Doctoral Dissertations

Keywords and Phrases

Debris; Dust and Humidity; Health and Safety; Radio Wave Propagation; Received Signal Strength; Stochastic

Abstract

The reliability of underground wireless communication systems remains a significant challenge, particularly during emergencies when the mine environment becomes severely obstructed by debris, dust, and humidity. These environmental and geometric conditions result in significant attenuation of electromagnetic (EM) waves and multipath effects that undermine miner localization and rescue operations. Existing Vector Parabolic Equation (VPE) models are efficient for straight or mildly curved tunnels but fail to account for the random and obstructive conditions typically encountered during underground emergencies. This research develops a novel radio propagation model for EM wave behavior in underground mine drifts under geometrically obstructed conditions. The model accounts for debris and dust-humidity obstruction losses using newly formulated boundary conditions and using Karhunen–Loève expansion (KLE) to integrate stochastic dust-humidity losses, respectively. The resulting model is solved using the finite element method (FEM). Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model can capture the additional attenuation caused by debris and by high dust and humidity levels. Incorporating stochastic parameters enables a more realistic representation of environmental uncertainty and performance degradation under varying conditions. The outcomes offer valuable insights for designing resilient communication systems and localization algorithms that ensure reliable wireless connectivity and improve miner safety during underground emergencies.

Advisor(s)

Frimpong, Samuel

Committee Member(s)

Galecki, Greg
Hong, Qingguo
Madria, Sanjay Kumar
Sherizadeh, Taghi

Department(s)

Mining Engineering

Degree Name

Ph. D. in Mining Engineering

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Fall 2025

Pagination

xiii, 149 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes_bibliographical_references_(pages 124-143)

Rights

© 2025 Emmanuel Atta Antwi , All Rights Reserved

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 12556

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