Design and optimization of data acquisition system using wireless underground sensor networks

Abstract

The growth of Wireless Underground Sensor Networks (WUSN) will lead to numerous emerging applications, such as underground pipelines, oil reservoir monitoring, intelligent agriculture, earthquake and landslide forecasting, border patrol, underground mine disaster prevention, and rescue. Underground environments prevent the use of most current wireless communication and networking systems, due to its extremely high attenuation to the propogation of signals, small communication range, and high dynamics of electromagnetic (EM) waves when penetrating through soil, rock, sand, water, crude oil medium and other underground environments. The objective of this research is to address these unique and significant challenges for the realization of wireless sensor networks in underground data monitoring systems. Research also focuses on developing a general framework using underground wireless sensor networks to provide continuous monitoring of pipeline to detect water leakage.