Michael Carr

Wireless sensing inside rotating industrial machines is challenging due to signal attenuation, multipath propagation, and continuous sensor motion. Smart particles equipped with wireless communication and inertial sensors provide a promising approach for monitoring such systems. However, the reliability of wireless signal transmission under rotational dynamics remains insufficiently understood, and systematic approaches for sensor selection are lacking. This paper presents a link-budget-normalised experimental characterisation of three commercial smart particles, namely MetaMotionS (BLE), WitMotion BLE, and WitMotion Wi-Fi, in a bare 300 mm diameter by 310 mm deep metallic drum fitted with six triangular lifters, at rest and at 16, 18, and 20 RPM, corresponding to 20.7–25.9% of the critical speed and Froude numbers of 0.043–0.067. Because raw received power conflates transmit power with channel behaviour, the comparison is expressed as excess path loss above free space together with second-order fading statistics. Two particles of the same protocol class differ by 23.9 dB, of which at most 4 dB is attributable to the transmission of power across the documented range of both radios, establishing that device implementation rather than protocol class governs the ranking. Two particles logged simultaneously through a single receiver observe one channel realisation, and the correlation between their signal fluctuations is not significantly different from zero at any speed (r = +0.064, −0.098, −0.083), indicating device-specific rather than environmental fading. Under rotation, the Wi-Fi particle holds an RSSI standard deviation of 1.96 dB against 6.27 and 6.58 dB for the two BLE particles (Welch ANOVA, p < 0.001; Games–Howell post hoc, all pairwise comparisons p < 0.001; |Cliff’s δ| > 0.96). A bounded, dimensionless multi-criteria selection procedure over link margin, signal variability, cross-speed consistency, packet delivery, and energy per delivered packet is introduced; the ranking is invariant under weighted-sum and TOPSIS aggregation but inverts once endurance carries a weight above 0.35, which quantifies the trade-off between link quality and battery life. Coupling between the wireless and motion streams is examined by folding both onto rotation phase. A rotation-locked component in RSSI is detected in one of nine sensor–speed combinations, with a maximum modulation amplitude of 0.92 dB. The RSSI logging cadence of approximately 1 Hz resolves the drum fundamental but lies below the Nyquist requirement for the dominant motion band at 0.91–1.04 Hz, so joint wireless–motion studies of rotating machinery require RSSI logging at 5 Hz or above on a clock shared with the inertial unit.

This study investigates the influence of idler roller diameter on indentation rolling resistance and idler rotating resistance in belt conveying systems, crucial for long-distance bulk material transport. It encompasses the impact on grease-lubricated rolling bearings, grease-filled labyrinth seals, and lip seals, with the aim of optimizing energy consumption. Experimental devices were used to refine predictive models, demonstrating that larger idler rollers reduce both resistances, leading to a 40% to 55% efficiency improvement. The study offers a detailed breakdown of friction losses under various operating conditions and provides valuable insights for lubricant selection and system enhancement, highlighting the significance of idler roller diameter in reducing energy costs and enhancing system performance.