| Robust in the rock
The rugged and rocky nature of the mine
environment—as opposed to road or rail
tunnels—often presents a challenge to radiating cable installation. This is further complicated by the changing coverage area of a typical coal mine. As coal is removed, the mine changes shape and eventually the underground
wireless communication infrastructure must be realigned to suit the new mine geometry.
“We’ve found that the on-site mine installation and maintenance crews prefer RADIAFLEX, as it is extremely robust, maneuverable and easy to work with,” says Brenneman. “This is very
important, as the radiating cable is continuously moved and reinstalled as the mine’s layout changes and develops.”
With cable runs in underground mine shafts
often having to negotiate tight corners and
unconventional distribution paths, RADIAFLEX is easily installed. Its low bending radii enables it
to be fashioned around most underground structures,” says Kasai. “Its inherent flexibility and high strength allow it to be deployed in
the most complex cable network layouts.”
In addition, the ambient temperature and
humidity experienced in US coal mines can
fluctuate dramatically, depending on the time of year. “RADIAFLEX cable is engineered to resist dust, moisture and humidity, making it the
ideal choice for demanding conditions, such as those experienced in rugged coal mining
environments,” says Kasai.
A bright future in the dark
Pillar Innovations has deployed RFS’s
RADIAFLEX cable in a number of coal mining
installations, including America’s second largest long-wall coal mine, located in Pennsylvania. Many of the Pillar Innovations installations
incorporate up to 27 kilometers (16.8 miles) of
RADIAFLEX cable, providing the crucial link
between mine site personnel, most of which are located several hundred meters underground.
“These wireless networks are future-proofed to some degree,” says Brenneman. “While
RADIAFLEX provides the required multiple voice and data channels, its broadband capabilities
allow for sufficient expansion up to 6GHz.”
With the US on the brink of establishing an
industry based around converting its coal
to transportation fuel—the so-called coal
liquefaction initiative—the future of coal mining in America looks bright. “The growing
momentum behind this initiative, coupled with America’s enormous coal reserves (the largest in the world), indicate that underground
communications systems are to become
increasingly implemented in new and upgraded coal mines throughout the US in the coming years,” says Kasai. “RFS is mining-ready, with
approved technology and know-how to strongly support the US’s mining communications
development.”
ClearFill—indoor/in-tunnel innovation
RADIAFLEX is an important element of RFS’s
innovative ClearFill suite of end-to-end wireless indoor solutions (WINS). The ClearFill suite is scalable, flexible and modular, encompassing solutions from ‘plug-and-play’ to the fully
engineered. The advantages of the ClearFill
solution are its flexibility, high reliability
and inherently broadband nature, which
facilitate the addition of new services to
the WINS system.
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