The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) published the first results of its Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) testbed program. Led by IIC member companies including GE, IBM, Intel and PTC, the testbeds are a platform for testing IIoT solutions that conform to IIC reference architectures.
There are 25 testbeds listed on the IIC website covering a range of industries including energy, manufacturing and smart cities. Though not all have been completed, IIC shared a number of first results. Here’s a few highlights:
- Time Sensitive Networking Testbed: Time Sensitive Networks (TSNs) are an IIC technology meant to provide real-time, deterministic control of automated systems, such as those in manufacturing. The TSN testbed aims to bring enhancements to ethernet standards—specifically, IEEE 802.1 and 802.3—to improve time synchronization, scheduled traffic flows and central system configuration for IIoT systems. Still ongoing, the TSN testbed has provided an opportunity for participants to test specific implementations and been successful in pushing the TSN standard forward.
- Condition Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance Testbed: As its name suggests, this testbed looked into the value of monitoring industrial assets to detect early signs of failure. Though predictive maintenance is not a new IIoT concept, the IIC testbed demonstrated how to make older assets smart by gathering data from four HVAC pumps.
- Track and Trace Testbed: This testbed used sensors to determine information about the location of assets in use, from tools to logistics equipment like forklifts. Ultimately, the testbed identified numerous standardization opportunities in localization technology, device management and more.
You can read more about these and other testbed results in the latest edition of the IIC’s Journal of Innovation.
“IIC testbeds provide a feedback loop from concept to reality and back to innovation,” said IIC Executive Director Dr. Richard Soley. “They help uncover the technologies, techniques and opportunities that are essential to solving important problems that benefit business and society. This is the reason member companies agree to sponsor and own their testbeds but will also share progress reports.”
In addition to releasing the first wave of testbed results, the IIC also announced a new testbed led by IIC members GE Digital and LTI. The Digital Solar Plant Testbed aims to address the challenges facing solar energy plants by working toward better energy forecasting, better capacity utilization and reduced maintenance expenses.
“Renewable energy is a transformative solution that will meet energy as well as economic challenges globally,” said GE Digital’s Shyam Varan Nath. “We’re excited to partner with the IIC and LTI on this intelligent platform to help solar plant utilities forecast energy requirements. Using real-time data analytics, utilities can also ensure that all of their assets are working properly and that their plants are running efficiently.”
To learn more about the IIC, read IIC and ECC Team Up for IIoT Edge Solutions.