1
25-035
Exploring the Performance and Reliability of Communication
Links Subjected to Electromagnetic Interference in Radio
Frequency-Controlled Heavy Equipment in an Underground
Coal Mine
Y. Zhang
CDC NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
C. Zhou
CDC NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
M. Girman
CDC NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
ABSTRACT
Wireless technologies are increasingly being implemented
in underground mines for various purposes such as com-
munications, tracking, remote control, remote sensing,
and environmental monitoring. However, the adoption
comes with risks as common wireless systems, such as WiFi,
Bluetooth, IWT (Innovative Wireless Technologies) wire-
less system, often operate in the unlicensed ISM (indus-
trial, scientific, and medical) band. The shared nature of
the ISM band can lead to interference among devices and
consequently cause performance degradation and reliabil-
ity issues. In this study, we developed two wireless com-
munication evaluation boards as a tool to evaluate the
performance and reliability of a wireless system with the
presence of electromagnetic interferences (EMI) from
other wireless systems in underground environments. We
adjusted various parameters including signal power from
adjacent frequency channels, noise power within the same
channel, the movement of personnel, and communication
packet size. Our findings indicate that, while the power of
the EMI source plays a key role, the motion of personnel
in the tunnel also has a strong impact on performance, and
this impact increases as the power of EMI sources increases.
In noisy environments, smaller packet sizes are preferable
as they enhance the likelihood of successful transmission.
High levels of interference or noise can lead to increased
packet loss or error rates, potentially causing communica-
tion links to fail completely or become ineffective. The eval-
uation boards utilized in this study are based on a practical
wireless transmission system deployed in a remote control-
ler for a heavy mining machinery used in underground coal
mines. The results and findings presented in this paper can
aid in the design of wireless systems that are resilient to
EMI in underground mining environments.
INTRODUCTION
In the mining industry, the integration of advanced wireless
communication technologies has been continuously driven
by the need to enhance operational efficiency and safety.
Most notably, the MINER Act of 2006 led to the prolif-
eration of wireless communication and tracking systems in
underground coal mines in the United States. Additionally,
in the modern mining industry, communication is a key
enabling technology in the automation and digitalization
of mining operations connecting workers, machinery, and
operation centers.
Underground coal mining operations present unique
challenges due to their complex environment [1], where tra-
ditional communication systems often struggle to maintain
reliability and performance. One critical factor affecting
these systems is electromagnetic interference (EMI), which
can severely disrupt wireless communication links [1]. This
disruption not only impacts operational efficiency but
can also pose significant safety risks to personnel. Various
instances of EMI have been reported in the mining indus-
try. One recent notable example is that the magnetic fields
emitted from Personal Dust Monitors (PDM) can interfere
with the normal operation of Proximity Detection Systems
(PDS) [2]. Specifically, the EMI can completely disable the
protections provided by a PDS, which is designed to stop
heavy machinery before it contacts a miner. Additionally,
another documented EMI instance involved magnetic fields
produced by portable radios used within several inches of a
remote control transmitter that activated certain functions
of the remote controller transmitter [3].
25-035
Exploring the Performance and Reliability of Communication
Links Subjected to Electromagnetic Interference in Radio
Frequency-Controlled Heavy Equipment in an Underground
Coal Mine
Y. Zhang
CDC NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
C. Zhou
CDC NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
M. Girman
CDC NIOSH, Pittsburgh, PA
ABSTRACT
Wireless technologies are increasingly being implemented
in underground mines for various purposes such as com-
munications, tracking, remote control, remote sensing,
and environmental monitoring. However, the adoption
comes with risks as common wireless systems, such as WiFi,
Bluetooth, IWT (Innovative Wireless Technologies) wire-
less system, often operate in the unlicensed ISM (indus-
trial, scientific, and medical) band. The shared nature of
the ISM band can lead to interference among devices and
consequently cause performance degradation and reliabil-
ity issues. In this study, we developed two wireless com-
munication evaluation boards as a tool to evaluate the
performance and reliability of a wireless system with the
presence of electromagnetic interferences (EMI) from
other wireless systems in underground environments. We
adjusted various parameters including signal power from
adjacent frequency channels, noise power within the same
channel, the movement of personnel, and communication
packet size. Our findings indicate that, while the power of
the EMI source plays a key role, the motion of personnel
in the tunnel also has a strong impact on performance, and
this impact increases as the power of EMI sources increases.
In noisy environments, smaller packet sizes are preferable
as they enhance the likelihood of successful transmission.
High levels of interference or noise can lead to increased
packet loss or error rates, potentially causing communica-
tion links to fail completely or become ineffective. The eval-
uation boards utilized in this study are based on a practical
wireless transmission system deployed in a remote control-
ler for a heavy mining machinery used in underground coal
mines. The results and findings presented in this paper can
aid in the design of wireless systems that are resilient to
EMI in underground mining environments.
INTRODUCTION
In the mining industry, the integration of advanced wireless
communication technologies has been continuously driven
by the need to enhance operational efficiency and safety.
Most notably, the MINER Act of 2006 led to the prolif-
eration of wireless communication and tracking systems in
underground coal mines in the United States. Additionally,
in the modern mining industry, communication is a key
enabling technology in the automation and digitalization
of mining operations connecting workers, machinery, and
operation centers.
Underground coal mining operations present unique
challenges due to their complex environment [1], where tra-
ditional communication systems often struggle to maintain
reliability and performance. One critical factor affecting
these systems is electromagnetic interference (EMI), which
can severely disrupt wireless communication links [1]. This
disruption not only impacts operational efficiency but
can also pose significant safety risks to personnel. Various
instances of EMI have been reported in the mining indus-
try. One recent notable example is that the magnetic fields
emitted from Personal Dust Monitors (PDM) can interfere
with the normal operation of Proximity Detection Systems
(PDS) [2]. Specifically, the EMI can completely disable the
protections provided by a PDS, which is designed to stop
heavy machinery before it contacts a miner. Additionally,
another documented EMI instance involved magnetic fields
produced by portable radios used within several inches of a
remote control transmitter that activated certain functions
of the remote controller transmitter [3].