NIOSH Communications
and Tracking
Research Update
David Snyder, MS, PE
NIOSH OMSHR
March 17, 2010
Overview
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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
Regulation/Enforcement
Research, Training, and
Prevention Recommendations
Department of Labor
(DOL)
Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS)
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC)
Occupational
Safety and
Health
Administration
(OSHA)
Mine Safety
and Health
Administration
(MSHA)
National Institute for
Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH)
Office of Mine Safety and
Health Research (OSHMR)
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 2006. 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
Contract No. Technology Source
(IAA)
/ Contractor
Description
200-2007-21249
Extreme Endeavors and Develop a miner tracking system based on inertial
navigation and reverse RFID correction
Consulting
200-2007-21250
MSSI / L3 Global
Becker/Pillar
Innovations
Develop a miner tracking system based on ultrawideband technology and reverse RFID correction
Develop and install a survivable leaky feeder
communications systems
Innovative Wireless/L3
Kutta Technologies/US
Army CERDEC
Design, install, and evaluate a wireless mesh
communication and tracking network in an underground
coal mine
Adapt a MF wireless communications system for use in
underground mines
200-2007-20064
200-2007-20388
(07FED717801)
200-2008-26293
200-2008-24502
200-2008-26815
Evaluate the feasibility of a fiber optic sprinkler head
emergency communications system for use in
CSIRO
underground mines
US Sensor Systems Inc. Develop and demonstrate a modified, fiber optic-based
perimeter security system to track personnel in
underground coal mines
Develop a media converter device to interface wireless
Rajant Corporation
handheld radios with leaky feeder communication
systems
Completed Support Contracts
Contract No.
(IAA)
Contractor/Agency
200-2008-24620c Helium Networks
(SkyMark)
200-2008-26556
Foster-Miller, Inc.
(QinetiQ)
254-2008-27024
Foster-Miller, Inc.
(QinetiQ)
200-2008-26864
Foster-Miller, Inc.
(QinetiQ)
(08FED898353)
Defense Information
Systems Agency, Joint
Spectrum Center
NIST National Institute of
(08FEB898345)
200-2008-27444
200-2008-24628
Description
Design and develop a tool for geographically accurate
data collection and mapping wireless coverage areas and
in underground coal mines
Develop guidelines for safe management of electrical
equipment and systems during a mine emergency or
other abnormal circumstance
Performance and Safety Investigation of Emergency
Backup Batteries and Battery Charging Systems for
Underground Mining Applications
Develop a method to evaluate the reliability and
survivability of underground communication, tracking, and
atmospheric monitoring systems
Develop guidelines for safe and efficient use of the limited
radio spectrum in underground mines
Develop modeling and simulation tools to evaluate the
Standards and Technology performance of underground mine wireless
communications networks
Evaluate the efficacy of deploying a vehicular satellite and
CERMUSA Center of
other communication system for use during mine rescue
Excellence for Remote
Medically Underserved Areas and other emergency events
Foundation
Telecommunications
Inc.
Develop a Universal Signal Evaluation Package for
multiple frequency bands, adapt a passive magnetic
amplifier for 900 MHz, and investigate energy harvesting
technologies
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 13-14 2009, Lakewood, CO | May 19-20
2009, 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
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/
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
Decreasing Throughput
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
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?
Normal Operations
Emergency Messages
Hybrid Systems will need to be developed to address the “bandwidth
mediation” challenge.
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
Contract No. Contractor
Description
200-2007-22843
Lockheed Martin
Corporation
200-2008-26818
E-Spectrum
Technologies
Alertek, LLC
TTE - Develop and demonstrate a two-way, through-theearth communication system for mines using advanced
noise cancellation techniques to support voice and text
TTE - Adapt an existing ULF through-the-earth system for
communication and tracking of underground miners
200-2008-25720
200-2009-32117
200-2009-31292
200-2009-31502
200-2009-31346
TTE - Develop a battery-powered, through-the-earth
wireless voice communication system for overburdens of
up to 600 feet
TTE - Design, fabricate, and test a prototype, two-way,
Stolar Research, Inc.
through-the-earth emergency communication system
using gradiometer approach.
Ultra Electronics Canada TTE - Fabricate and test through-the-earth
communication devices in an underground mine. A
Defence Inc
portable magnetic field direction finder will be
demonstrated.
CONSPEC Controls Inc. Investigate the development of a robust, intrinsically safe
system that will incorporate atmospheric monitoring into
two-way communications and tracking systems.
URS Group Incorporated Develop Risk Assessment Guidelines for Identifying,
Assessing, and Mitigating Stored Energy Hazards in
Underground Coal Mines During and After a Mine
Emergency
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:
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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 3.1.6 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 (412-371-0680)
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 E-mail: Gfinfinger@cdc.gov
Phone: 412/386-6550
Improving Mineworker Health &
Safety Through Research &
Prevention
Never forgetting it’s about the
health & safety of the mineworker!
Thank You!
• For more information please visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/