An overview of existing EMI standards applicable to mining

Electromagnetic energy emitted from electronic devices has been known to interfere with other electronic systems, hindering their ability to function properly. Mines have many electronic devices critical to the health and safety of mine workers that could be negatively affected by electromagnetic interference (EMI). To ensure that devices are electromagnetically compatible, tests must first be conducted to measure emissions and check for immunity. Standards are available across multiple industries that prescribe emission limits and test methods for electronic devices. A literature review was conducted in this study, and an overview of EMI standards in other industries is provided. Also, an example of how a standard can be applied to mining equipment is presented. Introduction Globally, electromagnetic interference (EMI) has been implicated in many accidents that led to injuries and fatalities. It has caused weapons systems to fire unexpectedly, flight instruments to malfunction, and antilock braking systems on automobiles to fail. EMI presents a critical challenge in mining as health and safety devices such as proximity detection systems and personal dust monitors have been introduced to enhance mine worker safety. An underground mine is a unique environment with tight spaces, low roof heights and long tunnels with a variety of electronic devices and machinery working in close proximity. The mining industry has made progress in understanding the impacts of EMI through research and development efforts. One example is the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) program policy letters dealing with potential EMI produced by communication and electronic tracking systems on blasting circuits. Although efforts have been made to summarize existing EMI standards and to compare military and international standards, there is a need to examine how EMI standards can be adapted to a mining environment. It is important for the mining industry to identify existing EMI standards, assess their applicability to mining and develop solutions to any gaps between mining and other industries. A literature review was conducted in this study on existing EMI standards so that mine workers and technology manufacturers can continue to build the knowledge base on how other industries achieve electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and to develop solutions to ensure that the critical safety systems in mines work as intended. Background What information do these standards contain? Electronic devices can be characterized in terms of how much energy they emit and how much EMI they can withstand while still working as intended. As a result, an EMI standard typically contains requirements for two key elements: (1) emissions and (2) susceptibility/immunity. Existing standards usually include test methods and limits of emission and susceptibility for specific environments. An assessment of standards in other industries was a primary focus of this study. EMI standards and organizations. As more electronic devices are introduced to mines, it is expected that more EMI instances will occur, which can lead to serious safety issues. Accordingly, there exists a need to investigate similar challenges in other industries and to specifically draw guidance from existing standards. Fig. 1 Radiated emission test result of a personal dust monitor (PDM) based on RE101 of MIL-STD-461G. In this paper, we provide an overview of EMI standards in other industries and discuss their applicability to mine environments. Table 1 lists the EMI standards cited. Discussion By investigating EMI in other industries, we can learn how they address similar problems. In each of the industries discussed in this paper, a malfunction in an electronic device can have major consequences. Characterizing electronic systems used in coal mines based on existing EMI standards — a case study. EMI has caused issues in mining when emissions from one electronic device interfere with emissions from another device, causing it to malfunction. One example is that of personal dust monitors (PDM) and powered air-purifying respirators interfering with proximity detection systems (PDS), which exposes miners to striking and pinning hazards from continuous mining machines. We present a case study related to the applicability of the military standards to assess that interaction. Figure 1 shows the measured magnetic fields from the PDM based on the measurement method specified in RE101 of MIL-STD-461G. The maximum emission level, allowed per the military standard for U.S. Navy applications, is also plotted in Fig. 1 for comparison. At 73 kHz, which is the frequency at which the PDS operates, the emission from the PDM is about 18 dB below the given maximum emission limit. In practice, the application of this standard highlights the need to consider the mining environment to better represent the emission and susceptibility threshold levels of different electronic devices used in underground coal mines. This paper also presents the susceptibility of a proximity detection system component based on RS101 of MIL-STD- 461G and an evaluation of the potential impacts of the measured emissions and susceptibility on the functionality of the device. Conclusion As new technologies are introduced to mines, the number of potential sources of EMI will increase. Investigating this topic is especially critical because EMI poses challenges that may lead to injuries and fatalities to mine workers. There are questions that need to be considered, such as: What is the intended use for each device? What are the consequences if a device stops working? What are the allowable emissions limits before it may interfere with other devices? What is the susceptibility threshold before a device stops working as intended? Further research is required to investigate miningspecific applications and conditions that may point to the need for an EMC standard to be created specifically for mining applications. Mining industry stakeholders can use the information presented in this paper to gain insight into how other industries approach electromagnetic interference and electromagnetic compatibility and explore the applicability of existing standards to address challenges encountered in underground mines. Disclaimer The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion (CDC). Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH. References A list of all references is available in the full-text paper.

An overview of existing EMI standards applicable to mining

Authored by:
Matthew Girman, Miguel Reyes, Chenming Zhou

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A big thank you to all of our Industrial Minerals Review authors

Submit to MINEXCHANGE 2027 proceedings and Environmental Division Student Poster Contest

To view this article you must be a member of SME/UCA.

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