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By Guy A. Johnson

To improve productivity and cut costs, modern underground mining operations have become more mechanized. This mechanization has increased the usage of fuels, hydraulics, and electrical equipment associated with diesel-powered vehicles, thereby also increasing the hazards of underground mine fires. The Bureau of Mines evaluated the fire hazard problem and assembled prototype components for a system that would automatically sense and extinguish fires on mobile underground equipment. The prototype system and alternative designs were in-mine-tested and proved effective. This report summarizes this technology, which can cost effectively help solve the problem of fire hazards on underground vehicles.

Jan 1, 1983

By Hallet R. Robbins

KOREA, the ancient " Hermit Kingdom," is a peninsula jutting out from the coast of eastern Asia. By the natives it is called " Chosen," which, translated, means " Land of the Morning Calm." It lies between the Yellow sea and the Sea of Japan. On the north it is separated from Manchuria and the Russian province of Primorsk by the Yalu and Tiumen rivers ; on the south the Korean straits interpose a rough voyage of 120 miles to the nearest point in Japan. The entire country is situated between the parallels of 34° and 42° N. latitude. The surface of the country is made up of successive ranges of unglaciated mountains, separated by narrow, fertile, and more or less densely populated, valleys. Through all the obscure centuries of its history, Korea has succeeded in maintaining a monastic seclusion, over which, from time immemorial until the late Chino-Japanese war in 1894, China exercised a shadowy sovereignty. Although Korea had been forced into slight foreign contact previously, her first foreign treaty was signed with Japan in 1876. Under the restraining guardianship of China, the Japanese treaty bore but insignificant innovations for Korea; but when, in 1883, a treaty was made with the United States, the first of the western nations, a decade after the American gunboats, under Commodore Rodgers and Lieutenant Schley, forced their way up the Salee river, shooting daylight through the ancient walls and fastnesses, Korea awoke from her sleep of 4,000 years. The Korean peninsula suddenly became the arena where rival nations' enterprises and individuals met in fiercest conflict. Out of this struggle grew two singularly successful American

Jan 7, 1908

By A. B. Parsons

LECTURE, it appears, is a discourse that is supposed to be instructive. I am quite sure that you will derive no instruction from what I have to say. I will be satisfied if my remarks provoke thought along one or two mental paths that have not been traveled so fre¬quently as to be devoid of interest. I have no particular message apropos of professional engineers or professional engineering, and any conclusions that I may seem to reach will be purely tentative and incidental. Probably at times you have wondered, in a casual way at least, why so many people who are not, never have been, and never will be engineers, want to use the title. For example, I recently received a communication from a life insurance broker or salesman, whose chaste letterhead bore the legend "Estate Engineer." He was perfectly serious about it, as is also the expert accountant who assumes the imposing name of cost-analysis engineer. Dozens of equally amazing titles might be cited. Then there is that class of individuals who have been engineers, in the true sense of the word; who have gone into some other kind of occupation; but who cling tenaciously to the name engineer, usually prefixing some word or other which at once gives them away by telling what their work really is. For example, we have such pseudomorphs as the management engineer, and the sales engineer. It is quite evident that engineer is a word to conjure with. Evidently both the man who appro¬priates the designation without any justification and the ex-engineer who persists in calling himself an engineer even after he has abandoned engineer-

Jan 1, 1933

By G Brudek, P Elestedt

Schalker Eisenhütte und Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Nordic Minesteel Technologies and Bombardier Transportation have developed an evaluation tool that considers the main cost drivers of the rail, truck and conveyor haulage systems on the market today. In almost every circumstance, the advantages of a haulage solution are clear. A haulage system is outlined that is fully automated, including driverless operation, and that provides increased tonnage, safety and equipment life and reduced maintenance downtime. The haulage system has been implemented by a number of companies, including Codelco, LKAB and Freeport’s Grasberg mine. CITATION:Brudek, G, Elliott, R P and Elestedt, P, 2016. Moving mORE for less, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 535–542 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016

By A. Ouellette, E. Nilsson

"Preventative maintenance is a burden for equipment users but a demand from the machine suppliers to ensure performance. Machine availability depends on preventative maintenance being followed.Mining equipment is becoming more and more sophisticated and productive, yet less and less time is available for preventative maintenance. Manufacturers invest in reducing costs, simplifying operating requirements, and lowering maintenance requirements, but it is the users who must invest more heavily in the advanced maintenance systems to keep the units operating.IntroductionPreventative maintenance has been, and still is a key factor in avoiding disturbances in production due to equipment downtime. Manufacturers ask for it in extensive maintenance schedules, check lists, programs, etc. often with a ""threat"" that, if not performed, the machine guarantee will not be valid. Modern mining and construction machinery has become sophisticated, like all other machinery, with elaborate hydraulic, electric and electronic systems and computerized controllers. Maintenance organizations within the mining industry have grown to heavy cost centres just to keep up the availability of the equipment.It is difficult for machine manufacturers to have maintenance programs that suit every user. International suppliers have to deal with different cultures, education levels, environments, organizations, etc. Maintenance programs recommended by manufacturers often do not meet some user's needs while they are ""overkilling"" to others. Preventative maintenance schemes recommendations of what to do, in what frequency, etc.) usually fit mechanical components in the equipment, e.g. wear measurements, crack indications, lubrication, oil changes, etc. But how does one perform preventative maintenance on huge hydraulic systems, electrical and electronic systems and computers? Failures in these systems usually occur without any warning and are more or less impossible to predict. Another difficulty in creating effective preventative maintenance programs for these kinds of systems is the relatively low volume of mining and construction equipment that is produced per year. For example, although Atlas Copco is one of the largest manufacturers in the world of underground blast hole drilling machines, the company still does not produce more than a few hundred drilling jumbos per year. These are made in more than 10 different models, with different systems and components, and very often are custom adapted to the end user's requirements."

Jan 1, 1992

By Patrick B. Kenny

Generally speaking, it is safe to address this conference as a conclave of Engineers, Owners' Agents, Governmental Representatives, and Contractors. As a group, we have assembled here to learn of our compatriots engaged in similiar underground operations throughout the United States and the World. We are here to learn of improved methods, higher technology, and better management. Through the acquisition of this knowledge, we each hope we can improve our own particular services, products and projects. This session is dedicated to a discussion of "Costs". The most apparent reason for a discussion of costs at this level is to expose subjects affecting costs and propose methods to reduce them. From that premise a contractor can identify three areas of discussion: design considerations, contract considerations, and governmental considerations. A fourth area of consideration is an introspective view of the contractor's role in the design construct process. Unnecessary costs and risks attributable to these areas are contributing excessively to ever increasing project and system costs. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS On April 20, 1977 the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago accepted proposals for the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan on Contract A and Contract B. This letting called for construction of over 33 km (21 miles) of the Mainstream Tunnel bored at 9.75 m (32 ft) to 10.67 m (35 ft.) in diameter. Also included were all the appurtenant collecting and regulating structures. The proposal allowed the

Jan 1, 1979

By James Paone

This report on the state of the art of horizontal boring technology for underground power transmission installations was prepared by the Bureau of Mines at the request of the Department of the Interior. This paper describes the different machines and methods used in augering, impacting, pushing, drilling, and machine tunneling horizontal holes through soil and rock. A review of the borehole survey and guidance tools and techniques applicable to these methods is also given. Nonboring methods used for emplacement of power distribution and transmission lines are briefly discussed. The paper ends with a brief technical forecast, an analytical summary of the state of the art, and recommendations based on power industry needs. Horizontal boring techniques for power distribution lines installation are adequate to meet the requirements of the power industry, particularly where such burial involves relatively short distances in soil or soft rock. For burying power transmission lines, particularly in the harder rocks and over relatively long distances, horizontal boring methods are not as well advanced. Research and development as well as economic incentives to equipment manufacturers could substantially improve the state of the art. Obstacle detection and guidance systems for directing boreholes to specified targets need major improvements to meet the requirements of the power industry for underground burial of distribution and transmission lines

Jan 1, 1968

By Evan O. Jones

Processes involving distillation under reduced pressure were developed at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory several years ago to recover spent acid solutions generated during the manufacture of nuclear fuel for the N-Reactor at the Hanford site. Following construction and testing of a pilot-plant, the technology was licensed to Viatec Recovery Systems, Inc. for commercialization. The technology developed included specialized distillation and rectification of volatile acids, removal of water and/or volatile acid from sulfuric acid, and precipitation of salts. A key feature of the Waste Acid Detoxification and Reclamation (WADR) technology is the development and use of advanced thermoplastic and fluoropolymer materials of construction in all critical process equipment. The technology was then expanded to include crystallization to recover metal salts for possible reuse. Economic and environmental advantages of the procedures include recovery of acids for reuse, simplification or elimination of the disposal of waste solutions, and possible recovery of metals. Industries expected to benefit from such applications include galvanizing, electroplating, sand leaching and any where metals are cleaned in acid solutions. Currently a modular system has been assembled for recovery of several different spent acid solutions.

Jan 1, 1995

By Aleksandar D. Bugarski

Despite extensive research efforts conducted in the past decades, occupational health risks associated with exposure to nano and ultrafine aerosols emitted by diesel power equipment are still not completely understood. The complexity of physical and chemical properties of diesel aerosols, constantly changing with the implementation of advanced diesel emissions control technologies, make this task rather challenging. The objective of this paper is to identify and characterize nanometer and ultrafine aerosols emitted by diesel engines in the underground environment and evaluate the effects of selected contemporary control technologies on physical properties, chemical composition, and in-vitro toxicology of diesel aerosols. The physical and chemical properties of the nanometer and ultrafine diesel aerosols are to be characterized through a test series in the NIOSH Lake Lynn Laboratory experimental mine. The crucial part of the study has been development of a facility that allows researchers to generate field results with precision and accuracy characteristics of a laboratory environment. The knowledge obtained from this study should strengthen our understanding of the health implications related to exposure to diesel particulate matter and aid in assessing the potential of various control technologies for reducing this exposure.

May 1, 2007

By Thomas P. Meloy

Floating "fines" differs from floating "sands" because the fines have a much larger surface area compared to their mass. The forces that arise from this large specific surface the key to understanding the behavior and treatment of fine particles. Though the nature of these forces is not thoroughly understood, enough work has been done to give a qualitative picture of what is happening in a flotation cell. It is the purpose of this chapter to re-examine some of the more, recent theoretical work and-to indicate its importance.

Jan 1, 1962

By Youn-Bae Kang, Jong-Jin Pak, Min-Kyu Paek

The critical evaluation and thermodynamic optimization of Mn-Si-C and its sub-binary systems have been carried out over the whole composition range from room temperature to above the liquidus temperature. The solution properties of the liquid systems have not been clearly described because the liquid solution exhibits a high degree of short-range-ordering. In order to predict the thermodynamics of the liquid solution, the liquid phases were optimized by the modified quasichemical model. The model parameters of the solid phases were also optimized by the compound energy formalism to best reproduce the phase diagram and important thermodynamic properties in Mn-Si-C system. Using the model parameters, various thermodynamic calculations were carried out. The present database will be a part of larger thermodynamic database for the ferromanganese alloy database.

Jan 1, 2014

By Paula Ana Paiva

The high economic value and unique technological properties of the platinum-group metals (PGMs), plus their growing scarcity in the Earth’s crust, justify the crucial importance of developing recycling practices for PGMs end-of-life materials. Examples of top devices relying on the use of PGMs are automotive and industrial catalysts, and electrical and electronics equipment. This article critically describes the most recent research on the use of solvent extraction to recover one PGM, palladium, from spent catalysts. Some groups focus on the development of schemes involving commercial extractants, while others prefer to design specific molecules to efficiently and selectively recover palladium from these particular complex leaching solutions. Examples of commercial extractants proposed for the former schemes are Alamine® 308, TBP and LIX® 84I; while on the other hand, sulfur-containing diamides, thioamides, thiocarbamates, and dithioethers have recently been developed. Ionic liquids have to be mentioned too.

By Jordaan Koos

This report looks at the application of Shaft Boring (SB) as an alternative methodology to conventional mechanized Drill and Blast (D&B), Shaft Sinking. Various Continuous Mechanized Shaft Sinking concepts, equipment and projects are also reviewed in this report. Their significance relates to designs and systems related to Shaft Boring. Shaft Boring is increasingly a method considered for the excavation of deep and increasingly large diameter shafts for mines in hard rock. Many methods have been used as an alternative for D&B Shaft Sinking.

Sep 1, 2017

BHP-Utah Coal Limited operates 33 draglines of varying sizes in the Bowen Basin of Central Queensland. The group's operations with draglines commenced in 1963 with the establishment of opencut operations at the then TPM Moura Mine and continued through expansion of that mine, the commissioning of the Utah Development Company Blackwater Mine in 1968, and the subsequent establishment of six (6) other large opencut mines, all in the general area over the next fourteen years. These operations generally commenced with boxcuts on the sub-crop at depths of 15 to 25 metres. Over the years, depths have increased so that average depths now are in the 45 to 50m range. It was soon realised that dragline operations would have to be supplemented with additional stripping equipment. In 1981, a symposium "45m and Beyond" was held in Rockhampton to assess the problems associated with such "deep" stripping. Subsequently, dragline operations have continued and although addi- tional stripping capacity has been added, in many instances, draglines have been used and are being used to dig depths greater than 45m, some- times as much as 65 to 70m.

Jan 1, 1989

By NORMA D. MACFADDEN

WHILE the library work of the Woman's Auxiliary to the A. I. M. E. was founded three years after the formation of the Auxiliary, its present policy of establishing permanent libraries in mining camps throughout the United States dates only from 1924. Since then sixteen libraries have been established and thousands of books have found their way to homes of far-away miners, bringing pleasure and knowledge to a multitude of Americans and future citizens. Library work was initiated under the presidency of Mrs. H. W. Hardinge in 1922 and firmly established with her aid as one of the main activities of the Auxiliary. The first chairman served but a short time and Mrs. A. O. Ihlseng then took over the work of chairman of the Library Committee. To place the surplus books of Auxiliary members and their friends in use in mining camps was the immediate work of the committee. This was accomplished by placing a traveling library in the Bureau of Mines' cars and also by sending books for distribution to section chair- men in our larger mining camps.

Jan 1, 1929

By C. E. Wethered

This paper describing the mining methods employed by the Federal Mining and Smelting Co., operating the Morning mine at Mullan, Idaho, is one of a series being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines on mining practices, methods, and costs in the various mining districts of the United States. The daily tonnage produced at the Morning mine, including that mined by leasers, is 1,100 tons. Mine run of ore will average 9.1 per cent lead, 5.8 per cent zinc, and 4.4 ounces silver per ton. A stull set and fill method of mining is employed.

Jan 1, 1930

By Cang Daqiang, Li Yu, Liu Xiaoming, Zong Yanbin

"Utilization of high-quality heat in melting slag is a great challenge for iron and steel industry. In the paper, a new method is put forward to concurrently utilize heat and slag by converting the melting slag directly into high valued materials, slag glass-ceramic. A glassceramic with a higher basicity of 0.7 than traditional basicity of 0.45 was prepared from steelmaking slag in order to utilize more hot melting slag. Effects of Alz03 on its crystallization processes were researched by XRF, DTA, XRD and SEM. Results show that Alz03 in glassceramic would have great effected on its property. When the Alz03 content ranges within 12%-15%, glass-ceramics with basicity of0.7 could reach the best performances. The change of dominant phase in glass ceramics from akermanite and wollastonite to akermanite and gehlenite would significantly degrade its mechanical property. An increase of Al2O3 content leads to a rise of the viscosity and crystallization activation energy of the glass, while results in increasing sintering temperature and crystallization temperature of glass, which contributed to its fully crystallization and densification process.IntroductionSteel slag is a by-product under a process of converting iron to steel at above 1600°C, and 0.1-0.15 ton molten steel slag would be discharged for producing per ton of steel in the process. The discharged steel slag at 1600°C has heat of 68 kgce/t. In 2012, China's steel output reached 716 million tons, and produces about 100 million tons of steel slag and 68,000 tee of heat in it [1,2]. But at present, utilization of both slag and its heat at 1600°C is a great challenge for iron and steel industry.Dry granulation of melting steel slag by air and then recovering the heat of the hot air are a traditional technology which have not yet been put into practice for very low heat conductivity of the slag and low efficient of heat exchange among the different processes [3,4]. Therefore, a new method for high efficient utilization of both steel slag and its high temperature sensible heat is put forward [5,6], which is on-line reducing and extracting iron from molten steel slag and then directly preparing glass-ceramic by use of the residual molten slag."

Jan 1, 2014

By W. E. Tournay

In accordance with a cooperative agreement between the Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, and the Linde Air Products Co., an investigation was made at the Bureau Explosives Testing Station, Bruceton, Pa., to develop suitable test methods for evaluating the performance and sensitivity characteristics of liquid-oxygen explosives. This report presents the results of the investigation. The unique nature of liquid-oxygen explosives necessitated both modification of standard techniques and development of entirely new test methods. The latter requirement was due to the fact that differences exist in the kind of information that must be developed for studying relative safety and performance properties of these explosives compared to that of fixed explosives.

Jan 1, 1949

By Justin Carl, Aliuddin Mohammad, Gordon Evans, Steven Bealby, Carlton Ray

"The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) is implementing the $2.2-billion DC Clean Rivers Project (DCCR) to control combined sewer overflows (CSO) to the Anacostia and Potomac rivers and Rock Creek, and to provide flood relief to the Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park neighborhoods in the District of Columbia. The long-term control plan complies with the requirements of a Federal Consent Decree entered into by DC Water, the District of Columbia and the United States, as represented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice. The Northeast Boundary Tunnel, a design-build project, will store combined sewage and deliver it to a system of downstream tunnels and ultimately to the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (Blue Plains), where it will be treated. In addition, the Northeast Boundary Tunnel (NEBT) is a major project associated with the mayor’s task force to alleviate extreme flood events in Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park. The Northeast Boundary Tunnel Utility Relocations (NEBTUR) design-bid-build (DBB) project is an accelerated component of the Anacostia River System, as shown in Fig. 1. During dry weather conditions, the entirety of the sewage in the combined system is conveyed to Blue Plains.During storm events, when sewer pipe capacity is exceeded, the flow, which is a mixture of sewage and stormwater runoff, overflows into receiving waters through outfalls. There are a total of 47 active CSO outfalls along district waterways.The influx of storm runoff into the combined sewer has an additional impact on the communities of Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park. The sewer system is outdated and undersized. In these neighborhoods, when the capacity of the sewer is exceeded, localized flooding occurs and backups into adjacent residences are prevalent. In any given year, there is a 50-percent chance that flooding will occur in these neighborhoods."

Jan 9, 2017

With the burgeoning opportunities for new gold mines to be developed the opportunity now exists for a reassessment of the optimal processing path for these gold ores. Projects have traditionally followed the path of whole ore cyanidation with either Carbon In Pulp (CIP), Carbon In Leach (CIL) or Merrill Crowe. The challenge ahead is whether these traditional processing methods are the best option for stakeholders, or to go beyond CIP and use a combination of currently available technologies that can be used to provide gold recovery at a significantly reduced capital cost and minimal deleterious impact on the environment. Either stand alone or combinations of gravity concentration and flotation, can produce a gold bearing concentrate that can then be fed directly to a batch or continuous intensive cyanidation unit. Treatment of a gravity/flotation concentrate by intensive cyanidation may be processed by the InLine Leach Reactor (ILR) developed by Gekko Systems of Australia. The advantages of the technology combining gravity/flotation followed by intensive cyanidation are significantly reduced capital costs; improved safety due to reduced cyanide inventories; the majority of tailings un-contaminated by cyanide; less energy required due to an opportunity for an increase in grind size û reducing green house gas emissions; detoxification of concentrate tailings can minimise tailings disposal and containment requirements.

Jan 1, 2004