Search Documents

By John J. Sammarco, Edward F. Fries

This report (Independent Functional Safety Assessment 4.0) is the fifth in a nine-part series of recommendations addressing the functional safety of processor-controlled mining equipment. It is part of a risk-based system safety process encompassing hardware, software, humans, and the operating environment for the equipment’s life cycle. Figure 1 shows a safety framework containing these recommendations. The reports in this series address the various life cycle stages of inception, design, approval and certification, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning. These recommendations were developed as a joint project between the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. They are intended for use by mining companies, original equipment manufacturers, and aftermarket suppliers to these mining companies. Users of these reports are expected to consider the set in total during the design cycle. • 1.0 Safety Introduction.—This is an introductory report for the general mining industry. It provides basic system/software safety concepts, discusses the need for mining to address the functional safety of programmable electronics (PE), and includes the benefits of implementing system/software safety program. • 2.1 System Safety and 2.2 Software Safety.—These reports draw heavily from International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard IEC 61508 [IEC 1998a,b,c,d,e,f,g] and other standards. The scope is “surface and underground safety-related mining systems employing embedded, networked, and nonnetworked programmable electronics.” System safety seeks to design safety into all phases of the entire system. Software is a subsystem; thus, software safety is a part of the system’s safety. • 3.0 Safety File.—This report contains the documentation that demonstrates the level of safety built into the system and identifies limitations for the system’s use and operation. In essence, it is a “proof of safety” that the system and its operation meets the appropriate level of safety for the intended application. It starts from the beginning of the design, is maintained during the full lifecycle of the system, and provides administrative support for the safety program of the full system. • 4.0 Safety Assessment.—The independent assessment of the safety file is addressed. It establishes consistent methods to determine the completeness and suitability of safety evidence and justifications. This assessment could be conducted by an independent third party. • 5.0 Safety Framework Guidance.—It is intended to supplement the safety framework reports with guidance providing users with additional information. The purpose is to assist users in applying the concepts presented. In other words, the safety framework is what needs to be done and the guidance is the how it can be done. The guidance information reinforces the concepts, describes various methodologies that can be used, and gives examples and references. It also gives information on the benefits and drawbacks of various methodologies. The guidance reports are not intended to promote a single methodology or to be an exhaustive treatment of the subject material. They provide information and references so that the user can more intelligently choose and implement the appropriate methodologies given the user’s application and capabilities. [ ]

Jan 5, 2003

By R. Bonifaz

The Chagres Smelter, part of the Anglo American plc group situated 80 Km north of Santiago in Chile, completed a series of operational improvement in 2005 resulting in an optimum capacity in its operational units. At present the Chagres Smelter has developed an operational strategy which seeks to reduce bottle-necks in the production process. In this way we have managed to lower operational cost, decrease energy consumption and maximize the capacity of the Acid, Oxygen, and Smelting, Converting, Refining and Casting units. A constant application of international benchmarks together with continuous staff improvement and the latest smelter technology have combined to place Chagres among the finest smelting works in the world. In response to environmental challenges, we have studying various options for investment suitable for a profitable business of benefits to both Anglo American and Chile as a whole. The most relevant technical indicators are the figures : Energy consumption less than 6,3 GJ/ton fine copper, Intensity of smelting rate in Flash Smelting unit of 6900 ton of copper concentrate/m2 settler of furnace area and be one of the top five smelter in direct cash cost .

Jan 1, 2007

By T. Ahokainen, J. Pitkälä, J. L. Xia, A. Jokilaakso, J. Vaamo

"The aim of the present paper is to use the two CFD codes to model the two phase flow in a water model ladle with central gas injection. The codes examined are CFX and Phoenics. An Eulerian two phase model is used and predictions are compared against the experimental data available. The results show that the codes can reasonably well predict the gas-liquid plume in the ladle, and predictions are generally in a good agreement with experimental data. However, differences do exist in predicting the gas volume fraction and velocity profiles. The results should be interpreted most carefully and cautiously, because they are very sensitive to the boundary conditions and dependent on the models for the physical phenomena involved. IntroductionSubmerged gas injection has widely been used in the metallurgical industry for more than a century. At the present, the use of gas is most effective in steelmaking industry where the advantages of the gas injection have already been long well understood. Effective mixing, large contact area between reactants, easy modifications and flexibility of the processes are the most important advantages. Disadvantages include refractory wear, blocking in the tuyeres, and splashing. These disadvantages can be reduced and advantages further improved by studying the flow phenomenon in process vessels. However, it is difficult to study flow in a real vessel because of the high temperatures and physical and mathematical modelling is therefore increasingly used in the process development work."

Jan 1, 1999

By T van Niel, M Trefry, B Baker, I Rea, A Hawdon, D McJannet, D Boadle, R Fandrich, A Littleboy

Many open cut mines extend to depths well below the natural water table level with constant dewatering required to maintain operations. When mining activities cease the groundwater starts to fill the void and pit lakes form. The resultant pit lake is directly connected to the surrounding water table and understanding the hydrological and chemical evolution of these lakes is important for minimising environmental impacts. In Western Australia alone there are currently 1800 mine voids and more than 150 mines operating below the water table (Johnson and Wright, 2003). In conjunction with BHP Billiton Iron Ore, CSIRO has been undertaking research to measure and model rates of evaporation from pit lakes in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Extreme high temperatures and low humidity ensures that this region experiences the highest evaporation rates in Australia.CITATION:McJannet, D, Hawdon, A, Boadle, D, Baker, B, van Neil, T, Littleboy, A, Trefry, M, Rea, I and Fandrich, R, 2016. Measurements and modelling of evaporation from abandoned mine pit lakes, in Proceedings Life-of-Mine 2016 Conference, pp 106–109 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jun 28, 2016

By Jack S. Greber

The mining industry generates an estimated 2.3 billion tons of solid waste each year and the total accumulated mineral resource solid waste at both active and inactive mine sites, approaches 30 billion tons. Five industries generate 85 percent of mine solid waste: copper, phosphate, iron, uranium, and coal. Over the past several years, the Federal government has shown increasing interest in the proper disposal of solid wastes generated by the mining industry. Three new pieces of federal legislation have been passed recently beginning with the most comprehensive regulatory authorization passed in 1976, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) which has been amended to the Solid Waste Disposal Act Amendments of 1980. RCRA is implemented and enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and intended to control municipal and industrial solid wastes. Next came the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 which is implemented and enforced by the Department of Interior to control coal surface mining and the surface effects of underground coal mining, and finally, the recent Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (UMTRCA) of 1978 implemented by EPA and enforced by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to control uranium mill tailings disposal.

Jan 1, 1981

"Standing 92 stories high and just over 1,362 ft tall, Chicago’s Trump International Hotel and Tower is perfectly positioned at the center of one of the world’s most impressive skylines.The Tower serves as a link between its famous predecessors, Willis Tower (formerly, the Sears Tower) to the south and the John Hancock Building to the north. Originally planned to be the world’s tallest building, the project was scaled back when the developers started questioning the need for super-tall buildings after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In its River North neighborhood, Trump Tower dominates the skyline as a symbol of Chicago’s last great building boom, standing triumphantly over other high-profile projects that have been postponed due to current economic realities.It is often said that the three most important factors in real estate are location, location and location. This maxim was not forgotten by The Trump Organization when the site was selected for the International Hotel and Tower. Located two blocks west of Michigan Avenue and Chicago’s famed Magnificent Mile, the site is bound by the historic Wrigley Building to the east, Wabash Avenue to the north and west, and the Chicago River to the south. The building’s position along a bend in the Chicago River allows visitors and residents unobstructed views to the mouth of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Site ChallengesUnderneath the site there are approximately 10 to 20 ft of sand and urban fill underlain by soft Chicago blue clay. At 75 ft in depth, the soft clay transitions into Chicago hardpan, a very hard till that was consolidated by the glaciers over 10,000 years ago. Below the hardpan, the till turns granular with cobbles, boulders and water under pressure. Bedrock is about 100 ft below existing grade and has a weathered surface with fractures and clay seams. Unweathered limestone bedrock is sound and hard with unconfined compressive strengths of 10,000 to 20,000 psi."

Jan 1, 2009

By M A. Noppé

Mining is inherently a risk-based business and risk governance is an integral part of corporate assurance and business decision-making. Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves are the key assets for a minerals company and senior management/company boards require assurance regarding the likely accuracy of estimated and reported technical information. Reviews and audits improve the level of assurance in the reliability of estimated short-term (grade control) estimates, reconciliation, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves.Peer reviews and audits contribute not only to governance processes, but also provide valuable technical improvement opportunities, as well as mentoring and professional development guidance to those whose work is being reviewed. Technical review is particularly crucial at a time in the industry when companies are running lean or perhaps inexperienced teams, with limited technical or management oversight.Despite both industry guidance and some companies’ standards expecting or requiring reviews and/or audits of Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve generation and reporting processes, it is surprising how infrequently or ineffectively these are actually carried out. Examples of governance systems are presented, which include appropriate peer review processes that if effectively applied, can identify shortcomings in technical processes and provide timely correction to prevent, or mitigate against, erroneous outcomes.Peer reviews are ideally carried out concurrently with the preparation of data, selection of estimation procedures and validation of outputs from Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation prior to the handover of results between disciplines, or the final reporting of results. Audits, on the other hand, are generally retrospective reviews by independent and/or external reviewers who rate the risks inherent with an already completed process, identifying opportunities for improvements in the future.This paper outlines the main components of peer reviews and audits, discussing how a combination of these can provide a structured and objective assurance system leading to systematic and disciplined processes to improve the effectiveness of, and confidence in, grade control, reconciliation, Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve risk management, and support good governance.CITATION:Noppé, M A, 2017. Improved assurance for Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimates and reporting through peer review and auditing, in Proceedings Tenth International Mining Geology Conference 2017, pp 143–148 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 20, 2017

By Hans Adden, Anne Lehan, Markus Thewes

"1. INTRODUCTION AND MOTIVATION Traditionally design processes are focussed at creating new tunnels for lowest building cost. But the trend towards sustainable constructions in tunnelling has greatly increased in recent years. A critical subtask of this approach is to realize the potential for optimizing and reducing the life-cycle costs (LCC) of tunnels and their components. To evaluate underground infrastructure projects from an economic point of view is therefore a highly topical subject of public authorities as well as private companies participating in Public Private Partnerships (PPP) projects. Nowadays, in the case of public works contracts, the contracting authorities shall draw up rules not only for the design but also for life-cycle costing. Within the scope of the decision-making process of building a new tunnel, planning the maintenance activities or the refurbishment of a tunnel in operation, the decision-makers need detailed knowledge about the current and future financial conditions of the planned projects and selected sub-measures. But in practice, the initial costs still represent the primary decision criterion in the planning phase, whereas the subsequent or follow-up costs, respectively, are only estimated roughly. Although tunnels are the key components and the most costly parts of the transport infrastructure, only a small number of scientific papers deal explicitly with the calculation of life-cycle costs for underground infrastructure. And in these cases, most authors use as the starting point only the basic form of the Net Present Value method which is known as the frequently applied life-cycle costing technique in building construction. The present study explains the strategic concept of life-cycle costing and its fundamental instruments for operational implementation. It shows the necessity to take into consideration that there are fundamental methodical problems when the life-cycle concept is transposed without modifications from building construction to civil engineering. The paper will discuss in detail some selected associated problems with the net present value method. On the basis of operational and safety related tunnel equipment it is shown, what impact this may have on principle determining the LCC of tunnels. Selected best-practices of maintenance planning for tunnels undertaken by the German Ministry of Transport fill the theoretical approach of the concept with life and give a practical orientation. In particular government authorities but also construction companies are interested parties in modern cost management considerations. The reason for this development is the replacement of aged excisting structures and the advancement of technical standards. The increase in the total numbers of tunnels (Fig. 1) as well as the need for future re-investments in existing tunnels show the overall economic impact and justify the change towards the life-cycle perspective."

Jan 1, 2016

By Karl Berger

Today we are talking about Industry 4.0, as the latest revolution of industrial processes and progress, considering that the steam engine (Industry 1.0), railways and cars, mass production in the 1920th (2.0), Industrial Automation (3.0), and finally integrated manufacturing, integrated communication, and internet (4.0) can be seen as the state-of-the-art situation in industry, nowadays. Similar to the Industry progress, we can approach the rolling process of material, which started about 150 years ago in a very basic way. Steam engine- and belt driven-mills were very operators’ intensive, brutal and risky to operate. Mechanical improvements brought throughput, safety and quantity, as also quality of the products. The rolling of steel, in particular of rails, beams, rebar, strip (focus in this paper) and plate has enabled the large scale transport and travel, the building of bridges and buildings, the manufacturing of ships and cars. From single stands to continuous rolling trains the production and quality of mills increased significantly. From ingots and blooms to slabs, we have to admit a big jump in which has changed the face of the world significantly. Thin Slab Rolling has revolutionized the output and the throughput of rolling mills (Generation 3.0 to 5.0). Finally, Endless Rolling, has boosted the quality and quantity of rolling mill processes and permitted nowadays to enter in market niches which were not thinkable a decade ago. Mastering the automation and applying reliable systems (mechanical and electronically) of drives, actuators and sensors, as also communication and information interchange to all levels of automation are the success factors of such complex mills, we call herein after “Rolling Mills of Generation 6.0”.

Aug 16, 2017

By L. B. Berger, W. P. Yant, George W. Jones

Improper combustion of natural gas is the cause of low efficiency in heating appliances , also the liberation of carbon monoxide , an insidious and deadly gas . Carbon monoxide is produced during the incomplete combustion of any carbonaceous material , and quantities as low as 0.2 per cent may product death in a very short time . For healthy atmospheric conditions in the home , in which the occupants are continuously exposed , carbon monoxide should not be present in amount greater than 0.01 per cent , which value is taken as the safety limit in this report . The tests herein reported give the conditions which produce carbon monoxide when radiant -fire heaters burning natural gas are used . The conclusions drawn are based on tests made on one type of radiant heater only , but the general conclusions should apply to other types of radiant heaters of similar construction . The gas consumption , gas pressure , orifice pressure , size of orifice , and heater adjustments were changed so as to obtain as many different operating conditions as possible . In a general way the tests were carried out under the same conditions that the heater might be operated in the home .

Feb 1, 1923

Many mining companies aim to integrate sustainability principles into their new projects. There is an intention for improvement, but frequently this results in little more than 'business as usual' projects that retrospectively categorise controls for environmental and social risks as sustainability initiatives as part of a public relations exercise. The successful implementation of sustainability requires a change of mind-set and behaviours at an organisational and personal level. In addition, sustainability incorporates a very wide range of interests and technical disciplines. One of the key challenges is in understanding how and when to pull these diverse threads together within a project or organisational process. This paper will explore a number of themes: What does it mean to implement a project in accordance with sustainability principles? How far beyond 'business as usual' is it reasonable to go, and what is the business case for this? Why do the intentions for sustainability sometimes fail and how can we prevent this happening in future? People are instrumental in delivering sustainability; how do we embed sustainability thinking into their behaviours and decision-making? The approaches that have been taken to integrating sustainability in design; what has and has not worked and some of the barriers to integrating sustainability into design? The authors will discuss these themes drawing on case studies from URS' experience in integrating sustainability into large projects. The authors will discuss the need for: a strategic approach which provides a simple framework for tactical decision-making and the consequences of taking tactical decisions in the absence of this framework, alignment of the project team and promotion of a culture of innovation, a shift from a risk/compliance mentality to an opportunity identification mindset, and a systematic approach to integrating sustainability into project design processes.

Jun 1, 2010

By John D. Morgan

The United States is the world's most productive nation and its citizens enjoy one of the highest material standards of living of any people in the world. Materials and energy are the lifeblood of any industrialized economy. Annually the United States uses over 4 billion tons of mineral materials and fuels, or 40,000 pounds per person as detailed in Figure 1. Domestic processed materials of mineral origin and energy are valued at more than $150 billion annually, and they are derived largely from domestic sources, supplemented by imports, as detailed in Figure 2. In recent years the superior productivity of the United States has also enabled it to give food and manufactured articles to many other less fortunate nations and peoples of the earth. What then is our concern with materials at this time? Seeing the burgeoning increases in our mineral demand: from 2 billion tons in 1950, to over 4 billion tons today, and projected to 11 billion tons by 2000 - we are getting questions concerning our ability to continue to increase production sufficiently for the future.

Jan 1, 1974

By C. M. Mason

The methods currently used by the Bureau of Mines to evaluate the sensitivity, strength, incendivity, gaseous products, and physical properties of explosives and hazardous chemicals are described. Included are the tests used to evaluate explosives which arc certified as permissible for use in underground coal mines.

Jan 1, 1972

"The Code was developed in 2004 through the Collaboration Agreement between Institution of Mining Engineers of Chile (IIMCh) and the Ministry of Mining (Chile) in Dec 2002. It is an amalgamation of current practices with respect to standards and procedures for exploration prospects, mineral resources, and reserves for the purpose of public reporting. Certification is required to prepare and issue information on mineral assets according to the guidelines that regulate the technical, economic, and environmental aspects that satisfy the conditions set by the Chilean capital and financial markets.The Mineral Resources Committee of the Instititution of Mining Engineers of Chile (IIMCh) is pleased to introduce theCode for the Certification of Exploration Prospects, Mineral Resources and Reserves which is the result of a Collaboration Agreement between the IIMCh and the Ministry of Mining established in December, 2002.This code synthetizes the present practice of the mining industry in regard to standards and procedures applied to exploration prospects, mineral resources, and reserves with the purpose of reporting publicly on financial instruments based on these mine assets in the capital markets. These standards follow general criteria already adopted and applied by capital markets in those countries characterized by a very dynamic and well developed mining sector such as Australia, Canada, Southafrica, United Kingdom, and others. The work done by the Mineral Resources Committee of the IIMCh has had the recognition of the Combined Reserves International Reporting Standards Committee (CRIRSCO) that leads the establishement of an international code in these matters. CRIRISCO is an entity formed by representatives of the countries previously mentioned, a representative of the Society of Mining Engineers of the UStates and a representative of the IIMCh. The Institution thanks the Ministry of Mining, the representatives of these Ministry in the Mineral Resources Committee, and specially the Minister of Mining, Sr. Alfonso Dulanto Rencoret due to the genuine support given to the IIMCh in the preparation of this Code.The Institution also thanks the Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros (SVS) because of the help given continuously to the Committee as well as by the interchange of opinions and suggestions received during the preparation of this document."

Jan 1, 2003

By P A. Collier

The general view of the author is that all the good intentions of manufacturers can fail completely if the variations in circumstances in underground mining are not considered at all times. With a belief that it is the customer that has the experience and know ledge of problems which occur on long installations. Reilloc talk with customers in coal mines around the world, and have done so from their inception. With considerable experience in their home market, their technical approach was received with enthusiasm by coal companies in both Australia and South Africa, and whilst experience was obtained in other countries, it is the particularly close working relationship in these two areas that is covered in this paper. The refinement of manufacturing techniques and the fine tuning of the specification to which the chain is made was developed in conjunction with factual underground experience obtained by customers as they sought to improve their productivity and a reduction in working costs. With a reliable product the mines are able to concentrate on improved operational techniques to extend the useful working life and plan for multi-panel usage of the chain.

Jan 5, 1996

By C. A. Heiland

IN the third year of war, geophysical oil exploration broke all records to keep pace with the demand for increased reserves. Geophysical prospecting for strategic and other minerals also grew in scope. The trend of geophysical oil exploration throughout the war is indicated in Fig. 1. This figure resembles the one presented in the last annual review issue of M&M (February 1944, p. 62), corrected for data on-operations in the last months of 1943 and extended into 1944. The average number of geophysical oil prospecting crews in the field in 1944 was 451, whereas the total in 1943 was 340. An upward trend in the use of all geophysical methods is clearly evident throughout the year. Seismic operations were 67 per cent, gravimeter surveys 28 per cent, and other methods 5 per cent of the total. Seismic reflection and refraction crews increased 181/2 per cent over the 1943 average, gravimeter operations increased 73 per cent, and other methods gained 92 per cent. The increase in seismic and gravimeter operations, particularly the latter, is probably due to an increased production of equipment and the organization of new service companies. Miscellaneous methods gained largely through a revival of magnetometer work, and an increase in the use of torsion balances and electrical equipment. In comparison with the prewar average of 1941, it is noteworthy that seismic operations increased 58 per cent, gravimeter operations 88 per cent, and miscellaneous other methods gained as much as 283 per cent. Unfortunately the expansion in the number of geophysical crews does not indicate a proportionate increase in efficiency or in areal coverage, as will be brought out later.

Jan 1, 1945

By T. A. Henrie

One objective of Project Gnome is to study the feasibility of a phase of the Plowshare program recovering thermal energy from an underground nuclear explosion. The test will be conducted in an underground salt deposit. It is anticipated that some of the energy thus released will be stored as thermal energy in molten salt. This report describes the pre-Gnome experiments conducted at the Federal Bureau of Mines Metallurgy Research Laboratory, Boulder City, Nev. The objectives of this study were to determine the problems involved in the recovery of thermal energy from molten salts to assist in planning the experimental program for the Gnome project.

Jan 1, 1961

By G. Bulut

The aim of this study is to produce desiccant clay from a well known Ca-bentonite deposit in Turkey. Towards this aim, bentonite samples were first procured and then subjected to some characterization tests. Various methods were applied to enhance the moisture adsorption capacity of bentonites to a desirable level. These methods include utilization of some additives namely calcium chloride and heat treatment at various temperatures. It is shown that the moisture adsorption capacity Ca-bentonites without any additive are between 14%~17 % (w/w) upon by heat treatment whereas the addition of calcium chloride significantly, raised the moisture adsorption capacities.

Jan 1, 2014

By Gailen T. Vandel

El presente texto describe la historia, geología, exploración, actividades de explotación como parte de la construcción de la planta de beneficio en la Bahía de San Nicolás, Marcona. Dicho proyecto contempla una ampliación del la planta de chancado y almacenamiento de la mina, así como la faja transportadora de bajada a San Nicolás y red de carreteras. Asimismo se incluye la planta eléctrica Diessel y transmisión, el muelle y zona abycente, la expansión de esta planta para el tratamiento del chancado, la planta de la peletización y la planta térmica. Con la implementación de estos elementos a la planta de Marcona, se convertirá a la región en uno de los centros industriales de mayor importancia en Sudamérica.

Jul 20, 1961

By David Tisdale, Phillip Mackey, Nagendra Tripathi, Matthew Kreuh, Pascal Coursol

Xstrata Nickel’s Sudbury smelter operation is based on fluid bed roasting of Ni-Cu sulphide concentrate, followed by electric furnace reductive smelting and Peirce-Smith converting to produce a Bessemer matte for electro refining, along with sulphuric acid produced from smelter gas. While the site dates back to the 1930s, the present smelter configuration has been operational since 1978, and currently has a nominal capacity of about 67,000 tpy of contained nickel and is investigating options to expand in future up to 85,000 tpy. As part of a review of plant capacity options, a new metallurgical model of the plant was developed in order to examine a number of processing alternatives. Based on the METSIM™ platform, the present model includes the ability to examine the impact of a number of plant parameters on potential plant performance including; for example, the following: percent of sulphur elimination in roasting, matte grade, degree of matte metallization, temperature, coke requirements, sulphuric acid production, CO2 emissions and overall energy requirements. The process model also includes a number of special features adopted; for example, approaches to effectively model the complex Ni-Cu-Co-Fe-S-O matte system. This paper provides a description of the model and gives an overview of the results. As well as presenting the results of the present study, the applicability of this modeling approach to pyrometallurgical systems in general is also briefly discussed in the paper.

Jan 1, 2009