Search Documents

By C. L. Schaidle

Computers and communications technology have revolutionized many industries. In earthmoving, this revolution has just begun. The major changes are still to come but are just around the corner. This article presents a vision of this upcoming revolution in the earthmoving industry. This vision includes basic communication, machine monitoring and diagnostics, job and business management, planning and operations, and machine control. For the industry to realize maximum benefits from the information age, it must have a vision of the future that is shared by technologists, machinery producers and miners. History of the information age During the 1970s, the information age revolutionized retailing, starting with the grocery business. By using bar codes and laser scanners, individual items were connected to the information world of computers and communications. Once this connection was made, the data on what an item was and where and when it moved became valuable information for inventory control and marketing. Not only was the information valuable, it was easy and inexpensive to collect and manipulate. The effort required to provide the consumer with the right product at the right time was reduced. Costs went down and customer satisfaction went up. But there were casualties of this revolution. Many inventory counters lost their jobs. There were also equipment casualties. Cash registers that could not interface with the digital world were discarded long before the end of their useful life.

Jan 1, 1994

By Yutaka Mochida

OUTLINE Beginning in 1946, a careful geological survey was made of the Tsugaru Straits. In 1964, excavation of the exploratory tunnels were started to observe the characteristics of faults and rock formation directly, and to study construction methods of excavation and sealing water inflow. In March 1971, the investigation stages were over, and in April 1971, the construction project was authorized from the government. The geological features in the straits may be divided into three broad classes. One third consists of andesite on Honshu side. The other two thirds consists of tuff. The middle of the straits consists of tuff, so-called Kuromatsunai-layers. On Hokkaido side, it consists of tuff, called as Kunnui-layers. There are nine noteworthy faults on the route. Prior to the excavation of the main tunnel, the horizontal pilot tunnels and service tunnels are made. Exploratory borings are taken to confirm the geological conditions and the presence of gushing water. Groutings for sealing water inflow are carried out when necessary. In geologically bad conditioned sections such as disintegrated or fractured zones, special methods are applied. In geologically good zones, the tunnels are bored through using the same methods as for a mountain tunnel driving. The pilot tunnel being constructed at the sea bottom is under direct control of the Japan Railway Construction Public Corporation. The service tunnel and the main tunnel are being excavated by contractors.

Jan 1, 1981

By H. Dr. Boldt, J. Dr. Henneke

PREFACE In German coal mines the application of tunnel boring machines has become a very effective and economic technique for major development works. After initial trials around 1970 the breakthrough was reached by driving 13 km of road ways on Rheinland and Friedrich Heinrich collieries, using a DEMAG tunnel boring machine of 6 m diameter. INTRODUCTION The coal mines of Rheinland and Friedrich Heinrich are to be found in the West of the Ruhr Area, the largest coal mining area in the Federal Republic of Germany (Table 1). They form part of the Ruhrkohle company. Rheinland coal mines produces 41000 to 43000 t of run-of-mine coal every day, of which 20500 t are usable coal. Friedrich Heinrich has a daily production of 17000 t of run-of-mine coal, 9000 t of which are usable. The coal is worked at depths of 600 to 1100 m in seams 0.6 to 3.0 m thick. The method of mining is longwall, and the machines used are ploughs and shearer loaders. From 1973 to 1980 a programme was put into operation in these two mines to develop and open up the coal field on the 885 m level. A total tunnel length of 20 km was to be driven. After thorough investigations it was decided to employ a full-face tunnel boring machine for

Jan 1, 1981

By Jack Parker

Pillar design ought to be a matter of matching pillar strength against pillar loading conditions to come up with dimensions that will cause the pillar to behave as required - to stand forever, or for a limited time, or to fail in a controlled manner. But something has gone wrong in recent years, seriously wrong. Pillar design practices have departed from reality. The laboratory and computer have taken the place of the mind. If the mind is put to work and such pillar design practices are examined critically, it becomes obvious that they deal with conditions that do not exist in a real mine. Time, effort and money are wasted, and the end results are incorrect and misleading. These questionable pillar design practices have been passed on from generation to generation over the past 30 or 40 years. The hope here is that we can return to reality as soon as the questionable practices are generally recognized. We could then go back into the mines and define how pillars really work, and mining safety, efficiencies and costs should improve. Let us take a close look at current textbook design practices and compare them to real-life conditions. Common sense might then prevail. (At this time, we will consider only mine pillar design, but similar scrutiny should be applied to design criteria for width of openings, floor conditions and roof support systems.)

Jan 1, 1993

By Andrew N. Peterson

US mine operators frequently fail to investigate more cost effective and productive bulk material handling systems because surface mines seem to lend themselves to truck ore haulage. In this country, as a result, use of conveyors to move heavy loads from mine to process facilities has been minimized, if not actually neglected. In contrast, there are more than 50 conveyorized surface mines in successful operation around the world. These mine operators have learned that properly applied conveyorized systems can offer major savings in capital and operating costs, which contribute to improved profits when combined with other proven mining technologies. Growing acceptance and application of conveyorized bulk material handling in surface mines also points up how unique each mine is and how careful planning contributes to maximum mine effectiveness. Because of these differences, mining executives and technical and operating staffs need to develop an understanding of three factors in applying conveyorized bulk material handling in surface mines: • Why each mine will benefit from the type of automation permitted by conveyorized operation, •What kind of equipment is available, and • What applications most effectively demonstrate the first two factors in action - hauling either ore or waste. The conveyorized systems considered in this presentation have production rates from 0.5-2.7 kt/h (500-3,000 stph). Worldwide, these systems have been operating since the early 1960s. Advantages of Conveyors Why do you want conveyorized bulk material handling? First, it almost always provides lower operating and maintenance costs. Second, it frequently requires lower initial capital costs and almost always requires lower capital costs over the life of the surface mine. Third, it provides comparable operating availability, and finally, it frequently gives comparable operating flexibility - depending on the mine plan. Cost avoidance can be accomplished with modern production methods. These, in turn, permit increased productivity and reduced operating costs such as those for energy, maintenance, and manpower. It has been demonstrated in European surface mines and elsewhere, that conveyor systems frequently require lower initial costs than does truck haulage. Almost always such operations require lower capital costs over the mine life. Those costs include the continual addition of haulage trucks to both accommodate the increasingly difficult haulage routes and fulfill replacement requirements when trucks wear out. Conveyor systems handling ore in numerous large crushing and port facilities, which have operated since the early 1950s, have clearly demonstrated a useful conveyor life of more than 25 years. In contrast, off-highway trucks have life spans of six to eight years. The following examples illustrate comparative capital costs to purchase conveyor systems and comparable truck haulage units. Example 1 The ore haulage route from point A to point B is level and 610m (2,000 ft) long. The material weighs 1.8 t/m3 (110 lbs per cu ft) and must be transported at a rate of 1.8 kt/h (2,000 stph). The installed capital costs to provide a properly designed conveyor that will transport the described material from point A to B is about $450,000. The capital cost to purchase three 77-t (85-st) off-highway trucks and one spare truck - which would provide equivalent capacity - would be about $1.2 million. The truck cost estimate is based on a 6 min. or 771 kt/h (850 stph) truck cycle time. Truck efficiency is estimated at 0.8. Each 77-t (85-st) truck would have an actual haulage rate of 617 kt/h (680 stph). Therefore, three trucks would be necessary to transport the designated tonnage of 1.8 kt/h (2,000 stph). A movable crushing plant would be located at point A for the conveyors and a permanent crushing plant at point B for the truck haulage system. Capital costs for these primary crushing plants were not included in the calculations for either system because the capital costs are frequently comparable. Example 2 The transport route from point A to point B is 610 m (2,000 ft) horizontally and 122 m (400 ft) vertically - on a 20% grade (Fig. 1). The material weighs 1.8 t/m3 (110 lbs per cu ft) and must be moved at a rate of 1.8 kt/h (2,000 stph).

Jan 6, 1983

When multiple mines operate in an area there are social, economic and environmental impacts which cumulate over space and time. These impacts require special attention. A collective approach is required to identify, assess and manage them. No assessment of sustainability of mining can be considered complete without accounting for cumulative impacts. This paper proposes a framework and typology to deal with cumulative impacts and tests this in a coal mining area in NSW Australia.

Jan 1, 2007

By S. Su, S. Natansohn

This report describes a process for tungsten recovery from Searles Lake brines and upgrading its concentration to useful levels. The method consists of a combination of a liquid-solid and liquid-liquid extraction step and results in a product stream containing more than l00g W03/1. This technique is also effective in substantially reducing the concentration of objectionable impurities in the tungsten product. An ion exchange extraction mechanism is postulated.

Jan 1, 1983

By R. C. Freas

Limestone is a basic raw material in the production of cement, lime, a wide variety of industrial products, and a significant percentage of the crushed stone produced in the United States annually. It is used in fluxes, glass making, mineral fillers, environmental applications such as flue gas desulphurization and water treatment, soil conditioners, animal feeds, and as a construction aggregate. This presentation provides an overview of limestone distribution in the United States, it’s production, the variety of products produced, and a brief review of the primary uses for limestone.

Jan 1, 2006

By W. W. Roberts

Key elements to the successful excavation and support of the Forest Glen Station and Tunnels for the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority are discussed. Excavations encompassed a twin-vault station; 2339.3 m (7675 feet) of conventional drill and shoot tunnel; and 810.8 m (2660 feet) of mixed faced tunnel. The use of dewatering, boom type continuous miner and shotcrete in the mixed faced tunnel, along with hydraulic drills, bolts, and shotcrete in the rock tunnels and station proved to be effective methods.

Jan 1, 1983

By M. Karmis, C. Haycocks

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are becoming a more commonly used tool for resource estimation as they provide not only a database management platform, but also the graphical capabilities to visualize resource characteristics. Interpolation methods used commonly in these resource studies do not typically provide a quantitative answer to the question: "How accurate is the estimate?" By comparing localized measurements at several locations to the interpolated thickness distribution used in a resource estimate, a quantitative analysis of accuracy can be obtained. The technique is demonstrated with a case study from Central Appalachia.

Jan 1, 1999

By Ernest Y. Baafi

The usual tasks performed by a mine store include .removal, replenishment, ordering and deletion of items and updating of stocks. A personal computer Mine Store Inventory Database System MIDSYS for monitoring stocks in such a store is presented. The system consists of series of relational databases developed in dBASE III+ environment. The system has three main modules comprising of a store management module, a display module and an employee-store operation module. The third module is useful in tracing movement of store goods. The MIDSYS is menu .driven with help functions at all levels.

Jan 1, 1992

By Robert McEwen

Conveyor equipment beyond its prime chronically suffers from a lack of understanding in today's plant environment regularly delivers more material than original designers ever expected. A case in point is a belt conveyor in a major hard rock mine/milling operation asking to bring the unit up to current standards while eliminating spillage and reducing airborne dust. The challenge was to keep the system going by revamping the system while keeping the same footprint and allowing for higher production rate. Thirty years of daily maintenance and dust collection costs have virtually disappeared by the end of this challenging upgrade.

Jan 1, 2008

By K. R. Johnejack, R. Quintanar, P. Lapointe

Chino Mines Company has investigated effects from historical mining to sediment along Hanover and Whitewater Creeks. Concentrations of metals were statistically stratified for risk assessment. Stratification by size was more prevalent than by depth, with concentrations higher in the fines. Concentrations with depth were mixed, but overbanks showed more stratification with higher concentrations in the surface. Members of a geomorphic feature type generally were not stratified. However, geomorphic features were stratified by type, with the active channel and bars being the most alike and the overbanks being the most different. Only a few metals showed decreasing concentrations with distance downstream.

Jan 1, 2002

By G. L. Mowrey

One critical element of the US Bureau of Mimes computer- assisted mining research program is the development of a reliable coal interface detection (CID) system. Several promising CID concepts currently being investigated by the Bureau include natural gamma radiation (NGR), vibration and passive infrared. To help establish which CID sensor technologies need to be developed for a given seam, coal and adjacent rock samples (immediate roof and floor) are being collected from selected major coal seams in the US and are being analyzed in terms of NGR and other geophysical measurements. This paper provides a brief overview of the Bureau's work in these CID areas.

Jan 1, 1992

By Anthony Busigin, Charlett Busigin, Colin R. Phillips

For the purposes of measurement and dosimetry of airborne radon daughters in uranium mines and elsewhere, it is important to understand their physicochemical state. This work deals with the chemical fate of 218Po in air. Extensive experiments were performed to determine the rate of neutralization, diffusion coefficient and fraction born charged of 218Po in air. The experiments were performed in a specially constructed apparatus of well-defined geometry. Careful control of experimental conditions made it possible to obtain more precise and detailed quantitative data than previously possible.

Jan 1, 1981

By S. Behl, Pradip

Selective-flocculation process development generally involves single-mineral flocculation tests to identify the appropriate polymer experimental conditions for achieving the desired selectivity. Invariably the selectivity predicted on the basis of such tests is not realized when mixed-mineral tests are conducted. A systematic experimental investigation revealed that adsorption of the polymer on various substrates is critical to selecting the suitable flocculant. Simultaneously, a mathematical model was developed to predict the overall process of efficiency with a given polymer. In this paper, the results of these efforts to scientifically design a suitable selective flocculation process are presented.

Jan 1, 1994

By Fred A. Breu, Jerome C. Neyer, James F. Peters, John W. Critchfield

This paper describes experiences with methane and hydrogen sulfide gas encountered during design and construction of a sewer tunnel in rock, in Rochester, N.Y. Design explorations are summarized, including geologic setting, measurements of gasses in test borings, laboratory analyses of gas samples, and measurements of gas pressure and flow rates from a sealed borehole. Contract specifications regarding gas are outlined. Results of the Contractor's additional explorations and testing are presented, along with a description of selected equipment and provisions for ventilation and degassification.

Jan 1, 1985

By H. B. Oblad

The WEMCO® SmartCell™ flotation machine is a continuously-stirred tank reactor in which solids are suspended in water and are contacted with air. The reaction is particle flotation resulting in the separation of valuable material from gangue. The effects of several operating variables on the flows of water and air and on motor power were measured. A miniature magnetic flowmeter was installed in the draft tube that allowed measurement of the water flows into the rotor. This work has led to a better understanding of machine function which will lead to improved performance and better operation. General equations for optimization, design, and scale-up were inferred.

Jan 1, 2002

By Luther J. Russell

Mineral development in South Dakota is aggressively encouraged by both state statute and county ordinances. Yet, an increasingly conservative philosophy is taking hold, resulting in expanded regulatory controls and concomitant increases in direct and indirect costs to permit and operate a mining operation. This paper examines the hidden costs associated with protracted permitting timeframes, land buy-outs, attorney's fees, etc., associated with the increasing emphasis for stiff controls on mineral development in South Dakota.

Jan 1, 1998

By Joseph C. Hirschi

Mine engineers have been interested in building models that simulate mining operations since computers were introduced to the industry in the 1960s. Computer models enable operational scenarios to be evaluated without the need for actual field experimentation. Virginia Tech’s FACESIM and CONSIM, Penn State’s UGMHS, and KETRON’s CPMINE are perhaps the best known early models. Recently, SIUC has modified a Microsoft® Excel version of Virginia Tech’s Mathematical Model, calling it the SSP Model. It is used to quantify the significance of various controllable parameters. Productivity increases approaching twenty percent may be achieved where recommendations suggested by the model are applied.

Jan 1, 2005