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By R. F. Selden

The material in this paper is intended simply, to be an inquiry into some of the theoretical aspects of the occurrence of methane and carbon dioxide in coal, with a brief resume of the more recent literature. Several discussions on various phases of the subject have been published, a few of which (4, 20, 25, 88, 90)4/ have more or less extensive bibliographies of tie earlier literature. In large measure the pertinent literature deals with the unusual aspects of the subject, and in consequence it might appear that the normal aspects have not been given due consideration here. The latter information is largely a matter of practical field experience, and since that which is normal to one locality is often abnormal to another no sharp differentiation appears to be necessary or, in fact, possible. No attempt will be made to present a critical discussion of the relations between the presence of gases in coal and pertinent geologic features or mining practice. Although the presence of foreign gases in the ventilating air of many mines is not particularly noticeable, in many others the evolution of methane and perhaps small amounts of carbon dioxide (or sometimes the reverse - large amounts of carbon. dioxide with perhaps sore methane) is quite apparent.

Jan 1, 1934

By R. F. Selder

The material in this paper is intended simply to be an inquiry into some of the theoretical aspects of the occurrence of methane and carbon dioxide in coal, with a brief resume of the more recent literature. Several discussions of various phases of the subject have been published a few of which (4, 20, 25, 88, 90) have more or less extensive bibliographies of the earlier literature. In large measure the pertinent literature deals with the unusual aspects of the subject, and in consequence it might appear that the normal aspects have not been given due consideration here. The latter information is largely a matter of practical field experience, and since that which is normal to one locality is often abnormal to another no sharp differentiation appears to be necessary or, in fact, possible. No attempt will be made to present a critical discussion of the relations between the presence of gases in coal and pertinent geologic features or mining practice. Although the presence of foreign gases in the ventilating air of many mines is not particularly noticeable, in many others the evolution of methane and perhaps small amounts of carbon dioxide (or sometimes the reverse - large amounts of carbon dioxide with perhaps sore methane) is quite apparent. The presence of small quantities of carbon dioxide can be attributed to oxidation of the carbonaceous matter exposed to the air. In the few cases in which this explanation is not sufficient, obviously the carbon dioxide must escape as such from the coal and neighboring strata.

Jan 1, 1934

By Richard E. Thill

The Bureau of Mines' Oil Shale Data Bank (OSDB) was created in 1976 to serve as a centralized source for the storage, retrieval, and dissemination of technical literature, patents, and information on research projects in oil shale. Thousands of bibliographic references, patents, and research projects relating to the mining of oil shale have been identified, abstracted, and indexed according to selected keyword topics. The resulting data bank listings are contained in three sections, each with a separate keyword breakdown for use in rapidly identifying references pertaining to a specific subject. All references cited in the OSDB were published prior to an established cut-off date of May 1, 1981, when a redirection of Bureau of Mines programs resulted in the loss of project funds and the subsequent phasing-out of data bank operations. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The oil shale data bank listings are the result of a team effort of the project staff. The contributions of Jimaleen Jansma for keypunching, information acquisition, and data entry, and John Brandenburg and Sandra rake for keywording and information acquisition are gratefully acknowledged. Appreciation is expressed to the staff members of the Smithsonian Science Information Exchange, Washington D.C. for their cooperation in supplying data on recent research projects in oil shale for inclusion in the OSDR listings. Appreciation is extended also to the staff of the Gallegos Research Group for assisting with computer services to obtain the final printouts and transfer of files onto magnetic tape.

Jan 1, 1982

By John J. Ginty

The objective of the work reported herein was to evaluate state-of-the-art repeaters used in wireless communications to determine their suitability for use in extending the range of portable and mobile communications in underground mine applications. The scope of the work included wireless repeaters in the frequency range from LF (500 kilohertz) up to the one giga-hertz range. These repeaters included not only single-channel repeaters, that is F1/F1 repeaters for short range simplex party line communications, but in addition, F1/F2 type repeaters currently commercially available in the HF, VHF and UHF bands.

Jan 1, 1975

By F. L. Wideman

This report describes a computer program that is used for the calculation of the coordinates and elevations of subsidence survey pins located by intersection. This program was developed for the Federal Bureau of Mines by the Numerical Analysis Laboratory, University of Arizona. These calculations, although relatively simple, are both tedious and time-consuming when computed with a desk calculator and trigonometric tables. In this survey, a large number of pins were surveyed repeatedly, and it was evident that both time and money could be saved by using a digital computer.

Jan 1, 1962

By D. B. Dow

The presence of sulphur compounds in petroleum and its products is, generally speaking, undesirable, and the problems involved in removing such compounds are of great importance to the petroleum refiner and to the manufacturer of gasoline. There are several types of these compounds which are dissimilar in physical and chemical characteristics, as evidenced by different objectionable features which they exhibit, and special treatments have been developed to meet conditions existing in various products. This paper deals with the treatment of natural-gas gasoline for the removal of certain sulphur compounds which, if not removed, impart on objectionable odor and in addition badly discolor the product. The presence of this particular type of sulphur compounds is detected by the "doctor" test.* In some instances natural-gas gasoline is purchased on "doctor" test specifications, and the ordinary purchaser, while not buying on "doctor" specifications, is insistent in his demand for a water white product. Gasoline which fails to meet the "doctor" test, if not received by the buyer within a few weeks after time Of manufacture, may be "off color" enough to warrant a deduction from the market price.

Jan 1, 1923

By L. M. Chan, D. H. Carlson, J. H. Johnson

"This paper discusses the evaluation and application of a portable parked-vehicle tailpipe emissions measurement apparatus (EMA). The EMA consists of an exhaust dilution system and a portable instrument package. The EMA instantaneously dilutes and cools a sample of exhaust with compressed nitrogen or air at a known dilution ratio, thereby presenting it to instruments as it is presented to personnel in the surrounding environment. The operating principles and governing equations of the EMA are presented.A computational method is presented to determine the engine operating and performance parameters from the exhaust CO2 concentrations along with an assumed engine overall volumetric efficiency and brake specific fuel consumption. The parameters determined are fuel / air ratio, mass flow rates of fuel, air and exhaust emissions, and engine brake torque and horsepower. These calculated engine parameters are used to characterize engine load when performing EMA in-field tailpipe sampling without a dynamometer, and to detect deteriorated engines.Evaluations of the EMA by comparison of diesel tailpipe measurements with those made using laboratory-grade instruments showed that the EMA measurements are accurate and reproducible. The results also show that the EMA is capable of detecting emission concentration changes resulting from engine faults. Calculated engine operating and performance parameters correlate and compare well with laboratory-measured values.The EMA in-field engine loading and tailpipe sampling procedures for parked vehicles are presented, and results of the EMA field measurements are also presented. Low coefficients of variation for repeat EMA tailpipe measurements on diesel-powered haulage vehicles in four underground mines indicate that the EMA in-field engine loading and tailpipe sampling procedures are reproducible.An analysis of EMA tailpipe measurements for three haulage vehicles in one mine shows that the EMA can: 1) identify haulage vehicles that emit excessively high pollutant concentrations, and 2) provide data needed to evaluate and determine the efficiency and effectiveness of tailpipe emission control devices.Finally, recommendations for a proposed commercial EMA system are presented. This commercial system would overcome many of the adverse features of the prototype EMA used in these tests."

Mar 1, 1992

By H. P. Greenwald

About mid-December 1936, the safety director of a large coal corporation visited the authors at the Bureau's Experimental coal mine to discuss a rock-dust barrier he had invented primarily for use in trackless entries of coal mines. The rock dust in this device was carried in its original paper containers and means were provided for ripping these open so that the dust might be scattered in the path of an explosion. The inventor termed the device a "bag barrier", and this term has been adopted in the present paper for convenience. At that time the device was in an early stage of development, and the inventor felt that the barrier should be tested to determine whether it had enough promise of being successful to justify further development. The matter was taken under consideration and finally three tests were made during the week of February 15, 1937. It was concluded that while the device did stop an explosion in two of the three tests, it was much loss effective than ordinary rock dusting, and that too few data were obtained to permit direct comparison with tests of other barriers. Apparently, the conditions under which the device could, be successful 'Were somewhat limited, out the limits could not be defined without additional tests.

Jan 1, 1938

By Andrew Allan

[This report describe the first experiment of the Anthracite Research Laboratory, Bureau of Miners, in attempting to reduce underground-mining costs and conserve anthracite as a natural r-source by introducing now minim methods. The work war, dons in cooperation with one of the large anthracite-producing companies. It applies to productive mining, characterized by comparatively low cost, per ton and high production per man, as differentiated from development mining, which is always necessary before the, productive or retreat phase can begin. The system d scribed in this report is believed to be generally applicable to beds pitching 70° to 90° and, under certain conditions, to beds pitching loss than 70°. After development hate been completed, an openings is made, extending the full width of the 9- to 10-foot coal bad and reaching from the haulageway to the vertical limits of the solid coal. Long drill holes (20 to 50 feet) charged with about one stick of permissible explosive riper foot of length are fused to break the coal. Once broken, the coal is loaded onto a shaker conveyor by gravity and thence into mine: cars. The coal is mined retreating in 15- to 20-foot sections that are broken and loaded onto the conveyor through a specially constructed chute. In the Bureau?s experimental work, the height of sections arse ranged from 35 to 60 fact, depending on the geologic extent of the coal bed.]

Jan 1, 1952

By J. B. Littlefield

The Greenburg-Smith impinger was developed at the Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the United States Public Health Service in 1922 in the course of an investigation of dust-sampling instruments available at that time. Although it is not used extensively outside of the United States, it is now soused in this country to collect samples for the determination of any dustiness, and most of the information correlating degree of dustiness with physiological effect has been obtained by the impinger method. The chief disadvantages in the use of the regular impinger, especially in mines and other places accessible with difficulty, are its bulk, weight, and power requirements. It requires a source either of electricity or of compressed air, which necessitates connections and extension of existing supply lines to each sampling point; the only alternative is the use of a relatively large pump hand-operated with considerable effort.

Jan 1, 1937

By A. J. Kraemer

Few important improvements other than the development of cracking processes were made in technical petroleum refining from 1914 to 1919. Refiners were concerned mainly with enlarging their plants and erecting new plants to meet the growing demand for petroleum products. Shell stills operated as a unit or arranged in series for progressive or continuous distillation were the prevailing distillation equipment. Some improvement was made in condensers, but in most refineries of the period coils of pipe immersed in tanks of water were used to condense vapors and cool liquid products of the stills. Heat exchangers to conserve heat and reduce costs were more highly developed at California topping plants than at other plants. In this connection Wadsworth3/states: It is regretted that information concerning the operation of topping plants with eastern and Middle West oils is not available. The writer carefully canvassed the Middle West, but did not find a plant where operation had progressed beyond the early experimental stages and reliable figures could be furnished.

Jan 1, 1941

By W. B. Tarpley

This program was conducted to demonstrate the unique advantages of suppressing methane ignition in underground mines by use of Energy & Minerals Research Company's thixogel fire extinguishing system, which stably suspends dry powder extinguishing agent in thixotropically gelled liquefied gas extinguishant. As anticipated, the project demonstrated thixogel system advantages of: 1) capability to disperse state-of-the-art powders in thixogelled Halons; 2) non-agglomerating stability for dependable expulsion; 3) stability in storage for long shelf life; 4) virtually in¬stantaneous dispersion; 5) expansive cloud formation; 6) reach and re-forming around obstacles; 7) at least twice the extinguishant effectiveness; and 8) compatibility of use with Fenwal bottles and MSHA canisters. Thus, it should prove a superior explosion/fire suppressant for coal face cutters and triggered barriers, as well as for motorized equipment, electrical equipment and the like.

Jan 1, 1981

By J. D. Davis

On May 15, 1936, Congress authorized the Bureau of Mines to conduct certain studies, experiments, and. investigations of subbituminous coal and lignite.4/ Appropriations were made in July 19 7, and since that date an active investigation has been underway to complete the provisions of the act. Part of the investigation has included a comprehensive survey of the known properties of the lower-rank non-coking coals, and provisions were made to obtain more data on certain varieties. In line with this plan, a typical subbituminous coal was selected for an extended series of tests in the standard. Bureau of Mines-American Gas Association unit,5/ at the Central Experiment Station. This particular noncoking coal was the first one of its rank that had been tested in the apparatus; for this reason the results are of particular interest because the testing apparatus was originally designed for use in studying the coke- and gas-making properties of coking coals. The test as described below has been developed by the Bureau of Mines since 1927 through a cooperative agreement with the American Gas Association.6/ Ninety to 180 pounds of coal is heated in a circular retort, 13 to 18 inches in diameter, at wall temperatures ranging from 500°C. to 1,110°C. in 100°C. steps. All products are collected and measured; their physical and chemical properties are then carefully determined to ascertain the gas- and coke-making properties of the coal. During the last 10 years approximately 50 representative American coals have been tested in the Bureau of Mines equipment. The results on the first 30 coals and a complete description of the test procedure are contained in a joint publication of the Bureau of Mines and the American Gas Association.7/ The remaining twenty coals have been reported in Bureau of Mines reports as Technical Papers and Bulletins.

Jan 1, 1939

By John Jordan, Tesarik, Steven J. Knoll, Theodore J. Williams, David K. Denton, Douglas F. Scott

Highly stressed rock in stopes continues to be a primary safety risk for miners in underground mines because this condition can result in failures of ground that lead to both injuries and death. Personnel from the Spokane Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health studied two methods for identifying stress in rock. A seismic tomographic survey, finite-difference analysis, laboratory measurements of compression wave (ultrasonic) velocities in rock cores, and site geology were integrated to evaluate the use of seismic tomography for identifying induced pressures in an underground pillar at the Edgar Mine, Idaho Springs, CO. Electromagnetic (EM) emissions were also investigated in the Galena Mine, a deep underground mine in Idaho, in an effort to determine if these emissions could be used as indicators of impending catastrophic ground failure. Results of this research indicated that (1) seismic tomography appears to be a useful tool for determining relative stress in underground pillars, while (2) EM emissions do not appear to be significant precursors of impending catastrophic ground failure.

Jan 1, 2004

By R. A. Beall

This paper summarizes the development of a furnace for producing titanium castings. The general problem is outlined and chronological details are given on the construction and operation of four different casting furnaces, all utilizing consumable-electrode arc heating and water-cooled copper crucibles. Of the two methods of pouring, the tilt-pour technique has been more satisfactory than bottom tapping. Mold design, electrode fabrication, and deep-pool production are discussed. INTRODUCTION In the early summer of 1953 the Bureau of Mines was contacted by the Department of the Army through Watertown Arsenal to explore the possibility of conducting research on casting titanium metal. The objective of the program was "to develop a technique for producing formed castings of titanium metal not less than 40 pounds in weight and without introduction of deleterious contamination."

Jan 1, 1956

By Walter E. Lewis

The Fort Randall Reservoir project, on the Missouri River at Pickstown, S. Dak., was designed by the Corps of Engineers and is part of the Missouri River Basin Development Program. The location of the project with respect to adjacent features is shown' in figure 1. When the project is finished, it will include a large earthwork dam and 12 circular tunnels, 8 of which will be equipped for power and 4 for flood control. Various phases of the construction have been contracted to independent companies, and at present four companies are working on different phases of the project under a rigid time schedule. Western Contracting Corp. is the contractor on stage II, earthwork; Johnson-Winston Construction Co. is the contractor for construction of the intake towers at the upstream side of the dam; McCarthy Improvement Co. has the contract for the power house and the outlet works on the downstream side; and Silas Mason Co. has the contract for driving the power and flood-control tunnels. The latter two companies use the same roads for ingress and egress to their respective work areas and the same general waste dump area. Under such circumstances, it is necessary that each company stay on a time schedule in regular sequence to avoid interference with the other.

Jan 1, 1951

By H. M. Smith

MORE than a year before the United States entered World War II, the requirements of the National Defense Program indicated the need for additional sources of aviation gasoline. On September 10, 1940, Dr. R. E. Wilson, Group Executive, Advisory Commission of the Council for National Defense, requested the Bureau of Mines to undertake a survey of crude oils of the United States to designate those suitable for the production of 91-octane aviation gasoline. As quickly as a program could be defined, agreed upon, and funds provided to conduct the work, the Bureau began the project. Over a period of many years the Bureau had collected samples and made analyses of thousands of crude oils produced in the United States. Although these analyses did not include octane numbers of the gasoline fraction, they provided data necessary for calculating the correlation index. This index, developed within the Bureau, is a measure of the types of hydrocarbons present in gasoline and therefore is roughly indicative of the octane value. This fund of information from Bureau of Mines Hempel analyses, supplemented by information obtained from oil companies, reduced considerably the necessary laboratory work by providing data that permitted a large number of crude oils to be eliminated from consideration. However, in the survey carried out during the last part of 1940 and the first half of 1941, 225 samples of crude oil were collected and distilled. Octane values of the distillates were determined by the Army AFD-1C method. (See page 57.) A report containing these results, together with the calculated amounts of 91-octane aviation gasoline available from these sources, was prepared and distributed to the several offices of the Office of the Petroleum Coordinator for National Defense in August 1941. In December 1942 the Office of the Petroleum Coordinator for National Defense became the Petroleum Administration for War (P. A. W.).

Jan 1, 1951

By Oliver Bowles

This report covers the character, properties, origin, occurrence, and uses of the traprocks and describes briefly the methods and equipment employed in quarrying and preparing them for market. Production of traprock occupies an important place in industry. In 1960 the output in the form of crushed stone reached nearly 58 million tons valued at $87 million. Traprocks are also shaped into blocks of dimension stone for monuments, building construction and decoration, and specialized products such as surface plates.

Jan 1, 1963

By Oliver Bowles

This report covers the character, properties, origin, occurrence, and uses of the traprocks and describes briefly the methods and equipment employed in quarrying and preparing them for market. Production of traprock occupies an important place in industry. In 1960 the output in the form of crushed stone reached nearly 58 million tons valued at $87 million. Traprocks are also shaped into blocks of dimension stone for monuments, building construction and decoration, and specialized products such as surface plates.

Jan 1, 1963

By Oliver Bowles

The exingencies of a world war have brought home to the American public, especially the people of the. Eastern States, the urgent need for conserving fuel. Transportation problems in the East have created an unprecedented situation wherein fuel-oil supplies are greatly restricted, and the consequent increase in demand for coal further complicates the problem of transporting and storing that commodity. People should awaken to the need for utilizing every possibly means of conserving to fuel, even to the extent of reducing the temperature in their homes.

Jan 1, 1942