Search Documents

By Hallan N. Marsh

The subject of this paper is apt to bring to mind wells ranging from 6000 to over 8000 ft. in depth. However, it is uncommon to pump wells at depths greater than about 5000 ft. Fig. 1 shows the number of wells being pumped at various depths by one company in Southern California. A few companies have a very few wells pumping at depths greater than this. This paper will deal with wells between 3000 and 5500 ft. in depth. Most California oils at these depths are between 25" and 35" gravity. The subject is so broad that it will be necessary to omit many interesting phases, and to treat others very briefly. Power, power transmission equipment, power efficiency, counterbalancing, sucker rods, pumps and volumetric efficiency will be discussed. Power As a source of power, the 50/20-hp. electric motor is generally preferred. Input is generally between 10 and 25 hp. Due to the uneven-ness of the load, an input of 20 hp. on the low range is generally about all that these motors will carry without overheating, in spite of their overload capacity. In some cases the capacity of the motor limits the speed

Jan 1, 1929

By Edgar G. Hill

MUCH has been written and said recently about the methods used and materials and equipment employed in building the long tubes that criss-cross a great part of the [ ] united States, like the pattern of a spider's web. This paper will discuss the fundamentals of design of these lines from the economic as well as the engineering view-point, pointing out the effect of the volumes transported, and the load factor at which they are operated, on the unit costs of transportation, as well as the effects on costs of the character of the fluids the lines are called upon to handle. Generally speaking, crude-oil pipe lines carry oil from the producing fields to the [ ] refineries. Sometimes part of the journey is by pipe line to a coastal point and tank ships are employed for the rest of the trip. The main lines of directional flow of crude oil through pipe lines in the United States are shown on Fig. I, but this, of course, does not always show individual pipe lines. BASIC FORMULA FOR FLOW OF CRUDE OIL The laws governing the flow of crude oil through pipes are well known. The basic

Jan 1, 1942

By John Sherbourne

Much valuable scientific research has been performed in recent years on the subject of phase behavior of hydrocarbons. ? 1-11 Engineers employed in petroleum production are interesting themselves in this work as well as in methods of applying the fundamental data available to the solution of their various problems. Recently a number of papers have been published in which applica-tions of phase behavior have been made to specific cases pertaining to critical phenomena.)12-16 Little effort, however, has been made in the literature to show the relation between changes occurring in the critical region and the more common phase behavior, therefore it is believed that a presentation of the fundamentals of phase behavior with reference to hydrocarbons is timely. Study of phase behavior is not new. In the metallurgical field, knowledge of heterogeneous equilibria has advanced tremendously, particularly with reference to solid-solid and solid-liquid behavior. Much is known about vapor-liquid equilibria too, but few engineers are familiar with this subject. ?

Jan 1, 1940

By Ralph Hultgren, David W. Mitchell

Magnesium alloys usually are superheated before casting in order to ensure fineness of grain. Superheat temperatures in common use range from 1600" to r 7o0°F.; the casting temperature, which depends upon the mold shape, is usually 200° to 300°F. lower. The process of superhcating requires considerable time and seriously shortens the life of the iron pots used. Recently it has been reported1 that if acetylene, carbon dioxide or natural gas is bubbled through molten electrolytic A.S.T.M. No. 4 alloy at 1400°F. for 5 min., grain refinement equivalent to that of superheating will take place. Addition of certain solids such as graphite or aluminum carbide accomplishes the same results? As will be shown in this paper, it is possible to achieve grain refinement in magnesium casting alloys at low temperatures by mechanical stirring of the molten metal for a short time. This process was developed in the course of research work, supervised by the War Metallurgy Committee under the "Restricted' project NRC-550, for the Office of Production Research and Development of the War Production Board. This paper, based on that work, has been released for publication by the O.P.R.D. Materials and Methods The alloys studied were the most common American sand-casting alloys designated as No. 4 and No. 17 by the American Society for Testing Materials. The magnesiun used in these alloys was of both carbothermic3 and electrolytic' origin. Chemical analyses supplied by the producers are shown in Table I. Each heat consisted of approximately 5 lb. of alloy melted in a Tercod crucible. It was refined by fluxing with Permanente No. 7* refining flux at 1300° to 1350°F. After cooling to 1200° to 1250°F., portions of approximately one pound each, were ladled into iron crucibles contained in an electric furnace at about 1250°F. The molten metal was covered with Permanente No. 21 † covering flux and then heated to the temperature to be investigated. Normally each of the four portions was given a different treatment. In a typical case one portion was stirred vigorously for 5 min., acetylene gas was passed through a second portion for 5 min., a third portion was superheated to 1600°F. for 15 min., then . cooled to casting temperature, and the fourth was held for 5 min. at the temperature of stirring or gassing without other treatment. Each portion was then cast into one-inch diameter cylinders in three "nonturbulent" molds of identical shape. One mold was made of cast iron and the other two of baked sand. The cast-iron mold and one of the baked sand molds were heated to 360°F., the other baked sand mold was at room temperature. The freezing times in these molds were

Jan 1, 1945

By G. A. Vissac

MoIstuRe in coal must be considered as an impurity, just the same as ash, from the standpoint of utilization of the coal. Being incombustible, it reduces directly the heating value of the coal, and in addition absorbs heat for its evaporation. Its presence means useless expenditures in handling and transportation. In coke plants, extra moisture reduces capacity and may cause damage to brick work and equipment. Accordingly, the removal of extra moisture can be considered just as important as the removal of other impurities, such as ashes, in the modern coal preparation plant. Moisture, which can be removed by heating the coal up to a temperature of 100°C, may be retained in various forms: 1. As a film, on the surface of each coal particle, and in the interstices between particles, retained by capillary forces. 2. Or "occluded" inside the coal particles. This occluded moisture may be either free moisture (as in a sponge), or hygroscopic moisture which varies with atmospheric conditions, (also called "regain"). These latter forms of moisture are particularly common in "young" coals (subbituminous and lignites); bloom coals (seam outcrops); fusain; and carbonized products. In our study of coal drying, we shall consider only the removal of free moisture, exclusive from hygroscopic moisture. Dewatering If we reserve the name of drying to the removal of water by evaporation, we must consider the initial phase of the mechanical removal of free moisture as a distinct operation covered by the term dewatering. In all cases the free water carried over the surface of the coal particles or in their interstices, or in their pores, is retained by capillary forces. Dewater-ing is accomplished by breaking or counteracting these capillary forces; removal of as much water as possible by dewatering methods is usually advisable, as the cost of these operations is generally much less than by evaporation. The most common methods of me-chanical dewatering are: 1. "Pressure piling," which reduces the interstitial spaces, accomplished in dewatering bins or over dewatering screens. 2. Or dynamic methods, such as used in centrifuges or over vibrating screens. We shall only mention the " preferential wetting" method, in which surface water can be displaced by hydrocarbons, as offering possibilities, but which, to our knowledge, has not reached yet a practical development. But we must point out that the capillary forces retaining water on the coal surfaces, decrease considerably with increased temperatures. This is the principle used in all modern dishwashing machines; by using very hot water, dishes are extracted almost dry. In line with this development, we favor the type of dryers including a dewatering section; as the coal enters the dryer and is gradually brought up to higher temperatures, its dewatering ability is increased and advantage can be taken of this conditioning, resulting in increased drying efficiencies and reductions in drying costs. Heat Drying In the final phase, the remaining moisture must be evaporated. Coal and water must be brought up to the chosen temperature of evaporation, and heat must be supplied to fill the requirements of the latent heat of evaporation of the water to be removed. Accordingly, drying becomes largely a problem of heat transfer, and drying methods can be classified accordingly, namely: 1. Radiant transfer. 2. Transfer by surface contact and conduction. 3. Transfer by hot gas contact. The first method is not applicable to coal drying; the second method is used in the old type rotary dryer. The third method, the most commonly used in modern coal dryers, will be the only one considered here; and, of course, we shall deal with continuous types of dryers only. The mechanism of complete drying is really very complex-—several phases are involved: 1. The constant rate period. 2. The uniform falling rate period. 3. The varying falling rate period. As most of our practical coal drying problems deal with wet coals (over 6 pct of moisture), and do not require complete drying (under 1.5 pct), we shall deal with the first condition only, namely the constant rate drying. Dryer Calculations Instead of presenting the algebraic formulas, we believe a concrete example will provide a clearer illustration. Assume a feed of wet coal at the rate

Jan 1, 1950

By S. Stopek, E. D. Hinkley, R. H. Rediker

Epitaxial heterojunctions have been prepared by melting the lower -melting-point semiconductor of the interface between two dijferent semiconductors. when the temperature is reduced, the melted material recrystallizes, having alloyed into the higher -melting-point semiconditctor. The electrical and elcctro-optical properties of such single-crystal heterojunctions between GaAs and Gash and between p-type InAs and n-type Gash are the subject of this paper. The forward current varies as exp (AV), where A is substantially independent of temperatuve. For Gds-Gash heterojunctions at temperatures above, 370°K, if the current-voltage relationship were to he expressed as exp (qV/nkT), then n would he less than unity. The injection luminescence associated with forward current is, for the most part, characteristic. of the lower bandgap semicondutctor. These results can he explained by carrier injection into the lower bandgap semiconductor by tunneling through a barrier at the interface. The photovoltaic effect measured for incident photons having energies in the range between the bandgaps of the two semiconductors is much smaller than that produced by higher-energy photon The smallness of this between -the-gap photovoltaic response can he explained by the low probability for penetration of the barrier by the carriers produced in the smaller -bandgap semiconductor. THE technique of interface alloying has been used to produce single-crystal junctions between dissimilar semiconductors.' Oriented wafers are placed on a carbon heater strip, Fig. 1. so that semiconductor S1, which has the lower melting point, is supported by semiconductor S2. Electrical current passed through the heater strip produces a temperature gradient such that S2 is at a higher temperature than S1. As the temperature is raised the lower face of S1 begins to melt. Before the entire wafer can melt, however, the heater-strip current is turned off and, as illustrated in Fig. l. the melted portion recrystallizes, having alloyed into S2. Junctions have been fabricated by the above procedure between GaAs and germanium, between GaAs and GaSb, and between InAs and GaSb. Mroczkowski, Lavine. and Gatos have described the metallurgical and chemical aspects of the GaAs-Ge junction.2 The transition from GaAs to germanium is not monotonic and a portion of the recrystallized region consists of the GaAs-Ge eutectic. Since gallium is an acceptor and arsenic is a donor in germanium, since germanium dopes GaAs, and since the electrical properties of the GaAs-Ge eutectic have not been investigated, any interpretation of the electrical characteristics in terms of simple heterojunction theory would be incorrect. That the rectification of GaAs-Ge heterojunctions is not a property of the impurity doping of the GaAs or the germanium, but is most probably due to the impurity distribution in the recrystallized region, is clear from the fact that forward conduction occurred for all the GaAs-Ge interface-alloy junctions (whether they be n-n,n-p. p-n. or p-p) when the germanium was biased positively. The electrical characteristics of these GaAs-Ge heterojunctions will not be discussed further in this paper. Electron-beam microprobe analysis of GaAs-GaSb heterojunctions showed that the transition from arsenic to antimony atoms was without structure. and that the transition occurred within a 2 to 3 region.' In this paper we will describe the electrical properties of the GaAs-GaSb heterojunctions as well as electrical and electro-optical properties of the InAs-GaSb heterojunctions. A band model for the junction will be proposed which can explain these properties. ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF GaAs-GaSb HETEROJUNCTIONS After interface alloying. in preparation for the electrical and electro-optical experiments, ohmic contacts were made by conventional means. For example. Kovar tabs clad with tin were alloyed to n-GaAs or similar tabs clad with Au-Zn were alloyed to p-GaAs. The units were mounted and then etched. All four combinations of conductivity types

Jan 1, 1965

By Andrew S. M’Creath

THE treatment which a steel receives, and the uses to which it may be applied, are frequently determined by the percentage of carbon which it contains; and especially is this the case in the different steel works in this country. The part which this element plays in the composition of steel is such an important one that a process for its accurate determination becomes an absolute necessity.

Jan 1, 1877

By G. W. Healy, N. R. Griffing

The activity coefficient of sulfur in Cr-Fe-S melts was determined by measuring the values of Ph3Rh,in equilibrium with such melts. The results showed that chromium has a pronounced negative effect on the activity coefficient of sulfur, which up to about 20 pct Cr may be represented by the equation: log f; = - 0.019 pct Cr It was also found that the influence of chromium was not altered by the presence of appreciable amounts of carbon or silicon. The influence of alloying elements on the activity of sulfur in molten iron has been the subject of many investigations; however the effect of one important alloying element, chromium, has not been reported, and the object of the present investigation was to determine its effect on the activity coefficient of sulfur in liquid Fe-Cr-S alloys both in the absence and in the presence of carbon and/or silicon. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The general method employed consisted of passing mixtures of hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide over the sulfur-containing melt of interest and analyzing the outgoing gas to determine the equilibrium value of which resulted from the reaction shown in Eq. 111. H, (gas) + S (dissolved in melt) = H,S (gas) 111 The activity coefficient of sulfur, fs, was then calculated with Eq. [2] in which K, is the known equilibrium constant of Eq. [I] for dilute solutions of sulfur in iron. Raw materials used in the preparation of the charges included commercial grades of electrolytic iron and chromium and carbon-reduced, acid-treated silicon of 99.9 pct purity. Oxygen in the former presented no problem since it was removed by hydrogen in the normal course of an experiment. Carbon was added in the form of premelted iron-carbon and chromium-carbon master alloys. Sulfur was charged as iron sulfide prepared by first heating powdered iron and sulfur in air in an alumina dish until reaction occurred, and then deoxidizing by melting in a hydrogen atmosphere. Commercially bottled hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide were used after being passed through purification systems containing palladium, "Drierite," and magnesium perchlorate in the case of hydrogen, and "Drierite" alone in the case of hydrogen sulfide. Lamp-grade cylinder argon served as a flushing agent without further purification. Charges weighing from 300 to 500 g were placed in a high-purity alumina crucible of 0250-ml capacity and heated in an argon atmosphere in the induction-heated carbon-tube furnace illustrated in Fig. 1. During heating, a dry hydrogen atmosphere was substituted for argon in order that deoxidation of the charge and flushing out of argon would be accomplished sooner. After the charge melted, a Pt-Pt 10 pct Rh thermocouple contained in an alumina protection tube was immersed in the melt, and the desired melt temperature (usually 1600°C) was established. Higher temperatures up to 1760°C were required for some chromium-rich alloys because of their higher melting points, and in these cases a Pt 6 pct Rh-Pt 30 pct Rh thermocouple was used. The thermocouple output was fed to an automatic controller which provided straight line temperature

Jan 1, 1961

By A. B. Kinzel

Advance in the art of slag control has been very rapid in the past few years. The viscosimeter method for slag-reaction rate and composition, together with the phosphorus and other methods mentioned by Dr. Herty, allow the steelmaker to rectify and control the slag in the finish period of the heat with much greater precision that ever before. However, the steelmaker's problem is more complex, and in order to make steel of proper analysis in the most economical manner the constitution of the initial slag that has formed immediately after the lime is up in the furnace is of prime importance, as it is one of the factors that determine the carbon content of the charge as melted. Many heats melt with high carbon and some with carbon much lower than is expected so that, on the average, increased furnace time is necessary before reaching the finishing period. The problem, therefore, is to so regulate the slag-making additions that a suitable initial slag will be formed at once. Where all cold metal charges are involved, particularly where the iron and scrap are selected, this may be done with a fair degree of regularity. This regularity results not only in better conditions at the beginning of the heat and during the carbon drop, but also the need for smaller slag-modifying additions toward the end of the heat. The above has been well demonstrated by the work reported by Reagan in the past few years. Where large amounts of cold pig or hot metal are used, the problem becomes more involved. It is much more difficult for the steelmaker to be sure that for any given furnace the heat will form the desired initial slag. Observations of many heats indicate that the pig iron is a dominating factor in the constitution of the slag formed. The scrap is also a factor but in general could be roughly classified and a correction made therefor. The necessity, therefore, arises for a method of correlating the pig-iron charge and type of slag formed for any particular furnace, which resolves itself into a measure of those qualities of the pig iron which affect the slag. The amount of silicon, manganese, phosphorus and sulfur in the pig iron will probably have some effect on the type of slag formed, but

Jan 1, 1935

By A. B. Kinzel

Advance in the art of slag control has been very rapid in the past few years. The viscosimeter method for slag-reaction rate and composition, together with the phosphorus and other methods mentioned by Dr. Herty, allow the steelmaker to rectify and control the slag in the finish period of the heat with much greater precision that ever before. However, the steelmaker's problem is more complex, and in order to make steel of proper analysis in the most economical manner the constitution of the initial slag that has formed immediately after the lime is up in the furnace is of prime importance, as it is one of the factors that determine the carbon content of the charge as melted. Many heats melt with high carbon and some with carbon much lower than is expected so that, on the average, increased furnace time is necessary before reaching the finishing period. The problem, therefore, is to so regulate the slag-making additions that a suitable initial slag will be formed at once. Where all cold metal charges are involved, particularly where the iron and scrap are selected, this may be done with a fair degree of regularity. This regularity results not only in better conditions at the beginning of the heat and during the carbon drop, but also the need for smaller slag-modifying additions toward the end of the heat. The above has been well demonstrated by the work reported by Reagan in the past few years. Where large amounts of cold pig or hot metal are used, the problem becomes more involved. It is much more difficult for the steelmaker to be sure that for any given furnace the heat will form the desired initial slag. Observations of many heats indicate that the pig iron is a dominating factor in the constitution of the slag formed. The scrap is also a factor but in general could be roughly classified and a correction made therefor. The necessity, therefore, arises for a method of correlating the pig-iron charge and type of slag formed for any particular furnace, which resolves itself into a measure of those qualities of the pig iron which affect the slag. The amount of silicon, manganese, phosphorus and sulfur in the pig iron will probably have some effect on the type of slag formed, but

Jan 1, 1935

By A. R. Ledoux

I was wondering whether we were going to adhere to our text. It seems to me that we are having a very remarkable meeting of mining engineers this year, because no matter what the texts may be that are assigned to us, we get back toward something higher; we turn to the consideration of questions of ethics, and of applied Christianity. Yesterday we listened to the most eloquent and remarkable address by Mr. Rickard in memory of Dr. Raymond, and it was told us that he was to speak about Raymond's achievements as an engineer. He did say considerable on that subject, but he was himself carried away with the spirit of the man and moved us all by his portrayal of Dr. Raymond's continued and fruitful labors for the betterment of mankind—that is to say, his religion. Our President asked me if I would say something this afternoon and I find in the bulbtin that the text of the discourses which we are to have here this afternoon is "Internlttional Cooperation in Mining in North America." But again I find that the eloquent speaker who has just preceded me has dwelt largely on ethical and spiritual cooperation rather than upon cooperation in mining. That is, cooperation as men, rather than solely as engineers. The imaginary line dividing Canada from the United States, unmarked by fort or military post, was mentioned by a previous speaker. There are going to be in the future, I am sure, fewer entanglements of the barbed wire of tariff discrimination along our border-—to that end let us cooperate. But there has always been a reciprocity in men. A Canadian conceived and created our great transcontinental line, the Great Northern Railway; an American made the Canadian Pacific what it is. In mining and metallurgy, American engineers, backed by American capital, have built up great Canadian industries while Canadian experts have developed some of the resources on this side of the line. They have done much more than develop our resources; some of them have been our leaders in sympathy for labor. It is therefore not a question of creating a spirit of cooperation, but of giving it freer scope and a fuller realization of fraternity—or, to use the word now more common and of deeper significance—brotherhood. These are days of combination. Corporate interests in this country are now compelled, or at least encouraged, to combine in ways that

Jan 1, 1920

By H. J. Struth

Economic law was accorded considerably more recognition by the oil industry last year than perhaps ever before. While proration was undoubtedly given added impetus in 1931, and the list of proponents of unit operation was noticeably lengthened, predominant evidence plainly shows that the functioning of economic laws dominated collective efforts to reduce the excessive above-ground supply of petroleum. Crude oil production was reduced more than 48,000,000 bbl. last year; imports from other parts of the world were substantially lower; stocks of crude were drawn upon to the extent of nearly 48,000,000 bbl.; domestic gasoline demand increased 2 per cent—and yet, prices of petroleum and its products were at the lowest levels in many years. To say that the ills of the oil industry during 1931 were due to the general depression that was felt in all other lines is tantamount to attaching an air of uncertainty to a group of commodities that have been proved to be an ever increasing necessity, even in times of depression. TO say that the potential productivity of proven oil-producing areas has been responsible for the unsatisfactory state of affairs last year, and now, is to admit failure to carry out the principles designed to control production in accordance with the limits prescribed by demand. In fact, there is no reason why a large proven potential supply of oil should not be considered a valuable asset to the industry; an assurance against future needs; a stabilizing influence in building up confidence in the ability of the industry to supply this and future generations with fuel and lubricant requirements at reasonable prices. At any rate, an assured future supply of oil should be interpreted to the public to mean that the oil industry is a legitimate, progressive industry, and not a group of prospectors madly searching for "liquid gold." There has been a great deal of romance connected with the history of the oil business—so much that the public has come to associate the word "oil" with untold riches. However, the financial statements of 1931 will furnish conclusive proof to the contrary. Too much oil, too many refineries, too many filling stations, too much capital invested; these and other "too muches" and "too manys" have perhaps been given more publicity than necessary. We seldom hear these

Jan 1, 1932

By W. G. Cornwell, R. J. Hisshion

The development of a process for the treatment of telluride concentrates at Emperor Gold Mining Co. Vatukoula, is discussed. The concentrate is produced by flotation in cyanide solution immediately after milling. Two stages of cleaning are employed and a high-grade concentrate is produced usually containing more than 50% of the precious metal. The process developed in the first instance involved batch roasting followed by batch leaching in strong cyanide solution, recovering gold and silver only. The procedure currently employed is chemical oxidation of the tellurides using hypochlorite as the oxidant in a basic solution of a caustic soda and sodium carbonate. After oxidation the gold and silver are recovered by cyanidation. The residue is then leached with sodium sulfide and elemental tellurium precipitated with sodium sulfite.

Jan 1, 1977

By V. M. Frey

IN 1936 the foreman at one of the oldest limestone quarries in northern Virginia discovered the remains of three old well-drill holes that contained dynamite. As consulting engineer for the property, I was then called upon to devise a method for removing the explosive. As no exact formula for the handling of unexploded dynamite exists, the proper steps for removing it must always be dictated by local conditions. A description of the procedure in this case may, therefore, be of interest to others faced with a similar problem.

Jan 1, 1939

By L. Dudley Stamp

On April 1, 1937, Burma, formerly a province of the Indian Empire, was formally separated from India and became an independent unit of the British Commonwealth. In future, therefore, statistics of oil production in India will exclude Burma and those for Burma will be separately published. The last few years have been marked by noteworthy, almost spectacular, developments in the oil fields of Burma and the Punjab. In Burma these developments have been the proving of unexpected extensions of the existing fields and not the discovery of entirely new fields. The new extensions are important not only to Burma in giving a new lease of life to her fields, but also in general as stressing some interesting geological aspects hitherto neglected. Production The production of crude oil in Imperial gallons has been: Burma India 1934 254,760,070 67,265,210 1935 251,338,974 . 71,323,362 1936 265,656,393 69,241,504 1937 (eat.) 270,000,000 70,000,000 The Chindwin Fields.—The small field at Indaw continues to produce steadily about 3,000,000 gal. a year, but no really deep test has yet been successfully carried out and resources are thus not yet fully known. The remote location of the field, inaccessible except by river and situated 22 miles from the Chindwin 270 miles up that river from its junction with the Irrawaddy, has not encouraged active exploitation. The field is worked exclusively by the Indo-Burma Petroleum Co., Ltd. (I.B.P.), using now an automatic gas-lift system, and the company formerly refined the oil at a small refinery at Pantha on the river near by. The chief market was for kerosene in upper Burma. The refinery has now been closed. The oil is stored on the field during the low-water season

Jan 1, 1938

By Walter P. Jenney

In the limestone area of Tintic and other mining districts of the Great Basin region of Utah, it has been observed that surface-outcrops of ore occur but seldom, and are mainly confilled to points of relatively low elevation, where the veins cross some basin or ravine. Nowhere does a considerable body of ore outcrop on the tops or high up on the slopes of the hills. Mining operations, on the other hand, have shown that large and continuous ore-deposits frequently occur in depth in the limestone, beneath large masses of barren rock. Such orebodies, when followed upward in the lodes, are found to terminate at well-defined levels, without reaching the surface. Yet the minerals-bearing fissures themselves extend above the top of the ore, being often traceable, though barren of all valuable minerals, for hundreds of feet above the stopes in the mines, and even observable in outcrops at the surface. This abrupt cessation of the ore at a uniform horizon does not appear to be connected with any change in the countryrock adjacent to the lodes. The strata above and below this horizon seem to be in every way equally favorable to ore-deposition. Explorations above it have developed an open-fissured country, barren not only of ore, but also of indications that minerals bearing gold, silver, lead or copper were ever deposited in the strata at that elevation. The height reached by the ore, while usually constant throughout the length of a given lode, may vary in particular sections, from the operation of local causes. Each lode in a district has its own distinct horizon, above which the oredeposits do not extend. Where the ore-bodies are continuous

Jan 1, 1903

By S. A. Ford

I WOULD like to call the attention of our Bessemer steel manufacturers to a few facts in regard to the action of the manganese in. the Spiegel with the oxide of iron in the blown iron. The oxygen is united with the iron as a magnetic oxide, as Gautier asserts, and this oxide is reduced to a protoxide by one-atom of the manganese uniting with one atom of the oxygen of the magnetic oxide of iron. This oxide of manganese and the protoxide of iron thus formed unite with the silica which has been formed by the oxidation of the silicon in the pig iron. Mr. Snelus and others

Jan 1, 1881

By William Kelly

An exploring-drift, on the bottom level of the Curry mine, at Norway, Mich., on the Menominee range, cut a stream of water, which increased considerably the expense of pumping. The hope that the supply would drain off was not realized. It was decided to build a dam in the exploring-drift, as it was estimated that the cost would be recovered by the saving in fuel in less than two months.

Jan 1, 1898

CHARGING of an open-hearth heat is begun as soon as possible after the previous heat has been tapped. Ordinarily, about 40 min is required to drain and dress the furnace hearth, make up the taphole, and perform routine repairs of the banks. Repairs to the upper back wall and to the front wall and jambs can ordinarily be done while the first scrap charge is being heated and are therefore allowed to wait in order to save furnace time. Any major repairs required on the hearth or other parts of the furnace necessitate longer delays because such repairs must be made while the furnace is empty. Although charging practice varies considerably in detail with the type and proportions of scrap and iron used, many factors are common to all varieties of charge. Such general considerations are dealt with first. CHARGING EQUIPMENT AND STOCK HANDLING The physical equipment available for loading and weighing the stock, transporting it to the furnace, and charging it, may have a major effect on charging practice. Limestone, scrap, and all other solid melting stock are charged mechanically by means of equipment illustrated in Fig 2-1. The charging of hot metal is shown in the background of this figure. Mechanical equipment and plant layout for stock handling are described in Chapter 1. It is generally desirable to charge the scrap about as fast as the physical volume can be put into the furnace. Charging scrap that is too heavy or adding the charge too rapidly (less than 45 min) may be detrimental to melting rate because of excessive chilling of the entire furnace system and also because of poor conduction of heat to the lower layers in the furnace; but the more common problem is the reverse one of charging light 'scrap fast enough to maintain a normal heat time. A limiting factor may be the height to which the scrap may he piled in the fur-

Jan 1, 1951

By R. L. Huntington, D. T. MacRoberts, Charles R. Hetherington

Since the equation of continuity governing transient flow of gases through porous media cannot be integrated mathematically into a simple usable expression free from series terms, empirical and approximate equations have been advanced relating cumulative production and future production rates from gas reservoirs with time. In order to check the accuracy of these empirical equations and to obtain an insight into the initial conditions pertinent to the solution of the fundamental equation of continuity, experimental work has been conducted on a vertical 2-in. tube, 91.6 ft. high, packed with unconsolidated Wilcox sand. The results presented in graphical form show the accuracy of the approximate relations. Data from unsteady-flow runs on the 2-in. experimental tube are presented graphically, and are applied to obtain an equation for this specific case, and are offered as an aid in future investigations of this basic equation. The close agreement between equations calculated for steady-state flow and the experiments indicates that the decline of actual gas reservoirs may be treated by an application of these equations without serious error. Introduction The steady-state flow of gas through a porous material—that is, flow wherein the boundary conditions do not vary with time—is subject to analytical solution. Muskat1 has shown that the general differential equation is simply the La Place equation in P2. Direct solutions may be at once obtained. The unsteady state, on the other hand, is not analytically reducible. Since nearly all phenomena of practical interest in gas production involve flow in the unsteady rather than in the steady state, it has been necessary to derive approximate Solutions to the general equation. The validity of such approximations has not hitherto been adequately tested. In the experiments to be described a simple, closed, linear system is substituted for the real complex gas field. The general results, however, are independent of the geometry Of the system' The problem studied is the rate of production, and the accompanying variations in pressure, when one end of a linear porous system is opened to the atmosphere and permitted to produce to exhaustion. An approximate solution to the general differential equation, based upon the assumption of an "infinite series of steady states," is then applied to the results to determine the validity of this method of dealing with actual reservoirs. Theoretical Considerations The fundamental differential equation governing the flow of a gas through a Porous medium can be derived easily from the equation of continuity, Darcy's law, Boyle's law and a statement of the thermo-dynamic nature of the flow. For isothermal flow it is: d2P2/dx2 + d2p2/dy2 + d2p2/dz2 = 2fµ/K dP-dT

Jan 1, 1942