NIOSH Communications and Tracking Research Update David Snyder, MS, PE NIOSH OMSHR March 17, 2010

Overview NIOSH OMSHR role relative to C/T systems History of C/T Contracts awards Current Research Future Research Systems Quality Assurance NIOSH Points of Contact

MSHA Role NIOSH Role Department of Labor (DOL) Department of Labor (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Office of Mine Safety and Health Research (OSHMR) Regulation/Enforcement Research, Training, and Prevention Recommendations Research, Training, and Prevention Recommendations

OSH Act of 1970 To assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women.

NIOSH Mission To provide leadership in research to prevent work-related illness, injury, disability, and death.

Mining Program Mission… To eliminate occupational diseases, injuries & fatalities from the mining workplace through a focused program of research & prevention

MINER Act of 2006 The disaster at Sago Mine in West Virginia has highlighted the need for advanced communication and tracking systems that can function during an emergency. Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of By June, 2009: –Wireless two-way communications –Electronic tracking system to locate miners

Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill $23 M to push promising technology to the mines –Funding to be administered by NIOSH through outside contracts –Divided between communications & tracking, SCSRs, refuge chambers

Office of Mine Safety & Health Research Pittsburgh and Spokane research activities have been consolidated under one organization (OMSHR) –Newly created Electrical and Machine System Safety Branch (EMSSB) includes the Communications and Tracking Research Area –The Communications and Tracking team has been responsible for the administration of the contracts awarded under the ESA funds To date, OMSHR has awarded 21 contracts in the area of communications and tracking –Includes technology development and support contracts

Completed Devel. Contracts

Completed Support Contracts

NIOSH Workshops & Tutorial Mining Communications and Tracking Workshop –Presented an overview of communications and tracking systems and summary of contract findings Included presentations and display booths by equipment manufacturers May , Lakewood, CO | May , Charleston, WV NIOSH Tutorial on Communications and Tracking was presented and copies given to the attendees

NIOSH Internet Resources NIOSH OMSHR web site is a valuable information resource –Summaries of the NIOSH contract activities –Request form for contract reports –Copies of the workshop presentations –Request form for the NIOSH tutorial –Copies of archived research from USBM

Post ESA funding opportunities OMSHR continues to be interested in innovative technology ideas to improve MINER safety and health –ESA fund was a one-time appropriation and future contract awards will come from OMSHR base budget –Broad Agency Announcement is the contract solicitation mechanism –Mine Test Bed tentatively planned as a competitive solicitation –Other funding opportunities are available through the CDC/NIOSH grants program Relatively few contract awarded post ESA

Current contracts Our continued focus is the post disaster functioning of systems Primary Systems and Secondary Systems Current focus is on Secondary Communications Systems and techniques to improving survivability of systems –Fewer number of active components is generally better for both survivability and reliability

Primary Communications Primary communications systems are those that: –Operate in the conventional radio bands –Use small antennas that allow the miner to have wearable devices with long battery life –Have sufficient throughput for general operations Leaky feeder and node based systems are examples of primary systems

Secondary Systems Medium Frequency Systems and TTE Systems are viable secondary systems that can provide alternate communications paths out of the mine A secondary system is one which: –Operates in non-conventional frequency bands –Uses a large antenna that is best suited for fixed locations or portable applications –Does not have sufficient throughput for general operations

Coverage of Critical Areas with Wireless Systems Wireless Coverage has tremendous safety advantage for the miners

Survivability …….. The Challenge What happens if 2000 feet of all entries are lost?

Survivability……..The Goal Alternate Communication Paths

Survivability the Approach The principal challenge for post accident operation is survivability Lesson learned: Survivability is most practically achieved through alternate communications paths. –No practical way to harden primary communications infrastructure to survive any conceivable event Survivability has as much to do with the design and installation as it does the technology –Mine specific design approach

Alternate Communications Paths for Leaky Feeder

Alternate Communications Paths for Node based systems

Alternate Communications Paths for Node based systems (Mesh)

Alternate Communications Paths Ideally the alternate communications path is “truly diverse” and highly reliable Independent failure mechanisms –No shared components between the primary and alternate path that would fail from a common event Minimum number of active components (those that require electricity) yields the highest reliability Secondary Systems offer the best potential for an alternate communications path –A borehole directly to the miner would be the “ideal” alternate communications path

Medium Frequency Communications

Through the Earth (TTE) Communications

Fiber 1,000,000,000,000 bps Wires 1,000,000,000bps Primary Wireless Systems 1,000,000bps Secondary Systems a few thousand to less than 100 bps Decreasing Throughput

Interoperability Challenge Interoperability with digital and multi-channel communications is more complicated How do we ensure that only emergency traffic is directed to this secondary system? Hybrid Systems will need to be developed to address the “bandwidth mediation” challenge. Normal Operations Emergency Messages

UHF (leaky feeder) to MF Interoperability

Current Research In search of the “Infrastructure Autonomous System” –TTE systems development –Medium Frequency systems C/T Interoperability –National Institute of Standards to host an Interoperability working group “GPS denied” navigation and tracking C/T Systems Safety

Current Contracts

Future Research Electrical Safety and Communications Team headed by Dr. Joe Waynert –Future C/T technology research will be conducted under this team –Currently staffing to expand in-house research capabilities in the post ESA environment –In-house research is consistent with traditional approach and current budget –Process includes formulating structured research projects which are peer reviewed and normally have a 3 to 5 year timeframe

Technology Research Areas The team is formulating research projects in the areas of: –Signal Propagation & Systems Modeling –Communications & Tracking Systems Safety –Communications & Tracking Systems Improvement The focus of the Electrical Safety and Communications team is the improvement of the safety, reliability and survivability of the C/T systems

Applications Research The introduction of wireless communications and tracking systems in the mines introduces endless possibilities of new applications for health, safety, and productivity improvements. –Similar to the introduction of the Internet in to homes –Need to avoid the dot com boom – bust pitfall –Future applications should be driven by clearly defined requirements and solid needs analysis

Applications Research (cont.) OMSHR will be considering additional research relative to the application and use of C/T systems. Areas of potential interest include: –Mine wide sensor systems using C/T backbones to improve safety –Roof control –Atmospheric Monitoring –Mine rescue applications –Biological monitoring of miners or rescue team members –Proximity Detection –Others

Systems Quality Assurance The introduction of wireless communications and tracking systems also introduces the need to ensure the quality and compliance of these systems. –Measurement tools and techniques need to be developed –Predictive tools and analysis techniques are needed. –Design of Systems –Calculating Survivability of systems –Performance Goals need to be established in a manner that enables compliance determination. Examples, tracking “accuracy”, system survivability, etc. (See of NIOSH Tutorial for more)

MineComms Mapper TM from SkyMark (Helium Networks) Collect radio frequency data throughout the mine. Track location continuously, quickly, easily. Generate accurate coverage maps. Improve mine-wide communications coverage. Verify coverage to meet Miner Act requirements. Commercially Available Steve David ( )

OMSHR Points of Contact OMSHR Points of Contact relative to C/T systems technology and applications –Dave Snyder, CT systems Technology and Systems QA –Rich Unger, Proximity Detection Applications –Floyd Varley, Mine Rescue Applications –Tom Barczak, Roof Control Applications –Joel Haight, Biological Monitoring Applications –Ed Thimons, Atmospheric Monitoring Applications For more information on OMSHR points of contacts and current research please contact: Gerry Finfinger Phone: 412/

Improving Mineworker Health & Safety Through Research & Prevention Never forgetting it’s about the health & safety of the mineworker!

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