Stolar, Inc.

Rimtech Inc.

William E Mondt

Larry G Stolarczyk

Seth A Smith

Marvin L Hasenack, Jr

Gerald J Boese

Kurt A Smoker

James L Zappanti

Edward D Moore

An embodiment of the present invention is a toxic waste containment facility subject to leaking hazardous plumes into soils beneath and adjacent to the site. The facility includes a plurality of substantially horizontal underground drillholes adjacent to and below a waste containment pit. A radio transmitter and antenna are placed in a first underground drillhole proximate to a surface waste containment site. A radio receiver and antenna are placed in a second underground drillhole opposite to the first drillhole. A position indicator is used for gauging a plurality of locations of the radio transmitter and antenna within the first underground drillhole and the radio receiver and antenna within the second underground drillhole. A data processing unit analyzes data received from radio receiver and antenna and position indicator to measure radio signal attenuation between the radio transmitter and antenna and radio receiver and antenna. The transmitted signal from the radio transmitter and antenna are synchronized by a signal from the data processing unit. Fiber optic cables are used to couple signals between the radio transmitter and antenna and radio receiver and antenna with the data processing unit. Along each path, the operating frequency is increased until all of the transmitted energy is absorbed along the path to maximize resolution. Tomographic techniques are used to translate the data collected from a variety of transmitter and receiver positions into attenuation profiles that can image a toxic plume beneath the containment pit.

Facility and method for the detection and monitoring of plumes below a

A method for using an underground mine communication system to effect minewide communication and an intrinsically safe current limiter circuit for insuring that electrical equipment in the system will not cause incendiary conditions. The underground mine communication system comprises a plurality of repeaters and medium frequency radios, including mobile, portable and personal-carried radios, coupled to electrical conductors and natural waveguides existing in the earth by tuned loop antennas. Messages transmitted by the radios are carried to the repeaters by the conductors or coal seam waves. The repeaters amplify, replicate and retransmit the message at two different frequencies for transmission of the message to a surface base station and to other radios in the system. A paging system, which has a separate set of repeaters, is also coupled to the network of electrical conductors and natural waveguides by tuned loop antennas. The paging system alerts miners to contact the surface base station. Radios, pagers and repeaters in the system are equipped with the intrinsically safe current limiter circuit to preclude the development of incendiary conditions. The current limiter circuit comprises a series arrangement of a current trip circuit, a redundant current trip circuit and a current limiting field effect transistor controlled by a feedback control amplifier.

Current limiter circuit

Medium frequency mine communication system

A method for using an underground mine communication system to effect minewide communication and an intrinsically safe current limiter circuit for insuring that electrical equipment in the system will not cause incendiary conditions. The underground mine communication system comprises a plurality of repeaters and medium frequency radios, including, mobile, portable and personal-carried radios, inductively coupled to electrical conductors and natural waveguides existing in the earth by tuned loop antennas. Messages transmitted by the radios are carried to the repeaters by the conductors or coal seam waves. The repeaters amplify, replicate and retransmit the message at two different frequencies for transmission of the message to a surface base station and to other radios in the system. A paging system, which has a separate set of repeaters, is also coupled to the network of electrical conductors and natural waveguides by tuned loop antennas. The paging system alerts miners to contact the surface base station. Radios, pagers and repeaters in the system are equipped with the intrinsically safe current limiter circuit to preclude the development of incendiary conditions. The current limiter circuit comprises a series arrangement of a current trip circuit, a redundant current trip circuit and a current limiting field effect transistor controlled by a feedback control amplifier.

Growing community of inventors

Albuquerque, NM, United States of America

William E Mondt