Kinetic Mesh Networks for Fully-Integrated and Secure Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Operations

First published on Rajant.com

Scalable, High-Bandwidth Kinetic Mesh® Networks Provide Unmatched Connectivity for Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream Applications.

A private Rajant Kinetic Mesh network can enable the always-on, continuous communications required to support such technologies while providing reliable, secure, mobile access to vital data and applications. Rajant’s self-healing, layer 2 peer-to-peer mesh networks have been operating successfully in a wide variety of industrial environments, including mining, military, oil and gas, ports, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and government.

Similar to many other industries, oil, gas, and petrochemical operations depend on a variety of vehicles, equipment, heavy machinery, and personnel, dispersed across vast, rugged terrain—all of which require reliable, high-bandwidth, mobile communications. Every aspect of exploration, extraction, and production must be carefully monitored and managed to ensure continuous operations and cost containment—24/7 365 days a year. A Rajant mesh network can provide real-time, site-wide communications for employees, contractors, vehicles, drills, well heads, video cameras, smart meters, sensors, laptops, smart phones, and an abundance of other assets.

Mesh Network Uptime

Rajant is the standard for reliable, resilient, adaptable broadband connectivity in evolving, mobility-driven industrial environments. With the ability to provide communications over an ever-changing landscape without constantly moving, adding, or rebuilding infrastructure.

Unique Technology

Rajant Kinetic Mesh networks consist of Rajant BreadCrumb® nodes powered by Rajant’s patented InstaMesh® networking protocol, enabling voice, video, and data communications ‒ even while people and assets are in-motion.

C1D2 Certification

Rajant’s BreadCrumb ME4, model 2450R, will be Class 1, Division 2 (C1D2) Hazardous Locations (HazLoc) certified in Q2-18. This certification indicates that the ME4, 2450R-C1D2 is intrinsically safe in C1D2 petrochemical, oil, and gas environments where flammable gases, vapours, or liquids may be present.

Multi-Radio, Multi-Frequency Advantages

Rajant BreadCrumbs operate within a specific band of frequencies and are programmable to certain channels within that band. They support the simultaneous use of 900 MHz and 2.4, 4.9, and 5 GHz frequencies for redundancy and interference mitigation, and individual network nodes can accommodate up to four radios.

Multiple and Custom Frequencies

Rajant’s multi-frequency BreadCrumbs are capable of simultaneously sending and receiving on different frequencies. In full duplex mode, Rajant networks have higher bandwidth speeds across multiple hops (mesh nodes). As a result, data packets get to their destination much faster with extremely low latency when compared to other solutions.

No Single Point of Failure

In a Rajant network, InstaMesh continually discovers and maintains information about the cost of multiple routes at each BreadCrumb in the network and forwards traffic as needed through the best available path. InstaMesh proactively scans nodes and takes corrective action the instant it encounters interference or an obstruction, redirecting traffic as needed.

Continuous Connectivity

Rajant networks do not break connectivity during mobile communications. Instead, InstaMesh® uses a “make-make-make-never-break” approach. As a vehicle or other mobile equipment equipped with a BreadCrumb travels across a site, it is continually adding new connections and always has multiple connection options available at any given time.

Military-Grade Security

Petrochemical, oil, and gas organisations are high-risk targets for potential malicious attacks. Recognising how essential security is, Rajant has made significant investments in providing multi-level, military-grade security to protect Kinetic Mesh network traffic.

Load Balancing

The radios in BreadCrumbs are capable of simultaneously sending and receiving on different frequencies, enabling exceptionally high availability. The mesh can use any one of its multiple radio frequencies for conducting local-access traffic and backhaul traffic. This design allows users to maintain critical access to mission-critical data and applications, even in the most challenging environments.

Scalability

Oil, gas, and petrochemical operations are typically geographically dispersed, operating many applications that are extremely bandwidth intensive. One main advantage of Rajant’s technology is its ability to extend coverage and support new applications as needs grow. BreadCrumb-based networks can scale to hundreds of interconnected mobile nodes and higher densities. As the network grows, bandwidth availability increases.

Cost Benefit and ROI

Implementing applications such as process and production control, vehicle dispatch and routing, machine health, precision drilling, and surveillance represents a significant investment in any gas, oil, or petrochemical operation. Simply installing these applications does not automatically ensure the expected ROI. Organisations seeking to achieve maximum benefits from technology investments can rely on Rajant’s field-proven networks to help drive ROI.

What are the immediate benefits?

  • Continuous communications enable access to strategic decision-making insights.
  • Well-site and platform monitoring to spot problems instantly.
  • Site-wide mobility ensuring operational efficiency.
  • Greater safety through GPS-base locations and status tracking.
  • Investment protection for the long-term.
  • Extend service life of vehicles and equipment.
  • Big data and predictive analysis help achieve operational objectives.
  • Surveillance protects facilities and operations from malicious attack.

Summary

The information network is the backbone of any complex gas, oil, and petrochemical operations. It is the linchpin on which the productivity, safety, and profitability of the organisation relies. Bandwidth and availability are precious. Downtime is unacceptable. Application data, voice, and video flowing over the network are as essential to operations and efficiency as the fuel in vehicles.

To realise peak productivity and savings, mission-critical applications need to run on a communications network that offers highly reliable, agile, and adaptable connectivity that survives and thrives in diverse and evolving mobility-driven environments—a “living” mesh network that moves with and adapts to ongoing connectivity demands. Rajant Kinetic Mesh® networks are the industry leader in meeting these demanding requirements.

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