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Improving Safety for Miners By Providing a Wireless Real Time Locating System.

PB2013101126

Publication Date	2008
Personal Author	Schantz, H.
Page Count	51
Abstract	This document presents the results of a research and development effort funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under SBIR Grant 1 R43 OH008952. The goal of the effort is to develop a tracking and location system to help localize miners in the event of a mine accident. Our work established several key principles: (1) Critical polarization performs better than horizontal polarization in underground environments. (2) A power law roll-off of about r-5 is a reasonable estimate for mine propagation. (3) Phase response is distorted by mine infrastructure but in a gradual, slowly varying fashion that lends itself well to an RF mapping or fingerprinting approach to tracking. (4) Current NFER prototypes could be the basis of a tracking system with a range of about 150-200m (450-600ft). Reasonably foreseeable improvements could substantially extend the range to about 600-800m or 1800-2400 feet. With this kind of range, we can envision deploying a relatively limited number of receivers and obtaining accurate location information throughout mines of substantial size. Specific accomplishments of the Phase I effort included: (1) Completion of a computer (HFSS) model of propagation along a shaft. (2) Collection of propagation data at 575 kHz in a linear cave (Cave Mountain Cave, AL), an abandoned limestone mine (Three Caves, AL), and the Bruceton Safety Research Coal Mine. (3) Establishment of baseline performance metrics. (4) Initial modification Q-Track NFER systems for proof-of-concept application in mines. (5) Demonstration and evaluation of the proof-of-concept system at the Safety Research Coal Mine near Pittsburgh. Furthermore, Q-Track identified a significant system improvement that should roughly double the robustness and performance of NFER tracking. This improvement is the subject of a provisional patent application filed February 25. The Q-Track Corporation has assessed the feasibility of applying Near-Field Electromagnetic Ranging to the difficult problem of location awareness within coal mines. The Q-Track team believes that our Phase I experience demonstrates the feasibility of NFER tracking in coal mines. We will soon be submitting a proposal for a Phase II effort to implement a prototype system for tracking in a mine environment.
Keywords	Miners Safety measures Underground miners Accidents Underground mining Safety research Mining industry Mine workers Location service
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Corporate Authors	The Q-Track Corp., Huntsville, AL.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Atlanta, GA.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Atlanta, GA.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Final rept.
NTIS Issue Number	201301

Improving Safety for Miners By Providing a Wireless Real Time Locating System.

Improving Safety for Miners By Providing a Wireless Real Time Locating System.
PB2013101126

Publication Date	2008
Personal Author	Schantz, H.
Page Count	51
Abstract	This document presents the results of a research and development effort funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under SBIR Grant 1 R43 OH008952. The goal of the effort is to develop a tracking and location system to help localize miners in the event of a mine accident. Our work established several key principles: (1) Critical polarization performs better than horizontal polarization in underground environments. (2) A power law roll-off of about r-5 is a reasonable estimate for mine propagation. (3) Phase response is distorted by mine infrastructure but in a gradual, slowly varying fashion that lends itself well to an RF mapping or fingerprinting approach to tracking. (4) Current NFER prototypes could be the basis of a tracking system with a range of about 150-200m (450-600ft). Reasonably foreseeable improvements could substantially extend the range to about 600-800m or 1800-2400 feet. With this kind of range, we can envision deploying a relatively limited number of receivers and obtaining accurate location information throughout mines of substantial size. Specific accomplishments of the Phase I effort included: (1) Completion of a computer (HFSS) model of propagation along a shaft. (2) Collection of propagation data at 575 kHz in a linear cave (Cave Mountain Cave, AL), an abandoned limestone mine (Three Caves, AL), and the Bruceton Safety Research Coal Mine. (3) Establishment of baseline performance metrics. (4) Initial modification Q-Track NFER systems for proof-of-concept application in mines. (5) Demonstration and evaluation of the proof-of-concept system at the Safety Research Coal Mine near Pittsburgh. Furthermore, Q-Track identified a significant system improvement that should roughly double the robustness and performance of NFER tracking. This improvement is the subject of a provisional patent application filed February 25. The Q-Track Corporation has assessed the feasibility of applying Near-Field Electromagnetic Ranging to the difficult problem of location awareness within coal mines. The Q-Track team believes that our Phase I experience demonstrates the feasibility of NFER tracking in coal mines. We will soon be submitting a proposal for a Phase II effort to implement a prototype system for tracking in a mine environment.
Keywords	Miners Safety measures Underground miners Accidents Underground mining Safety research Mining industry Mine workers Location service
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Corporate Authors	The Q-Track Corp., Huntsville, AL.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Atlanta, GA.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Atlanta, GA.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Final rept.
NTIS Issue Number	201301