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COVERAGE
EVALUATIONS
IN TUNNELS
APPLYING RADIATING
CABLES
R F S
C o n n e c t
w i t h
t h e
b e s t
R F S
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C o n n e c t
w i t h
t h e
b e s t
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ABSTRACT
2. COVERAGE MODELS
1. INTRODUCTION
In order to meet specific requirements of system reliability, radio coverage normally has to be confirmed theoretically and by measurements. In free space applications, the situation and design procedure is well known.
In tunnels the situation is very different, though the
measurement conditions are actually simpler. Normally
a tunnel radio system is a portion of a larger radio
system supplying both free space and tunnels. So the
coverage in both areas is of special interest as well as
the interfaces between them. Therefore both situations
are considered in this paper.
2.1 Free Space
In free space, coverage requirements are defined by a
specific minimum signal reception level within a defined
percentage of an area. For public safety e.g. an area
coverage of 98 % is needed. FIG. 2.1 shows an area in a
simplified form within a circular contour enclosing a
Base Station antenna. As the dimensions can be of the
order of several kilometres, the difficulty of confirmation by direct measurements is obvious. So the procedure
of measuring only the contour coverage is a useful
simplification, but still involves considerable effort. A
mathematical relationship between area and contour
coverage is given in [1] assuming Rayleigh fading under
these specific conditions. The area in FIG. 2.1 is sepa-
Wood Area
Antenna
Urban Area
Hilly Area
Plane Area
Circular
Contour
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rated into 4 different segments representing very different conditions for radio wave propagation. This extreme inhomogenity is to demonstrate the complexity of
exact coverage evaluation in large areas.
2.2 Tunnels
Confirmation of radio coverage in tunnels is easier in
practice because the space is clearly limited to a narrow
area which is normally directly available for measurements. So the results of field strength measurements
along the radiating cable can be used to evaluate reception probability and coverage evaluation.
FIG. 2.2 shows the situation inside a tunnel crosssection giving an image that signal reflections from the
tunnel wall are an important factor. To gain theoretical
coverage predictions as part of the system design as a
whole, the conditions for electromagnetic propagation
in the tunnel must be analysed carefully.
Multipath
Radiating
Cable
Direct
Path
3. FADING MODELS
Signal transmissions generally show field strength variations depending on local characteristics. These phenomena, known as fading, must all be considered in
evaluating radio communication parameters. In order to
obtain comparable procedures, conditions in free space
and in tunnels must be analysed.
3.1 Fading in Free Space
In free space, the fading effects can be separated into
two parts, a long and a short-term fading, see e.g. [1].
The long-term fading represents signal strength variations due to specific local attenuation and blocking
effects additionally to the normal attenuation of e.m.
propagation over distance. The name is due to its nearly
constant characteristic on time. The statistical distribution derives from a lognormal function with a standard
deviation of typically 5.5 dB for frequencies up to
1 GHz.
Superposed on this effect there is a short-term fading
resulting from multipath propagation with a high density of signal variations. The statistical distribution is
related to Rice or Rayleigh functions, see e.g. [1]. Rice
fading is typical when more than 50% of the signals are
propagated on the direct path. The Rayleigh function
must be applied when multipath propagation predominates.
FIG. 3.1 shows these relationships resulting in a free
space attenuation at a specific distance to a BTS antenna. Moving along the circular contour in FIG. 2.1, we
obtain both lognormal fading over a constant attenuation D due to the area specific characteristics as well as
multipath effected fading. In case of Rayleigh fading the
mean value will have a lognormal distribution. In this
case the mean value differs from the median (i.e. 50%
reception probability).
Mobile
Tunnel Cross-Section
2
Figure 2.2:
Sketch of a Tunnel Scenario
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Attenuation
Lognormal Fading
Short-term Fading
e
Figure 3.1:
Fading Effects in
Free Space
Multipath Dominating
Distance
(Log. Scale)
Signal Levels
(ca. 5dB)
(ca. 12dB for 98% Coverage)
Total Margin
Fading Margin
(e.g. 12dB SINAD, 50% Coverage)
Static C/N
(C/N = 1)
Inferred Noise Level
Noise Figure
Figure 3.2:
Fading Margins
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Figure 3.3:
Measurement Results of Coupled Mode Cables in Free Space and Tunnel
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Figure 3.4:
Measurement Results of Radiating Mode Cables in Free Space and Tunnel
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Figure 3.5:
Probability Density Functions for Cables
in Free Space and Tunnel
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End-Section Coverage
Length [m]
100
500
1000
RLF 13/33-1800
900 MHz
3.4 dB/100 m
71.3 dB/50%, 82.5 dB/95%
Whole-Section Coverage
74.7 dB
88.3 dB
105.3 dB
85.9 dB
99.5 dB
116.5 dB
80.3 dB
89.1 dB
97.3 dB
111.1 dB
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System Loss
Cable Loss
Lognormal Fading
95%
Coupling
Loss
Lognormal
Margin
Distance
(Linear Scale)
Figure 4.1:
Diagram of System Loss
in Tunnels
5. MEASUREMENT RESULTS
In a longer section of the UESTRA metro tunnels in
Hanover, different types of radiating cables were tested.
The cables are installed on side walls at train window
level in a single bore in one direction. The tunnels are
mostly of concrete material and of rectangular size including niches, side changes of the cabling and diverse
typical discontinuities. These environments offer the
opportunity for tests under typical installation conditions.
The test antenna was fixed outside the train in the centre of the front window at vertical orientation. So the
test conditions were equal.
In the upper diagram for the system loss in the rectangular tunnel it can be seen that the slope shows small
variations which can be explained by discontinuities in
the tunnel and local additional cable losses from connecting jumper cables. The analysis of the extracted
coupling loss shows that there is a nearly constant offset between the free space and tunnel values which are
within the 5 dB variation due to the expected lognormal fading effect.
Comparing the measured system loss with the calculated one it can be seen that the 50% values fit very
well. The predicted 95% value is again equivalent with
the measured 98% value. The difference between the
5% values are comparable with the difference between
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Figure 4.2:
Theoretical System Loss Results Extrapolated from Measurements on a Cable of 150m
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Figure 5.1: System Loss Results Measured in a Concrete Tunnel and in a Tunnel
of a Combination of a Concrete Section with a Steel Tube
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Coupling Loss
Reception
Probability
5%
50%
95%
65.7 dB
72.9 dB
84.6 dB
Tunnel Data
69.3 dB
76.7 dB
88.0 dB
6. CONCLUSIONS
12
System Loss
Offset
Predicted from
Tunnel Data
Measured Data
+ 3.4 dB
+ 3.8 dB
+ 3.4 dB
73.4 dB
88.2 dB
106.9 dB
77.5 dB
88.4 dB
102.0 dB
prediction for tunnel sections supplied by radiating cables can be performed from system loss calculations based on cable data. Measurement results of a metro tunnel in typical concrete environments and in a highly reflective steel tube confirm theoretical calculations made
in free space, demonstrating the independence of the
cables behaviour to the environment.
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
8. REFERENCES
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UK: RFS UK
Tel: +44-1494 447 110
Fax: +44-1494 442 742
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