Architecture for Disaster Relief Networks in Underground Coal Mines: A Survey

Abstract

It is increasingly being recognized that dedicated emergency networks are vital interfaces between rescue teams and trapped-miners in underground mines. This article proposes a network architecture for rescue applications in post-disaster mines, termed as Post-Disaster Emergency Network (PDEN). First, the special requirements for configuring a PDEN are outlined. Then, the emergency data flows transported in a PDEN are classified into uplink flows and downlink flows. The problem of transmission priority differentiation for uplink flows, and the energy efficiency for downlink transmissions are both examined. Finally, some primary numerical results are presented to reveal the effectiveness of the proposed PDEN architecture.