NIOSH Communications and Tracking

NIOSH Communications and TrackingResearch UpdateDavid Snyder, MS, PENIOSH OMSHRMarch 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)

OccupationalSafety and

HealthAdministration

(OSHA)

Mine Safetyand Health

Administration(MSHA)

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

National Institute forOccupational Safetyand Health (NIOSH)

Office of Mine Safety and Health Research (OSHMR)

Regulation/Enforcement Research, Training, andPrevention 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 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. (IAA)

Technology Source / Contractor Description

200-2007-21249 Extreme Endeavors and Consulting

Develop a miner tracking system based on inertial navigation and reverse RFID correction

200-2007-21250MSSI / L3 Global

Develop a miner tracking system based on ultra-wideband technology and reverse RFID correction

200-2007-20064 Becker/Pillar Innovations

Develop and install a survivable leaky feeder communications systems

200-2007-20388

Innovative Wireless/L3

Design, install, and evaluate a wireless mesh communication and tracking network in an underground coal mine

(07FED717801) Kutta Technologies/US Army CERDEC

Adapt a MF wireless communications system for use in underground mines

200-2008-26293

CSIRO

Evaluate the feasibility of a fiber optic sprinkler head emergency communications system for use in underground mines

200-2008-24502 US Sensor Systems Inc. Develop and demonstrate a modified, fiber optic-based perimeter security system to track personnel in underground coal mines

200-2008-26815 Rajant Corporation Develop a media converter device to interface wireless handheld radios with leaky feeder communication systems

Completed Support Contracts Contract No.

(IAA) Contractor/Agency Description200-2008-24620c Helium Networks

(SkyMark)Design and develop a tool for geographically accurate data collection and mapping wireless coverage areas and in underground coal mines

200-2008-26556 Foster-Miller, Inc. (QinetiQ)

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

(08FED898353) Defense Information Systems Agency, Joint Spectrum Center

Develop guidelines for safe and efficient use of the limited radio spectrum in underground mines

(08FEB898345) NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

Develop modeling and simulation tools to evaluate the performance of underground mine wireless communications networks

200-2008-27444 CERMUSA Center of Excellence for Remote Medically Underserved Areas

Evaluate the efficacy of deploying a vehicular satellite and other communication system for use during mine rescue and other emergency events

200-2008-24628 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

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

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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 MessagesEmergency Messages

UHF Medium Frequency

Conductor

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 ContractsContract No. Contractor Description200-2007-22843 Lockheed Martin

CorporationTTE - Develop and demonstrate a two-way, through-the-earth communication system for mines using advanced noise cancellation techniques to support voice and text

200-2008-26818 E-Spectrum Technologies

TTE - Adapt an existing ULF through-the-earth system for communication and tracking of underground miners

200-2008-25720 Alertek, LLC TTE - Develop a battery-powered, through-the-earth wireless voice communication system for overburdens of up to 600 feet

200-2009-32117 Stolar Research, Inc. TTE - Design, fabricate, and test a prototype, two-way, through-the-earth emergency communication system using gradiometer approach.

200-2009-31292 Ultra Electronics Canada Defence Inc

TTE - Fabricate and test through-the-earth communication devices in an underground mine. A portable magnetic field direction finder will be demonstrated.

200-2009-31502 CONSPEC Controls Inc. Investigate the development of a robust, intrinsically safe system that will incorporate atmospheric monitoring into two-way communications and tracking systems.

200-2009-31346 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 ResearchElectrical 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 AssuranceThe 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 MapperTM

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: [email protected] Phone: 412/386-6550

mailto:[email protected]

Improving Mineworker Health & Safety Through Research &

Prevention

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NIOSH Communications and Tracking