We present an optically powered, intrinsically safe gas monitoring system to measure four essential environmental gases (CH₄, CO₂, CO and O₂), together with ambient temperature and pressure, for underground mines. The system is based on three key technologies developed at UNSW: (1) power-over-fibre (PoF) at 1550 nm using a single industry-standard, low-cost single-mode fibre (SMF) for both power delivery and information transmission, (2) liquid–crystal-based optical transducers for optical telemetry, and (3) ultra-low power consumption design of all electronics. Together, this approach allows each gas monitoring station to operate with less than 150 mW of optical power, meeting the intrinsic safety requirements specified by the IEC60079-28 standard. A 2-month field trial at BMA’s Broadmeadow underground mine proved the cabling compatibility to the mine’s existing optical network and the stability of the system performance. Compared with conventional electrically powered gas sensors, this technology bypasses the usual roadblocks of underground gas monitoring where electrical power is either unsafe or unavailable. Furthermore, using one fibre for both power delivery and communication enables longer distance coverage, reduces optical cabling and increases multiplexing possibilities and data throughput for better awareness of underground environment.

我们提出了一种光学供电的本质安全气体监测系统，用于测量四种基本环境气体（CH ₄、CO ₂、CO 和 O ₂)，连同环境温度和压力，用于地下矿山。该系统基于新南威尔士大学开发的三项关键技术：(1) 1550 nm 光纤供电 (PoF)，使用单一行业标准、低成本单模光纤 (SMF) 进行电力传输和信息传输，（2）用于光学遥测的基于液晶的光学传感器，以及（3）所有电子设备的超低功耗设计。总之，这种方法允许每个气体监测站以低于 150 mW 的光功率运行，满足 IEC60079-28 标准规定的本质安全要求。在 BMA 的 Broadmeadow 地下矿山进行的为期 2 个月的现场试验证明了电缆与矿山现有光网络的兼容性以及系统性能的稳定性。与传统的电动气体传感器相比，这项技术绕过了电力不安全或不可用的地下气体监测的常见障碍。此外，使用一根光纤进行电力传输和通信可以实现更长的覆盖距离、减少光缆并增加复用可能性和数据吞吐量，从而更好地了解地下环境。