Process Control over Wireless Sensor Networks

A significant growth was witnessed in the filed of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), the previous decade. Advances in hardware miniaturization coupled with increased processing capabilities and memory capacity have extended the application domains of WSNs. In light of this, standardization organizations led by academia and industries initiated activities for the design of protocols such as IEEE 802.15.4 and IETF RPL (Routing Protocol for Low power and Lossy Networks). IEEE 802.15.4 defines physical and media access layers for WSNs while IETF RPL defines the functionality of the routing layer. This thesis investigates research issues in wireless sensor networks and network controlled systems that control micro-biological processes for water treatment plants. By choosing a process model that can relate to an industrial process, feasibility of control over IEEE 802.15.4 and RPL protocols is evaluated for stability with regards to network delay and packet loss. Settling time and overshoot are measured to indicate control performance. Control messages related to routing and routing table lengths are measured to indicate network stability and scalability. The system model used is a centralized discrete controller controlling a thermal processes running on the sensors. This model is chosen for representing wide industrial networked control systems while adding a WSN dimension based on IEEE 802.15.4 and RPL. The main contribution of this thesis is an experimental study where both the network and controller performance is validated while utilizing commercial off-theshelf sensor platforms. The results from this experimental work include first the use of established theorems for analyzing control using WSNs. Moreover, the ability of IEEE 802.15.4 and RPL to provide stable communication that is reliable enough for actual industrial control implementation is validated.