* Temperature & humidity sensors * Volumetric airflow & fluid sensors * Mold sensors * Occupancy detecting sensors * CO2 demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) sensors – work with sensors that detect a building’s occupancy and adjust ventilation accordingly * Light Sensors tied to motorized window treatments can pick up on sunlight and adjust window shading during the course of a day
Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) beacons Typical uses: Warehouses: Automatic inventory of assets Indoor positioning: Tracking assets’ location automatically
Cameras for mines and tunnels are an essential element of security and safety monitoring. The mining sector presents a number of challenges, from low lighting to connectivity issues in remote areas. These surveillance cameras observe the many processes within the mine and are mostly installed in a permanent, overt manner, with portable covert cameras being used on a temporary basis. IR thermal imaging cameras are often used as they offer the ability to see in dark, foggy or dust filled environments where there are large trucks, cranes, robotics and other moving apparatus that present danger to humans.
Car-embedded sensors (lidar and radar), GNSS, and potentially data from brakes, accelerator, steering wheel, etc.
Driverless vehicles and Autonomous Drilling Systems that can operate without human intervention allow operations around the clock, enabling minerals to be extracted and processed in shorter time-frames. Real-Time Kinematic GPS (RTK-GPS) is used In underground mines due to a limited range of signal transmission below the surface and lack of satellite coverage in depth. RTK-GPS is used to ensure autonomous vehicles and drilling systems have clear path-tracking and collision avoidance capabilities. GPS-guided drilling operations. GPS provides accurate information to the drill head to control its direction deep within the earth.
Fiber-optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems and pressure gauges enable critical monitoring during exploration and energy production for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). These sensors can be used to: – Estimate production potential in or between new wells by measuring the distributed temperature and the point pressure, or pressure measured at the bottom of the well. These measurements allow the calculation of reservoir size, flow resistance between wells (if multiple wells are instrumented), well bore damage caused by drilling, effectiveness of the fracturing operations, and well completion. – Monitor surface and subsurface scale buildup and chemical clean-up. Scale, a mineral residue precipitated from geothermal fluid in response to changes in water pressure and temperature, builds up on pipe walls and will, over time, form a thick, insulating layer that limits flow and may block a pipe. Chemicals are injected into the pipe to remove the accumulated scale. By understanding severity of the scaling, operators can better consider what mitigation options are most suitable as well as minimize the use of expensive chemicals. – Provide permanent monitoring of injector and producer wells to allow identification of the specific zones and fractures that produce fluids. – Perform integrity monitoring for casing and tubing leaks to avoid contaminating ground water and subsurface aquifers.
Irradiance, temperature, humidity sensors and voltage sensors used to measure photovoltaic (PV) output current and voltage on solar panels. By placing sensors along the distribution channels and substations operators are able to gather real-time power consummation data which will helps make decisions about the load, voltage, and power being supplied
LED sensors equipped to capture data around ambient light levels, temperature, occupancy, security, performance & energy consumption
Mobile Monitoring and tracking devices equipped with GNSS and other sensors (temperature, humidity, motion, shock, vibration, pressure, light/darkness) to monitor condition of the asset
Monitoring emissions from factories in real-time involves a variety of sensors and instruments designed to measure different types of pollutants. These sensors are often networked together and connected to a central monitoring system that collects, analyzes, and reports data in real time. This enables factory operators and regulatory agencies to track emissions continuously and ensure compliance with environmental regulations, as well as to make informed decisions about emission control and reduction strategies. Gas Analyzers: These sensors are used to detect and quantify specific gases in the air, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Particulate Matter (PM) Sensors: These sensors measure the concentration of particulate matter in the air. Opacity Monitors: These are used to measure the opacity of emissions from smokestacks, which is an indicator of particulate matter concentrations. Flame Ionization Detectors (FID): FIDs are used to measure total hydrocarbon levels in emissions. FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) Analyzers: These analyzers can detect a wide range of gases and are particularly useful for identifying complex mixtures of pollutants. UV Spectrometers: Ultraviolet spectrometry can be used to measure specific gases like ozone (O3) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) based on their absorption characteristics in the UV range. Chemical Sensors and Biosensors: These are used to detect and measure specific chemical compounds in emissions. Temperature, Pressure, and Flow Sensors: These sensors provide additional data on the emission conditions, such as the temperature and pressure of the emitted gases and the flow rate of emissions.
Rain Gauges: Modern rain gauges often come equipped with wireless communication capabilities, allowing them to transmit data on rainfall amounts to monitoring centers in real time. Stream Gauges: Many stream gauges are designed to wirelessly transmit data on water levels and flow rates, providing crucial information for flood forecasting.Soil Moisture Sensors: These sensors can be equipped with wireless communication to send soil moisture data to a central system, which helps in assessing the risk of flooding, especially in areas prone to flash floods. Pressure Transducers: Used in various water bodies, these sensors can wirelessly transmit water pressure data, which is then used to calculate water levels. Ultrasonic Sensors: These can be set up to measure water levels and then transmit the data wirelessly to a central monitoring system. Anemometers: Modern anemometers can send wind data wirelessly to meteorological centers, contributing to broader weather pattern analysis for flood prediction. Tide Gauges: In coastal areas, tide gauges equipped with wireless communication capabilities transmit sea level data, which is crucial for predicting storm surges and coastal floods.
RFID Readers: E.g., Handheld Typical uses: Warehouses: Tracking assets that are packaged or inside a container Hospitals: Tracking asset locations automatically within a limited distance range
Robotic assisted surgical device. On the remote expert/surgeon side, these applications may require a VR interface in order to provide an immersive sense of experience.
Satellites: Geostationary and polar-orbiting weather satellites are equipped with advanced sensors to monitor wind patterns at high altitudes globally. They are particularly useful for tracking large-scale weather systems and providing data for flight path planning over remote areas like oceans. Satellite sensors that track high-altitude wind speeds can range from those capturing basic wind vector data to more complex imaging systems.
Seismic sensors used for monitoring of seismic activity in geothermal plants can enhance the safety aspect of power generation. Geothermal power plants are generally located near earthquake-prone zones and the ability to manage such power plants remotely is useful for employee safety. Vibration and temperature sensors are used in turbines and generators to monitor temperatures and detect vibrations.
Sensor information (e.g., LIDAR, RADARs), vehicle Status (e.g., speed) and video streaming images (e.g., two cameras (front, end))
Sensors based on radar, visual or infrared technology integrated into the road infrastructure. The sensors detect approaching road users and signal this to the road users by visual and audio warnings.
Smart meters that collect granular real-time data across the water grid, LED light sensors to monitor water levels in tanks, pH sensors, temperature sensors and turbidity sensors in pipelines and storage and distribution tanks, volume sensor
To sense the environment, AVs use a combination of sensors:・External sensors (GNSS, cameras, lidars etc)・Internal automotive sensors and actuators (brakes, steering wheel, accelerator, etc)
Types of sensors: Remote metering, Cathodic protection, Gas density, Pipeline pressure, Custody transfer flow meters, Fire / Gas / H2S alarms, Tank levels, Tank batteries, Temperature sensors, Control valves, Flow monitoring, Electricity consumption, Structural health & deformation, Air pollution
Underground mining has significant safety hazards due to high-stress concentrations, weak rock masses, and limited access and air quality. Different sensors are used in mine-related activities, such as geophones in exploration and blast control, piezometers in dewatering and toxic gas detectors in working frontlines.
Vibration sensors such as low-frequency accelerometers are mounted on the casing of the turbine and generator near the bearings and shaft. Water quality sensors (Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Sensor)
Wind Sensors (Anemometers): measure wind speed and direction, key factors in sandstorm formation. By understanding wind patterns, it becomes easier to predict the movement and intensity of sandstorms.
Wind Turbine sensors are used to continually assess acceleration, temperature and vibration. Turbine impact sensors – for monitoring avian and bat collisions Turbine vibration sensors – Vibration sensors provide data that enables predictive maintenance, allowing operators to manage assets at a distance – Turbine – Because of variable wind speeds and frequent braking, the load is never consistent on the turbine, causing a lot of wear on the moving parts. Bearings are the biggest culprit in gearbox failure. When bearings fail, it usually leads to other components, such as gearwheels, breaking down, causing a domino effect of failure across the entire apparatus. One of the biggest issues with regard to bearing failure is lubrication starvation. Vibration sensors can help an operator stay ahead of lubrication issues by detecting subtle friction changes -Blade – Wear and tear on rotor blades come from high winds, lightning, ice, and extreme weather conditions that result in blade imbalance. Over time, these factors lead to cracking and fractures along the edges and pitch system failure. Wireless vibration sensors make it feasible to remotely monitor such conditions, alerting operators to impending failure and maintenance needs without physically accessing the site. These sensors are combined together into one communication channel. Associated KPI’s are considered in the aggregate.
