GPS-Based Network Synchronization of Wireless Sensors for Extracting Propagation of Disturbance on Structural Systems

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 24; no. 1; p. 199
• Main Authors: Salazar-Lopez, Jesus Ricardo, Millan-Almaraz, Jesus Roberto, Gaxiola-Camacho, Jose Ramon, Vazquez-Becerra, Guadalupe Esteban, Leal-Graciano, Jesus Martin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 29.12.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Accelerometers; Bridges; Communication; Energy consumption; Equipment and supplies; Global Positioning System; Global positioning systems; GPS; Information management; Infrastructure; Internet of Things; Microelectromechanical systems; Philosophy; Propagation; Prospective payment systems (Medical care); pulse per second; real-time clock; Sensors; Strain gauges; structural health monitoring; synchronization; Telecommunication systems; Wireless sensor networks; Mexico; acceleration; disturbance propagation; pulse per second; wireless sensor networks; real-time clock; synchronization; structural health monitoring; GPS
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s24010199

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have gained a positive popularity for structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. The underlying reason for using WSNs is the vast number of devices supporting wireless networks available these days. However, some of these devices are expensive. The main objective of this paper is to develop a cost-effective WSN based on low power consumption and long-range radios, which can perform real-time, real-scale acceleration data analyses. Since a detection system for vibration propagation is proposed in this paper, the synchronized monitoring of acceleration data is necessary. To meet this need, a Pulse Per Second (PPS) synchronization method is proposed with the help of GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers, representing an addition to the synchronization method based on real-time clock (RTC). As a result, RTC+PPS is the term used when referring to this method in this paper. In summary, the experiments presented in this research consist in performing specific and synchronized measurements on a full-scale steel I-beam. Finally, it is possible to perform measurements with a synchronization success of 100% in a total of 30 samples, thereby obtaining the propagation of vibrations in the structure under consideration by implementing the RTS+PPS method.