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By J. K. Szymanski, Val Srajer

In this decade mining companies in western Canada have searched for reliable and inexpensive ways to improve mine productivity. Truck dispatching systems, equipment vital sign monitoring and sensing, vehicle guidance systems, have all been considered. In this paper the off -highway vehicle monitoring systems used or planned to be installed at surface coal mines in western Canada are described. The monitoring systems are divided according to their function and application; installation and testing procedures are described, as well as the economic benefits to the mining operation.

Jan 1, 1989

By T. W. Peterson

There are two approaches to developing a minicomputer based application for an industrial grinding circuit. Usually, the control program is coded and compilation-debugged on a large-scale scientific computing system or the minicomputer itself if the machine is available. Final debugging and testing must wait for installation and checkout of the entire minicomputer system. Two immediate disadvantages of this approach are the need to obtain, install and check out the hardware before the final debugging stages of program development can begin, and interference with normal mill operation during such final testing. This work reports on an alternative to the usual procedure. Here both compilation and execution bugs are eliminated from the application program before hardware installation by testing the control program against a reasonable dynamic simulation of the entire process. Thus, software development can be completed before the target mini is installed. Such off-line development requires a reasonably accurate mathematical model for the entire process system as well as a suitable simulation package for communication between the simulated environment and the minicomputer application program. Specific data describing the design configurations and dimensions of the mills, cyclones, sumps, pump characteristics and analog controller configuration were supplied by ANAMAX for a grinding division consisting of a rod mill followed by two ball mills in parallel. This information was used to set up a plausible model structure. Steady state ANAMAX data on particle size analysis at various points in the circuit and corresponding values of flow rates, pump speeds, sump heights and slurry densities were used for model parameterization. The preferred operating control strategy - "best grind at operator-set rod mill feed rate" - was set by ANAMAX. An inferential particle size analysis technique using the cyclone cluster as an on-line particle size sensor was used in a novel control strategy_ to achieve the stated objective. Two disturbances common in the ANAMAX circuits - rod mill scoop pluggage and shut down/start up of one of the ball mills - were studied in detail. This report out- lines the steps in system development and testing and the results obtained.

Jan 1, 1974

By Lon Santis, David Buckwalter, Ken Steinmetz

This paper describes a magazine security system using two readily available cellular telephone-based technologies. The system is comprised of vibration sensors and remote cameras. The system is used at a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) licensed explosives storage location in Pennsylvania to comply with PA Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) regulations. The system provides instant notification to the licensee via cellular modems, text messaging, phone call, and e-mail. Likewise, the licensee can control the system remotely over the internet and using text messaging commands. The vibration sensors attach to the door of the metal type I magazines magnetically and detect any movement or vibration. The cameras trigger on movement and thermal radiation changes and can also be triggered manually to check alarms received from the vibration sensors. The previous system was comprised of a base unit and magnetic strips. The magnetic strips were powered by a hard line from the control unit and mounted on the doors and top of magazine creating a bond, that when broken triggered an alarm. Our main issues with the unit were the delay in alert times and tech support. Because of these issues, we decided an upgrade was necessary. Compared to that previous system used at this site, these new systems are highly affordable, carefree and reliable.

Jan 1, 2014

By Neal P. Cochran

The Office of Coal Research Program has been outlined in our Annual Report for a number of years and reported on by various members of the OCR staff as well as by our contractors. The program is national in scope and is intended to develop new and improved uses for our Nation's coal resources and to maintain coal in a favorable economic position, vis-a-vis, the other energy forms. A program has been developed that includes conversion of coal to gas, gasoline and other petroleum-type products, and to electricity. These projects are only one facet of the OCR program albeit an important one. In many of the conversion projects we have underway, original development work has been done with bituminous and sub-bituminous coal. It is the intention of this paper to present a general outline as to how lignite might fit into one or more of these projects as a raw material. Our national lignite reserves are vast in scope and this has been recognized in the OCR program by development of a project specifically for lignite and by including lignite as a test raw material in many other projects. Project Lignite is intended to develop the Cop Acceptor Process for conversion of lignite to a high B.t.u. gas. In this effort we have included the design, construction, and operation of a lignite gasification plant at Rapid City, South Dakota. The work is being conducted by the Consolidation Coal Company and is an outgrowth of their laboratory development of this process. The first portion of our effort included a detailed economic study of a somewhat arbitrary grouping of States designated Market Area A that could be expected to use gas manufactured in a lignite gasification plant. The area included the Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa. This geographical area could readily be served if a process could be developed for converting North Dakota's lignite reserves, estimated at 351 billion tons, to high B.t.u. gas. Our study showed that Market Area A had a potential commercial- industrial market of one trillion cubic feet of gas a year. To meet this demand, we believe that part of the load can be obtained from commercial lignite-to-gas plants. At the time of our original study, we concluded that gas could be delivered to the city gate in Market Area A at about 45¢. As a result of price escalation in the interim, our estimate today might be slightly higher, but not significantly so, since some parts of the process appear better today than they did at the time of the original projection.

Jan 1, 1968

M. AlbERtson, Chairman. Production Engineer, Shell Petroleum Corporation, Houston, Texas. R. P. McLaughlin, Associate Chairman. General Manager, Burnham Exploration Co., Los Angeles, Calif. Eugene A. Stephenson, Secretary-Treasurer. Professor of Petroleum Engineermg, Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla, Mo. Ezecutive Commillee M. Albertson, Chairman. C. E. Beecher, Empire Oil & Refining Co., Bartlesville, Okla. L. L. Foley, Petroleum Engineer and Geologist, Tulsa, Okla. R. B. Kelly, Division Manager, Pure Oil Co., Fort Worth, Texas. Hallan N. Marsh, Production Engineer, General Petroleum Corporation of California, Los Angeles, Calif. R. E. Somers, Geologist, The Gulf Companies, Pittsburgh, Pa. Production Engineering T. V. Moore, Vice-chairman. Charge Production Research Division, Technical Service and Development Dept., Humble Oil & Refining Co., Houston, Texas. Joseph Chalmers. De Bataafsche Pet. Maatschappij, The Hague, Netherlands. M. L. Haider, Petroleum Engineer, Carter Oil Co., Tulsa, Okla. Emile HUGUENIN, Deputy State Oil and Gas Supervisor, Los Angeles, Calif. Carl E. Reistle, Jr., Petroleum Engineering Dept. Humble Oil & Refining CO., Houston. Texas. Produclion J. Terry DUCE, Vice-chairman. Geologist, The Texas Company, New York, N. Y. Basil B. Zavoico, Associate Vice-chairman. Consulting Geologist, Houston, Texas. Engineering Research R. L. Huntington, Vice-chairman. Associate Professor, Petroleum Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman Okla. Economics Sidney A. Swensrud, Vice-chairman. Assistant to the President, Standard Oil CO., Cleveland, Ohio. Refinery Engineering Walter Miller, Vice-chairman. Vice-president, Continental Oil Co., Ponca City, Okla.

Jan 1, 1937

George B. CoRless, Chairman. Superintendent, Gulf Coast Division, Humble Oil & Refining Co., Houston, Texas. W. H. Geis, Associate Chairman. Geologist, Los Angeles, California. Benjamin C. Craft, Secretary-Treasurer. Associate Professor, Petroleum Enginecring, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La. Executire Committee George B. Corless, Chairman. M. Albertson, Production Engineer, Shell Petroleum Corporation, Houston, Texas. D. R. Knowlton, General Production Superintendent, Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, Oklahoma. R. P. McLaughlin, General Manager, Dominguez Oil Fields Co., Los Angeles, California. Hallan N. Marsh, Production Engineer, General Petroleum Corporation of California, Los Angeles, California. Theron Wasson, Chief Geologist, The Pure Oil Co., Chicago, Illinois. Production Engineering M. L. Haider, Vice-chairman. Petroleum Engineer, Carter Oil Co., Tulsa, Oklahoma. Joseph Chalmers, DeBataafsche Pet. Maatschappij, The Hague, Netherlands. Emile HugUenin, Deputy State Oil and Gas Supervisor, Los Angeles, California. Carl E. Reistle, Jr., Petroleum Engineering Department, Humble Oil & Refining Co., Houston, Texas. Production J. TERry Duce, Vice-chairman. Geologist, The Texas Company, New York, N. Y. Basil B. Zavoico, Associate Vice-chairman. Geologist, The Chase National Bank, New York, N. Y. Engineering Research R. L. Huntington, Vice-chairman. Associate Professor, Petroleum Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma. Economics Sidney A. SwensrUd, Vice-chairman. Assistant to the President, Standard Oil Co. (Ohio), Cleveland, Ohio. Refinery Engineering Walter Miller, Vice-chairman. Vice-president, Continental Oil Co., Ponca City, Oklahoma. 10

Jan 1, 1938

"Acta Metallurgical, C E Birchenall, Dec '58 Alfred Noble Joint Prize Committee F B Foley, Dec '61 American Association for the Advancement of Science J T MacKenzie, Dec '58, 0 B J Fraser, Dec '57 American Geological Institute Charles F Park, Oct '58, Arthur Montgomery, Oct '59 Committee on Government Relations American Power Conference J P Weir, T D Hess American Standards Association , Mining Standards Board E R Borcherdt, Jan '59, Otto Herres, '59, J K Richardson, Dec '58, Alternate E W Bullard

Jan 1, 1958

Alfred Noble Joint Prize Committee F B Foley, '56 American Documentation Institute F B Foley, '56 American Geological Institute J L Gillson, Nov '56, H A Meyerhoff, Nov '57 Committee on Government Relations J L Gillson, '56 American Power Conference Paul R Nichols, '56 American Standards Association Mining Standards Board E R Borcherdt, Jan '58, Otto Herres, Jan '58 Alternates E W Bullard, Dec '56, and J K Richardson, Dec '56

Jan 1, 1956

United Engineering Trustees, Inc C E Reistle, Jr (to Oct '55), A B Kinzel, '56, Andrew Fletcher, '57, Philip Kraft (from Oct '55 to '59) The Engineering Foundation W M Peirce, '56, A M Gaudin, '58 Engineering Societies Library Board Frank T Sisco, '58, C H Behre, Jr Engineering Societies Personnel Service Board of Directors E J Kennedy, Jr, E H Robie Advisory Committee, Milwaukee F T Agthe Special Survey Committee C M Cooley American Standards Association Mining Standards Board E R Borcherdt, '55, Otto Herres, '55, J K Richardson, '56, E W Bullard, '56, Alternate

Jan 1, 1955

"Acta Metallurgica" William C Ellis, Dec '57 Alfred Noble Joint Prize Committee Same as Rossiter W Raymond Award Committee AIME American Association for the Advancement of Science 0 B J Fraser, Dec '57, J T MacKenzie, Dec '58 American Geological Institute H A Meyerhoff, Oct '57, Charles F Park, Oct '58 Committee on Government Relations J L Gillson, '56 American Power Conference M Tenenbaum, '57 American Standards Association Mining Standards Board E R Borcherdt, Jan '57, Otto Herres, '57, J K Richardson, Dec '56, Alternate E W Bullard

Jan 1, 1957

UNITED ENGINEERING TRUSTEES, INC. James L Head, '55 E C Meagher, '52 Gail F Moulton, '53 Advisory Committee to Real Estate Committee Cleveland Dodge Herbert Hoover J Paul D Merica THE ENGINEERING FOUNDATION E. R Kaiser, '54 W. M Peirce, '52 E C Meagher, ex officio as President, UET Research Procedure Committee E. R Kaiser ENGINEERING SOCIETIES LIBRARY BOARD James L Head, Chairman Frank T Sisco, '54 E M Wise AMERICAN STANDARDS ASSOCIATION Mining Standardization Correlating Committee Otto Herres, '53 J K. Richardson, '53 H H Otto, '53 E W Bullard, '53 - Alternate

Jan 1, 1952

By J. Robert Woolsey

This paper provides certain Southeastern coal-burning utilities with an economic strategy for complying with the sulfur dioxide emission standards set firth by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The strategy takes advantage of the occurrence of vast quantities of manganese nodules on the Blake Plateau offshore Georgia and the Carolinas, a commodity which as been proven to be a highly effective dry sorbent of sulfur dioxide. Using existing technology, manganese nodules could be mined and transported via barge directly to power plant sites, where they would be used as filter material for cleaning sulfur dioxide from the effluents of coal-fired power plants. Completely sulfated filter material could be treated for the extraction of by-product metals such as cobalt, copper, nickel, and manganese. The strategy may well be enhanced by the occurrence of ore grade phosphate rock in the same area of the Blake Plateau. This phosphate rock could be simultaneously mined to effect a reduction in production costs if it is found to be suitable for use as either a direct application fertilizer or as an acidulated superphosphate fertilizer. The manganese nodule-based strategy offers a retrofitting solution for existing power plants that would minimize the capital costs for compliance with the Clean Air Act Amendments and has the added advantage of providing a number of other metal or fertilizer by-products.

Jan 1, 1992

By P. M. Daling

The objectives of this study were to examine a representative cross section of formal safety analysis techniques developed for the nuclear and aerospace industries, to recommend those methods that would be suitable for application to the mining industry, and to include those methods in a user's manual. Volume II of this report, the user's manual, describes several methods that were determined to be immediately transferrable to the mining industry. The handbook gives detailed instructions on appropriate application and utilization of the methods. Other techniques will require further development before they can be effectively transferred to the mining industry.

Jan 1, 2006

By P. M. Daling, C. A. Geffen

The objectives of this study were to examine a representative cross section of formal safety analysis techniques developed for the nuclear and aerospace industries, to recommend those methods that would be suitable for application to the mining industry, and to include those methods in a user's manual. Volume XI of this report, the user's manual, describes several methods that were determined to be immediately transferrable to the mining industry. The handbook gives detailed instructions on appropriate application and utilization of the methods. Other techniques will require further development before they can be effectively transferred to the mining industry.

Jan 1, 1983

By Kent Volkmer, Mark Sanders, Gregory Krohn, Tyler Blake, Daniel Wick, Barry Beith

This report describes a study designed to evaluate a proposed modification in the cap lamp battery cord intented to reduce the incidence of snagging and catching of the cord. A three phase evaluation as performed comparing a prototype with the standard, currently available cord. First, a "pull test" equipment was run. The second evaluation was a body conformity study. The third evaluation involved subjects performing common tasks in a low seam coal mine simulator. The results of these evaluations clearly demonstrated significant safety advantages of incorporating coiled cord into the design of the cap cord. The coil cord presented less of a snagging hazard, allowed the wearer more time to respond to a snag, and transmitted lower levels of force to the helmet when snagged. The research team recommended that cap lamp cords be commercially developed which incorporate coiled cord at the battery and helmet.

Jan 1, 1980

USBM Contract H0133045 consists of the design, build and test of 50 waveform generators. The waveform generator is a small ULF transmitter operating in the 1 to 3 KHz frequency range for the purpose of locating trapped miners during a mine disaster. This contract provided for the design, test, and building of 50 waveform generators using a discrete component construction with an option of using hybrid construction techniques within 105 days after the effective date of the contract. Because of large quantity economic considerations, this option was not initiated. Two engineering models were designed, constructed and tested and 50 final production units were fabricated using discrete construction. Complete documentation is supplied under a separate package which includes final schematics, parts list, layout information, equipment specification, production test procedures and qualification test procedures. Ten units have been delivered to the USBM. The remaining 40 units are being retained for packaging under contract H0242010 Transmitter Package and Receivers. A great deal of experience has been gained as a result of this contract. A final discrete potted printed circuit configuration has been arrived at that is now ready for field testing. After field testing, any desired changes should be incorporated into a final design. However, as a result of the current experience gained building and testing the production units, this printed circuit package together with potting procedure could be improved to reduce future costs. For example, the printed circuit board could be increased in size by 0.125 to 0.2 inches and all components could be mounted directly to the board eliminating costly hand stacking of components. The new printed

By Victor V. Verbinski

This report presents the development of a raw coal concentration sensor for hydro-transport of coal and refuse (rock) from underground mines, and the results of an international test series carried out at the Colorado School of Mines Research Institute in Golden, Colorado, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Hydraulic Transport Research Facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Saskatchewan Research Facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and the Steinkohlenbergbauverein Test Facility in Essen, West Germany. Test results are presented for a three-component sensor and also for the more rugged two-component (all nuclear) sensor.

Jan 1, 1988

By Rena I. Geroyan

This U.S. Bureau of Mines report presents an evaluation of the coal mining industry's impact on the economy of Pike County, KY. A software package called IMPLAN was used to perform the analysis. The results of this study show that coal mining was the primary income producing industry in Pike County in 1990, accounting for about 46% of the county's Total Industry Output, and 21% of the total employment.. Coal production in that year amounted to 29.6 M mt (32.6 M st). Two alternate economic scenarios were developed to study the potential effects of changing coal market conditions on the county. Scenario A assumes market changes result in a coal production increase of 4.5 M mt/yr (5.0 M st/yr), and scenario B assumes a decrease of 4.5 M mt/yr (5.0 M st/yr). Scenario A would result in a 15.3% rise in the value of Pike County's Total Industry Output, adding a total of 1,663 jobs (+6.1%) in all sectors in the county. Scenario B would have the opposite effect, decreasing the Total Industry Output and employment by identical amounts. Such knowledge would allow local and regional officials to anticipate the economic and social impacts of shifts in coal production, and plan accordingly to mitigate impending changes.

Jan 1, 1994

By Victor Himel

This report documents a systematic approach towards implementing an improved ensemble for the mine rescue team system that will protect against the hazards of mine rescue and recovery and will also afford improved performance through increased comfort and maneuverability, lighter burdens, and improved human engineering designs. In the first part (Task 1) the mine rescue team's protective needs were defined along with the test methods required to evaluate whether a particular piece of gear met these needs. Task 2 assessed existing gear against performance criteria and standards developed in Task 1. Task 3 consisted of the conceptual design and construction phases of the MRPE program. Special consideration was given to advanced concepts, materials, and equipment.

Jan 1, 1982

By Victor Himel

This report documents a systematic approach towards implementing an improved ensemble for the mine rescue team system that will protect against the hazards of mine rescue and recovery and will also afford improved performance through increased comfort and maneuverability, lighter burdens, and improved human engineering designs. In the first part (Task 1) the mine rescue team's protective needs were defined along with the test methods required to evaluate whether a particular piece of gear met these needs. Task 2 assessed existing gear against performance criteria and standards developed in Task 1. Task 3 consisted of the conceptual design and construction phases of the MRPE program. Special consideration was given to advanced concepts, materials, and equipment.

Jan 1, 1982