Wireless Temperature Measurement Solution for Steel Mills

The steel industry is an energy-intensive sector. For large steel enterprises, energy costs account for approximately 30% of total production costs, among which electricity costs represent about 10%. Currently, the state is restructuring enterprises with outdated production capacity; those that fail to meet national requirements are bound to be eliminated by the tide of history. Therefore, for the steel industry, reducing energy consumption standards and using electricity efficiently are crucial for survival.

Because temperatures in steel mills are extremely high, most workshops are hot and humid environments. This often accelerates the aging of electrical equipment, with oxidation being a serious issue, frequently leading to short circuits and device burnout. Thus, routine maintenance must be carried out promptly, protective measures strengthened, and major safety accidents avoided. Dust, which is highly mobile, is also difficult to effectively guard against. In addition, some conductive substances can effectively shorten the insulation distance of live devices, creating hidden risks for stable equipment operation. Once conductive dust accumulates to a certain level, failures will occur.

The electrical components inside a steel mill are widely distributed, and the distance between the field equipment and the electrical control room is very long. After a failure occurs, if the handling time is relatively long, it can interrupt unit operations, severely affecting the production rhythm and causing certain economic losses — especially for common facilities, where the impact is very noticeable.

ASY's wireless temperature measurement system can provide different wireless temperature monitoring solutions based on the complex distribution network of steel mills, enabling real-time monitoring of the temperature of electrical equipment itself. Wireless communication is typically used in conjunction with receiving terminals, communication serial ports, and computers. The wireless temperature sensor transmits temperature data to the wireless temperature acquisition concentrator via LoRa technology, and then the data is uploaded to the wireless temperature measurement system through different communication channels. The system is suitable for a variety of special measurement and control environments such as outdoor, high-temperature, humid, dusty, high-voltage, hard-to-wire, or on-site where no power supply is available. The system solves the cost of on-site installation and wiring, overcomes the influence of complex installation environments, and achieves real-time online monitoring of the temperature of the electrical equipment itself.

ASY's wireless temperature measurement terminal is powered by a high-energy lithium battery or CT induction, operates in an all-digital manner, and the temperature sensor is attached to the heat source, connected to the temperature measurement host through a data cable (the temperature sensor and the temperature measurement host are collectively referred to as the wireless temperature measurement terminal). The terminal is attached to high-voltage electrical equipment and monitors the equipment's operating status at the same potential. The wireless temperature measurement terminal transmits the temperature signal to the wireless aggregation terminal wirelessly. The wireless aggregation terminal can receive data from multiple temperature measurement terminals.

The system adopts a short-range wireless networking method. Multiple temperature measurement terminals are distributed around the wireless aggregation terminal. Within the effective communication range, temperature measurement terminals can be added, removed, or moved freely. The wireless aggregation terminal is installed in the main control room, and the monitoring center can monitor the temperature changes at each point in real time, allowing one to grasp the heating status of the entire steel mill's high-voltage system without leaving the control room, thereby making correct decisions.