Data exchange in distributed mining systems by OPC Unified Architecture, WLAN and TTE VLF technology

Mining operations rely on effective extraction policies, which base on concerted management and technical arrangements. In addition to commodities, mining of data is the increasingly matter of subject in mining engineering. The Horizon 2020 project – Real-Time-Mining supports the ongoing paradigm shift of pushing mining activities from discontinuous to continuous operation. In this respect, the partners TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TU BAF) and IBeWa Consulting tackle the issue of physical and logical data acquisition in underground mining. The first aspect of the project addresses the ‘logical’ provision of data. Mining technology is increasingly interacting among each other and integrated into globally distributed systems. At the same time, the integration of current mining devices and machineries into superordinated systems is still complex and costly. This means only a few number of mining operators is capable to integrate their operation technology into a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. TU BAF presents the middleware OPC Unified Architecture, which is a platform independent middleware for data exchange and technology interconnection among distributed systems. By installing a SCADA demonstrator at the research and education mine Reiche Zeche, TU BAF intends to present the technical feasibility of a SCADA system basing on OPC UA even for SME mining operations. The second aspect of the project addresses the ‘physical’ provision of data via wireless transmission. The targeted use cases are mobile machineries and the surveillance of remote mine sites. Mobile machineries in underground mining are increasingly equipped with data management and autonomous operation systems. Correspondent data exchange to superordinated systems is mostly realized via Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). A comprehensive WLAN signal coverage, however, is generally not maintained in under-ground mines due to lacking technical and economic feasibility. With the intention to in-crease the coverage/expense ratio at underground WLAN installations, TU BAF and IBe-Wa Consulting installed a WLAN test loop at Reiche Zeche mine basing on leaky feeder cables. Simultaneously, IBeWa Consulting pushes forward the surveilability of remote and/or hardly accessible mining sites by Through The Earth (TTE) data transmission. Current test performances present an enhanced stability for data transmission at ore / gneiss formations beyond 200m, primarily basing on a better alignment of the system to the isotropic characteristics of the bedrock

Data exchange in distributed mining systems by OPC Unified Architecture, WLAN and TTE VLF technology

Mining operations rely on effective extraction policies, which base on concerted management and technical arrangements. In addition to commodities, mining of data is the increasingly matter of subject in mining engineering. The Horizon 2020 project – Real-Time-Mining supports the ongoing paradigm shift of pushing mining activities from discontinuous to continuous operation. In this respect, the partners TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TU BAF) and IBeWa Consulting tackle the issue of physical and logical data acquisition in underground mining. The first aspect of the project addresses the ‘logical’ provision of data. Mining technology is increasingly interacting among each other and integrated into globally distributed systems. At the same time, the integration of current mining devices and machineries into superordinated systems is still complex and costly. This means only a few number of mining operators is capable to integrate their operation technology into a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. TU BAF presents the middleware OPC Unified Architecture, which is a platform independent middleware for data exchange and technology interconnection among distributed systems. By installing a SCADA demonstrator at the research and education mine Reiche Zeche, TU BAF intends to present the technical feasibility of a SCADA system basing on OPC UA even for SME mining operations. The second aspect of the project addresses the ‘physical’ provision of data via wireless transmission. The targeted use cases are mobile machineries and the surveillance of remote mine sites. Mobile machineries in underground mining are increasingly equipped with data management and autonomous operation systems. Correspondent data exchange to superordinated systems is mostly realized via Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). A comprehensive WLAN signal coverage, however, is generally not maintained in under-ground mines due to lacking technical and economic feasibility. With the intention to in-crease the coverage/expense ratio at underground WLAN installations, TU BAF and IBe-Wa Consulting installed a WLAN test loop at Reiche Zeche mine basing on leaky feeder cables. Simultaneously, IBeWa Consulting pushes forward the surveilability of remote and/or hardly accessible mining sites by Through The Earth (TTE) data transmission. Current test performances present an enhanced stability for data transmission at ore / gneiss formations beyond 200m, primarily basing on a better alignment of the system to the isotropic characteristics of the bedrock

Data exchange in distributed mining systems by OPC Unified Architecture, WLAN and TTE VLF technology

Mining operations rely on effective extraction policies, which base on concerted management and technical arrangements. In addition to commodities, mining of data is the increasingly matter of subject in mining engineering. The Horizon 2020 project – Real-Time-Mining supports the ongoing paradigm shift of pushing mining activities from discontinuous to continuous operation. In this respect, the partners TU Bergakademie Freiberg (TU BAF) and IBeWa Consulting tackle the issue of physical and logical data acquisition in underground mining. The first aspect of the project addresses the ‘logical’ provision of data. Mining technology is increasingly interacting among each other and integrated into globally distributed systems. At the same time, the integration of current mining devices and machineries into superordinated systems is still complex and costly. This means only a few number of mining operators is capable to integrate their operation technology into a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. TU BAF presents the middleware OPC Unified Architecture, which is a platform independent middleware for data exchange and technology interconnection among distributed systems. By installing a SCADA demonstrator at the research and education mine Reiche Zeche, TU BAF intends to present the technical feasibility of a SCADA system basing on OPC UA even for SME mining operations. The second aspect of the project addresses the ‘physical’ provision of data via wireless transmission. The targeted use cases are mobile machineries and the surveillance of remote mine sites. Mobile machineries in underground mining are increasingly equipped with data management and autonomous operation systems. Correspondent data exchange to superordinated systems is mostly realized via Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). A comprehensive WLAN signal coverage, however, is generally not maintained in under-ground mines due to lacking technical and economic feasibility. With the intention to in-crease the coverage/expense ratio at underground WLAN installations, TU BAF and IBe-Wa Consulting installed a WLAN test loop at Reiche Zeche mine basing on leaky feeder cables. Simultaneously, IBeWa Consulting pushes forward the surveilability of remote and/or hardly accessible mining sites by Through The Earth (TTE) data transmission. Current test performances present an enhanced stability for data transmission at ore / gneiss formations beyond 200m, primarily basing on a better alignment of the system to the isotropic characteristics of the bedrock