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By B. Strohmeier

An account is given of the use of a computer to control the performance of three ultra-high-powered electric-arc furnaces in Iscor 5 steelmaking plant at Vanderbijlpark, South Africa. Several of the reports and graphs printed by the computer are reproduced.

Jan 1, 1985

By Holger Witthaus

Various seam conditions had been examined during longwall production at RAG German hard coal mines. Based on the field data a prediction method was developed considering separation planes as influencing factors for roof falls at the face. The characteristics, orientation, and density of separation are important factors on the occurrence of roof falls. In addition to geological influences, the performance parameters and geometry of support must be considered and optimized for the prediction and prevention of roof falls in a longwall face. Based on detailed macro- and microscopic investigations of e coal seams considering various ranks of carbonization, the origin and characteristics of separation planes are determined and a strata-specific influence on roof fall is interpreted. It was assessed that the coal face fracturing and displacement caused by the stress depend on the floor and roof strata conditions due to activation of the existing separation planes. Field studies are shown giving an idea of influences by advance rates of the longwall face, support delay and hydraulic pressure to the roof control in longwall faces in depth of more than 3000 ft. The analysis includes the application of specific software developed for longwall roof fall prediction as a result of a European research project. The software allows a laminar graphic display of roof fall probability, which is used for recognition of risk areas and risk management.

Jan 1, 2009

By I. D. Wood

The geostatistical methods given for the estimation of low-ash coal reserves take into account the geological structure of the seam, and consequently give far more reliable results than have been obtained in the past. Confidence limits are given for all the estimates.

Jan 1, 1979

By A. S. Odeh

During the last few years, several authors1-6 have advanced mathematical solutions, both exact and approximate, to the pressure behavior of a well producing from a region bounded by a circular discontinuity. The most recent solutions were reported by Carter, and by Bixel and van Poollen. Varter solved the appropriate equations analytically. Bixel and van Poollen reported a numerical solution and provided correlation charts for the interpretation of flow tests; their method uses an overlay technique and is valid for wide ranges of mobility and storage capacity ratios. The mobility ratio is defined as the ratio between k/p of the two zones, and the capacity ratio is defined as the ratio between $c of the two zones. We have developed independently an analytic solution, programmed for the CDC 1604, that agreed with Carter's.'1 The same differential equation, assumptions, boundary, and initial conditions were used. We ran 30 drawdowns and 30 buildups of a unit capacity ratio and of varied mobility ratios. We also varied the radial distances to the discontinuity, and the radii of drainage. We examined the results and obtained correlations that were simple to apply and useful in flow test interpretation. The results and the correlations reported here in graphical form allow the determination of the mobility of the two zones and the radial distance to the discontinuity. They eliminate the need to fit field data to a curve as is required in the overlay technique.6 Thus, the advantages of the present correlations are that they require less effort and they provide a unique answer. They also provide guidelines for selecting the parts of the flow test plot to be used in the interpretations. Moreover, the results obtained from the programmed analytic solution define the time intervals where the approximate solution reported by Hurstl and discussed by Larkin2 are applicable. Normal buildup and drawdown plots resulted in an early straight line, a long transition zone and a late (second) straight line. However, the second straight line will not occur if the drainage radius is not at least 10 times the radial distance to the discontinuity. The mobility of the imer and outer zones can be calculated from the slopes of the first and second straight lines, respectively, by the normal methods of the flow test analysis. We found that the radial distance to the discontinuity may be determined from the abscissa value for the point of intersection of the extensions of the two straight lines. Results similar to some of these were reported by Adams et aL7 The approximate solution compared favorably with the exact one during the first and second straight-line periods. However, during the transition zone, deviation occurred between the two solutions. Discussion of Figures Figs. 1 through 7 summarize the results of this investigation. On Figs. 3 through 7 there appears the equation of each respective plot. In this paper the mobility ratio M is defined as klp2/kzpl, where subscripts 1 and 2 refer respectively to the inner and outer zones, and dimensionless time = t, = 6.32 X In the investigation, M ranged from 0.25 to 50;

Jan 1, 1970

By A. Arrott, G. S. Ansell

A model is proposed to account for the observed strengthening behazlior of ferrous martensites. me model is based upon the inheritance of carbon-rich regions by the martensite which were present in the FERROUS martensite is formed by a nucleation and shear mechanism when austenite is cooled, at a rate which is fast enough to suppress the formation of pearlite, below a critical temperature (Ms ). Although the mechanism of the transformation process appears to be well understood,1,2 the mechanism re- austenite prior to transformation. These carbon-rich regions strengthen the martensite in a manner analogous to the strengthening effect due to a finely dispersed second phase. sponsible for the observed high strengths exhibited by ferrous martensites is uncertain. In this paper, a model is proposed to account for the strengthening of ferrous martensite. MODEL The maximum solubility of carbon in austenite is 1.98 wt pct as compared with a maximum solubility of 0.025 wt pct in ferrite. Prior to transformation, the carbon in the austenite is nonuniformly dis-

Jan 1, 1963

After the closure of collieries, they naturally start to fill up with water. As a result, hydraulic gradients develop between them and different hydraulic pressures are exerted onto peripheral areas or compartments within mines. This results in water flow between mines, or onto the surface. This flow is referred to as intermine flow. The collieries in the Witbank Coalfield have geometries such that there are several areas where this intermine flow is possible. Since the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has declared intermine flow as one of its greatest concerns for granting closure to South African mines, much research into this phenomenon is required. The challenges in determining intermine flow are numerous, and attention has focused on identification of areas where these flows can take place. The quantification of these flows is problematic due to the uncertainties in exact geometric configurations and the variation in site-specific hydraulic properties of thecoal and overlying lithilogical layers. During this study, use has been made of numerical flow modelling and several analytic solutions to test the applicability of the flow models as well as to predict groundwater flow directions, filling times of voids and flow volumes. The numerical modelling methodology entailed a downscaling approach starting with a broad regional model covering the entire area, followed by modelling the interactions between interconnected mines, and finally looking in detail at the major areas of interaction.

Jan 1, 2005

By H. E. Bartlett

Previously, the grade of ore at the shaft head was taken to be equivalent to the grade measured in the faces by means of chip sampling. The tonnage mined from the stopes is determined from survey volumetric measurements. Estimates of shaft head grade and tons include the grades and tons of waste, development ore, sweepings from old areas, and other sources, not all of which are sampled. The tonnage of ore delivered at the shaft is often estimated using skip factors. These factors are subject to manipulation and not all the skips are filled to the same level. Consequently, both the grade and tonnage of ore delivered at shaft head are subject to a measure of uncertainty. For many years, these uncertainties have led to disputes between shaft managers and metallurgists over the reconciliation between shaft tons and grade and plant tons and grade. These problems are compounded when several shafts feed a central processing plant. Shaft bonuses and a shaft?s profitability are affected by poor gold allocation methods. Without measurement of the grade and tonnage from all shafts, a poorly performing shaft could benefit at the expense of the other shafts. In order to improve the measurement of grades and tonnage at the shaft head, which is the custody transfer point between the mine and surface operations, South African mining companies have developed a methodology to measure the mass of ore from each shaft using rail weighing equipment, and the run-of-mine grades delivered from each shaft using cross-stream (go-belt) sampling. Harmony Gold Mining Company has implemented the rail weighing and go-belt sampling methods for their shafts. This paper deals with the statistical tests on the procedures and control measures that are in place to establish confidence in the gold allocations. The metal accounting system for examining the allocations follows the first principle of the AMIRA P754 Metal Accounting Code of Practice namely ?The metal accounting system must be based on accurate measurements of mass and metal content. It must be based on a full check-in check-out system?. The check-in is mass and grade of run-of-mine ore and the check-outs are the plant input grades and the recovery and residue from the plant. The balances between check-in and check-out are the subject of the statistical analyses, which have been conducted using the classical statistical tests and procedures that are generally used in all fields of endeavour. It is concluded that the gold allocation procedures that rely on go-belt sampling and rail weighing of ore from shafts has been successfully implemented, and that the system, which has been in operation at Harmony since 1993, has won general acceptance from stakeholders, with the gold allocations being perceived as being fair to all. Apart from the on-mine issues of bonuses and fair allocations, accurate metal accounting assists in the broader issues of generating accurate production figures for management. An added benefit of weighing and sampling ore at the shaft head has been that shafts now have daily moving average grades, which are used for grade control. The go-belt sample at the shaft head is the first accurate sample of production in the value chain from face sampling to gold bullion. Keywords metal accounting, go-belt sampling, run-of-mine sampling, codes of practice, AMIRA P754, train weighing, statistical analysis, gold split, allocation of gold, metal balance, grade control.

Jan 1, 2014

By Dolea Gabriel Gheorghe

In the present paperwork is proposed an economical-mathematical model (fuzzy) that aims optimize the technological variants of the mechanized coal face. By fuzzification, the issues to solve become more flexible and allow the decision maker to acquire more variants for the functions objectively established. The description of technological solutions is carried out by a set of controllable variables of "category" type by which the type of the machinery is defined within the frame of the actual geological & mining conditions. In the paperwork are used concepts of "successions graph" and "matrix of compatibilities"; with their help a methodology to choose between different technological variants of coalfaces is proposed. It treats the problem of developing the functions that express the membership degree in vague concept. In the end it is presented an assessment procedure for the technological variants of mechanized coal face.

Oct 1, 2009

By Emmanuel N. Zevgolis

Energy required for roasting and smelting of a nickeliferous laterite ore by the rotary kiln - electric furnace process is investigated. From this work it comes that thermal energy is about 65% of the total energy needed and the rest is electrical. Also, 61.3% of thermal energy input in the roasting step (of all combustibles fed into the rotary kilns) is used for pre - heating, 11.6% for pre - reduction and the rest (27.1%) corresponds to the energy of the remaining carbon in the rotary kiln products (i.e., calcine, dust and coatings). Carbon entering the system is used as follows: 57.9% for combustion, 37.1% for reduction and the rest (5.0%) remains unburnt. Exploitation of energy from gases of both furnaces, as well as the higher possible reduction degree, the optimum temperature of the calcine and also elimination of the excess air in the rotary kilns, improve significantly energy balance and economics of the process.

Jan 1, 2006

By B. M. Davis

Frequently ore reserve studies utilize samples from a series of drilling or other types of sampling campaigns. Sometimes there is a mix of sample types, say for instance, channel samples from underground workings and drill core from surface drilling. Since drilling, sampling, logging, and sample preparation protocols tend to change over time, there is always a question whether the samples give similar results that vary only by chance alone. The problem of comparing the various campaigns is complicated by the presence of spatial relationships among the samples. Geostatistical tests take the spatial correlation into account, but these tests may be complicated and cumbersome to implement. A comparison method based on familiar statistical graphics is presented which accounts for the spatial relationships. It allows comparisons to be made quickly by using simple statistical graphs such as scatterplots and boxplots.

Jan 1, 1996

By Gibbs R

The objective of this paper is to provide a broad qualitative perspective of the needs and costs of infrastructure associated with typical mining projects. Infrastructure may be defined as anything necessary for the development and operation of a project, which is peripheral to the basic extraction, handling and processing of material. As depicted in Figure 1, infrastructure acts as the link between the technological heart of a project and the outside world.

Jan 1, 1990

By T. Saksala

In this paper, the embedded discontinuity approach is applied to finite element modeling of rock fracture. A rate-dependent constitutive model based on the embedded displacement discontinuity theory is developed to describe the mode I, mode II and mixed mode fracture of rock in tension and compression. The bulk material is described as linear elastic until reaching the elastic limit. Beyond this limit, a ratedependent exponential softening law governs the evolution of the embedded displacement jump. The present approach incorporates the rock heterogeneity by random description of the mineral texture of rock. Moreover, the inherent initial microcrack populations of natural rocks are accounted for as randomly oriented embedded discontinuities. Numerical examples demonstrate the model behavior in uniaxial compression and tension. The effect of loading rate and confining pressure is tested as well in 2D numerical simulations. These simulations show that the model captures the main features of rock in confined compression and uniaxial tension. The developed method has the computational efficiency of continuum plasticity models. However, it has an important advantage of accounting for the orientation of introduced microcracks.

Jan 1, 2015

By Esher Hsu

In Taiwan, around 8,000 tons of batteries are consumed per year but only 17% of which were collected and transported to oversea for recovery. The dumping used batteries have become a potential environment problem. How to increase the collection efficiency of used batteries is an important issue for EPA in Taiwan. Besides, some treatment plants are on process to get permission for recovering used batteries. The objective of this study is to estimate the recycling cost of spent consumer battery and explore the feasibility of recovering used consumer batteries in Taiwan based upon the principle of cost-efficiency. The recycling cost including collection cost and recovery is estimated based on a survey. Results would provide some suggestions to Taiwan EPA regarding feasibility of recovering used batteries in Taiwan.

Jan 1, 2006

By R. S. Bowman, G. S. Austin, J. M. Barker, P. S. Freeman

The physical, chemical and mineralogic characteristics of zeolites allow commercially important applications. While adoption of zeolite technology is slow in the United States compared to other regions of the world, continued testing and research has shown a wide range of uses for these minerals. They are important catalysts in petroleum refining, molecular sieves able to separate gases, and chemically inert carriers of reactants. The zeolite clinoptilolite produced by St. Cloud Mining Company (clino) (SC) is used in animal hygiene and animal feed, especially concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), horticulture, water treatment, floor dry, aquariums, air and other filters, and odour control. Clino can remove cations from solution, and surface-modified zeolite (SMZ) is a sorbent for the removal of anions and neutral organics from water. Specific clino applications are: control of chemical pollution in groundwater, removal of organic compounds from oil field waters, and elimination of pathogens from sewage effluent. Combining the sorption capabilities of SMZ with chemical or biological transformations can yield complete removal of toxic materials from contaminated water. Continued development and marketing of zeolite products will be a growth market far into the future. The CAFO market for zeolites is the most significant growth area in the United States over the next few years. SMZ, currently less than 1% of St. Cloud sales, will continue to gain market penetration for many years.

Jan 1, 2004

By Pengfu Tan

Lead blast-furnace bullion cools to near its freezing point in an operation known as copper drossing or hot drossing usually contains 0.02-0.06% copper. The removal of this copper is usually carried out in a batch operation known as sulfur drossing. Sulfur is stirred into the bullion at temperatures near its freezing point, and the dross of copper and lead sulfides that floats to the surface is skimmed off manually. A thermodynamic model has been developed to simulate the copper drossing. The phase diagram of Pb-Cu-S system has been calculated, and the effects of the process parameters, such as temperature, copper content, and sulfur content, on the drossing process have been simulated and discussed.

Jan 1, 2006

By X. Zhu

Establishment and monitoring of revegetation in areas affected by mining activities is quite often a difficult task. The efficiency of the scheme applied can be substantially improved by using simple adequate indicators so that progress and trends can be plotted, elucidated and assessed over time. Sustainable revegetation management indicators should take into account soil quality and area characteristics, as well as social, economic and political aspects. In the present paper an interactive prototype Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) is presented. The system, based on methodological studies, has been designed to identify and interpret indicators that can be used for the evaluation of revegetation efficiency. It provides a platform for formulating indicators describing biophysical, socio-cultural and economic processes during the entire revegetation period. It integrates modular assessment, database management sub-systems and Geographical Information System (GIS). It is structured in a way that takes into account the project environment, soil quality, land characteristics, data acquisition control, output engines and spatial analysis. The output generates visual quality diagrams and interactive attribute quality maps that elucidate revegetation issues.

Jan 1, 2007

By P. W. Lotz

Traditionally, bottle roll tests have been used to optimize the extraction process for best gold extraction and recovery. Such tests typically involve exposing the ore to defined reagent concentrations (lime, cyanide and sufficient oxygen) and balance the gold input with recoveries and losses. With mounting pressures to accommodate sustainability issues during development work, it became apparent that much more information would be required on the interactions and kinetic behaviour of solid and solution species during the entire leach process. This information is vital to enable proactive management of critical issues such as cyanide, arsenic, water and tailings management. Inadequate management of these aspects has led to temporary closures and, in cases of non-compliance, to the dynamically changing regulations. MINTEK?s advanced leach facility (ALF) is being developed with the aim of bridging the knowledge gap between the gold leach process and the predictable environmental impacts upon discharge. The facility aims to monitor all parameters of relevance such as pH, Eh, dissolved oxygen, metals, cyanide species, and viscosity during the entire process to enable more informed decisions on practical interventions. The presented set of data reflects first experiences gained from processing a refractory gold ore concentrate. Attempts at optimizing the process were limited due to the developmental nature of the work. Data relating to leaches with differing preoxidation conditions and cyanide staging is presented.

Jan 1, 2009

By Robert S. Becker

The results of a laboratory investigation of coal cutting mechanics and noise is presented. These experiments were performed using a linear cutting apparatus that operates over a broad cutting speed range. The influence of several coal cutting parameters on the noise, force, productivity, and specific energy associated with linear cuts is ascertained. Some basic theoretical aspects of coal cutting mechanics and noise generation are discussed, and the results of the laboratory experiments are used to Formulate analytical models of the coal cutting forces and noise. The analytical model For coal cutting noise is then generalized to account for the more important effects of rotary cutting. Based on the generalized model, an estimate of the sound pressure level at an operator's position is made for a typical continuous mining machine. It is concluded that by employing linear rather than rotary cuts, using deeper depths of cut, slower cutting speeds, and more efficient cutting tools, it is possible to reduce the level of coal cutting noise, as well as Provide benefits to other important areas of underground health and safety.

Jan 1, 1980

By Tara Bajpayee

Modern, highly productive underground mining operations need to assure the safety of their workforce by understanding where major strata fractures and roof failures could occur. Mines depend on a host of tools to assess ground instability. In-mine microseismic monitoring systems with sufficient number of sensors have also been used to provide this information. These in-mine systems must be robust in design and moved regularly to keep up with the mining advancement. System performance issues depend on maintaining ever increasing cable runs, preventing component damage from mining activities (scaling, blasting, etc.) and avoiding signal degradation due to interference from mining equipment (fans, trucks, electrical equipment, etc.). A potential solution is to use a surface based monitoring system having sensors placed in boreholes above and adjacent to the underground mine workings. These sensors must be capable of detecting and locating strata fracturing associated with rock failure events. A great advantage of a surface based monitoring system is its independence from the underground mine infrastructure. There is less concern with cable maintenance problems, signal degradation by interference from mining activity, or loss of power from the mine?s power grid. The disadvantages include the cost of drilling boreholes and challenges associated with placing sensors in the boreholes, maintaining radio communication and solar power, and public interference (vandalism, etc.). This paper describes a case study where a surface based microseismic system, using triaxial geophones in boreholes drilled from the surface, was deployed at a large limestone mine. The system was operational during a roof fall that occurred in October 2007. It detected the first rock fracture event 17 minutes before the rock fall event. The geophone array was sensitive enough to identify all large rock fracture, impact, and blast events as well as medium size rock fracture events occurring close to the geophone array.

Jan 1, 2008

By A. G. Pasamehmetoglu, N. Celebi, K. Erarslan

A deposit evaluation system has been developed for a proposed new mine in the basin around Collolar in Turkey. It includes compositing, gridding and reserve estimation facilities and takes account of the economic value of the pit and the pit bottom elevation

Sep 1, 1991