ROBOTS & MESH NETWORKS | INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL
Left: Wireless mesh technology can overcome interference, congestion, and infrastructure outages in a nuclear environment
rerouted depending on the bandwidth needs, signal
strength, or competing traffic. Wireless mesh technology can therefore overcome RF interference, congestion, and infrastructure outages autonomously. Where mobile assets are equipped with mesh nodes, the mobile robots remain connected to the network with no drop-outs. It is also less expensive than wired infrastructure, such
as fibre and other alternatives. The savings result both from the network’s cost and the ability to leverage robotic solutions to replace more expensive static infrastructure. Resilient coverage across a broad area through mobile robotic technology – in place of many cameras, sensors, and workers – can reduce the initial required technology investment and eliminate the recurring costs within a nuclear plant. A drone, or swarm of drones, can facilitate
omnidirectional coverage over an extended area while simultaneously providing maintenance and monitoring data. Ground vehicles can enjoy freedom of movement, expanding the network as they roam. The mesh structure has no single point of failure as data pathways form wherever connectivity is needed, empowering the around-the-clock productivity that operators desire. Support for a wide range of frequencies ensures adequate bandwidth is always available. And, because the wireless mesh is a private network, transmission is faster than over public solutions, and operators never pay for data either.
Not only does this provide robotics with the connectivity required to roam seamlessly across a nuclear plant, but
operators gain a more detailed understanding of the overall state of their maintenance needs through transmitted audio and video. An example of the use of robotics in the sector comes
from nuclear management and decommissioning services company Createc Ltd, which deploys robotics with advanced sensors to solve technical and human challenges. To ensure its solutions could withstand the harsh radioactive environments of nuclear plants, Createc arranged for testing to establish whether critical electronics and networks were capable of functioning while exposed to extremely high levels of gamma radiation. At the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, where controlled exposure to a Cobalt 60 (60
Co) source is possible, Rajant’s BreadCrumb® ES1 mesh
node was irradiated. It withstood a total exposure of 214 Sieverts in the testing period, 21,000 times the annual limit for nuclear workers. New technologies play a vital role across the nuclear
lifecycle, including delivering the next generation of nuclear power plants, monitoring atomic assets, and supporting waste management and decommissioning. Robotics can provide significant advantages in the form of increased reliability and efficiency combined with reduced risk. Now that they are ready to withstand the harshest conditions and undertake complex tasks with AI and automation, the network that supports them must follow suit to unlock these capabilities. Intelligent networks, such as wireless mesh, can navigate the obstacles that come into play in nuclear operations, ensuring connectivity is always available for these mobile robotic appliances. ■
www.neimagazine.com | February 2024 | 33
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