Rajant Corporation, the provider of Kinetic Mesh® wireless networks, and ESG Solutions, a leading microseismic solutions provider, say they have completed successful testing with Rajant as the backbone for carrying microseismic data to the surface.

Underground and open-pit mining customers could benefit from these developments as both companies start deployment trials in October as the last step in the qualification process, they say.

ESG’s Technical Sales Advisor, Tony Butler, said: “Many mines install microseismic systems for rockburst monitoring and to collect data from microseismic events that can lead to a better understanding of rock mass deformation. ESG Solutions installs microseismic systems that rely on sensors (geophones and/or accelerometers) to record digitised seismic waveforms with our ESG Paladin® data acquisition units housed in junction boxes. Each Paladin unit must be accurately time-synchronised across the network for optimum seismic event location determination. Data and system timing signals are currently transmitted to and from the Paladin units via fibre-optic networks. To reduce initial system costs and ongoing fibre system maintenance, clients have been asking if it would be possible for our systems to operate on a wireless system.”

The main hurdle to a wireless approach for microseismic monitoring has been the ability to provide accurate seismic system timing synchronisation between the Paladin units, according to Butler.

“With Rajant Kinetic Mesh, we are overcoming the time synchronisation issue with Precision Timing Protocol system timing of 30 microseconds (+/- 10 microseconds) being achieved for networked Paladins,” he said. “Together, we have demonstrated in the lab that Rajant and ESG can do seven hops through the Kinetic Mesh and maintain extremely accurate system timing.”

This development will allow Rajant’s wireless network to be considered for microseismic system monitoring in the field for up to 10 kHz sampling rates, Butler explained, with the system timing accuracy more than sufficient for the vast majority of microseismic systems installed that use geophones and/or accelerometers.

Darrell Gillis, Rajant Sales Director for Canada, added: “Rajant provides voice and data communication at the working face for mines. Deployed in 230-plus of the largest mines globally, Rajant’s fully mobile, autonomous V2X/M2M for underground mining eliminates the struggles of a voice-only leaky feeder with multi-radio high-speed connectivity. Next-generation technology, such as what ESG provides, has mission-critical requirements to function ‘no fibre required’. Rajant offers a robust, reliable, and redundant alternative to fibre that is easy-to-install and maintain.

“Rajant supports very accurate system timing, which is impossible with a Layer 3 solution, making Rajant Kinetic Mesh unique, not only for mining but for other IIoT applications, such as oil fields and civil projects.”