Wireless Safety System for Mines

V. Hima Kumar; Dr. I. Santi Prabha; M. Venkateswara Rao

Wireless communication networks provide the potential for the extension of the wireless network in areas that could have never been imagined. One such potential application is Underground Mine Communication System based on Wireless Communication Networks. The mine tunnels are long and narrow. They employ hundreds of mining personnel working at any point of time under extreme conditions. It is a fact that the underground mining operations involve a high level of risk. Hundreds of miners die from mining accidents every year. To ensure the safety of workers and perform co-ordination of tasks, a communication and location sensing system is one of the more important infrastructures that need to be deployed. This system is expected to deliver satisfactory performance in terms of communicating and performing location estimation in routine and rescue operations. The current state-of-the art communication technology used in underground mines is challenged by various limitations. Communication and tracking systems in underground mines is an area that has not been actively researched as contemporary surface based systems. In the present paper a solution for communication and locating the person using ZigBee technology is presented. The electrodes placed on the miner’s body picks up the ECG and on analysis identify the cardiac problems, in case of emergency the message is sent from miner’s unit to the Master unit. The paper describes the application, implementation and advantages of the proposed system.

Select Volume / Issues:

• Volume 3 Issue 5, Sept. 2012

Year:

2012

Type of Publication:

Article

Keywords:

ZigBee; RFID; mine communication; miner tracking; mine disasters

Journal:

IJECCE

Volume:

3

Number:

5

Pages:

1231-1233

Month:

Sept.