Towards the development of a SIL compliant wireless hydrocarbon leakage detection system

Wireless communication is one of the fastest growing technologies in process automation and now targets main stream applications. One such application is a safety application; it is unique in its own rights, as any problem with safety related equipment, network or system can compromise on-site safety. For the wired networks which serve safety applications, they are designed to ensure QoS. Therefore, controlling delay, jitter, packet loss rate and bandwidth is critical. To achieve the same performance over an envisioned wireless network with shared communication medium, various problems are to be dealt with. In this regard, this paper is an effort towards the design of a SIL compliant solution. Hence, this paper addresses the key constraints of the wireless technology and demonstrates the proof-of-concept through a field trial.