Channel Modeling of Wireless Sensor Networks in Oil

Electromagnetic (EM) techniques enable efficient wireless communications in different media with high material absorptions, such as underground soil, water and oil medium. A wide range of novel and important applications in such challenged environments can be realized based on the EM communication mechanism. In this paper, the propagation based on EM waves in the megahertz (MHz) and gigahertz (GHz) band through a different types of oil is analyzed in order to explore its applicability in pipelines and oil sands. The developed model evaluates the total path loss and the transmission characteristics. Moreover, based on the proposed channel model, the resulting bit error rate (BER) is analyzed that an EM wave experiences when propagating through the oil medium. The propagation characteristics are investigated through simulation. The theoretical analysis and the simulation results prove the feasibility of wireless communication in the MHz and GHz band in oil environment and highlight several important aspects in this field.