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By William D. Monaghan, Thomas H. Dubaniewicz, Kenneth L. Cashdollar

Emerging laser technologies are quickly gaining acceptance in the industrial workplace. Besides the risk of human exposure, one safety concern with the more intense lasers is the potential for ignition of flammable gases, vapors, dusts, fibers, or flyings often found in hazardous (classified) industrial settings. In underground coal mines, lasers are being considered for remote measurement of explosive methane gas. Current federal safety regulations for underground mines contain no specific guidance for evaluating the safety of optoelectronic components such as diode lasers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is conducting research to help provide a scientific basis for developing appropriate safety guidelines for optical equipment in the presence of flammable methane gas and/or coal dust. One phase of the study is an experimental evaluation of methane-air ignition by laser heated small particles. Minimum observed igniting powers for laser energy delivered by 200-, 400-, and 800-um core diameter fiber optic cables and directed onto selected targets in methane-air atmospheres were 0.6, L l, and 2.2 W, respectively. Comparisons are made with other ignition phenomena, including heated wires.

W. P. PUTNAM,. Detroit, Mich.-There is one company that is heating these tubes in an upright position by passing electrical energy directly through the tube itself. The lower connection is attached to an indicator, which shows the point at which the steel passes through the critical range At that point the clamps are released and the tube is dropped into a well of oil. This method simplifies the heat treatment of tubes in long lengths. H. J. FRENCH.-I am not entirely familiar with. the method outlined, but it appears to have one serious disadvantage; that is, the length of tubing that is directly connected with the electrical contacts is wasted and must be cut off due to either heavy oxidation or burning. That is a serious difficulty, if true in all cases, and cannot be overcome, inas-much as it is very difficult to draw long tubes of thin wall. Having once obtained a lot of tubes, to cut, say 14 ft. in length, there is often little excess metal available to discard. Am I correct concerning the burning or heavy oxidation of the metal where it comes in contact with the tube.

Jan 12, 1919

By Gordon Hubbard, John D'Acierno

The Randgold Resources Ltd. mine operation in Syama Mali performs whole ore roasting followed by CIL gold recovery to produce gold. The roaster has operated continuously since the plant was first commissioned in 1994. The roaster design throughput is 216 tons per hour (5,184 TPD). Roasting provides for the oxidation of the· refractory components, organic carbon and sulfides. The energy balance for the system requires auxiliary fuel oil to be burned in the Circulating Fluid Bed (CFB) reactor. Energy from the 1200-1350 degree F roasted product stream is recovered and recycled back into the CFB using two fluidized bed coolers; one to directly heat the secondary air and the other to indirectly heat the primary fluidizing air. The basis of the design for the roaster was an extensive pilot plant test program, the results of which were scaled up to the full scale plant design. Due to variation in the feed at the mine a number of roaster modifications were necessary following the initial plant start up. During 1998 ore flotation capability was added to reduce the operating cost for the roaster and increase plant throughput.

Jan 1, 1999

By H. Saari, M. Pates, P. C. Patnaik, A. Merati

Single crystal nickel-base superalloys such as PWA1484 exhibit superior performance compared to conventional superalloys, and are used extensively in turbine blade applications requiring good high temperature properties. The life of these blades is typically limited by cracks and erosion. Due to the high cost of these blades, welding techniques are being considered to weld/repair worn components, extending their useful lives and delaying the need for expensive replacement components. However, the sensitivities for solidification cracking and post weld heat treatment cracking are relatively high in these alloys. Electron beam (EB) welding can deliver concentrated heat sources and has the potential to address these issues. Numerous welding trials and structural tests must be conducted to identify the optimum method and welding parameters. Weldability is studied over a range of material conditions, welding parameters, and directions. The influence of welding parameters on the fusion zone microstructure and resultant weldability is investigated using combination of microscopic examination and micro-hardness testing. This paper summarizes some of the results of a feasibility study conducted to understand the effects of welding parameters on localized microstructural features, cracking sensitivity, and mechanical properties of autogenously EB welded coupons of single crystal PWA1484.

Jan 1, 2004

By Stephan Mulch, Christian His, Patrick M. Stephan, Thibault Champion

"When fuel costs increase dramatically, waste to energy (WTE) conversion technologies become a good alternative to produce energy. The potential energy available in domestic wastes, in developed countries, could be upwards of 4% of their total energy needs. Due to low energy recovery and low level of treated domestic wastes in many countries, the energy coming from waste is generally less than 0.5% of the country needs.Domestic waste incineration can convert heat to electricity for industry and housing and allow waste volume reduction in countries where land fills are a scarce resource.There is a request to improve existing combustion technology by increasing energy recovery with better heat transfer in the boiler and also by increasing lining durability with more resistant materials and technologies.The knowledge of corrosion phenomena and material performance allows Saint-Gobain Group to develop and propose high performance refractory lining solutions.IntroductionThe interest in alternative energy has been growing dramatically in the two last decades due to several combined factors, such as global energy demand, fuels prices evolution (e.g. crude oil, Figure 1) or environmental and geopolitics factors"

Jan 1, 2008

Computer programs for the storage, retrieval and use of basic thermodynamic and physical property data for chemical substances are described. Methods are presented for the collection, critical assessment and pre- processing of source data for files containing enthalpy, entropy and heat capacity data for 3000 compounds, enthalpy and excess entropy for 200 dilute solutions and critical propert- ies and vapour pressure for 600 compounds. Retrieval programs are discussed which allow the tabulation or plotting of many basic and derived thermodynamic properties for chemical substances or balanced reactions. Examples are given of the use of such data to infer the stability or corrosion resistance of materials and the feasibility, yield and heat release of reactions. A general purpose calculation program is discussed which allows the equilibrium compos- ition to be found for complex systems with many species and phases, using the method of Gibbs energy minimization. Methods of correction for non-ideal behaviour in these systems are discussed, as well as methods for fixing, maximizing or minimizing any desired property of the system. Examples are given of the simulation of various laboratory Experiments and industrial processes by this method.

Jan 1, 1977

Geology, by O. D. Von Engeln and Kenneth E. Caster, McGraw Hill Book Co., Inc., $7.00, 730 pp., 1952.The authors desired to write a book which would supplement the work of the teacher. The effort presents the facts of historical geology as an outgrowth of the understanding of physical geology-a method in keeping with the fundamental law of geology that "present agencies and forces, acting through enormous time, have shaped the world as we see it-the law of uniformitarianism." Narrative continuity is maintained throughout the text. Each historical geology period is made distinctive, provided with an identity, and shown to have particular characteristics. Elementary Heat Power, second edition, by Harry L. Solberg, Orville C. Cromer, and Albert R. Spalding. John Wiley & Sons, 1952. $6.50, 624 pp. The authors attempt to develop an understanding of the functions, principles of construction, and actual performance of heat-power machinery as a preliminary to the study of engineering thermodynamics. Matter and energy, fuels, and combustion are considered first, followed by chapters on internal combustion engines, fuel burning equipment, and steam engineering and utilizing installations. Pumps, compressors, gas turbines and refrigeration are also dealt with.

Jan 1, 1952

By S. O. Reichert

The nuclear industry has made a considerable effort to reduce environmental pollution with the result that knowledge in the field of radioactive waste management is well advanced. An example of the methods used for radioactive waste disposal is provided by the Savannah River Plant (SRP) operated by E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. for the AEC. It occupies an area of 320 sq mi along the Savannah River downstream from Augusta Ga., and has production facilities that include a fuel preparation area, three reactor areas, two chemical separation areas (F and H), and a heavy water plant. Gaseous, Liquid and Solid Radioactive Wastes Are Handled During Disposal The primary sources of radioactive waste are the reactor and chemical separation facilities. The reactors are cooled and moderated by heavy water which, in turn, is cooled by river water in heat exchangers. This arrangement prevents irradiation of the river water so that radioactivity is not discharged into the river water except when small quantities of moderator are lost by heat exchanger leaks. Because of the high cost of heavy water, these losses must be kept to a minimum.

Jan 9, 1968

By G. L. Jr. Spencer

THERE is no question as to the importance of the part played by the retort in modern zinc smelting. A satisfactory retort should have properties that will result in resistance to slagging action and fire cracks, and have no tendency, or at least, only a small tendency, to soften and bend under furnace heat. The life and cost of a retort also are extremely important factors. The trend in zinc smelting during the past few years has been toward longer retorts and higher charge density. This is caused by the fact that the diameter is limited to 9 or 10 in. because of heat penetration difficulties in larger sizes. Consequently, increasing the length of the retort and density of charge offers the only practical means of increasing the amount of zinc produced per retort. The stiffness of a retort perhaps is the most important factor, as slag accumulates in the bottom of a retort which has sagged and very quickly cuts through, often ruining the retorts below. The development of the high-silica retort is a result of the demands made by the trend toward heavy charges.

Jan 1, 1931

By M E. Malmstr÷m

Quantification of site-specific sulfide oxidation rates is crucial to accuracy of prediction of, for example, the environmental impact of a mine site. Sulfide oxidation reactions are reportedly increased by bacterial mediation; determination of abiotic and biotic weathering rates thus requires the establishment of sterile control samples. However, sterilisation often involves exposure of samples to extreme conditions that may alter the physical, chemical, or mineralogical characteristics of the tailings and hence affect element release rates. The impact of various sterilisation techniques, common and novel, on the element release rates from tailings from the Kristineberg site, northern Sweden, has been investigated. Batch weathering experiments indicated that the different methods of sterilisation (autoclaving, heat treatment, ethanol/heat treatment, application of antibiotics, rinsing with distilled water, and γ-radiation) did not greatly affect long-term element release rates. Long-term experiments (>30 days) are thus to be recommended for establishment of weathering rates. Sterilised and untreated control samples showed similar element release rates after ~100 days of experiments; possible explanations include that microbial oxidation is not important under our experimental conditions (Po2 = 0.2 atm, pH ~2.3, 22¦C, 0.01 M HNO3, no additional nutrients).

Jan 1, 2003

By Joseph J. Yancik

From previous work, it was learned that relative strengths of blasting agents can be reasonably predicted from heats of detonation modified by their (D/D*)2 ratio.(1) Bulk Strength = Q x d x (D/D*)2 x K (1) In this equation Q is the ideal heat released during detonation, d is density, D represents actual detonation velocity while D* is ideal velocity. An energy transfer coefficient, K, was used to account for differences among rock strata in response to explosive loading. This equation gave reasonable, field supported strength values for oxygen balanced blasting agents. For aluminized nitrocarbonitrates and slurries which have high Q's the rating system predicted better strengths than were shown in the field. This discrepancy was felt to be related primarily to problems in calculating Q and D*. Theoretical calculations cannot take into account varying energy contributions from particulated aluminums whose reactivities vary substantially with physical properties. One approach to circumventing this problem would be to use a characteristic Q that is dependent on mass reactivity of ingredients as components in explosive formulations. Since the underwater testing method is capable of measuring a functional, relative energy release, it was chosen for study.

Jan 1, 1971

By T Akiyama, J A. de Castro, H Nogami

Blast furnace is a countercurrent moving bed reactor that produces pig iron from iron bearing materials like pellet, sinter or lump ore. The furnace has cylindrical shape and the lump solid materials are alternatively charged onto the top of the furnace. Hot air is introduced through tuyeres that are set on the lower furnace wall. Auxiliary fuels (pulverised coal, oil or natural gas) and raw materials (fine ore or fluxes) are injected into the furnace with blast air from the tuyeres. In front of the tuyeres, coke particles react with oxygen in the blast air and generate carbon monoxide. The hot reacting gas heats up the lump solids and reduces iron oxides in the upper furnace. In the middle height of the furnace, the reduced iron and slag are fused by the combustion heat and form the cohesive zone. The molten iron and slag that are generated in this region trickle down through the packed bed of coke particles and flow into the bottom of the furnace. Therefore, the flows of gas, lump solids and liquids exist at the same time in the lower part of the blast furnace.

Jan 1, 2000

By A. P. Coldren, V. Biss

SINCE the r ? a transformation rates of many carbon-free ferrous alloys and low-carbon alloy steels are relatively fast, conventional equipment is not suitable for the dilatometric determination of continuous cooling transformation diagrams. On the other hand, a method based on metallographic analysis of quenched specimens would not be practicable because the various products of shear-dominated transformation are essentially indistinguishable in low-carbon iron-base alloys. Both problems may be avoided by a thermal analysis method employing gas quenching of small specimens austenitized in vacuo. The laboratory equipment employed in the present study consisted of a Tektronix Type 564 Storage Screen Oscilloscope and a Kinney high-vacuum evaporator, modified as shown in Fig. 1, to permit heating a small specimen and cooling it slowly by programmed cooling or rapidly (up to about 8000°F per sec) by a controlled quench with helium gas. The oscilloscope records the electromotive force of a 40-gage (0.003-in.-diam) Chromel-Alumel thermocouple in the specimen during cooling. The temperature at which the cooling curve begins to show the influence of the heat produced by the phase change in the specimen was arbitrarily taken as the transformation-start temperature.*

Jan 1, 1970

By Wiley C. Buford

Gary Works No. 1 BOP Shop is a three furnace shop which went into operation December, 1965. The heat size is over 200 tons, with a substantial percentage of the production used to feed a Continuous Slab Caster. Vessels are driven by a shaft mounted bull gear and main housing utilizing eight 35 HP flange mounted motors and primary gear reducers. Torque absorption is controlled by two spring actuated torque arms. At 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 1970, as "E" furnace was being turned down for a preliminary test, the drive side trunnion bearing failed. The furnace dropped slightly and shifted several inches north in the direction of the drive unit. The decision was made to tap the heat which was done without incident and the vessel uprighted. No attempt was made to completely drain the slag from the vessel, so as to avoid any further damage to the trunnion shaft bearing surface. The bearing failure occurred approximately four years and eight months after start up of the shop. Unfortunately ?M? furnace had gone down for a normal reline two days prior to the bearing failure, leaving the shop with only one operating furnace.

Jan 1, 1972

By S. Esfahani, M. Barati, K. Danaei

"Substituting Portland cement with slag cement is one of the most economically attractive uses of slags. For this application, high cooling rates are required to form an amorphous structure. However, this is counteracted by the need to use small coolant flowrate to allow recovery of slag thermal energy as high quality heat to the coolant fluid. Therefore, a relationship between cooling rate of slag and its structure is essential to recover the heat effectively while making an amorphous slag.A modified Single Hot Thermocouple Technique (SHTT) was employed to investigate the crystallization behavior of slags by plotting their TTT (Time-Temperature, Transformation) diagrams. Seven different slag compositions containing CaO, SiO2, Al2O3, MgO were prepared at varying basicity (CaO/SiO2 =0.5-1.4).The results indicate that with increasing basicity, the TTT curves of glassy to crystalline transformation shift to the left which means higher crystallization tendency. This agrees with the fact that with the increase of basicity, the Si-O bonds are weakened, which in turn facilitates the re-ordering and crystallization of the silicate structure."

Jan 1, 2014

By M. K. Gangal, A. E. Hall, S. B. V. Stewart

"An investigation into the problem of atmospheric fog in Canadian mines is described. Fog occurs in several mines and the reduced visibility can result in the closure of workings for safety reasons. Information on the mechanisms of fog formation are discussed and the methods for improving conditions are reviewed with their relative costs.INTRODUCTIONAtmospheric fog occurs in several Canadian mines during spring and summer. The fog which reduces visibility, contributes to loss of production and increased accident risk . Closure of ramps in mechanized mines causes mining to be stopped or rescheduled, and stoping and grade control may be affected . Increased corrosion of equipment may result from acidic fog .Fog is commonly caused by saturated air being compressed and heated by an inlet fan and then being circulated in an ascensional system with heat transfer to the walls of wet airways. This causes supersaturation and water droplets condense to create fog, with liquid water contents of 0.5 g/kg to 3 g/kg of air. These concentrations reduce visibility to less than 10m and prevent mining. Less severe fog is usually tolerated as a nuisance, about which little can be done."

Jan 1, 1989

During induration of iron ore pellets produced from magnetite concentrates, there are many reactions occurring simultaneously. While the magnetite is being oxidised to hematite, carbonate fluxes are being calcined, leading to the formation of complex oxides. Calcination of fluxes and the formation of calcium and magnesium ferrites and silicates during the preheat stage can influence the magnetite oxidation process. As the calcination reaction proceeds quicker than oxidation at temperatures experienced during the preheat stage (700 - 1200¦C), the bulk flow of CO2 emanating from within the pellet should disrupt the diffusion of O2 to the magnetite reaction as the gas fluxes are similar in magnitude. This increases the time required for the oxidation of the pellet. Using an infrared rapid heating furnace, experiments were performed on heating individual magnetite green balls in an air atmosphere. These experiments showed that time played an important role in the extent of oxidation and calcination and temperature significantly influenced the initial evolution of high temperature phases such as magnesioferrite, calcium ferrites and calcium silicates. Understanding the kinetics of all these reactions for a particular pellet feed, and their interaction, is important for optimising the design of the induration furnace.

Jan 1, 2005

By Danqing Gao, Brijes Mishra

Heterogeneity in rock formation affects both rock behavior and strength. Spatial variance of rock properties is an important characteristic of rock that addresses the heterogeneity of mechanical and physical properties and their effects on underground mining. Assessing spatial variance can be useful for locating potential difficult grounds and for performing reliability analysis in the mining support system. This study presents a spatially correlated, random model to investigate the influence of rock heterogeneity on rock strength and failure propagation. A random field database with specific spatial correlation was created for each physical-mechanical property using laboratory data and the extreme value stochastic model in MATLAB. Based on the improved microscale random model, we considered one three-dimensional numerical model to study a mine operating in the Pittsburgh seam. The influence of random field data on entry roof was investigated. The realistic random field database added two scale-measured parameters from horizontal and vertical directions to control the spatial correlation length. A number of cutting sequences were also considered in order to identify the effect of spatial variance on roof behavior. The results show that spatial variance provides an accurate prediction of erratic roof falls in coal mines.

By W. R. Hibbard

Emerging from discussions of U.S. energy policy: from the Project Independence Blueprint; from President Ford's statements to Congress; and from several independent appraisals of the situation; there is a clear objective to achieve an appropriate balance of supply and demand in the near term future (1) by developing more efficient ways of using energy and (2) by extending domestic sources of energy. More specifically, the strategy for achieving this goal has three parts (1) Conservation of energy through greater efficiencies in automobiles, appliances, lighting, heating, and industrial processes. (2) Increased domestic production of oil and gas through new sources such as the outer continental shelf and new efficiencies such as tertiary recovery. (3) Substitution of coal and uranium for oil and gas in utility power plants and industrial heating. The goal of energy research and development is to help achieve these goals and to help minimize the economic, environmental and social impact of our shift from imported energy to domestic sources. The focus of this paper is the implications of the expanded use of coal, and the research and development which may help achieve the above goals in so far as coal is concerned.

Jan 1, 1975

By Dominc C. Torre

INTRODUCTION Rapidly increasing capacities of equipment used to load and handle material at the face require improved haulage equipment and better methods of transporting the mined materials or "muck" to the shaft or slope and out of the mine to the processing plant on the surface. Increasingly, those transportation demands are being satisfied with underground belt conveyors. Such con¬veyors provide the most readily available, most efficient, and most reliable method of carrying materials in a continuous and rapid flow from the face loading equip¬ment to the surface plant. Almost universally, belt con¬veyors are used in coal mines and those nonmetallic and metallic mines operating in relatively flat bedded deposits. Belt conveyors are available in a wide range of capacities, mainly limited by belt width, belt speed, and weight of the material to be transported. They can be used on the level, on grades, on the surface, or under¬ground. They provide a rapid and constant flow of material, transporting the material as quickly as it is mined. Length of belt conveyors is almost unlimited. Where the haulage distance exceeds the practical capacity of a single conveyor unit, two or more conveyors can be used in series. Single conveyors more than 1.6 km (1.0 mile) long are common; multiple-unit conveyors in series operation are transporting materials over distances exceeding 16.1 km (10 miles). Depending upon mate¬rials being transported, job conditions, cost of the terrain being spanned, and alternative haulage methods avail¬able, conveyors can be conceivably economical for even greater distances. Table 1 lists maximum belt speeds recommended for most materials, relating belt speeds to belt widths. Table 2 lists capacities of typical conveyors of various widths and speeds, transporting commonly mined mate¬rials of various weights. ADVANTAGES OF CONVEYOR SYSTEMS For several years after their initial introduction, belt conveyors were available only with rigid side frames or a supporting structure of steel and concrete. That con¬struction limited underground applications, due to the cost and relative inconvenience of extending or retract¬ing the belt conveyor in the confined underground environment. However, during the last 20 years, wire-¬rope side-frame belt conveyors, as shown in Fig. 1, have become widely used in underground applications. Even wider use can be anticipated with their application to the fast movement of materials in surface mining operations. Advantages of the wire-rope side-frame belt con¬veyors were realized first in panel or section belt haulage in coal mines. Soon afterward, use of those conveyors was extended to gathering and main-line haulage. The mobility of the wire-rope side-frame conveyor is the principal reason for its success. The conveyor can be extended, retracted, dismantled, moved, and reassembled easily, even in relatively confined under¬ground spaces. The intermediate structure consists of rope support stands, wire-rope side frames, wire-rope tie-off stands, and the necessary carrying idlers and return idlers. An important and very attractive feature is the ability to suspend the conveyor from the roof in an underground mine, as shown in Fig. 2, leaving more room for improved housekeeping and allowing passage of face-service equipment, haulage vehicles, and other mining equipment. The conveyor's open construction allows quick and easy visual inspection of its com¬ponents for failures or malfunctions; it also facilitates checking and correcting conveyor-belt alignment. Other advantages contributing to the attractiveness and widespread application of wire-rope side-frame conveyors in main-line, slope, and surface installations include: lower capital costs, lower installation costs, lower maintenance costs, reduced impact on idlers and belting, reduced spillage and minimal cleanup, improved conformation to undulating terrain or mine bottoms, and the ability to span most obstacles without heavy structural support. CONVEYOR CLASSIFICATIONS Underground belt conveyors are classified normally according to their function. Generally, conveyors are classified into one of four main categories: 1) Panel or section conveyors normally receive the material to be transported directly from the face-haulage equipment. 2) Gathering conveyors are secondary haulage units that usually receive material from two or more panel conveyors. 3) Main-line conveyors transport all the material mined in the underground operations to the slope or shaft. Normally, they receive the material from two or more gathering conveyors. 4) Slope conveyors generally operate in tandem with the main-line conveyor, providing continuous Table 1. Maximum Belt Speeds Recommended for General Use Run-of-Mine Hard Ores and Belt Width, Coal and Earth, Primary Crushed mm (in.) m/s (fpm) Stone, m/s (fpm) 356(14) 1.52 (300) 1.52 (300) 406(16) 1.52 (300) 1.52 (300) 457(18) 2.03 (400) 1.78 (350) 508(20) 2.03 (400) 1.78 (350) 610(24) 2.54 (500) 2.29 (450) 660(26) 2.54 (500) 2.29 (450) 762(30) 3.05 (600) 2.79 (550) 914(36) 3.30 (650) 3.05 (600) 1067 (42) 3.56 (700) 3.05 (600) 1219 (48) 3.56 (700) 3.30 (650) 1372 (54) 3.56 (700) 3.30 (650) 1524 (60) 3.56 (700) 3.30 (650) 1676 (66) 4.06 (800) 3.81 (750) 1829 (72) 4.06 (800) 3.

Jan 1, 1982