Space Radar Technology for Mine-Tunnel Security
- Paper number
IAC-05-E5.4.03
- Author
Dr. Hans Martin Braun, RST Raumfahrt Systemtechnik GmbH, Germany
- Coauthor
Mr. Gunnar Triltzsch, RST Raumfahrt Systemtechnik GmbH, Germany
- Year
2005
- Abstract
Security in Potash Mine-Drifts is a demanding subject. Roofs in Mine tunnels are bolted avoiding the material to fall down. Bolting is expensive and not always in line with real needs being identified by acoustic means only. Hence, from time to time, roofs are coming down, sometimes damaging mining equipment and even people. A system is required allowing to detect separations on a visual basis. Ground Penetration Radar is a good candidate for that. On behalf of the European Space Agency ESA, The German Company RST started a development of a new Ground Penetration Radar Technology about 10 years ago. For planetary missions, the radar GINGER (Guidance and Into the Ground Exploration Radar) was developed featuring the new technology of Stepped Frequency Radar. This demanding technology was selected, because it promised high performance at a minimum of required resources. Based on the GINGER technology, afterwards, the Ground Penetrating Radar CRIS (Crack Identification System) was developed for the identification of cracks in hard-rock environment utilizing the SF-Radar on Earth. The radar company RST was teaming up with the Canadian Mining Technology Company MIRARCO in order to clearly understand the new environment. The specification of the CRIS-system was the detection of separations in hard-rock mines as a handheld system. CRIS works with a frequency range of 2 – 6 GHz and the electronics as well as one transmitter and four receiver antennas are integrated in an ergonomic housing. After successful tests in several hard-rock mines in Ontario, Canada, measurement campaigns in several potash mines in Canada were started. For this, the Potash Mining Company PCS joined the group. Potash mines in Saskatchewan are located at depths of about 1000 m. During the mining process rooms are excavated along stratigraphic horizons. Overburden pressure causes the rooms to deform which can result in separations forming along clay seams which run parallel to these stratigraphic horizons. Goal of the measurements with CRIS was the identification of separations in the roof of the mining tunnel. The results from this measurement campaign were very promising and so in a CRIS follow-on project the development of a new radar system specifically designed for the needs of the potash mining industry was started. Additional to the acquirement of the CRIS-Radar to identified separations, the new radar should be able to distinguish between separations and cracks. The conclusions of these test trials led to the development of the GPR PRIS (Potash Roof Inspection System) operating with two channels in parallel. The lower channel detects layer boundaries and separations, while the upper channel identifies the separations. The paper will describe the successful development line from GINGER Space Technology to PRIS Mining Technology.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-05-E5.4.03.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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