Mesh Networks To Boost Energy

KingFish

Under a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), a trio of companies will use wireless mesh networks to increase energy efficiency and reduce industrial motor energy consumption.

General Electric is leading the way with Sensicast Systems and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in a project that is part of the DoE's $61 million "Industries of the Future" program. The program employs a 50/50 cost share component, which means the DoE and industry partners share risks equally. The three-year, $6 million program has three phases. First, the group will conduct a feasibility study between now and the end of the year to understand technical challenges. During the second phase, which will start next January and continue throughout the year, the groups will build prototype systems and complete proof-of-concept experiments. Finally, the groups will install a complete system at a test site and collect and analyze operational data. Wireless mesh networking is not yet an 802.11 standard, but it has been under development for some time.

Source: Wi Fi Planet

RWB

At first I was thinking back to the movie Independence Day and how things get their energy wirlessly, which would be AWSOME! FYI We do _have_ the technology, but no way to deploy it.

primesuspect

Could somebody who is smarter than me please explain to me how/why wireless mesh network will help reduce industrial motor energy consumption?

EyesOnly

primesuspect wrote:

Could somebody who is smarter than me please explain to me how/why wireless mesh network will help reduce industrial motor energy consumption?

without getting to technical. This sounds interesting to me too but i would like to know how it works.

primesuspect

i re-read the article. Actually, wifi will be used for sensors, not for any sort of weird ethereal power transmission