Description:FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to electronics for mining applications and more particularly relates to electronic devices and systems for sensing a status of roof strata in an underground mine.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Mines may be mainly of two types – open cast mines and underground mines. Normally underground mines have a vertical or a sloping part called a shaft, which goes down from the surface of the earth into the earth’s crust and horizontal openings established from the shafts, called levels, drifts, or galleries.
[0003] The roof of each level always poses a possible danger of falling or collapsing depending on the composition of the roof strata above the levels at any given place. This may cause death or injury or trap miners working there. hence there is a need for constantly monitoring the roof of the levels. A measurement of movement of the roof strata downwards or the rate of movement of the roof strata downwards is vital to ensure safety. Such devices are referred to as “telltal , Claims:WE CLAIM:
1 A device (130) for detecting a status of a roof strata (105) in an underground mine, the device (130) comprising:
at least one position sensor (262) configured for sensing a rock displacement;
a sensor circuit configured to periodically wake up from a sleep state and sense a current reading of the at least one position sensor (262), compare the current reading with a previous reading of the at least one position sensor (262) and return to the sleep state; and
a communication circuit configured to transmit data based on a positive result of a comparison between the previous reading and the current reading of the at least position sensor (262), to at least one relay node (380, 480, 580).
2. The device (130) as claimed in claim 1, wherein detecting the status of the roof strata (105) in the underground mine is for detecting a trend indicating an instability in the roof strata (105).
3. The device (130) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one position sensor (262) is one or more sensors sele