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Personnel Beacon/Locator for mine workers |
Category: Safety and Security |
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Joseph Hollmann
Spectral Biopsy
Kansas City, MO US
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Entered: 10/14/2007
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Miners trapped in the Crandall Canyon mine were initially thought to be alive after being trapped due to noise emanating from the mine because when trapped, miners are instructed to create noise by taping on surrounding metal pipes and stone. However, rescuers could not be sure these signals originated from the trapped miners or some other noise source underground. Even if it did originate from the miners, the signal was not sufficient to locate the miners. Unfortunately, it will never be know if the miners survived the initial cave-in.
These miners and the rescuers killed in the subsequent cave-in may still be alive today if technology was employed to signal they were alive and provide their location to searchers.
The Personnel Beacon/Locator (PBL) is the solution to this problem. The PBL will send ultrasonic waves directly into the surrounding rock and any metal surface available. Using signaling called spread spectrum signaling (SSS) the PBL will help locate a trapped miner to within 10 feet. This signaling is also utilized by the military and Global Positioning Satellites (GPS).
A small battery power device consisting of a piezoelectric speaker and driving circuitry will be given to each miner to carry on their person at all times while in the mine. If caught in a cave-in, all a miner has to do is press the device’s nozzle up against any exposed solid surface and depress a button.
Rescuers at the surface the other end will detect the sound signals with a series of microphones pressed up against the rock or pipe’s surface. The detecting electronics will take advantage of the unique properties of SSS to virtually eliminate the background noise due to the cave-in and focus on the sound coming from the miners. The electronics will then feed data into a computer at the base station that will cross reference the distance measured with a map of the mine. This process can locate the trapped miner to within 15 feet.
The primary thrust of the marketing plan will focus on creating partnerships with miner’s unions and trade groups and educate the groups on the benefits of the Personnel Beacon/Locator and its proper operation. Efforts to educate mine owners and regulators about the PBL and its benefits will be run in partnership with the unions and trade groups.
The primary market for the PBL consists of 142 to 165 thousand individuals that are directly employed in mining operations in the United States. Deep market penetration is expected due to increased federal regulation. It is estimated each device will be sold for $100 while costing under $20 to manufacture. The sensitive microphones and base stations for rescuers to utilize will have a varying cost, depending on the size of the mine and configuration of the shafts. This equipment can be bundled in a lease-option that includes the yearly maintenance fees for the devices. After achieving penetration in the United States, PBL will be marketed in other countries.
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Meet the Entrant, Joseph Hollmann
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Contact Email: JHollmann@SpectralBiopsy.com |
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Association: Spectral Biopsy |
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Profession: Engineer/Designer |
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Number of times entering contest previously: 0
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Design Tools:
Pencil and Paper
Physical models
Image rendering software
Analysis software
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Software used:
SolidWorks
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