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Falling asleep at the wheel of a moving vehicle is not only dangerous but avoidable. It is implicated in up to 30% of all road fatalities in general and up to 65% of mining incidents involving haulage trucks. These types of crashes normally result in serious injury and/or fatality due to the lack of breaking that occurs. However, when a 300 tonne haul truck has a sleep related crash it is not only the safety of the driver that has a high price but also the commercial impact on the mines? productivity and efficiency. We have been developing our ASTiD technology which stands for the Advisory System for Tired Drivers to seamlessly integrate in to Modular Mining?s Dispatch system to provide real-time early warning fatigue risk management. The benefits being driver shift optimisation, sustained productivity and of course less accidents. By monitoring the drivers alertness levels in real-time using ASTID, the Dispatcher becomes empowered to make critical, management decisions that will ultimately prevent serious injury or loss of life and the driver gets to stop when he needs to and not just when he is supposed to. This paper shows how this integrated solutions works.

May 1, 2011

By G. W. Birge

The Bureau of Mines investigated the effect of temperature on the mechanical strength of cokes of the type normally used in blast furnace operations. Eight samples of industrially produced cokes were subjected to ASTM tumbler tests at temperatures as high as 1,100° C (2,012° F); these temperatures had no significant effect on tumbler results for cokes with stability indexes of 40.6 to 59.9. Two foundry cokes which were tested at only one elevated temperature (900° C) decreased slightly in tumbler stability. Iron are pellets made from a variety of ores and by various industrial methods were not significantly affected by temperature when tested in an oxidizing atmosphere at 1,000° C (1,832° F) by the tentative standard ASTM method.

Jan 1, 1966

By J. J. Drost

The feasibility of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) offgas heat recuperation by preheating scrap was investigated on a pilot plant scale by the Bureau of Mines. In this study, offgases generated during the oxygen blowing of a molten pig iron and scrap charge were passed through a static bed of shredded auto scrap. Scrap quantities varying from 100 to 180 pounds and representing from 22 to 40 percent of the 450-pound BOF metallic charge were preheated in this manner. Average scrap bed temperatures of 1,650° F for 100 pounds of scrap and 1,150° F for 180 pounds of scrap have been achieved during the blows. As compared to cold scrap used in the normal BOF practice, it was found that by preheating scrap, usage could be increased by 43 percent. The thermal energy recovered by this preheating method can account for up to 44 percent of the energy necessary to melt the scrap.

Jan 1, 1974

By DR. RICHARD RATHBUN

ON behalf of the Regents and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the National Museum; but it is to your own museum, since it belongs to you in common with all the people of the country. Still young in a life which has been beset with many difficulties, it has gathered strength and attained a growth quite unprecedented. In fact, it is this very growth which has been the chief cause of trouble, always leading far and away beyond the capacity for storage ; and to-day there is nearly as much material contained in outside buildings as is displayed in this one. You will, accordingly, find the collections crowded, the cases so close together that their contents are often difficult to view, and the arrangement generally lacking symmetry. You may, therefore, be inclined to regard us as poor custodians of the collections of a great nation, but I beg you to withhold your judgment for a while. From the beginning there has been abundant zeal and activity and a proper direction of affairs, but space and money have been lacking. There is now a prospect of better times. All about you here is a beautiful park, but without. a covering it is not adapted to museum purposes. Upon it, however, a new large building is going up, so extensive in its dimensions that technology can soon be given a fitting home, thus realizing one of the earliest aspirations of the Regents. Some sixty-five years ago the extensive returns of specimens from the famous Wilkes Exploring Expedition around the world began to reach Washington, where they were deposited in the Patent Office Building, and formed practically the first of the National Collections. Six years later the Smithsonian Institution, based upon the bequest of James Smithson, was

Jul 1, 1905

By Richard J. Gowen

THE FUTURE The environment in which we live appears to change so slowly that most of us are unaware that any change has occurred at all. As the years pass, we notice increasing smog in our cities, new variations in weather, the shifting landscape with changing populations, and subtle but ever present alterations in the quality of life. In considering the future of our environment, we find we must grapple with questions concerning the very future of life as we know it today. Questions of resources, technology, society, governance, and purpose. Let us focus on the future of our environment and, in particular, raise the question of who is responsible for the environment. We know that action, or lack of action, will clearly influence our future environment. It is fashionable to catalog the many short-sightedness of our forefathers in developing the technologies which support the style of living to which we have become accustomed. However, I shall struggle to resist the temptation to list the well known ills of our present environment. Rather, let us concentrate on the future in our consideration of the priority of the multitude of options proposed to relieve our current energy crisis. We have recently witnessed the dramatic effects of air pollution produced by Mount St. Helen's eruptions. In the state of South Dakota, we watched our blue skies turn hazy and felt our eyes sting with the presence of volcanic ash. We were appalled at the dramatic effects on the landscape, crops, transportation, and all aspects of life in communities immediately downwind of the volcanic eruption. But in a few weeks, life had returned to near normal on the earth's surface leaving the volcanic ash in the atmosphere to ultimately

Jan 1, 1983

By Mika Muinonen

"Dewatering of nickel concentrate at the INCO Thompson integrated mine-metallurgical site takes place within the smelter plant. The eight original 60 foot diameter cable torque thickeners of which four were operational and eight Dorrco internal drum filters have been replaced with a single Outokumpu high rate thickener and a single Lasta pressure filter. The modernization has resulted in a filter cake which has a more stable and lower moisture content. Control of the entire dewatering process has been improved and costs have been reduced.Typical filter cake produced from the Dorrco filters during processing of high tonnages of Birchtree mine ore was ~20% moisture vs. ~13% moisture for concentrate produced from the Thompson mine ore. The high moistures were correlated with the amount of fine magnesium silicate gangue in the concentrate. As Birchtree ore processing rates have increased, this filter cake moisture became unacceptable because of material handling problems and the impact on furnace metallurgy. The Dorrco filters were replaced with the Lasta filter in 2003 that has consistently produced filter cake at ~11% moisture.This paper summarizes the piloting, design, installation and commissioning of the modernized dewatering circuit.INTRODUCTIONThe Thompson integrated nickel processing facility was built in 1958 and originally consisted of a mine-mill-smelter and, soon after, a refinery.Nickel concentrate is pumped from the mill as a dilute slurry directly to the smelter facility ~200 meters along an unheated pipe trestle. Originally, nickel concentrate was de-watered using up to 8 conventional 60-foot diameter thickeners and 8 internal vacuum drum filters."

Jan 1, 2006

By S. C. Holmes

El presente texto describe las tecnologías empleadas para el proyecto de Safford, Arizona. El proyecto consiste en la explotación de dos minas medianas a tajo abierto de las que se extraerá el mineral de cobre oxidado de baja ley a través de un sistema de materiales. En este sentido, el texto describe la aplicación del grupo de tecnologías ((MTG, por sus siglas en inglés) de Phelps Dodge para mejorar la seguridad, obtener eficiencia en los equipos y reducir los costos operativos de capital .

Mar 1, 2013

By Jared Onyirimba, Jim Viellenave, Hal Demuth, Dale Verran, Chad Sorba, Errol Lawrence, David Bronkhorst

As outlined within the Denison Mines Corp’s (“Denison”) Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") completed in late 2018, additional work is required to increase confidence and reduce risk associated with the application of the In-Situ Recovery (“ISR”) mining method at the Phoenix deposit, located on the Wheeler River Uranium Project (“Wheeler River” or the “Project”) in northern Saskatchewan. The successful application of ISR in any geological environment largely hinges on three fundamental requirements, 1) permeability (of the deposit), 2) containment (of the mining solution) and 3) leachability (of the mineralization). Denison has designed several staged technical programs to progressively reduce risk associated with these requirements as the Company advances the Project toward a Feasibility Study (“FS”) and Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”). This paper will discuss the scope and results of certain technical programs being undertaken as the Company aims to develop the first ISR mining operation in the Athabasca Basin.

Jan 1, 2020

By Richard L. Summers

The shaped charge has proven in various military and industrial applications to be an effective penetrator of materials. Upon initiation a detonation wave traverses the explosive billet, collapsing a metallic liner and creating a jetting process. From multiple non-simultaneous flash radiographs of the jet in free flight, the observer can study the collapse, formation, and growth of a shaped charge jet. Digitization of a particulated jet's position and shape from the radiograph into electronic storage files provides the experimentalist with an efficient basis for data reduction. With the aid of a simple personal computer, one can in a matter of minutes generate a wealth of information concerning jet formation after initiation and thus gain insight into the quality of its manufacture, design, and assembly. This paper will in detail explain the methods in place for fully automated data reduction of radiographic films. Methods of computer aided digitization of particulated jets and analysis of physical jet characteristics and performance will be discussed.

Jan 1, 1992

By Ronald B. Stotelmeyer

This report summarizes the U.S. Bureau of Mines evaluation of the mineral resources of eight roadless areas in several National Forests in Montana. The areas are amoung those that have been proposed as additions to the National Wilderness Presevation System In various sessions of the U.S. Congress. Mineral Commodities present include gold (lode and placer), silver, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten, rare-earth elements, fluorite, and barite. Numerous mineral deposit types occur. Past production was from gold placers and vein-type deposits. There is potential for development of large volume porphyry copper-molybdenum, disseminated gold, stratabound copper-silver, and exhalative massive-sulfide metallic deposits. A substantial increase in metal prices is needed before any known vein-type deposits will be economic.

Jan 1, 1994

By Brian W. Mackenkzie, Jozef Lajzerowicz

This paper is intended to familiarize planners in the noncommunist world with the district planning approach used in eastern Europe for mining development. It deals generally with the basic nature of the district planning problem, the planning process for mining development and the state organization for the planning of mining districts. A number of applications of district planning techniques to both established and new eastern European mining districts are described.

Jan 1, 1971

By Alberto Pesamosca

The paper presents the results obtained by the AC EAF supplied by Danieli at Kroman Çelik (Gebze-Turkey) after the planned upgrade to 150 ton. The EAF – 7,4 m diameter, based on the full platform standard design - is able to handle a maximum power of 114 MW and is equipped with the most advanced and reliable technology, including module injection system and the Hireg electrodes regulation system. Excellent results were already obtained with 120 heat size in terms of fast start-up and excellent performance figures. After the upgrade, productivity was increased up to 212 t/h, maintaining high process efficiency (365 kWh/t with 32,1 Nm3/t O2).

Jul 30, 2018

By Antti J. Niemi

Radioisotope tracers have so far been used for extraction of residence time distributions of flotation devices. They have also been proven applicable to evaluation of rate coefficients k of industrial flotation. It is now shown how values of k are scaled up on the basis of laboratory data on flotation and chemical conditioning, and of laboratory testing of samples from output of industrial conditioning vessel. Subsequently a model of conditioning and flotation is obtained which may be used for simulation and control of the steady state of the combined process. Discussion extends to modelling, simulation, CAD and opti- mization of flotation plants with re- circulation, and of ore dressing systems which consist of grinding and flotation plants.

Jan 1, 1990

By Joseph J. Garbarino

World demand for phosphate fertilizers has grown at an average annual rate of between 6 and 7 per cent over the past 10 years. In the next five years world demand is expected to at least continue to grow at that rate. Also, the continued need for improved fertilizer materials, coupled with improvements in fertilizer technology, have placed added importance on the use of phosphoric acid as a starting material for high analysis phosphate fertilizers. This demand for phosphates and phosphoric acid must be met by increased production. Increased phosphoric acid production also brings increased demand for chemical processing agents including foam control agents. We at Arizona Chemical Company have closely followed the phosphate fertilizer industries needs. Arizona Chemical Company has been an important supplier of flotation agents to the phosphate industry, primarily from its Panama City, Florida plant. We have also recognized the important role played by foam control agents in the wet-phosphoric acid manufacturing process. We feel it is the responsibility of the supplier of foam control agents to offer specifically designed products that are highly efficient and economically useful. The difficulties involved in evaluating foam control agents in the plant are recognized. Owing to the large number of variables present, and the difficulties in controlling these variables during the period of a plant trial, plant evaluation of a large number of foam control agents is impractical. We have attempted to develop a practical, reproducible, and yet rapid, laboratory evaluation test which correlates with plant performance.

Jan 1, 1966

By G. Robert Frey

INTRODUCTION This chapter on underground rotary drills briefly describes the equipment features, selection or applica¬tion criteria, safety features, and relative costs of both face and roof drills. After a brief description of the basic components, the application, safety, and cost con¬siderations will be explored. ROTARY DRILL COMPONENTS As illustrated in Fig. 1, an underground rotary drill consists of five basic components. These components are the energy system, chassis, boom, feed assembly, and operator's station. Energy System The energy system of a typical underground drill con¬sists of an electric motor, driving a hydraulic pump or pumps. Usually, the drill is equipped with a cable reel to store the trailing power cable from the portable power center in the mine. A simple control box is supplied to house electrical switchgear and protective devices. In addition to the pump, the hydraulic portion of the energy system includes the hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic tram motors, relief valves, control valves, etc., necessary to actuate the various machine functions. Chassis The chassis provides the frame or support structure for the other four basic components of the drill. Fre¬quently, it incorporates an oil reservoir for the hydraulic system. The chasis provides the support for the trans¬mission, which drives rubber tires or, in the case of some foreign machines, the crawler tracks. The steering link¬age and steering tires also may be considered as parts of the chassis. Boom The boom is the structure that supports the feed assembly; it is either hinged or pivoted on the front of the chassis. Hydraulic cylinders on the boom are used to lift or swing the boom relative to the chassis and to swivel or "roll" the feed assembly. Feed Assembly The feed assembly is made up of the support struc¬ture with an integral thrust mechanism, a rotation unit, centralizers to stabilize the auger, and a hose handling arrangement. In addition, most drills have an extension frame with a tilt device to aid in positioning the feed. Operator's Station The operator's station is the area from which the miner operates the drill. UNDERGROUND ROTARY DRILL APPLICATIONS Underground Face Drills Underground face drills are used in mining opera¬tions that utilize the conventional mining system. The face drill is used to drill holes in the exposed face of the material, and the face is then "shot" by means of explo¬sives or high pressure air. The loose material then is ready for loading and transporting from the face to the preparation plant. Typical specifications for under¬ground face drills are listed in Table 1. Certain parameters should be established as to where the drill is to be used and what is expected of it. To create an awareness of some of the considerations that too often are overlooked, some questions are listed that should be asked in conjunction with the selection or application of the proposed drills. Energy System: Can the drill be supplied with the proper voltage to match the available or proposed elec¬trical power system of the mine? Is the system 250, 460, 500, 550, or 950 v; dc or ac; 3-phase; 60 or 50 Hz? Is the drill equipped with an adequate electric motor to handle the proposed duty cycle? Typical motor power on a single-boom drill would range from 25 to 40 kW (35 to 50 hp); the nominal power for a dual-boom

Jan 1, 1982

By Markus Pötsch, Andreas Gaich

Optimization of surface blasting based on 3D models from drone imagery and a closed loop that starts with an automatic analysis of the geometry and the geological conditions and ends with an objective assessment of the blast result.

Feb 1, 2020

By Richard S. Mateer

The percent ash in a coal blend is equal to the weighted average of the ash contents of the component coals. If the raw coals differ in washability characteristics, the total yield may be maximized by washing the component coals to different quality levels. A mathematical basis for blend maximization is developed and a computer program is described The program determines the component weights that maximize the yield, while meeting an individual coal-quality specification. The procedure is directly applicable to linear parameters of grade quality such as percent ash, percent sulfur and the calorific value. A transformation of variables permits program execution to meet a sulfur-compliance specification. Blends may consist of any number of component coals.

Jan 1, 1997

By B Gyngell, P Culvenor

Large language models (LLMs) have generated a lot of hype since ChatGPT was released in early 2023. In essence, they allow people to interact with computer systems through natural language and have the ability to generate highly complex text, images and videos (Patil and Gudivada, 2024). It is clear that this technology has significant potential, however most mining companies have not yet found practical applications for it within their operations. In this paper, we present a range of such applications along with the tactical considerations associated with developing and implementing them. We have identified use cases across a variety of operational and functional areas within the mining industry and evaluated them based on their potential business value and ease of implementation. Firstly, we provide an overview of how LLMs work and a review of how LLMs are being applied in other industries to provide best practice inspiration for mining. Next, we present a list of possible applications in mining and a critical assessment of each use case. This section also includes a technical deep dive into the different methodologies for developing the technologies as well as an analysis of barriers to adoption within mining organisations. Finally, we share a discussion of the potential path forward for LLMs in mining and the impact they could have on the industry. We analyse the potential differences between early adopters and laggards in the artificial intelligence (AI) space. This research draws on interviews and surveys with artificial intelligence experts as well as mining subject matter experts to connect cutting edge thought leadership with the specific problems faced by our industry.

Sep 1, 2024

By D. M. Milne, P. J. Lunder, R. C. Pakalnis

During the mining of an open stope, deformation of the hanging-wall and the potential for dilution generally increase with the size of the exposed hanging-wall. Excluding discrete structures that may delineate unstable blocks, the mechanisms that drive hanging-wall deformation and possible dilution comprise several factors which can include elastic, plastic and discontinuum deformation. These stages of deformation are not mutually exclusive and at any point during mining all three of these mechanisms may be acting on the hanging-wall rock mass. Computer modelling techniques are available to analyse the three stages of deformation, but the difficulty lies in trying to obtain realistic rock mass properties for input and in determining when each stage of deformation is acting. Instrumentation data can be used to predict the effect of continued mining. However, it is often difficult to calibrate numerical models against field data owing to the large number of input parameters required. An empirical approach is recommended that uses two new parameters, the radius factor and the effective radius factor. A method is proposed for predicting the effect of continued mining from existing deformation and dilution data for a given hanging-wall

Apr 1, 1996

By M. J. Pool, with Appendix by Larry Kaufman, R. W. Krenzer

Thermodynmic properties of the Cu-Mn system have been deterrrzined in the temperature range 973" to 1273°K by measuring the vapor pressure of manganese in equilibrium with alloys of compositions varying from 0.13 to 0.91 rnole fraction manganese using the Knudsen effusion technique. Activities of manganese calculated from the measured vapor pressures show large positive deviations. Calculated heats and entropies of mixing are positive with a maximum occurring at approximately 0. 7 mole fraction manganese. ThE investigation of thermodynamic properties of binary systems involving transition metals is of considerable interest at the present time. The incomplete subvalency electron levels of transition metals lead to unusual behavior in some alloys, and considerable information can be obtained by determining the thermodynamic characteristics of these systems and relating the thermodynamic behavior to observed physical properties. The Cu-Mn system, shown in Fig. 1,' provides an example of an alloy system in which the determination of the equilibrium phase diagram and various physical properties has received considerable attention, but very little work has been done on measurement of the thermodynamic properties. Elemental copper and manganese have comparable electronegatives, atomic sizes, and cohesive energies, but differ in crystal structure. They form a continuous series of solid solutions only at high temperatures and the structure varies in a continuous manner from fcc at the copper-rich end to fct at the manganese-rich end.' The purpose of this investigation was to measure the vapor pressure of manganese over a series of Cu-Mn alloys and from these values determine the thermodynamic properties of the binary system. Vapor pressure measurements were made in the temperature range 973" to 1273"K, remaining within the solid-solution region for each alloy studied. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The relative thermodynamic properties of solid Cu-Mn alloys were determined from vapor pressure measurements by means of the Knudsen effusion tech- nique. Several discussions of the theory can be found in the literature. In the case of copper and manganese, it is assumed that manganese is the only component subliming, so the vapor pressure of manganese over the various alloys can be determined directly by measuring the weight loss of the effusion cell. This is a valid assumption since the vapor pressure of manganese is about four orders of magnitude higher than the vapor pressure of copper in the temperature region of interest. The vapor pressure of manganese over the alloys at any given temperature is then related to the weight loss of the effusion cell per unit area per unit time. An upper limit of 1.5 x 10"s has been measured for the ratio of polyatomic to monoatomic molecules for manganese vapor in equilibrium with solid manganese at 1180°K, so it was assumed that manganese vapor is monoatomic. The effusion cells, fabricated from high-purity alumina, are 26 mm high, 18 mm OD, and have a wall thickness of 1 mm. Three different sized holes of 2.03, 2.54, and 3.18 mm diam were drilled in the lids from the inside face to minimize chipping, and the lids were then slip-cast onto the cells to provide a gas-tight seal. Alumina was selected for this particular application both because of its resistance to thermal shock and reaction with manganese vapor. In the ideal case, the orifice of the effusion cell should have a knife edge so that effusion through the orifice

Jan 1, 1970