OBJECTIVES

LRTCS is a research laboratory dedicated to wireless telecommunication technologies for underground mines. Its main goal is to develop an advanced wireless digital telecommunication working at high data rates (54 Mbps+) for numerous data types like:

- voice
- video
- localisation (RF)
- control

Specific objectives

Wave propagation in mining environments

LRCS devotes most part of its efforts to millimetre wave propagation in underground mine environment. By itself, a global understanding of the underlying principles is a major challenge. This issue must be circumvent to implement an efficient telecommunication system. The complexity is a higher than free wave propagation, and even in a crowded urban area. Indeed, a mine cross section can vary in size, shape, roughness, and composition. The size is usually limited to machinery size, which can occlude the propagation channel. Roughness generate various effects like diffraction and scattering.

RF coverage

Adaptive antennas will be used to widen RF coverage in mining environment, by increasing radiated energy pattern toward users. The three main benefits are:

  • coverage optimization, which will maximize access point distance

  • user interferences reduction

  • throughput allocation

Deployment strategies

Deployment strategies include:

  • technical and economical feasibilities;

  • deployment cost minimisation;

  • installation approach optimisation;

  • reliability validation of which maintenance and update strategies;

  • bandwidth and robustness improvement;

  • quality of service adjustment depending on traffic;

  • access point hand-off;

  • algorithm realisations.

Conclusion

Deployment strategies cover:

  • integration, be being compatible to legacy systems;

  • costs optimization;

  • robustness and reliability;

  • versatility and performance.

Indepth