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By S. Ianos, C. Vibert

Type and shape of large dams founded on rock depend upon the expected deformation of their foundation. Their design consequently requires the assessment of the deformability of the rock mass at large scale. Seismic refraction, laboratory tests on rock samples and empirical formulas can provide an order of magnitude of the deformation modulus, with a limited degree of reliability. Direct in-situ measurement of the deformability of a volume of rock is therefore preferred, which integrate the effect of discontinuities, such as plate loading tests, dilatometric tests, etc. The authors have been compiling results obtained by in-situ deformability tests on a number of dam sites, including the Scarabée (“Petite Sismique”) method. This last method consists in thoroughly analysing the shape of seismic wave forms transmitted through the rock mass. It has been used since now more than 40 years over a large number of dam foundations, and has proved to provide a satisfactory assessment of the static deformation modulus. After comparing the results obtained from different methods on six dam sites, the Authors conclude that their reliability closely depends upon the size of the loading device in relation to the spacing of the discontinuities. Attempts to correlate results from different types of in-situ loading tests reveal difficult, because closely depending upon local geotechnical conditions at test location. Plate jacking tests appear to be the most reliable, because involving a relatively large volume of rock. On the other hand, the Scarabée method (“Petite Sismique”) allows a rapid assessment of the deformation characteristics of the rock mass at large scale, and has been found to provide values generally in agreement with those from plate loading tests, while dilatometric or flat-jack tests were found too dependent upon local conditions. The Authors conclude that preference should be given first to the Scarabée method, which uses light equipment and is quickly performed, together with an accurate geological and geotechnical assessment for interpretation. In a second stage, Scarabée shall be complemented by adequately performed plate jacking tests in selected locations, in order to cross-check results and refine the assessment. The general accordance between the results of the two methods, which both can integrate anisotropy of rock masses, justifies this statement.

Jan 1, 2015

"IntroductionNOTE.-All figures on the supply and consumption of coal in Canada cited in this paper were collected and reported by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. The friendly and efficient co-operation of the officials of the Bureau. is the foundation upon which it has been my privilege to rely in the preparation of this and two earlier papers ( 1). My thanks are due also to our own staff on the Dominion Coal Board, who spared neither time nor effort in helping to prepare this paper.STATISTICS are comparatively dull and, to many people, coal statistics are duller than most. Coal is, however, the one basic mineral upon which our whole way of life depends and it may be well if attention is drawn to this fact by an occasional statistical review of the coal position in Canada. The recent furore over the oil and gas discoveries has so obscured the basic position of coal in many minds that a little basic coal information may be useful. It is for this reason that, for the third successive year, a factual survey of the coal position is being presented.In the previous papers (1) explanations have been given of the basic considerations in the preparation of these reports and some special phases of the overall picture have been examined. For these explanations, the earlier papers may be consulted."

Jan 1, 1952

By N. Morrison, E. J. Rogans, A. J. Macintosh, N. Schoeman

"The design of carbon-in-pulp (CIP), and carbon-in-leach (CIL) adsorption circuits has essentially remained unchanged since the early days of the carbon process for gold recovery. For CIP circuit the pulp residence time is traditionally fixed at one hour per contactor with a carbon concentration of between 15 and 20 grams per litre, and the counter current carbon transfer rates are in the region of 15% pulp recycle. For CIL, the pulp residence time is usually three hours per contact or, with lower carbon concentrations ( 5 to 10 grams per litre).The drawbacks of using the counter current CIP/CIL adsorption circuits are discussed using modeling developed for CIP/CIL plant design. Counter current CIP/CIL, circuits are then compared with the carousel method of adsorption circuit design.The use of equipment suitable for the carousel approach is discussed which is, the AAC cylindrical and pumping (MPS) screens, the AAC pump-cell plant and launder designs.Finally, two plants at the Vaal Reefs Gold Mining and Exploration Company that use carousel adsorption circuits, namely the Vaal Reefs No. 1 Gold Plant, a CIL plant with stepped contactors, and the Vaal Reefs No. 2 Gold Plant, a CIP using a very short residence time (AAC pump-cell) are discussed."

Jan 1, 1998

By Jean-Luc Collins

"This paper shows how simple reliability concepts such as mean time between failures and mean repair time can be used efficiently to help increase equipment availability and so reduce the economic losses associated with unreliability.More specifically, the paper shows how these simple concepts can be used in maintaining an appropriate balance between fleet failure and repair rates and how they can be used for setting up priority repair rules f or queuing equipment.IntroductionA profitable mining operation must handle large quantities of ore and waste at the lowest possible cost. To achieve this objective, the operation must optimize the productivity of its fleets of equipment by efficient management of the time element. Figure I shows some basic equipment activities in an open pit operation while Figure 2 shows a tree diagram describing some time elements of these activities.It should be noted that the only time a piece of equipment can generate a profit is when it can be found in the operating status. In order to maximize this time element, the sum of the other time elements must be minimized because the total time is always fixed.This paper shows the application of simple techniques capable of reducing the waiting time for repair (maintenance delay) by using simple reliability concepts."

Jan 1, 1988

"RÉSUMÉOn discute les principales sources de dilution au cours d’une exploitation souterraine. Les différentes définitions de la dilution en usage sont analysées. Une nouvelle méthodologie de calcul simplifiée et facile à utiliser dans la pratique minière est présentée. Cette méthodologie permet de remplacer les différentes expressions analytiques en usage par les deux facteurs de dilution seulement : un «facteur de dilution planifiée» lié à la sélectivité d’abattage au niveau de la planification minière et un «facteur de dilution additionnelle » permettant de juger de l’efficacité du contrôle de terrain et de la dilution pendant l’exploitation souterraine. L’application de cette méthodologie donnerait un outil nécessaire aux niveaux de la planification, du suivi des travaux d’exploitation et d’éventuelles études comparatives des coûts entre les différentes situations minières.ABSTRACTThe principal sources of dilution during underground evaluation and mining are discussed, then definitions of ore dilution currently in use are analyzed. These definitions vary depending on the authors. A new ore dilution evaluation methodology is proposed, replacing the ten different analytical expressions by only two: the planned dilution factor related to the stoping selectivity, done at the mine planning level, and the additional dilution factor related to the efficiency of the dilution control measures during stoping operations. The conclusion shows that the use of this methodology would be a definitive asset in planning, in stoping operations follow-up, and in future costs comparison studies between mining operations."

Jan 1, 2001

By Terence M. Gordon, Mati Raudsepp, Gregory M. Dipple

Four methods of measuring mineral abundance in a rock are examined for their potential in assaying for high-tech industrial minerals. One method uses X-ray powder-diffraction data and the other three rely on whole rock chemical data and information on mineral assemblages and mineral compositions. All four methods were employed to estimate wollastonite content in diamond drill core of skarn collected as part of an exploration program and are compared to visual estimates of wollastonite content from core logs. These techniques for assaying wollastonite span a considerable range ofaccuracy and expense, and combined, define a non-linear relationship between these variables. Accuracy increases rapidly relative lo expense up to total costs of about $50 per analysis. Assay methods in the $50-100 per analysis range have associated errors of 5-10% relative and probably suffice for most exploration programs. Improvements in accuracy above this level require a much larger investment. The most expensive assay technique (-$300 per analysis) yields the most accurate measurement of grade (relative error -1%). Its application may best be limited to periodic checks on other assay techniques and for fine-tuning ofmineral separation procedures.

Jan 1, 2001

By W. Griffith

"While oxalic acid precipitation practices are commonly applied on purified rare earth elements (REEs) pregnant leaching solutions (PLS), few efforts have been reported using oxalic acid (OXA) to recover REEs directly from untreated PLS. High oxalic acid demand is the most significant issue in all these direct oxalic precipitation (DOP) practices. Preliminary research on DOP of REE from a dilute PLS originating from an acid bake followed by water leaching was conducted. At 75°C, the oxalic acid demand was between 12 and 18 times the stoichiometric requirement for complete REE precipitation. Conducting DOP at 25°C had superior REE recovery but the product purity and filterability declined. Between 75°C and 100°C, REE recovery increased with increasing temperature. When sodium hydroxide was used to adjust the pH during DOP, in the range of 0.5 to 1.5, higher pH benefited REE recovery. Using ammonium hydroxide in place of sodium hydroxide, the REE recovery was reduced by close to 5%. Sodium chloride addition to the PLS was also investigated and the results showed that at both 75°C and 25°C, the REE recovery was enhanced substantially. At 25°C, when the oxalic acid addition was controlled at 4.7 times the stoichiometric requirement, the overall REE recovery reached 95% with the addition of 240 g/L NaCl. Other reagents such as KCl, NH4Cl also showed significant enhanced REE recovery at the same oxalic acid addition. The addition of sodium sulphate appeared to largely enhance the precipitation of LREE but inhibited the formation of HREE oxalate. All results indicate the formation of rare earth double salts may play an important role in REE DOP sulphate media.INTRODUCTIONThe conventional routes for recovering rare earth elements (REEs) from a sulphuric acid pregnant leaching solution (PLS) involves an initial purification step for removal of iron, aluminium for example by precipitation through neutralization, followed by precipitation of REEs as hydroxide, oxalate or carbonate salts, or by bulk solvent extraction for REE recovery (Xia, 2013). Another route was used by Bayan Obo in their historical flowsheet, where the PLS was first subjected to double sulphate precipitation, then the remaining REEs, mostly heavy rare earth elements (HREE), were recovered by oxalate precipitation (Li, 2011)."

Jan 1, 2016

By F. Flores

With the World Summit for Sustainable Development planned for 2002 in mind, nine of the world's largest mining companies decided to initiate a project to examine the role of the minerals sector in contributing to sustainable development, and how that contribution could be increased ? the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development Project (MMSD). This project assumed from the start that sustainable development could provide a useful framework to guide the minerals sector which main goal was integrating economic activity with environmental integrity, social concerns, and effective governance systems. The broad steps of MMSD project strategy can be grouped into four major categories: increase understanding of sustainable development; create organizational-level policies and management systems for implementing the principles of sustainable development; collaborate with others with common interests to take joint steps towards sustainable development, and; increase our ability to work towards sustainable development at the local, national, and global levels. In opinion of the article's author, to go ahead with the MMSD strategy and achieving the sustainable development objectives, it is necessary to consider the concept of self-organization, fundamental of the emergent new scientific paradigm, and the consequent epistemology and values that conform a supporting culture for sustainable development.

Jan 1, 2007

By G. Stenning

The paper outlines the need for high-volume ventilation in a uranium mining operation based on the design to meet environmental requirements for dust, radiation and diesel equipment. Mining methods in a highly mechanized operation, a key factor in design, are discussed. The construction and installation of major intake and exhaust fans are described briefly, together with the development of the mine airways and distribution system. Controls in the form of doors and bulkheads are important considerations in planning. Finally, the need to lower ventilation requirements in response to increasing power costs will result in future improvements.

Jan 1, 1979

By Bird. M.

As the Cadia mill was the first 40ft diameter SAG mill, commissioned in 1998, its performance, liner and discharge design attracted considerable international attention. Twelve years on, the liner design and the control philosophy are being readdressed to further improve the mill?s performance. A comprehensive series of 3D liner scans, over life of the liner, have been used to calibrate liner mass loss and progressive changes in the liner profile. This data is being used to provide true charge mass and mill filling, plus progressive trajectory profiles over life of liner. This information, along with measures of mill performance over liner life, is being used to select the optimal operating conditions as the liner wears, and hopes to inform future liner design.

Jan 1, 2012

By Lawrence D. Hoy, Armand Savoie, Pierre Trudel, Ghislaln Tourigny, Robert Crépeau, Lao Kheang

"Recent fluid inclusion and stable isotopic studies in the Bousquet mining district have identified spatial and temporal trends in mineralization temperatures and isotopic compositions of vein forming fluids. These studies indicate that mineralizing temperatures were lower during sterile vein formation (T=200-300°C) than during auriferous vein formation (T = 300-400°C), and that 8 80 values of minerals in sterile veins are lower by 1-3 %o than in associated auriferous veins. In addition to these small differences in 8 80 within individual mineralized zones, a trend of increasing 8 80 values of vein minerals is identified from west to east across the district, with 8 80 of vein minerals increasing by4-6%o. Quantitative evaluation of potential causes of the observed oxygen isotopic shifts suggests that the best explanation for these trends is the derivation of the mineralizing fluids from an isotopically inhomogeneous terrain in which the fluid isotopic compositions are controlled by the isotopic compositions of the host lithologies due to high rock/water ratios in these source terrains. This inhomogeneous source terrain is interpreted as consisting of the Blake River Group volcanics (low 8 80 component) and the adjoining Kewagama and Cadillac Group sediments (high 8 80 component).The genesis of the hydrothermal fluids is attributed to crustal heating during metamorphism, with the fluids representing metamorphic dewatering products and/or fluids incorporated during deposition and burial of the host lithologies. Ductile deformation of the fluid source regions impeded fluid migration during metamorphism; the ultimate release of the mineralizing fluids is attributed to the penetration to depth of vertical structures (fault and shear zones) during brittle deformation of the crust under waning metamorphic conditions. Release of fluids caused by this puncturing of the closed hydrologic source regime produced a localized zone of lowered pressure, drawing fluids from adjacent lithologies toward the fault zones, feeding further hydrothermal fluid upwelling. Au mineralization resulted from chemical processes related to cooling of the hydrothermal fluids and/or interaction with lithologies encountered during fluid migration; the level of crust at which Au deposition occurred likely migrated upward with the thermal anomaly caused by hydrothermal fluid upwelling, eventually reaching the level of current exploitation. Cessation of fluid flow along the vertical structures is attributed to inadequate recharge of the hydrothermal systems as fluid contents were depleted in the lithologies proximal to the vertical structures and/or sealing of the structures by mineral deposition."

Jan 1, 1990

By McNeely DuBose

INTRODUCTORY PROSPECTING for aluminum has always been, and still is, a peculiar combination of the technical with the physical approach, and 1 want to explain my conception of the term 'prospecting' when applied to aluminum, which differs in some respects from the ordinarily accepted idea of prospecting. In the early days of gold mining, prospecting was a search in the hills and the river beds for the metal, not for its chemical combinations. And so it was in the early days of aluminum, with the difference that the search for the metal was carried on, not in the hills and dales, but in chemical laboratories. Aluminum is never found in the elemental state and at that time the metal bad never been seen, but scientists of that day bad forecast that such a metal must exist and in 1807 Sir Humphrey Davy went so far as to give this unseen metal a name, aluminum, from the Greek word alumen. This word applies to our alum, and it was from alum that Davy sought to produce the metal. It is strange to think that, in laboratories throughout England and on the continent, prospecting for aluminum was busily under way by men who had never seen the metal they were searching for. Their situation was something like that of the fisherman and the 'big one' that got away. They could describe the metal, give its exact weight, and even name it, but they could not produce visual evidence of its existence. Eventually, however, the efforts of the scientist 'prospectors' were rewarded and in 1826 the metal was actually produced, possibly first by Wohler, though Oerstedt, a Danish chemist, is usually credited with the achievement.

Jan 1, 1951

By J. Desrosiers

"Minnova Inc. has five operating divisions thoughout Canada. One of them is Lac Dufault which was established in 1964.Lac Dufault is located 15 km north of Rouyn-Noranda, in what is known as Noranda volcanic centre, in northwestern Quebec. For more than 25 years, Lac Dufault has produced copper, zinc, gold and silver from four different mines: Norbec, Millenbach, Corbet and now Ansil.Ansil, officially in production since July 1989, is one of the deepest mines presently in production in Quebec. This high-grade copper, gold, zinc and silver orebody is being mined at a rate of 1200 tonnes per day with a total workforce of 200 employees.Of particular interest are the high mechanization level of the underground mine, technical innovations also underground, and computer applications throughout the division.IntroductionMinnova Inc. was formerly known as Corporation Falconbridge Copper until 50% of its shares were bought by Kerr Addison Mines Ltd . in 1986 and it became a member of Noranda Group of Companies.Minnova stands for mining innovation. It means Minnovaaims to use state-of-the-art technologies in mining and exploration to achieve maximum efficiency and cost effectiveness. It also means that they aim to use both proven and innovative management principles to the optimum benefit of their employees and shareholders. Minnova has operations across Canada. Presently four mining divisions produce copper, zinc, gold, silver and lead. Two are situated in Quebec: Lac Dufault (established in 1964) and Lac Shortt (established in 1985); one in Ontario; Winston Lake (established in 1988); and one in British Columbia; Samatosum (established in 1989).Minnova has an annual exploration budget of $15 million divided 60/40 between base metals and precious metals. Most of Minnova's exploration efforts are concentrated around their existing mines. Exploration is carried out from six regional offices located at Rouyn-Noranda and Chapais in Quebec; Thunder Bay in Ontario, Vancouver in British Columbia, Reno, Nevada in the United State and Panama City Panama. Each of the Canadian offices maintains close liaison with nearby operations.Lac Dufault Division is located in the Noranda mining camp, approximately 15 km north of the city of Rouyn-Noranda, in northwestern Quebec (Fig . 1)."

Jan 1, 1991

By Paul E. Lamoureux

Introduction The Author As the pail of smoke and wartime destruction gradually rises from the surface of the earth, from all countries, statesmen assemble to discuss and prepare pacts and treaties which are designed to, once more, bring people of all nations to understand each other and live in harmony. Scientists and engineers throughout the world are also undergoing a drastic reconversion in their ideas and objectives. No longer do they think only in terms of destruction and twist their brains to develop more devastating weapons or to surpass production records of war machinery. They have turned their eyes and ambitions to more pleasant tasks and are taking stock of wartime developments in materials, fabricating procedures, and equipment, many of which had been carefully shrouded with a veil of secrecy, and are applying their new knowledge to the fabrication or improvement of the tools of peace. The next few years will see the gradual elimination of scores of substitutes and makeshifts, expedients which the constantly changing law of supply and demand' under wartime stress necessitated. The universal search for satisfactory substitutes, however, has resulted in a general awakening of plant engineers to the possibilities of materials with which they were relatively inexperienced, with the result that, in many instances, what was considered a substitution at the outset turned out to be more satisfactory than the original material, and, in reality, can be considered a worthwhile development. Not only have materials been explored, but existing fabricating processes have been reviewed, and others, built around the properties and characteristics of new materials, created.

Jan 1, 1947

Mining Equipment Challenges Equipment Availability Unplanned downtime Maintenance Costs Secondary damage and catastrophic failures (T282 $750k) Emergency work is 4x the cost of planned work Inspections Troubleshooting time Incorrect repairs (parts, labor, lost production) Equipment Life Mis-operation of equipment

May 1, 2013

By M. Rafieazad, P. Fathi, X. Duan, M. Mohammadi, A. M. Nasiri

"Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) is a metal additive manufacturing technology that creates highly complex components by fusing metal powder into a solid part. In this study, the impact of surface roughness on corrosion resistivity of AlSi10Mg_200C alloy manufactured through DMLS was investigated. The as-printed DMLS-AlSi10Mg _200C alloy was subjected to various surface finishing processes including grinding and sandblasting. The corrosion performance of the surfaces was then evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization testing and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution to mimic seawater environment. Surface characterization and corrosion morphology of the samples were assessed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The results of this study show that the surface finishing process and the resultant surface roughness has a significant impact on the corrosion resistivity of the DMLS-AlSi10Mg_200C alloy in the seawater environment.INTRODUCTION Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), also known as Selective Laser Melting (SLM) (Sames, List, Pannala, Dehoff, & Babu, 2016), Laser Beam Melting (LBM), or Laser Metal Fusion (LMF) (Herzog, Seyda, Wycisk, & Emmelmann, 2016), is an additive manufacturing process that utilizes a precise, high-power laser to micro-join powdered metals and alloys layer by layer to form almost fully dense and functional components in three dimensions from the 3D computer-aided design (CAD) data. Complex geometries not possible with conventional manufacturing processes can be readily manufactured with high accuracy using the DMLS process with no need to time-consuming tooling."

Jan 1, 2018

By W. R. A. Graeser

"The Nordenham finishing mill is situated in the town of Nordenham, Fede1•al Republic of Germany, on the banks of the Weser River opposite the town of Bremerhaven, with access by water to the North Sea.The unfinished fibre, shipped j?•om Deception Bay during the sub-Arctic summer shipping season, is unloaded from bulk ocean carriers, stored and then processed throughout the year until the following shipping season. This paper describes the unloading and storage facilities,the finishing mill and the finished-fibre storage arrangement. Details of environmental and dust control practices and West German environmental standards are discussed. A resumé of fibre markets is included."

Jan 1, 1976

By D. Cronin, A. Plumtree, A. Hosseini

"Crack in corrosion (CIC) linepipe defects are hybrid defects not directly addressed by existing assessment methods. To investigate the collapse pressure of these defects, CIC defects were formed in 508 mm (20 in) diameter, 5.7 mm thick API X52 linepipe. These defects were 200mm long and varied in depth from 3.0 to 3.8 mm. The respective failure pressures decreased from 14.3 MPa for the plain pipe to 7.9 and 6.2 MPa respectively. A standard FAD method was applied to evaluate these defects as equivalent length and depth cracks, predicting the rupture pressure conservatively by 18% on average. However, when assessed as equivalent cracks with a reduced wall thickness corresponding to the corrosion depth, the predicted collapse pressures were more accurate, approximately 14% conservative on average.INTRODUCTIONPipelines are a safe and efficient method for transporting high volumes of oil and gas. However, aging pipelines may experience defects, such as cracks or corrosion. Present approaches include detection, assessment and repair of defects before they may become critical to the integrity of the line. There are different codes and standards for assessing pipeline defects, depending on the type of defect, with API 579 (API, 2000) being the most common code for the assessment of cracks in oil and gas pipelines . Corrosion is commonly assessed using RSTRENG (Kiefner & Vieth, 1989). Other methods such as the Finite Element method and the CPS method (Cronin & Pick, 2002) may be used for crack and corrosion, respectively.At present, there is no specific method or procedure for assessing crack in corrosion (CIC) defects, and as a consequence there is a need to provide an assessment and evaluation of the integrity of these defects in order to determine the requirements for defect repair or hydro line testing. Hence, the goal of this study was to provide guidance for the assessment of CIC defects for linepipe.CRACK IN CORROSION DEFECTS (CIC)Significant amounts of corrosion and cracking are not generally found together (Hosseini, 2010). However, a new hybrid defect including cracking within corrosion (CIC) has been identified in operating pipelines. In this case, cracking coincident with corrosion (schematic shown in Figure 1) provides the motivation for the current study."

Jan 1, 2012

By D. McConchie

BauxsolTM, prepared by treating bauxite refinery residues with Mg2+ and Ca2+, has an excellent ability to remove arsenic from acidic waters. The addition of BauxsolTM to sulphidic waste rock at the Gilt Edge Mine, South Dakota, reduced As concentrations in leachate water from 35 mg/L to < 0.005 mg/L; the concentrations have remained below 0.005 mg/L for the five years since the treatment was initiated. However, ordinary BauxsolTM does not effectively remove As from near-neutral water and it needs to be acid-treated or blended with small amounts of reagents, such as jarosite or ferrous sulphate, to increase the proportion of positively charged binding sites on the particles. The use of a jarosite/BauxsolTM blend can effectively treat ponded water, and As(V) concentrations can easily be reduced from over 1 mg/L to < 0.001 mg/L; As(III) has to be oxidised to As(V) for effective removal. Metal contaminants in the jarosite are trapped by the BauxsolTM and only very small amounts of the As, or other elements bound during treatment, are liberated using a TCLP leaching test. The exhausted treatment reagents meet the criteria for classification as an inert solid and do not need to be disposed of in a secure repository.

Jan 1, 2006

By Stanislaw Trenczek

Natural hazards such as rock bumps, methane, coal dust explosions, airborne respirable dust, outbursts of gas and rocks, water, radiation caused by natural radioactive materials, spontaneous fires, and climatic hazards, occurring in the Polish hard coal mines, should be controlled. These hazards are characterized by different scale levels numbered from 2?5. To recognize the amount and levels of hazards, research works were carried out in 109 mining districts of mines belonging to Jastrzebska Spólka Weglowa, Katowicki Holding Weglowy and Kompania Weglowa. These are 86 % of all mines and could be regarded as representative of the majority of Polish mining. The hazards have been classified as regards the frequency of their occurrence as: commonly occurring ? with a frequency of 100 % (like airborne respirable dust and fire hazards), high occurrence frequency ? frequency from 60 to below 100 % (methane hazard ? 83.5 %, coal dust explosion hazard ? 92.0 %, and water hazard ? 99.1 %), medium occurrence frequency ? from 30 to below 60 % (rock-bump hazard ? 52.3 % and climatic hazards ? 51.4 %), and episodic occurrence frequency ? below 30 % (outburst of gas and rocks and radioactive hazards). The dynamics of effects of growth in hazard levels to their intolerable values is diverse. Some of them are passive in nature, which allows for longer observation of changes and appropriate early response (as for climatic and spontaneous fire hazards). However the majority of them take on the character of disasters, like methane or coal dust explosions and damage of the excavation structure ? as occurs after a rock-bump or rock outburst; and creation of an atmosphere unfit for breathing ? during open or spontaneous fires, or after gas outbursts containing methane. There are also latent hazards whose effects do not influence indeed a process of production; however they are detrimental to health when a worker is exposed for a long time to airborne respirable dust and radiation. For other types of hazards a level of danger may be only estimated. Since the systems monitoring allows a wider range of control, therefore, aside from rock-bump and methane hazards, there are monitored also fire hazards including measurements of other air parameters (velocity, pressure, humidity, temperature, O2, CO2 concentration). A few types of monitoring systems are used in Polish mines, like the monitoring systems for environmental parameters such as SMP-NT, SMP-NT/A, the telemetric systems CST-40, CST/A, including the computer-aided system for methanometry control officer SWµP, the computer-aided measuring systems KSP-1, KSP-2, KSP-2C, or the production and safety control system VENTURON. The underground part of the systems monitoring of natural hazards contains measuring devices and equipment for automatic control (power-off) of machines and electric devices in case of increased methane hazard. The surface part of the monitoring system allows the measuring data to be visualized and pre-alarm (warning) and alarm states to be displayed. Furthermore it makes it possible to archive and report the data and to control the underground supply and signalling devices. The EMAG Institute developed monitoring methods to extend a measuring range of monitored parameters (such as methane and fire hazards) as well as to monitor so far unmonitored hazards like dust hazards (by continuous monitoring of dust levels in mine air) and climatic hazards (by online monitoring climatic parameters of mine air).

Aug 1, 2013