The design of wireless sensor network for urban mineral recycling

Urban mineral recycling is one important way to recycle scrap metals from discarded urban wastes. As one typical kind of less advanced industries, urban mineral recycling companies have terrible working conditions, poorly educated workers and low automation degree. All these characteristics cause big management problems which cannot be solved easily by traditional information management methods. Aims to these problems, a wireless sensor network for urban mineral recycling companies is proposed. Firstly, basic concepts about the urban mineral recycling mode are introduced. Secondly, the mathematical model is given based on material definition, physical elements definition and communication devices definition, then four running rules are defined. Thirdly, the layout of physical elements and communication devices is given, then some detailed hardware design and the main process of the central control software about the system are introduced. Implementation of this system accomplishes automation management of scrap metals and transport vehicles without human-to-computer interactions. It greatly increases the automation degree and eliminates the manual errors of recording works. Meanwhile it also decreases the worker's number and their working time in bad conditions. The basic architecture of this system can be used for reference or spread to other industries involve raw materials weighing and transportation.