Zhou C, Damiano N, Whisner B, Reyes M
Member SME, are senior electrical engineer, electrical engineer, electrical technician and team leader, respectively, at Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Min Eng. 2017 Dec;69(12):50-56. doi: 10.19150/me.7919.
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), a concept that combines sensor networks and control systems, has been employed in several industries to improve productivity and safety. U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers are investigating IIoT applications to identify the challenges of and potential solutions for transferring IIoT from other industries to the mining industry. Specifically, NIOSH has reviewed existing sensors and communications network systems used in U.S. underground coal mines to determine whether they are capable of supporting IIoT systems. The results show that about 40 percent of the installed post-accident communication systems as of 2014 require minimal or no modification to support IIoT applications. NIOSH researchers also developed an IIoT monitoring and control prototype system using low-cost microcontroller Wi-Fi boards to detect a door opening on a refuge alternative, activate fans located inside the Pittsburgh Experimental Mine and actuate an alarm beacon on the surface. The results of this feasibility study can be used to explore IIoT applications in underground coal mines based on existing communication and tracking infrastructure.
工业物联网（IIoT）是一个将传感器网络和控制系统相结合的概念，已在多个行业中应用，以提高生产力和安全性。美国国家职业安全与健康研究所（NIOSH）的研究人员正在研究工业物联网的应用，以确定将工业物联网从其他行业转移到采矿业所面临的挑战和潜在解决方案。具体而言，NIOSH审查了美国地下煤矿中使用的现有传感器和通信网络系统，以确定它们是否能够支持工业物联网系统。结果表明，截至2014年，约40%的已安装事故后通信系统只需进行最少修改或无需修改即可支持工业物联网应用。NIOSH的研究人员还开发了一个工业物联网监测和控制原型系统，该系统使用低成本的微控制器Wi-Fi板来检测避难所入口的开门情况，启动匹兹堡实验矿井内的风扇，并触发地面上的警报信标。这项可行性研究的结果可用于基于现有的通信和跟踪基础设施探索工业物联网在地下煤矿中的应用。
