Research on the safe transmission power of mine radio wave explosion prevention

High power radio waves emitted by mobile communication systems such as 5G, 5.5G, WiFi6, WiFi7, UWB, ZigBee, as well as personnel and vehicle positioning systems in mines, pose a risk of igniting gas and coal dust. Therefore, it is necessary to set a reasonable threshold for the explosion-proof safe power of radio waves emitted by explosion-proof radio equipment, and limit the power of radio waves emitted by explosion-proof radio equipment. The European standard CLC/TR 50427:2004 Assessment of inadvertent ignition of flammable atmospheres by radio-frequency radiation-Guide specifies a threshold for the safe reception and ignition power of radio waves in explosive gas environments. But it lacks content on the threshold for the safe transmission power of radio waves. Although the national standard GB/T 3836.1-2021 Explosive atmospheres-Part 1:Equipment-General requirements and the international standard IEC 60079-0:2017 Explosive atmospheres-Part 0:Equipment-General requirements have relevant provisions on the safe transmission power threshold for radio wave explosion protection, they mistakenly modify the safe reception ignition power threshold for radio wave explosion protection in the European standard CLC/TR 50427:2004 to the safe transmission power threshold for radio wave explosion protection. It greatly reduces the maximum transmission power allowed by radio equipment in explosive atmospheres. There’s a lack of slender structural objects such as cranes that can serve as receiving antennas in coal mines. The existing radio communication and positioning systems in mines operate at frequencies far greater than 30 MHz. Therefore, the threshold for the safe reception and ignition power of radio waves should be 8 W, instead of the radio wave explosion-proof safe transmission power threshold of 6 W specified in the national standard GB/T 3836.1-2021 and the international standard IEC 60079-0:2017. When the energy of the radio waves emitted by the transmitting antenna is fully absorbed by the equivalent antenna, which is the most unfavorable for wireless explosion-proof transmission and coupling, and the operating frequency of the radio equipment is the equivalent antenna resonance frequency, the reception and ignition power reaches its maximum. It is half of the total power received by the equivalent antenna, that is, half of the transmission power. In practical engineering, both radio transmission efficiency and coupling efficiency are not equal to 1. Therefore, the threshold for safe transmission power of radio waves should be more than twice the threshold for safe reception and ignition power of radio waves. The threshold for the safe reception and ignition power of underground radio waves in coal mines is 8 W. Therefore, the threshold for the safe transmission power of underground radio waves in coal mines should be greater than 16 W.