Detection and self-healing of cluster breakages in mines and tunnels: an empirical investigation
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims at providing a reliable system of real-time monitoring for underground mine and tunnels which detects any structural change in the network and reconfigures it for resuming the data delivery process. In high stress environments, e.g. underground mines and tunnels, real-time activity monitoring is an emerging issue. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) play a key role in ensuring the safety of people working in underground mines and tunnels. WSN not only provide real-time monitoring of underground environment but also detects any structural change in the network itself.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, results of empirical implementation of a re-configurable WSN, capable of self-healing approach, reconfigure the network connectivity upon failure or addition of nodes in the system. An open-source radio-frequency identification standard for WSN, named as DASH7, is used for practical implementation. The proposed system is capable of determining cluster breakage by sudden disruptions caused by roof falls, explosions and node failures, sensor coverage hole, node re-addition to the network and distress priority signal generation by the miner.
Findings
The proposed platform contributes to re-attain network state for establishing a communication link with fusion center in terms of: instant and accurate detection of collapse holes, acceptable error rate, time to re-attain network state, rapid distress signal propagation and low deployment cost. This platform is deployed in four different environments of anechoic chamber, hallway, outdoor and underground mine environment, to test the aforementioned scenarios using DASH7-compatible Bitsense Sensor Motes operating at 433 MHz. The effectiveness of the proposed approach has been experimentally validated for the single and multiple adjacent and disjoint node failures in all the four environments.
Originality/value
The number of monitoring systems was implemented for safety assurance in high stress environments before, but the novelty of our platform is long range, cost effectiveness, quick response to any structural change in the network, rapid and accurate data delivery using WSN operated on DASH7 protocol stack.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The entire experimentation in this work was supported by National ICT R & D Fund Pakistan under Safety Assurance in High Stress Environment project. The authors would like to acknowledge the support of the Punjab School of Mines, Katas, and other laboratory fellows, Umar Ibrahim Minhas, Zahid Abbas and Talha Imran, in conducting experiments and executing this research.
Citation
Khan, M.Y., Qaisar, S.B., Naeem, M., Aslam, A., Shahid, S. and Naqvi, I. (2015), "Detection and self-healing of cluster breakages in mines and tunnels: an empirical investigation", Sensor Review, Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 263-273. https://doi.org/10.1108/SR-08-2014-0684
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited