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The goal of the Bureau of Mines diesel engine research program is to reduce exhaust emissions and minimize the risk of fires and explosions caused by the use of diesel- powered equipment in underground mines. This program has led to a fundamental understanding of the problems and to solutions that allow diesel equipment to be used safely and effectively. This volume contains reports of the presentations made at the Bureau Technology Transfer Seminar on Diesels in Underground &fines given in Louisville, KY, and Denver, CO, on April 21 and April 23, 1987. It also contains three reports of related research, not presented at the seminar, which highlight the significant achievements of a joint US.-Canadian research program on diesel emission control technology for underground mines. Topics covered in this volume include discussions of industrial hygiene problems associated with the use of diesels, accident statistics, fire and explosion control systems, measurement of diesel pollutants, emission control techniques including engine maintenance, fuel additives, diesel particulate filters, and ventilation of diesel sections. An alternative to diesel power, the hydrogen-powered mine vehicle, is also described.

Jan 1, 1987

By W. C. Phalen

During the search for deposits of soluble potash salts in the United States, carried on by the United States Geological Survey, much information was collected on the salt resources and industry of the United States. The more important features of the information thus gathered, compiled, and digested may be classified under five headings, as follows: 1. Geology of the salt deposits of the United States. 2. Theories relating to the origin and formation of salt deposits. 3. Chemical composition of saline materials in the United States, principally rock salt and natural and artificial brines. 4. Statistics of salt production in the United States. 5. Technology of salt production. The first four items are not discussed in this report, but their treatment will comprise a separate report published by the Geological Survey,a which will supplement this report, relating to salt-making processes, and will describe comprehensively the salt resources of the United States. Persons desiring a copy of that report should apply to the Director of the United States Geological Survey, Washington, D. C.

Jan 1, 1917

By L. T. Grose

The Bureau of Mines conducted a comprehensive study of the Kanab, Kolob, Kaiparowits, and Harmony coalfields of southwestern Utah to obtain additional information and to determine the potentials of these coalfields as sources of energy for steam-electric power-generating plants. Field examinations were made to ascertain the geologic structure and the stratigraphy of the coalfields, the accessibility of the coal-bearing strata, and the general nature of the coal-bearing strata and the terrain. Many mines, both active and abandoned, were examined, and key personnel in the coal industry in the area were consulted. Available analyses of southwestern Utah coals were compiled, and tentative conclusions regarding the rank and quality of the coals were drawn. Coals have been classified by rank according to the standards established by the American Society for Testing and Materials in 1964. The Parr formula for moist, mineral-matter-free British thermal units has been used to calculate the rank of each sample, except as otherwise noted. Water resources related to the areas of the coal reserves also were investigated. Existing literature and maps pertaining to the geology of the areas were reviewed. Production potentials of the coalfields and economic conditions affecting the possible utilization of the coal reserves as sources of energy for steam-powered electricity-generating plants were investigated and analyzed. The data obtained and the conclusions reached as a result of this study are included in this document. The total reserves of subbituminous A and high-volatile bituminous C coals in the fields of southwestern Utah are estimated to be at least 8 billion short tons at depths generally less than 2,000 feet. It appears likely that this estimate will be increased as additional data are made available through exploration and other investigations. Sufficient coal is available in four southwestern Utah counties to supply three or four large steam-electric plants. If the States involved grant water rights to companies planning to build steam-electric plants, the cost of producing power with coal might be attractive and might justify the construction of one or more of these plants.

Jan 1, 1967

By Martin J. Gavin

The results of investigations of the oil-shale resources of the United States were first published by the United States Geological Survey in 1915.1 Other reports 2 have followed. These reports, investigations by private individuals and corporations, and the beginning of the development of an oil-shale industry in this country have aroused considerable interest in the possibilities of these shales as a commercial source of hydrocarbon oils. The Bu- . reau of Mines bas appreciated these possibilities, and since 1916 one or more of its engineers have given all or part of their time to investigations relating to the treatment of oil shales. A short pamphlet a containing general information on the possibilities of oil shale in this country, particularly the shales of the Rocky Mountain district, has already been published. This pamphlet gives methods for assaying the shales of oil and ammonia and contains a bibliography for the use of those desiring to search the literature.

Jan 1, 1924

By L. A. Conley

This report, covering the period January through December 1976, contains abstracts of articles related to cost engineering and economics for chemical and petroleum plants, mining, and other mineral industries from the following periodicals: 1. Air Pollution Control Association Journal 2. Chemical Engineering 3. Chemical Engineering Journal 4. Chemtech 5. Coal Age 6. Coal Mining and Processing 7. Combustion 8. Drilling-DCW 9. Electrical World 10. Engineering and Mining Journal

Jan 1, 1977

By R. A. Cattell

The Bureau of Mines actively conducted a well-coordinated research pro- gram during the past fiscal year on problems dealing with the production of oil and gas, transportation of natural gas, chemistry and refining of petrole- um, thermodynamic properties of hydrocarbons, and the processing and utiliza- tion of incombustible helium gas. These particular reserach phases, compris- ing the presently scheduled activities, are integral parts of a broad program selected soon after the war as suitable for Bureau of Mines study, to meet immediate needs for specific information on petroleum and natural-gas problems of national scope. Important progress was made and many technical reports were finished during the year. Several reports were published on gas-condensate production problems, one giving the results of laboratory tests of relative merits of various steels and alloys for rosisting the corrosion that occurs in high-pressure gas- condensate wells. Research was continued, using the Bureau's windowed cell, to determine the characteristics of gas-condensate fluids, and an important paper on the phase relations of these fluids at low temperatures was published. An important part of the Bureau of Mines petroleum production research program for many yoars has been the engineering study of type oil fields. This year reports waro completed on the Lake Creek, Sheridan, and West Rod River fields, Tex.; the Atlanta field, Ark.; and the Bogge field, W.V. Othor fields under study and for which reports will be issued are the Carthage and Now Hope fields, Tex., and the Weber pool, Okla. Spocial studios to determine the characteristics of the oil-gas solutions as they exist within the native reservoir rocks have been in progress in the North Lindsay field, Okla.; the Elk Basin field, Wyo. and Mont.; and the Rangely field, Colo. The North Lindsay study brought to light several un- usual physical proporties of the oil as it is found in this deep-seated reservoir. For instance, its viscosity is less than that of water, and more than 2 barrels of the initial reservoir oil must be produced to yield 1 barrel of "stock-tank oil." In the Elk Basin and Rangoly fields the oil-gas solution varies in composition within the reservoir, depending upon structural location. Engineering studies were continued on woll spacing and on drilling fluids with special emphasis on obtaining uncontaminated cores, or coros for which the flushing action of the drilling fluid can be dotormined accurately. In connection with research on production of oil by secondary recovery methods, progress was made in studies of conditioning water for subsurface injoction, of input ratos and pressures for water-flooding oil sands, and of the selective plugging the more permeable mediurs to prevent or retard channel- ing of the injected fluid. The availability of fuels for all types of internal-combustion engines still is tho primary resoarch project in potroleum chomistry and refining. This rosearch program is subdivided into a sorios of problems under four main topics: (1) Raw-material studios; (2) relationships of fuel consumption, proporties, and performanco; (3) utilization of potroleum products; and (4) analytical mothods, which include chomical and physical property detorminations.

Dec 1, 1949

By C. A. Geffen-Fowler

This report, sponsored by the Bureau of Mines, presents the results of an examination of the safety of the Blind Shaft Borer (BSB) shaft sinking system and an alternative modified BSB design concept in comparison to conventional shaft sinking technology. Detailed study of the two systems was also performed to identify and recommend design changes for optimum safety conditions. A comparison of the BSB systems with conventional shaft sinking was made on the basis of relative risk levels. Risk incorporates both the frequency and the potential consequence of accidents. A safety evaluation of the component operations of the two BSB systems was performed using a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) methodology. The results of this analysis show generally that both BSS systems are safer than conventional shaft sinking. The potential risk of conventional shaft sinking operations could be reduced by over 30%, on the average, with the use of the original BSB system, and by an average of about 10% with the modified BSB. Design change recommendations to further improve the safety of these systems include a better fire suppression system, improved man haulage systems and more compact hydraulics. An operational safety manual was also developed for the modified BSB system.

Jan 1, 1981

By Wilbur L. Webb

This publication reports on the design, fabrication and test of an Improved methane monitor system for compliance to 30CFR75.313. The system will Initiate automatic shutdown of mining machinery when excessive concentrations of methane are encountered. The prime consideration: In the design were small size, Improved accuracy and reliability, fast response and a transient resistant power supply capable of reliable operation from any mine power source. The power supply contains an internal battery that provides operating power to the detection system prior to mining machine start-up or after machine shutdown. This report documents the development program from conception through in-mine testing.

Jan 1, 1978

Research 82 highlights significant studies conducted during the past fiscal year at Bureau facilities and offices. Readers who want more information about the projects and studies summarized here can contact the researchers whose names and locations appear with each summary. General information on Bureau of Mines programs is available from the Office of Technical Information, 2401 E Street, NW., Washington, D.C. 20241. A listing of principal officials, a location map of field facilities, and a selected bibliography of publications and patents issued on Bureau developments during the past 3 years are provided.

Jan 1, 1982

By Joel N. Van Sant

THIS REPORT describes the occurrence, mining, and use of refractory clay in Colorado within Region III of the Federal Bureau of Mines, which includes the States of North arid South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. Field work by the Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, included examination of active and abandoned refractory-clay mines as well as a reconnaissance survey and sampling of numerous clay-bearing formations exposed in Colorado. Information from the survey and the sampling will help guide private industry in its search for virgin sources of refractory clay. Library research of published and unpublished reports from various Federal, State, and private sources was conducted during the early phase of the investigation. Most of the refractory clay mined in the Denver-Golden district of Colorado is not used for refractory purposes but is blended with other clays in the manufacture of structural clay products. The predominantly flint-clay de-posits in the Pueblo and Fremont County districts are mined and utilized chiefly in fabricating refractory products.

Jan 1, 1959

By George S. Rice

The major purpose of this bulletin, as indicated in the preface by Dr. John W. Finch, Director of the Bureau of Mines, is to give a critical review of the coal-mining methods used in the principal producing countries of Europe, to describe the reasons underlying the adoption of these methods, and to contrast them with coal-mining methods employed in the United States. The report includes discussions of various subjects intimately related to coal mining, such as geology of the principal coal fields; production and resources of the several countries; mine safety and health research; Government mining regulations; mine inspection and rescue procedure; safety lamps; fixed lighting methods under-ground; testing electric motors, mining machines, and mining explosives for permissibility; and special mining hazards, such as explosions of gas and coal dust, mine fires, instantaneous gas outbursts, ground movement and surface subsidence, and bumps. Commercial, economic, and labor problems of European coal mining, including miners' output, wages, and social-insurance schemes, as well as cost of mining, prices of coal, etc., are briefly described. It will be noted that data on most subjects are not given for Russia, which has become an important coal-producing country, owing to the lack of reliable published information concerning Russian coal mining.

Jan 1, 1939

By B. C. Christensen

The contract objectives are (1) to develop safe practice guidelines which will minimize the chance of fires in underground fueling areas and (2) to develop a low-cost, reliable, automatic fire protection system for underground fueling areas. The effort described by this report covers the period from 21 June 1976 to 30 September 1977 and accomplished the following tasks: ? Preparation of Data Plan and Data Acquisition, mainly through visits to sixteen mine sites and a literature survey. ? Analysis of the accumulated data, providing design inputs for (a) evaluation of the fire problem; (b) development of safe practice guidelines; and (c) development of recommended design concepts for automatic fire protection systems. ? Preparation of safe practice guidelines for underground fueling areas. ? Preparation of recommended design concepts for automatic fire protection systems for underground fueling areas. ? Design and fabrication of fire protection system for installation at Pine Creek Mine, Bishop, California. ? Install system and perform underground fire tests at Pine Creek Mine.

Jan 1, 1977

The papers contained herein summarize results of various recent Bureau of Mines investigations in the area of mine power distribution systems. They are based on information from Bureau personnel, contractors and grantees, and Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration. Conclusions drawn from a series of parameter measurements on mine power systems, taken over a 3-year span, are presented. Personnel and equipment hazards due to faults on isolated, solidly grounded, and resistance grounded three-phase systems are discussed. Two papers cover dc applications of circuit breakers, including a novel protection scheme for trolley lines. The methods of suppressing induced arcing currents and voltages in a-c machines are evaluated. An evaluation program for ground monitors is described. Acceptance test procedures and the importance of various paparameters for trailing cable splice are covered. A number of techniques for locating faults in trailing cables are described.

Jan 1, 1975

By Secretary of the Interior

"INTRODUCTION The Bureau of Mines Synthetic Liquid Fuels Program again forged ahead during 1952, and important technical advances led the way to improved methods of converting coal and oil shale into liquid fuels. Marking the eighth year of activities under this program, the past 12 months brought a new domestic industry nearer realization.The increasing demand for gasoline and oil and the rising cost of finding new petroleum, coupled with America's growing dependence on imports and the unsettled international situation, have continued emphasize the importance of the Bureau's Synthetic Liquid Fuels Program. Oil, the indispensable material of wartime, likewise has critical importance in peacetime, touching as it does the life of every individual. Supplementing petroleum with synthetic liquid fuels will not only conserve this Nation's petroleum reserves but also will bring into greater use its tremendous reserves of coal, as well as the vast deposits of oil shale for which no other practical use has yet been found.The Bureau of Mines Synthetic Liquid Fuels Program is one of the most important and far-reaching of the Government's research projects. Through development, of commercial synthetic liquid fuels, the United States can obtain oil products from its great inland reserves of coal and oil shale to supplement petroleum in any quantity that may be necessary, consistent with economic and other requirements, such as national defense. The use of raw materials from such deposits would be of highest importance in wartime, when shipping lanes are menaced by the enemy. The Synthetic Liquid Fuels Program of the Bureau of Mines and research efforts of industry have advanced American technology to the point where it is now possible to begin the design and construction of prototype plants. Certainly, significant improvements will be made as the program continues, but this prospect in no way alters the fact that the start of prototype plants should be encouraged. These plants, as the first step in the development of a synthetic fuels industry, would serve a threefold purpose:"

Jan 1, 1953

By Lloyd A. Morley

This seven-chapter document is the first volume of a two-volume report that presents a comprehensive outline of coal-mine electrical power systems from theory to practice. Together, the two volumes contain the vital aspects that go into planning and designing a mine power system. After a short introductory chapter, Chapter 2 discusses the history of electrical use in mining and introduces "typical" mine- power-system arrangements. Chapter 3, 4, and 5 supply basic information on electrical theory, circuit analysis, and motors. Next, the Grounding and Distribution Chapters detail unique aspects of mine power systems. Elements of surface and underground use are included in all these chapters. An index concludes Volume I and is cross-referenced to both report volumes.

Jan 1, 1982

U.S. Bureau of Mines contract H0122053, "Improved Sensors and Fire Control Systems for Mining Equipment", was an investigative effort involving: ? Study of the fire problem on large mobile mining equipment ? Identification of equipment most prone to fire, to serve as a design case example ? Design of an improved fire protection system ? Demonstration of the developed system This effort was performed during the period June 1972 through May 1973, and was conducted in two phases. Phase I, June through November 1972, was devoted to identifying the fire problem and developing and evaluating design criteria. Phase II involved translating the design into hardware and demonstrating its effectiveness during actual fire tests, first on a wooden mockup of a truck, then on an operating truck at a working mine site.

Jan 1, 1973

Our mission is help ensure our country has an adequate, dependable supply of minerals and mate al to meet its national security and economic needs at acceptable social, environmental, and economi[c] costs. We do this by promoting and encouraging private enterprise in the development of viable and stable mineral industries through the transfer of innovative extraction, processing, recycling, an environmental technologies; our use of cooperative partnerships with industry, academia, an government; our timely, authoritative worldwide mineral intelligence; our advocacy of public policies based on good science and sound economics.

Jan 1, 1994

By Michael Radnor

The purpose of the study was to 1) examine the social and economic impacts of surface mine blasting in relation to variations in conditions of terrain and geology, population density and type, levels of ground motion and air blast; 2) consider technical, legal and government policy issues; and 3) examine the potential, nature and extent of surface mine blasting impacts and its regulations upon both communities and surface mining companies. Phase One designed the empirical research and technical analyses of Phase Two, focused upon surface coal mining and quarrying in the Eastern U.S. Several broad conclusions are evident: 1) blasting is not the major issue for communities or surface mine companies; 2) while the number of instances of severe cracking or annoyance are relatively small, the impact can be severe for individuals immediately involved; 3) blasting/drilling cost curves tend to rise significantly at intervals below 1.0 particle velocity, in/sec, dependent upon the size of a permit area and the size of a mine; and 4) the legal, complaint, cost and density analyses do not suggest the need for a general lowering of present regulations.

Jan 1, 1981

By Milford L. Skow

MICA is a group name for a number of complex hydrous aluminum silicate minerals that have a sheet or platy structure and extremely variable and complex compositions containing various metallic ions, particularly those from the alkali group. Muscovite and phlogopite, the two varieties of significant commercial value, are the principal consideration of this report; muscovite has major importance industrially. The mica crystal, because of its laminated structure, can be split easily and accurately into thin films that are transparent, flexible, elastic, tough, and waterproof and have outstanding dielectric and insulating characteristics. This combination of properties is not duplicated in any other known substance. The world production of mica can be divided into two main classifications: (1) Sheet mica and (2) scrap mica (including flake mica). In general, separate divisions of the industry produce these two classes of mica, which differ widely in their uses and in the forms in which they are marketed. A glossary of mica terminology is given in appendix A.

Jan 1, 1962

By Chas. G. Maier

The absence of plants on the Pacific coast for the reduction of iron ores usually is attributed to the fuel situation there. Thus, the bulletin of the. State Division of Mines for 1933, entitled "California Mineral Production," says: "There are considerable deposits of iron ore known in California, notably in Shasta, Mad era, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles Counties, but production has so far been limited for lack of an economic supply of coking coal." It has been estimated that the six major steel plants of the Pacific coast have an annual ingot capacity of 600,000 tons. The present need for tin plate averages 300,000 tons yearly for California alone, of which some 12 percent is manufactured locally. If the consump¬tion of other iron and steel products in 1929 may be taken as an approximate, estimate of the normal requirement for such products, it may be estimated further that, 65,000 to 75,000 tons each of cast-iron pipe and steel reinforcing bars and 300,000 to 400,000 tons of structural shapes and plates will be required annually in California.

Jan 1, 1936