LTE as an
Alternative
Solution to
Wi-Fi
By Nick Camilli, Electric Power
Research Institute.
Nick Camilli
Mr. Camilli joined EPRI in 2007 as a
Project Engineer within NMAC. He is
a Sr. Technical Leader in the NMAC
(Nuclear Maintenance Applications
Center) program area of the Nuclear
Sector. His current research activities
focus on valve support (Air-Operated,
Check Valves, and Safety Relief
Valves), mobile Work Management, and
innovative maintenance techniques/
practices. He also has Predictive
Maintenance expertise in the area of
plant lubrication practices as well as
other mechanical areas. Past research
projects included power uprates, gas
intrusion detection and prevention, and
foreign material prevention techniques.
In 2012, Mr.Camilli was loaned to the
Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
(INPO) where he qualified as an
evaluator for Equipment Reliability.
Nick graduated in 2006 with a
Mechanical Engineering degree from
the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte. While a student, he interned
with Duke Energy and General Electric
(Nuclear and Fossil Divisions).
Introduction
The goal of nuclear power is to
produce safe, reliable and affordable
electricity for its customers. In order to
achieve this goal, utilities are consistently
looking for ways to be more efficient and
make the best use of modern technologies.
Some of the most frequently discussed
topics in the industry include mobile work
management, remote online monitoring,
and the need for more connectivity (data
transmission) inside the power block of
a nuclear plant. However, most plants
do not have the infrastructure to support
connectivity and this becomes the
challenge. Wireless networks are gaining
traction but proving to be costly and time
intensive due to the complexity. This
need has driven EPRI to think outside the
box looking beyond the nuclear industry
and investigating the latest technologies
being used in other industries.
Distributed Antenna
Systems (DAS)
Large stadiums, racetracks, mass
transportation systems, underground
industries, industrial complexes, and
cruise ships all have one thing in
common – use of distributed antenna
systems (DAS). A DAS serves two
primary purposes 1) boost coverage and
2) enhance network performance in high
traffic areas. This is accomplished by a
system of smaller antennas, radiating
(“leaky”) cable, or a combination of
radiating cable and antennas to distribute
signal in low coverage areas. The result is
the ability to transmit data wirelessly with
high reliability. The use of the cellular
network (LTE) for connectivity and data
transmission has not been investigated
by the nuclear industry and looks to be a
viable solution.
Feasibility Study
EPRI believed such a DAS
system could be adapted into a nuclear
environment as an alternative to
conventional wireless networks to
provide more reliable coverage and
capacity with less overall power usage
and maintenance costs. There are four
key dimensions to evaluate during
the study: frequency propagation,
signal distribution via radiating cable,
exploration of DAS technologies, and
carrier based wireless data services.
To prove the concept, EPRI obtained
approval from a US utility member to
conduct field testing at a nuclear plant
undergoing decommissioning. Tests
were conducted in the auxiliary building
and in containment using separate
configurations. Frequencies selected
included 730MHz and 2130 MHz which
represent the high and low end of the LTE
frequency spectrum. These frequencies
also provide a best case and worst case
frequency propagation scenario. Field
measurements were taken to measure
signal strength throughout multiple
Distributed Antenna System (DAS) setup and test points.
Nuclear Plant Journal, March-April 2016 NuclearPlantJournal.com
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