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By Mark N. Alling

A few years ago, gravel mining in the ancient river beds of Sierra county was the principal industry of the county. Operating drift mines were very numerous and many large hydraulic mines were in action. Eventually the State laws put an end to hydraulic mining, it being claimed that the silt carried down the streams to the valleys filled the rivers and caused winter floods, which were damaging to the surrounding farms. The ancient river deposits which could easily be found were, in the course of 40 years, worked out or practically so. The prohibition of hydraulic mining was a severe blow to the industry in general. The deposits were not developed and the gravel-mining industry practically stood still for many years. In Sierra county, nearly all the hydraulic mines were at the points where the ancient channels were exposed to view by reason of the modern stream erosion, or, in the miner's language, where the channels "enter" or "break out of" the ridges. The claims covering them also covered large areas in which were long segments of lava-capped channels, suitable for drift mines, and the points being hydraulicked were usually the controlling points of attack. Men who have followed hydraulic mining for any length of time seldom are content to work a drift mine. Knowing the great value of their deposits and feeling that they had been robbed by the State, these men have stubbornly held to their claims. The gold that is carried in these gravel channel deposits is more or less scattered throughout the depth and width of the deposit; the percentage that can be recovered by the process of drifting ranges from 50 to 75 per cent. of the total. In hydraulicking, practically all of the deposit is put through the sluices, and as the cost per cubic yard is only about 10 per cent. of the cost of drifting, the deposits, if classed as hydraulic mines, are much more valuable than if classed as drift mines; hence the old timers have held their claims (now worthless as hydraulic mines) at prices which the drift-mining industry could not stand; and such mines

Jan 1, 1915

By J. L. Bruce, G. W. Nicolson

ThE country rock of the Mavrovouni mine of the Cyprus Mines Corp. is hydro-thern~ally altered, disintegrated pillow lava, with very little tensile strength ("short" ground). In places, especially when wet, it is heavy ground, though not extremely heavy except where movement has been caused by underlying or nearby stoping operations. Damage by caving from roof or sides of galleries is not sudden but progressively faster when the size of the cave increases as a result of the fall of small pieces. CeMent and Concrete Linings During early operations, galleries in the country rock were supported by customary mine-timbering methods. Available timber, howcver, was of poor quality and of relatively high price, and replacements were frequent and expensive. Furthermore, the massive sulphide ore bodies required large volumes of fresh air for ventilation and cooling, and it was therefore desirable to provide smooth-lined galleries with low resistance for the introduction of air to the ore bodies. It was also desirable to eliminate hazards of fire in shafts and underground workings insofar as this would be practical. Cement and concrete were relatively cheap, and plans for using these in support of shafts, underground galleries, raises, and chutes, were developed steadily. Circular shafts with diameters ranging from 10 to 15 ft were adopted for all permanent shafts and airways. In places these were lined with concrete poured behind sectional pressed-steel forms especially constructed for this purpose. In other places, they were lined with precast-concrete blocks. It was found that such precast concrete of good quality could be produced on mass production scale and delivered at the mine from most favorable point of manufacture, at a cost of about 25 cents per cubic foot of concrete. This refers to prewar costs. As the use of concrete blocks in circular lined galleries was developed, it was found that there were very great advantages in the reduction of air resistance as compared with customary timber supports. After best methods had been developed, it was found that breakage and replacements were extraordinarily low, averaging only about 11\2 pct per year during a period of about 15 years. Furthermore, it has been possible to reclaim for re-use a very large percentage of the concrete blocks from abandoned galleries. During the history of the operations precast-concrete blocks have been used for lining shafts, raises, ore chutes, galleries, and shaft stations, ranging from 3 to 16 ft id. The thickness of lining has varied from 5 to 10 in.; with 12 in. thickness in a few cases. Junctions of two galleries at angles ranging from about 30 to 60° are usually made of poured concrete behind sectional forms, or of a combination of poured concretc and precast blocks. In nearly all cases it has been found advisable to make the point of the wedge at the junction, of

Jan 1, 1949

By Paul Weaver

OF the four papers that comprise this TECHNICAL PUBLICATION, three are case histories of individual geophysical prospects, subsequently tested by drilling. The bibliography of Dr. Barton's published scientific papers† includes investigaions in physiography and surface geological mapping, as well as his geophysical papers, and from this list it is to be observed that he early recognized the place of different types of geophysical prospecting methods in the search for geological structures of economic importance. Moreover, his viewpoint was not merely that the structures should be found, but that the geophysical data should be examined quantitatively to determine the geometry of the structures. In other words, that although these data are insufficient to deduce a unique form for the structure that caused the effects measured in the data, the engineering computations should be carried-out to give as much of a definite configuration to he structure as the data permitted, in order that the testing of the structures could be conducted in the most economical manner and with the idea that the experience so gained could be later incorporated in the study of structures subsequently found. Dr. Barton continually emphasized the quantitative use of geophysical observations, whereas at the time that he began his specialization in geophysics it was considered sufficient to use observations only qualitatively. He, more than any one else, was responsible for -the first volume on geophysical prospecting issued by the Institute in 1929, and his three articles in that volume stressed the quantitative use of geophysical prospecting. The fourth article in this present TECHNICAL PUBLICATION is a further contribution to this branch of geophysical interpretation, and is a supplement to the paper in the 1929 volume, "Calculations in the Interpretation of Observations with .the Eötvös Torsion Balance." From the successful' demonstration by Dr. Barton of the usefulness of quan-

Jan 1, 1944

By D. A. Summers, C. J. Haas, G. B. Clark, J. W. Brown

While significant advances have been made in excavation of rock, largely in improvements in drilling, blasting, loading, and haulage, conventional operations have been improved until little feasible increase in efficiency or rate of advance appears possible. Tunnel-boring machines have been developed which will excavate at rapid rates in soft to medium- hard rock. Hypervelocity impact is being intensively investigated as a possible means of cutting and breaking rock, as well as lasers, electric current, explosive drilling, high frequency vibration, etc. The current development and use of high-velocity small-diameter water jets, metallic jets, and projectiles of various materials involve ultra-high-pressure phenomena of fundamental interest. Rock disintegration by water jets has been investigated in the USSR for over a decade. Large-diameter jets of low velocity are used to mine coal, and high-velocity capillary jets will cut and break rocks under laboratory conditions. Velocity ranges for breaking and cutting are dependent upon rock and jet properties, and pulsed jets break some rocks more easily than continuous jets. Spectacular laboratory results have been reported for breakage of unconfined blocks of some types of rocks. Compressors, pressure multipliers, gas explosion chambers, and water cannons have been used to generate jets. Jet properties, such as continuity, unit pressure, total pressure, and stability have been measured. Results agree with theory, although the latter has been established only for relatively low-velocity flow. Diameter, speed of traversing, and frequency of pulsed jets affect rock response. Investigations in Britain have only recently begun consideration of harder rocks and higher velocities, although water jet cores have been found to be more continuous at lower velocities than previously believed. Lower limits of jet velocity for rock cutting were established for the rocks investigated.

Jan 1, 1970

By A. G. Guy, T. B. Lindemer

A second intepation of the Fick law has been developed and applied to three-place data generated from the Gosting and Fujita solution of the diffusion equation. This integration provides new mathematical techniques for the analysis of experimental data. Through use of the synthetic data it is shown that for concentration-independent interdifiusion coefficients these techniques permit a more accurate determination of the coefficients than does the usual Boltzmann-Alatano analysis. Another technique, applicable to the most general concentration-dependent diffusion coefficients , can be used to determine whether given sets of coefficients are consistent with the experimental ternary concentration-distance curves. DURING the past 10 years the subject of three-component diffusion has advanced from the stage of a laboratory curiosity to the status of an accepted portion of physical metallurgy.1 In the course of this development the underlying treatment for two-component sys- tems was extended and generalized to accommodate the added component, but fundamentally the analyses currently employed for ternary systems are analogous to those previously developed for binary systems. There are several indications that an improved analysis is needed for the ternary case. First, the two cross coefficients, D312 and D321 are typically an order of magnitude smaller than the direct coefficients and consequently are difficult to determine with adequate precision. Second, instead of a single concentration-penetration curve (as in binary diffusion), there are four such curves in the usual determination of ternary diffusion coefficients. These curves have definite theoretical interrelationships, but actual experimental curves exhibit significant departures from these relationships. Finally, the amount of data needed to adequately describe the diffusion behavior of a ternary system is so large that radically new methods are needed to facilitate the gathering of these data. ICirkaldy2j4 has proposed several possible analyses of ternary diffusion data, including some of the methods in current use. A "second-integration" procedure proposed by him4 differed in important respects from that presented here and was not carried to the point of application. Two other methods have been explored by the authors and will be published separately; these are a numerical analysis technique and a method for the analysis of a single ternary diffusion couple. Still other analyses are being explored by various investigators. At present it seems likely that the final analysis of ternary diffusion that evolves will be a composite

Jan 1, 1968

By J. W. Snavely

THE high tension belt conveyor is introducing a new and tremendously expanded era of low cost bulk material handling. High tension belt conveyors are generally those installations involving very long centers, high lifts, or drops, in which the belts are stressed up to their maximum tension values, and further, where the belt construction provides tension capacity far beyond what is possible with conventional belt constructions. With these high tension installations, the magnitude of the forces involved demands careful refinement of accepted design practice in order to achieve optimum balance of all factors. No attempt will be made to evaluate the relative merits of belt conveyor haulage with other means of transportation. For present purposes, it is assumed this has already been done in favor of belt conveyor. Neither will any attempt be made to evaluate the various conveyor belt constructions now available or to balance the advantages of various types of mechanical equipment. It is also assumed that the basic haulage information on which the conveyor design is based is accurate and complete. A sustained maximum, uniform load on the belt at all times must be achieved through proper feed control and the use of adequate surge storage to level the peaks and valleys of any varying demand for the material being handled. General Belt Capacity Considerations The belt conveyor capacity tables published by various belting and conveyor equipment manufacturers vary to a considerable degree, and the ratings given are quite conservative. Of necessity, these published ratings are based on the handling of average materials under average conditions. In applying a high tension belt, all possible capacity from the belt must be obtained in order to hold its width to a minimum and thereby limit the initial cost. Two factors are involved, loading to maximum cross section area and traveling at a maximum practical speed. Belt Loading: Proper treatment of the loading of the belt will result in maximum cross section to the load, and published capacity ratings can be exceeded, sometimes by appreciable margins. On the 10-mile conveyor haul used in the construction of Shasta Dam, California, although the rated capacity of the belt line was 1100 tons per hr, at times the system handled peak loads of 1400 tons per hr, almost 25 pct better than the rated capacity. One of the large coal companies has been able to exceed rated capacity by as much as 50 pct. Loading conditions which must be controlled are: 1. Large lumps must be scalped off and rejected or the load must be primary crushed before being placed on the belt. 2. The material weight per cubic foot must be accurate, must be known for all the materials being handled, and must be known for the complete range of conditions of the individual material being handled. Long centers and high lifts magnify small differences into serious proportions. 3. Uniform feeding to the belt is most important. Various types of feeders are available, which can be used to place a constant predetermined volume of material on the belt, or, where an appreciable range of material weight exists, through electrical control actuated by current demand, to place a predetermined uniform tonnage on the belt. One long slope belt in a coal mine in Pennsylvania is being fed at three separate stations with the controls so arranged that whenever the maximum load is going onto the belt from the first station, the other two stations automatically cut out. Whenever the load from the first station drops back, the other two stations again automatically cut in. 4. Careful design of the chutes and skirts is necessary to get the load centered on the belt with a minimum of free margin along each edge. Some free margin at the edge of the belt is necessary to prevent spillage, but if the load can be kept accurately centered, this free margin area can be reduced, and more material can be carried on the belt. What can be accomplished in this respect will vary widely, depending on the nature of the material being hauled. The chute and skirt design must also protect the belt. 5. The design of chutes and skirts should also get the load traveling in the same direction and close to belt speed, so that the load comes to rest on the belt as quickly as possible. The design of the chutes and skirts is worthy of careful study, and after a system is put into operation it should be experimented with to get the best results. Belt Speed: High belt speeds should be used in high tension work. Obviously, high belt speeds enable haulage on a narrower belt, reducing initial cost. The major portion of belt wear takes place at the loading point and around the terminal pulleys. The

Jan 1, 1952

By Jerry H. Service, F. L. Partlo

The following investigation was undertaken to develop a method for determining with reasonable accuracy the depth of overburdens of 100 ft. or less. Seismic methods seemed to offer good possibilities. The problem differed from that of the familiar salt-dome location in that the depth of overburden to be determined is much less than is encountered in oil prospecting. This means that a much shorter time interval must be measured with accuracy. Refraction methods seem at present to offer greater possibilities than reflection. The air sound persists for from 0.1 to 0.5 sec., because of echoes, and seismic reflections coming during this time are difficult to detect. A seismometer sensitive to vertical vibrations only offers possibilities and has been used here with some success. It is hoped that the application of this type of seismometer to reflection shooting in this region may be investigated still further. The apparatus used consisted of a carbon-button seismometer followed by a three-stage, transformer-coupled, vacuum-tube amplifier and a General Radio string oscillograph. Time marks are provided by a 1000-cycle, 600-r.p.m., synchronous motor provided with five spokes which intercept the light to the camera at 1/50 sec. intervals. This motor is driven by a two-stage vacuum-tube amplifier of 3 watt output, actuated by a tuning fork. The power supply for the seismometer amplifier is one 2-volt storage and one 45-volt B battery. The motor amplifier is powered by a 6-volt storage battery and 6 to 225-volt, 15-watt motor generator. The temperature-frequency characteristics of the tuning fork have been determined and for ordinary working temperatures the error in time that would be introduced is less than M millisecond for time intervals up to 100 milliseconds. The impact is produced by a sledge blow for surface distances less than 100 ft. and dynamite for greater distances. Two steel balls with wires attached form an electric circuit through a 1-ft. piece of railroad rail upon which they rest. When the rail is struck by the sledge the balls rebound, opening the circuit and indicating the time of impact by a break in the oscillograph record line as at A, Fig. 3. When dynamite

Jan 1, 1934

By G. C. Bernard, L. W. Bernard, L. W. Holm, W. L. Jacobs

The effect of loam on the permeability of porous media to water was studied as a {unction of foaming agent concentration, specific permeability, pressure gradient, length of a porous medium and its oil saturation. At a given fluid saturation in a porous medium, the permeability to water was found to be the same whether loam was present or not. Foam decreases the permeability to water by developing a higher trapped gas saturation than that obtained by water flooding without loam present, increasing the concentration of foaming agent increased the trapped gas saturation and thereby decreased the permeability to water. The presence of oil reduced the capability of most foaming agents to decrease the permeability of a porous medium to water. A few surfactants were found to be effective loaming agents even in the presence of oil. These results are similar to those reported in a previous paper on the effect of loam on the permeability of porous media to gas. The effect of loam was found to persist in long porous media at moderately high reservoir temperatures and during the passage of many pore volumes of surfactant-free water. INTRODUCTION This paper describes part of a study on a novel approach in the use of surfactants for oil recovery; the use of foam rather than water to displace oil. Previously it was found that foam can displace oil which normally is not displaced by water.4 The foam is formed by successively injecting a suitable surfactant solution and gas into a porous medium. Foam appears to have at least two uses in the field: (1) it shows promise as a superior oil recovery agent, and (2) it shows promise as a selective permeability reducing agent. Foam may be very useful in water floods, or in other oil recovery processes, where highly permeable streaks or unfavorable mobility ratios are a problem. A previous paper reported the effect of foam on the permeability of porous media to gas.1 In the present study the effect of foam on the permeability of porous media to water is reported. The specific objectives of the study were to determine: (1) the effect of foam on the permeability to water in porous media of various specific permeabilities, (2) the effect of foam on the permeability to water in the presence of oil, (3) the effect of foam and crude oil on the trapped gas saturation, (4) the effect of foam on permeability to water at trapped gas saturation, (5) the effect of pressure gradient on the permeability to water under foaming conditions, (6) the persistence of foam during the passage of surfactant-free water through the porous medium, and (7) the effect of various foaming agents, length of the porous medium and temperature on the permeability reduction caused by foam. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS The experimental apparatus consisted of consolidated and unco n soli dated porous media, wet test meters and constant delivery pumps. The porous media consisted of consolidated sandstone cores (6 to 36 in. long), and unconsolidated sand packs (3 to 30 ft long). The consolidated cores had permeabilities of 32 and 1,000 md and porosities of about 20 per cent. The sand packs had permeabilities of 3,500 to 211,000 md and porosities of about 40 per cent. (Throughout this report a term such as 100 md sand" is used. This term means that the porous medium had a dry, nitrogen permeability of 100 md.) Fluids used in the experiments were distilled water, 1 per cent NaCl solution, aqueous solutions of foaming agents, nitrogen gas, air and crude oil.

Jan 1, 1966

By Rollin Farmin

"SWELLING GROUND" delivers pressure on mine timbers that originates in expansion of the wall rock, whereas "heavy ground" delivers only gravitative pressure. Of the several possible causes considered, the swelling is attributed to the physical surface action of water on gouge and flaky rocks at the periphery of the mine opening.

Jan 1, 1944

By E. H. Rose

THE question is often pondered whether the flotation process is still an art or has become a science. The fact is that flotation is a science in so many variables that only art can blend them. It is demonstrable that no less than one hundred variables are involved in any flotation operation, most of them immeasurable on a routine basis. The behavior of every one of them is always governed by orderly and unchanging law, as no man can doubt. There is nothing truly indefinite about that behavior; the only indefiniteness is in our knowledge of it, either in general or from hour to hour in the circuit. In dealing with a simultaneous equation in, say, one hundred variables, all not only affecting the outcome to some degree but many influencing each other as well, it is small wonder that the mineral-dressing profession presents a case history of debate and controversial opinion. The statement of the subject of this symposium-a symposium on flotation machines-seems to delimit and define the matters to be considered and at least the general nature of the conclusions sought. Nevertheless, in such a meeting it is not possible to meditate upon all the variables that do in one way or another affect performance of flotation machines. To attempt it would be much like trying to operate a hundred-ring circus. Perverse variables being what they are, one could expect the elephant in ring 36 to squirt a trunkful of water at the tightrope performer in ring 37 to ruin that artist's act, just as our learning to depress pyrite in the early 1920's ruined the act of the formerly faithful old Callows. HONEST DISAGREEMENTS Selective flotation dates from 1922 or 1923, when several plants established their regular flotation operations on a selective basis. Since then, two decades of efforr have gone into the development of better and better flotation machines. Many have come and gone. The competition has simmered down to perhaps a dozen machines, each one of which is staunchly defended by some operators as being the best for their particular jobs, and as scornfully dismissed by at least a few others elsewhere as being positively the poorest for theirs. These disagreements are honest disagreements, honestly arrived at after plenty of sweat. In many a flotation plant, one machine has been tried out against another under conditions as fair as they could possibly be made. Sometimes the results are on a par but more often one machine shows a consistent and unmistakable margin of superiority over the other. In equally honest and enlightened tests, machine A may win over machine B in one place, and machine B over machine A by as great a margin in another. This paper purposes to identify some of the more prominent reasons why this is so,

Jan 1, 1944

By Sherwin Kelly

The prime objective of geophysical exploration is to promote the economical and rapid dis-covery of mineral or oil deposits of commercial value. To a few this concept as applied in min-ing may signify the direct discovery of ore-bodies, but to the geophysical engineer this latter Idea is one of the most insidious and detrimental misapprehensions which he has to combat. The destruction of this annoying obstacle to the progress of geophysical exploration reveals the kernel of truth behind it, that the exploration geophysicist has for the better part of two decades been concerned primarily with the discovery of mineral formations favorable to the occur-rence of commercial ore. There is a very real distinction here, since geophysical methods are capable of discovering certain mineral formations such as sulphide bodies or quartz veins, but are totally incompetent to predict whether or not they constitute ore; that is. whether or not they contain minerals of economic value in the amounts requisite to repay extraction. The art of geophysical exploration is now, however, rapidly outgrowing these early limita-tions. The rate of this growth will in large measure depend on the recognition by the mining industry of the fact that geophysics can play a role far wider and more important than it usual-ly does now, in guiding the future exploration and development of mineral deposits. It is my own firm conviction that as time marches on we will see the methods of applied geophysics turned more and more to the delineation of both minor and major structural features. The outlining of such features having a bearing on the probable loci of mineral deposition will be of inestimable value in guiding the development of a mining district. It is in this field that there will In-evitably occur a meeting and overlapping of the activities of the exploration geophysicists and

Jan 1, 1940

By Henry Doherty

FOR many years more money was spent in the search for and the production of gold than the gold that was produced was worth. The same thing is now true of petroleum. More money is spent for the search and. production of petroleum than the market value of the petroleum produced. The first thought concerning this statement will be that men would not embark in a business in which more money was expended than the value of the product produced. Few people realize that more money is spent in the oil business than the market value of the oil produced. This would not stop the spending if they knew it. Everybody knows that more money goes into a lottery than comes out of it, yet the instinct for gambling is so widespread and so easily excited that lotteries are forbidden by law. The hope of winning the grand prize is what lures men on. The search for and production of oil has become a more frenzied game than the search for gold ever was. THE OIL BUSINESS PAYS NOW BUT THE PUBLIC WILL PAY FOR ALL ETERNITY The public could sit back and enjoy all of this, knowing they were being supplied with petroleum products at less than their real cost, if it were not that our most valuable and least plentiful natural resource is being dissipated at an alarming rate, which is constantly increasing. Here is an industry that for many years has not been governed by natural laws. The so-called laws of individual and mass psychology play a more important role than natural physical and economic laws. Even the law of supply and demand works only in the most remote way in this industry. The oil production business as a whole is now paying the price for this folly; but the public will pay the price for all eternity. The seriousness of this matter, as an outstanding national problem, has been under consideration by many men for a long time, but nothing has been done to conserve our petroleum resources and prolong the supply, although very important steps have recently been taken to make this possible.

Jan 3, 1925

By E. Topanelian

In recent years considerable progress has been made in the development and application of mathematical techniques for the solution of certain problems involving economic "strategies". Such a problem might involve, for example, the scheduling of shipments of a commodity from a number of sources to a number of destinations. The object would be to schedule the shipments in a manner so as to satisfy the destination requirements and at the same time minimize the transportation costs. The solution to such a problem is not necessarily intuitively obvious. The "obvious" solution is frequently far from optimum. If the shipments are to be made from, for example, only two sources to four destinations, the optimum schedule is readily found. However, if shipments are to be made from, say, 10 sources to several hundred destinations, even a competent and experienced scheduler may spend considerable time in finding a reasonable answer. Even then he is not sure that he has the optimum solution. Furthermore, he has no way of knowing how far from optimum the answer is. Consequently, he does not know whether he should accept this solution or seek a better one. Prior to the advent of large high-speed digital computers, little more could be done with such problems because of their great size and multiplicity of possible solutions. A problem involving 20 sources and 50 destinations would require choosing, from a very large number of possible combinations, the optimum combination of 1,000 variables. The best one could do was to utilize intuition, extrapolation from past experience, and other non-exact approaches. With a high-speed computer, however, such problems can be solved providing a reasonable computational procedure (or algorithm) can be utilized. The purpose of this paper is to describe such a procedure (linear programming) and to apply this procedure to a production scheduling problem. THE RESERVOIR PROBLEM A simple reservoir model is used throughout this analysis to illustrate the use of linear programming. Even the simplest reservoir behavior problem is nonlinear in both space and time, but if the geometry is fixed for a particular study and the time variable is quantized, the resultant system may be described by linear constraints on the variable production rates. Crude oil is available from five separate sources and is delivered to a pipeline. Sources 1, 2, 3 and 4 are ideal reservoirs and therefore are subjected to reservoir flow restrictions. Source 5 is labeled "Outside Source" and crude oil from this source is assumed to be available in unlimited quantities without considering reservoir conditions. The general problem is to determine the schedule of crude oil production from five sources which, over an eight-year period and subject to certain restrictions, will result in maximum profit. "Profit" is defined to encompass all economic factors and expenses involved in producing and selling crude oil to a pipeline facility. Such economic factors are lumped to the extent that the term represents the dollars profit from one barrel of crude oil from any of the five sources entering the pipeline system. Table 1 presents the assumed profit per barrel for oil from any of the five sources over each of the four time periods. In this chart the eight years is broken into four equal intervals of two years. The selection of four time periods of two years each and the values representing the potential profit are completely arbitrary selections for the purpose of illustrating this idealized reservoir problem. In any practical application of this work a careful economic study would have to be made in order to estimate potential unit profits for time periods as far in the future as eight years. In this particular study it is assumed that all of the potential unit profits (C) are known and fixed before the production schedule is attempted. For each reservoir arbitrary values are assigned for

By Warren E. Wilson

The transportation of solids in pipe lines is a matter of deep concern in many fields of engineering. Much experimental and theoretical work has been done in an effort to devise means of designing pipe lines that will satisfactorily transport given solid loads, but there remain many unanswered questions in this field. The present discussion will be confined to a rather narrow portion of this field and will endeavor to point out certain factors that may well be considered when comparing the relative economy of various installations. The data have been presented previously but a new interpretation was prompted by a suggestion in a paper by Professor O'Brien,' of the University of California, that the friction work per pound of dry material should be considered in determining the relative efficiency of various installations. This method of considering relative economy in various pipe lines leads to some rather unexpected conclusions, especially with reference to the economy of large pipe sizes. A previous suggestion by the writer concerning the economy of a rather peculiar type of installation is strengthened. It is not believed that the considerations set forth herein apply directly in the case of dredge lines, where economy is largely a matter of a high rate of pumping in order to reduce the unit overhead charge. However, it is believed that some value may be gained from these considerations in cases involving the disposal of a fixed amount of solids per unit time with a minimum expenditure of energy and at a low cost for replacement of worn pipes. Such situations are not uncommon in the disposal of mill tailings and the disposal of solids deposited from irrigation waters. It was found that data leading to general conclusions for various pipe sizes were not available but certain definite trends are indicated and methods of analyzing available data are presented in the hope that they may be of assistance in preparing engineering estimates on designs of pipe lines of the type described above. Energy Requirements Carrying out the idea contained in Professor O'Brien's paper concerning the method of computing energy required to transport solids, the following analysis leads to some rather interesting conclusions. Let us represent: Solids load in terms of mass per unit time by w Ratio of mass of suspended solids to total mass of mixture flowing by p Volume rate of flow of mixture by Q Length of pipe by L Slope of energy grade line by s Mass per unit volume of solids by m8. Mass per unit volume of liquid by mi Mass per unit volume of mixture by 11 We then have as an expression for the solids load: w = pqmm The work done per unit mass, p, on the mixture to move it along the pipe the

Jan 1, 1947

By Warren E. Wilson

The transportation of solids in pipe lines is a matter of deep concern in many fields of engineering. Much experimental and theoretical work has been done in an effort to devise means of designing pipe lines that will satisfactorily transport given solid loads, but there remain many unanswered questions in this field. The present discussion will be confined to a rather narrow portion of this field and will endeavor to point out certain factors that may well be considered when comparing the relative economy of various installations. The data have been presented previously but a new interpretation was prompted by a suggestion in a paper by Professor O'Brien,' of the University of California, that the friction work per pound of dry material should be considered in determining the relative efficiency of various installations. This method of considering relative economy in various pipe lines leads to some rather unexpected conclusions, especially with reference to the economy of large pipe sizes. A previous suggestion by the writer concerning the economy of a rather peculiar type of installation is strengthened. It is not believed that the considerations set forth herein apply directly in the case of dredge lines, where economy is largely a matter of a high rate of pumping in order to reduce the unit overhead charge. However, it is believed that some value may be gained from these considerations in cases involving the disposal of a fixed amount of solids per unit time with a minimum expenditure of energy and at a low cost for replacement of worn pipes. Such situations are not uncommon in the disposal of mill tailings and the disposal of solids deposited from irrigation waters. It was found that data leading to general conclusions for various pipe sizes were not available but certain definite trends are indicated and methods of analyzing available data are presented in the hope that they may be of assistance in preparing engineering estimates on designs of pipe lines of the type described above. Energy Requirements Carrying out the idea contained in Professor O'Brien's paper concerning the method of computing energy required to transport solids, the following analysis leads to some rather interesting conclusions. Let us represent: Solids load in terms of mass per unit time by w Ratio of mass of suspended solids to total mass of mixture flowing by p Volume rate of flow of mixture by Q Length of pipe by L Slope of energy grade line by s Mass per unit volume of solids by m8. Mass per unit volume of liquid by mi Mass per unit volume of mixture by 11 We then have as an expression for the solids load: w = pqmm The work done per unit mass, p, on the mixture to move it along the pipe the

Jan 1, 1947

Theoretically mobile primary crushers at the mine working face can be considered the ideal comminution system. A crusher which follows the ore can reduce materials handling costs because it eliminates about one ton of truck deadweight per ton of ore hauled to the crusher. It also eliminates the backhaul of this same deadweight ton. Development of mobile primary crushers has centered in Germany where many soft iron ore and limestone deposits are flat-lying and thus readily adaptable to the use of shiftable conveyors which easily followed the working face. These ores were easily crushed in impact- type mills which had extremely large receiving openings and therefore large reduction ratios. The feeding of such a unit was done with a front-end loader which dumped its load to an inclined apron feeder, which in turn fed the impactor. Under the crusher was an inclined conveyor which transferred the crushed ore to a belt wagon for delivery to the shiftable overland conveyor. Low headroom overhead eccentric single-toggle jaw crushers and short-shaft gyratories were also used on these units, which generally travelled on tracks. While these early mobile primary crushers were versatile and served their purpose, they generally suffered from low capacities. Manufacturers have quickly responded with larger crusher, feeders, and moveable supports, however; and today mobile crusher s have capacities of up to 1500 metric tons per hour, a figure comparable to the capacity of some 54 in. by 74 in. gyratories. An example of a quarry portable crushing plant is at the Bath cement plant of Canada Cement Lafarge, Limited. Two 12 cu yd front-end loaders are digging the stone and hauling it to the portable crushing plant which feeds a field conveyor system. The crushing plant is moved and the field conveyors extended whenever the length of the haul exceeds 300 ft. At the crushing plant, the loaders discharge the stone onto a pan feeder which feeds into the hopper of a Weserhutte-Hazemag compound crusher which combines primary and secondary rotors in the same housing. These are driven at 1200 rpm by 800 hp and 1,000 hp motors (600 and 750 kw). The maximum 3 ft feed (914 mm) is reduced to 3/4 in. (19 mm) at 800 tph. The Weserhutte steered walking mechanism, operated by hydraulic cylinders, takes five -foot strides. Another example is at Alcoa of Australia's operation at Huntley in Western Australia. At the mine face, front-end loaders load 50 mt rear-dump trucks that transport the bauxite ore to the mobile crusher which follows the mine operation. The crusher can turn 360° within its own length, walk at a speed of 34. 5 ft per minute (10.5 m per

Jan 1, 1978

By P. D. Bush, E. H. Gates, M. D. Vijayaraghavan, L. F. Engle

The process developed over the last few years by Republic Steel Corporation in conjunction with Colorado School of Mines Research Institute has been used as a basis for the conceptual engineering of full size plants. The paper will cover the equipment design criteria, equipment design itself, and the integration of the complex unit operations. There are unique features of agitation and use of gas media through- out. The paper will provide an illustrative example of the process requirements for a variety of raw material feeds. It will discuss the materials of construction approach required.

Jan 1, 1973

By P. Marier, T. R. Ingraham

When cylindrical powder compacts of nickelous oxide (NiO) are heated in an equilibrated stream of SO3, SO,, and 02, in the temperature range 500°to 800°c, tlickelous suljate (NiSO4) is formed as an adherent layer on the oxide. The reaction is diffusion-controlled, with an activation energy of 13 ± 3 kcal per mole. When cylindrical powder compacts of NiSO4 are heated in a stream of dry nitrogen in the temperature range 1000 0to 11500C, NiO is formed at a well-defined interface between the sulfate and oxide. The interjhce migrates into the sulfate at a constant rate at a constant temperature and gas flow. The reaction rate increases with increasing gas flow and decreases with increasing partial pressure of SO3 in the gas stream. Resolution of the partial-pressure data with a Lang-itzliir Adsorption Isothern suggests that about 80 pct of the NiO interface is covered with SO3. The heat of adsovption is about 68 kcal per mole. The activation energy of the decomposition process is 61 ± 3 kcal per mole. MOST of the work reported on the formation and decomposition of nickel sulfate is related to thermodynamics.1-3 No quantitative work has been reported on the decomposition process. The only kinetic work reported on the formation is that by Fletcher and shelef.4-6 whose main purpose was to study the effects of alkali metal sulfate additions on increasing the rate of nickel sulfate formation. They found that, in the absence of an additive, only small amounts of sulfate were formed and the kinetic data were difficult to interpret. However, they suggested that the sulfa-tion of nickel oxide is a diffusion-controlled process for which the activation energy is approximately 17 kcal per mole.6 In this paper, both the formation and decomposition reactions will be examined; and based on the effects of temperature, flow rate, interfacial area, and partial-pressure of sulfur trioxide, mechanisms and activation energies will be suggested for both processes. EXPERIMENTAL Material. The nickel source material used in all experiments was Baker and Adamson Reagent Grade NiSO4. 6H2O, for which the following analysis was supplied by the manufacturer: C1, 0.001 pct; NO3, 0.005 pct; Co, 0.02 pct; Cu, 0.005 pct; Pb, 0.002 pct; Fe, 0.001 pct: insol, 0.005 pct. The anhydrous sulfate was prepared by heating the hydrate at 420°C in a muffle furnace for 5 hr. Nickel oxide was prepared by decomposing the sulfate at 950°C over a period of 10 hr. Method. The technique used for measuring the rates of formation and decomposition was developed earlier in these laboratories.7-8 The method is based on the observation that the kinetic parameters of a reaction can be established in a flow system, with specimens prepared by compacting powder to a uniform pellet shape. The results are identical with those established with solid polycrystalline specimens or single

Jan 1, 1967

By R. F. Shurtz

The author proposes a method used with some success on a magnesite deposit at Gabbs, Nev. He believes this procedure to be more sound than the blind practice of assigning uniform quality to large, soinetimes vast blocks or ore on the basis of analyses made of a small number of samples. When an ore deposit is evaluated on the basis of core sampling, questions always arise as to how much weight should be given the various sample grades and how the deposit should be divided into specific volumes assigned to corresponding grades. For a tabular deposit it is customary to use the so-called zone-of-influence. This zone is usually defined as the polygon in the plane of the deposit having corners halfway between a given core drill intersection and each of the nearest neighboring intersections. The volume of the ore in this polygon is assigned the analysis obtained from the drill core taken at the intersection. In massive or irregular deposits, volumes of various shapes may be defined with respect to the locations of drill core samples. These volumes may be regarded as three-dimensional zones-of-influence; the theory involved in assigning the values of the central analyses to the ore in the volumes is the same as that used in the case of a tabular deposit. The zone-of-influence method was used in evaluating one of the magnesite deposits at Gabbs, Nev.'-"

Jan 1, 1960

By R. D. Carpenter, R. R. Smith, E. E. Sougstad

The Union Carbide Nuclear Co., in treating low-grade tungsten and molybdenum-copper ores at the Pine Creek mill near Bishop, Calif., employs flotation for the initial extraction of the valuable mineral constituents. These minerals consist of scheelite, molybdenite, and several of the copper sulfides including chalcopyrite, bornite, and possibly chalcocite. They occur in a gangue consisting mainly of quartz, pyroxene, and garnet, with minor amounts of calcite and fluorite. This assemblage of minerals presents an unusual grinding problem because of their diverse physical characteristics. Feed for the circuit is prepared from -6-in. ore by screening on a rod deck screen to remove the -5/8 - in. material. The+5/8-in. fraction is crushed in open circuit with a 5 1/2-ft Symons shorthead crusher operated at a closed- side setting of approximately 3/8 in. The screen undersize and the conecrusher discharge are then combined to constitute the feed to the grinding circuit. The ore is ground in 6 by 5-ft grate discharge ball mills operated in closed circuit with 54-in. spiral classifiers. The classifier overflow goes directly to the flotation section of the plant. Studies of the flotation circuits have shown that the maximum recovery of the tungsten, molybdenum, and copper minerals occurs in the particle-sue range from 100 mesh to approximately 400 mesh. Further, practice has shown that the ore minerals are effectively reduced to this size range if the total ore is ground to -48 mesh. The general objective of the grinding circuit then is to reduce the feed to -48 mesh with the production of a minimum amount of slimes. The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain how well the grinding circuit was carrying out this objective. The method used was to sample the various products in the grinding section, size these products accurately, and analyze the resulting sue distributions. SAMPLE PREPARATION AND SIZING TECHNIQUES Representative samples of the different grinding circuit products, namely, new feed to the ball mill, ball mill discharge, classifier overflow, and classifier return, were taken over a 24-hr period. The samples were then dried without being filtered to avoid loss of slimes. The percentages of solids in the different products were the following: new ball-mill feed, 95%; ball mill discharge, 82%; classifier overflow, 52%; and classifier return, 84% solids. Particle sizes were determined on each product by wet-screening an

Jan 1, 1962