networks are increasingly being deployed where hardwiring was the de facto standard.
“For many industrial applications, it has been well documented that wirelessly connected assets are up to 10 times less expensive than wired alternatives,” said Brent E. McAdams, Vice President, OEM & Strategic Initiatives at OleumTech. “Driven by substantial and measurable cost savings in engineering, installation, and logistics as well as dramatic improvements in the frequency and reliability of data, wireless sensor networks offer much faster startups, and accelerated profits.”
A wireless sensor network can be defined as a network of end nodes communicating information gathered from sensor locations through wireless links. Depending on the communications architecture, the data is either forwarded directly to a gateway or through multiple end nodes back to a gateway. The gateway is then connected to other devices or networks such as a wired or wireless Ethernet backbone to relay sensor information to a control system.
These networks are used to monitor a variety of conditions, covering all process control variables regardless of vertical market, including but not limited to pressure, flow, temperature, and level.
The oil and gas industry is one of the most active industries for the use of wireless sensor networks, usually located in remote areas with rough terrain, elevation challenges, and extreme ambient environmental demands. Wireless sensor networks are deployed to monitor, manage and control everything from tanks and compressors to generators, separators, and wellheads.
As operating costs have continued to rise while the price of oil experiences eight-year lows, wireless sensor networks offer advantages over the traditional wired technology where wired options are either too expensive or not even an option.
Wireless technology continues to make advances regarding applications, thus, eliminating the need for cables, allowing for cost-efficient network deployments. Wireless sensor networks may consist of many different types of sensors, covering a wide variety of applications consisting of pressure, temperature, flow, level or simply relaying a contact closure through a discrete transmitter.
Wireless sensor network applications most commonly cover monitoring of near real-time process control, safety, regulatory, and production performance.
“Energy harvesting” in the field is a key factor in wireless sensor network design simply because replacing batteries is not feasible; changing batteries for thousands of remotely deployed wireless sensor nodes could become an expensive logistical headache.
A variety of energy sources can be utilised to power wireless sensor end nodes. Solar, mechanical, and thermal energy are the primary sources. Given these options, harnessing solar energy is the most used and sophisticated energy harvesting technique. The frequency of transmissions drives power consumption. For individual condition monitoring applications such as monitoring tank level, latency in duty cycle is less important. However, reliability remains vital.
“Driven by the growing demand for advanced technology solutions to enhance productivity, efficiency, and profitability, all industrial sectors are harnessing the power of wireless sensor networks,” McAdams said. “Innovation is driven by data that enables operators to improve processes, reduce costs, enhance efficiency, make better decisions, and understand their customers’ unique requirements.”
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