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By Shan Mafi

he Broken Aro coal mine is located at the Woodbury Wildlife Preserve 11 km (7 miles) west of Coshocton, OH on State Route 541. Underground min¬ing at the 16-hm2 (40-acre) site took place during the 1910s. During the past five years, surface mining has occurred along the western and northern perimeters of the underground region. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), R&F Coal and American Electric Power (AEP) are involved in a project to remine the abandoned underground complex. The program also includes installing a mine seal made of fixated flue gas desulfurization (FGD) material. Previous mining activity in this area has resulted in an acid mine drainage (AMD) problem on portions of the reserve. In particular, a prominent AMD source is present in the Simmons Run drainage. The project goal is to eliminate or reduce the AMD that is discharging into the watershed. It was initially hoped that the Simmons Run drainage area could be economically mined. Accordingly, this area was included in the mine permit. However, experience with other previously mined areas on this reserve showed that the old mine workings were more extensive than originally thought. Old mine workings present several problems. The most significant are reduced coal recovery, poor coal quality and AMD liability. All of these problems increase mining costs. And the more extensive the old workings, the more significant the increase in cost. Based on R&F's experience with old mine workings in this area, it was decided that economic recovery of the Simmons Run drainage reserve was not possible. As a result, R&F excluded the Simmons Run drainage area from its early mine plans. Some time after it was decided not to affect the Simmons Run drainage area, R&F and ODNR's Division of Mining and Reclamation discussed the possibility of removing this area from the permit and attempting to correct the AMD problem as an Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) project. Specifically, the discussion centered around mining through a portion of the old mine workings to expose the mine openings in the highwall. Once exposed, the mine openings would be sealed using FGD material from the nearby Conesville power plant operated by AEP. In addition, there was interest in reclaiming the old tipple and associated gob pile located adjacent to Coshocton County Road 17 on the opposite side of Simmons Run. R&F attempted to eliminate the AMD problem by sealing the mine openings with FGD material. Once the seals were installed, they were covered with overburden. Monitoring wells were installed to determine the effectiveness of the seal and the inundation progress in the old mine workings as well as monitoring the quality of ground water. The project was jointly funded by revenue from the sale of the coal recovered during the project and AML funds. The FGD seal is expected to cause well water levels to increase above preseal elevations. However, the additional head pressure due to increased water depths in the underground mine may cause seepage through the bottom of the mine or out through the perimeter. The in¬creased water depth in the underground mine is expected to cause lower oxygen concentrations in the underground mine water. Since acidity is produced by oxidation of iron pyrites, less oxygen should result in better quality water. Monitoring wells will be installed before seal installation so that pre- and postseal water levels and well water quality can be determined. Surface sampling locations will be identified. These will be monitored before and after seal placement.

Jan 1, 1998

By Donald E. Stump

Subsidence from underground coal mining alters surface water discharge and availability. The magnitude and areal extent of these impacts are dependent on many factors, including the amount of subsidence, topography, geology, climate, surface water - ground water interactions, and fractures in the overburden. These alterations may have positive and/or negative impacts. One of the most significant surface water impacts occurred in July 1957 near West Pittston, Pennsylvania. Subsidence in the Knox Mine under the Coxton Yards of the Lehigh Valley Railroad allowed pan of the discharge in the Susquehanna River to flow into the mine and create a crater 200 feet in diameter and 300 feet deep. Fourteen railroad gondola cars fell into the hole which was eventually filled with rock, sand, and gravel. Other surface water impacts from subsidence may include the loss of water to the ground water system, the gaining of water from the ground water system, the creation of flooded subsidence troughs, the increasing of impoundment storage capacity, the relocation of water sources (springs), and the alteration of surface drainage patterns.

Jan 1, 1986

By E. A. Metz

Ergonomics is the art and science that tries to understand the complex interrelationships among employees, their work environment, equipment, work methods and job demands. Coal and metal/nonmetal miners are exposed to a higher number of ergonomic risk factors than in non-mining occupations. In addition, studies have shown that these miners experience more degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis than comparable industrial populations. A general discussion of the risk factors that cause overexertion injuries and disorders will be presented. In addition, the basic principles of ergonomics will be discussed with specific cases to show how successful programs have been developed. A successful ergonomics program should simultaneously improve health and enhance productivity.

Jan 1, 2002

By Ralph T. Buscarello

For practical purposes, the terms "natural frequency," "resonance" and "critical speed" are synonymous. A part passing though its "critical" or "critical speed" may also be said to be "resonant" or "resonating." The vibrations of a precisely balanced part can be magnified by the structure in which it is assembled. Anyone who has driven an automobile knows that it will vibrate more at a certain speed than at others. According to the formula for centrifugal force, vibration should increase steadily with a rise in rpm. What happens instead is that the vibration not only in- creases with r m. but suddenly rises at a much higher rate through the critical speed, and then apparently smooths out as the rpm passes beyond it. To visualize what happens, consider a simple flat spring with a weight mounted at one end. When the spring is deflected by pulling down on the weight and then letting it go, the spring will oscillate, and the spring-and-weight system will vibrate at its natural frequency. If the timing or direction bf the impulses imparted to the spring did not coincide with its natural frequency, the result would be an irregular vibration that would not build up. If, on the other hand, the timing and direction of the impulses did coincide with the spring's natural frequency, the result would be a larger and larger amplitude. If the impulses were continued indefinitely, the amplitude of the spring's vibrations would go on rising [while its frequency stayed the same] until the spring broke or the amplitude of the vibrations reached an equilibrium [because frictional or other forces would tend to damp it]. Resonance magnifies the amplitude of vibrations in a relatively undamped system between 100 to 200 times over that of nonresonant vibrations. Frictional or viscous damping often reduces the magnification [from 10 to 20 times], but even with this reduction the amplitude would still be large enough to cause excessive wear, and sometimes even fractures. For example, a blower might show only 0.001 in. of vibration on the manufacturer's test stand. Installed, the blower could pass into its critical speed [the speed at which the frequency of the vibrations caused by the rotor coincides with the supporting structure's natural frequency], and the 0.001 in. of vibration could be resonated to 0.010 in., or as much as 0.020 in. The cure for such a condition would not be to lower the vibration of the blower by further balancing or better alignment but to separate the two frequencies by at least 20 to 30%.

Jan 1, 1970

By M. A. D. Azevedo, J. D. Miller, R. Kobler, E. Mutkowska

Up to 3 million tons of automotive shredder residue (ASR) is generated annually in United States. Plastics are the most valuable component of the ASR material making up approximately 25% of the total weight. In order to reuse these plastics, a selective process is required to separate each plastic, with very high purity and favorable economics. One separation technique, which may be able to selectively recover the plastics from ASR, is flotation. The preliminary flotation results have demonstrated that acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC) can be selectively separated from the model ASR feed, the PC/ABS/PA 66 system, by appropriate control of the surface chemistry.

Jan 1, 2001

By Harry E. LeGrand

The purpose of this paper is to outline briefly some basic principles of ground-water hydrology that have application in mine hydrology and to suggest that an understanding of these principles can help to forestall problems that are internal as regards mining operations and external as regards damage or harm to surrounding areas. The development of a mine below the water table pleads for accurate values to answers of hydrologic problems. Such internal problems involve both an inflow of water without adequate drainage facilities and a deficiency of water for the required mining or milling use. Methods which give acceptable quantitative values for the solution of many ground-water problems depend on rather simple geologic structures, characterized chiefly by homogeneous rocks of considerable areal extent. Unfortunately, mining operations are likely to be centered where rocks are not homogeneous. Consequently, methods that attempt to show values of the storage and transmitting capacity of rocks in mining areas must be applied with caution. In spite of complex geology and apparent uniqueness of individual mines and quarries, adherence to some concepts of ground-water occurrence and movement should be helpful to mine operators. Mining operations that extend below the water table disturb the natural hydrologic regimen. Prior to development, the water table slopes away from the site of a mine in at least one direction, but as soon as development begins and water is removed from the mine, the mine becomes the apex of a depressed cone in the water table, causing a convergence in the flow of water toward the mine, The behavior of the cone of depression, as it tends to deepen and to increase in areal extent when the mine is deepened, is related to the rate of withdrawal of water necessary to keep the mine dry. The significance and nature of the cone of depression in the vicinity of pumped wells has been studied by ground-water hydrologists for years, but the cone caused by pumping water from mines has generally been less systematically appraised. The geologic and hydrologic settings of mines range greatly so that a simple standard procedure for dealing with problems

Jan 1, 1972

By Taekhee Lee, Steven Mischler, Shawn Vanderslice

Diesel-powered equipment is widely used in the underground mining industry and their popularity results from properties including efficiency, versatility, reliability, and durability. In the U.S. approximately 7,700 diesel engines were used in 177 underground metal and nonmetal mines as of 2005 [MSHA 2005], and these numbers have likely increased since that time. Diesel engines have been shown to be a major contributor to submicron carbonaceous, respirable, and total particulate mass in the air of underground metal mines [Zielinska et al. 2002, McDonald et al. 2003], and their extensive use results in approximately 13,000 underground metal/nonmetal (M/NM) miners (MSHA 2005) in the U.S. being potentially exposed to aerosols and gases emitted by diesel engines (MSHA 2001, MSHA 2006). Exposure to diesel exhaust has been linked to adverse health outcomes including cancer, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases (Attfield et al. 2012, Silverman et al. 2012), and in 2012 diesel exhaust was categorized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 1 human carcinogen (IARC 2012). Exposure to diesel particulate matter (DPM) is especially concerning for underground miners since underground mine environments have been shown to have some of the highest levels of diesel exhaust in the U.S. (EPA 2002, MSHA 2001, MSHA 2006, Pronk et al. 2009). Due to the potential for elevated DPM concentrations in mines, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) promulgated a rule to limit exposures of metal/ nonmetal underground miners to DPM to an eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 160 μg/m3 total carbon (TC) (MSHA 2001, MSHA 2006, MSHA 2008). Since this rule went into effect, DPM exposures have been reduced, but are still elevated when compared to other occupations (Pronk et al. 2009, Noll et al. 2015). MSHA compliance data between 2005 to the present show that underground blasters represent 21% of all DPM overexposures in M/NM mines and are one of the highest exposed professions in mining often resulting from low ventilation in the area where blasters are working. Because mines have difficulty controlling DPM in these low ventilation areas, additional control technologies may be needed to reduce exposures. Administrative controls, where miners work on off schedules or upstream of diesel vehicles to avoid the exposures to DPM (Noll et al. 2015) is one possibility, but these types of solutions are not always feasible or practical. A canopy air curtain is another potential control technology to help reduce exposures of blasters to DPM. Listak and Beck (2012) showed that this control technology reduced respirable dust concentration under a roof bolter’s canopy by 67%–75% and recommended air velocities greater than 0.5 m/s for dust reductions of greater than 50%. Additional work showed that a canopy air curtain could be designed for a shuttle car, and some initial testing by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) showed reductions of respirable mine dust between 66% to 70%. As seen in Figure 1, the canopy air curtain delivers clean air over the operator’s breathing zone. A fan draws in air through a filter to capture the dust and then supplies clean air beneath the canopy where a miner is working. The use of the canopy air curtain to reduce exposures to diesel particulate matter was first discussed by Noll et al. (2020). In this study the diesel canopy air curtain (DCAC) reduced the DPM concentrations under the canopy by up to 90%. For this research the DCAC was designed to attach to the basket cover of an ammonium nitrate fuel oil ( ANFO) loader (Figure 2) and provide clean air blowing over the miners as they work in the basket. The initial tests used clean air drawn from the mine’s intake and did not try to filter the DPM from the air. Filtering DPM has extra challenges when compared to filtering mine dust particles. The particles of DPM are smaller (submicron and nanometer) than dust particles (greater than 1 micron); therefore, the filtration system must be adjusted to capture submicron particles. A MERV 13 filter was used in previous canopy air curtain research on mine dust control, but this filter is only designed to capture 50%–75% of submicron particles, and this capture efficiency is too low for removing DPM, so a higher efficiency filter is needed. Higher efficiency filters increase the pressure across the filter media which results in decreased airflow or leaks around the filter and reduces the effectiveness of the control for protecting miners from DPM. The optimal filter needs to capture DPM particles at a high efficiency while still allowing the needed airflows to prevent contaminated air from entering the miner’s breathing zone. Listak and Beck (2012) recommended velocities greater than 0.5 m/s for dust reductions of greater than 50%. However, airflows too high have been shown to reduce miners’ thermal comfort; Roghanchi et al. (2016) suggest the optimal velocity for thermal comfort is between 1–2 m/s. Thus, airflow over the miner should be limited to the range of 0.5 to 2.0 m/s. This current study presents the results from research evaluating the reduction of DPM concentrations, under the DCAC, when using a higher efficiency filter (MERV 16) to remove DPM from the DCAC airstream.

Feb 1, 2024

By James B. Fletcher

The Miami mine is located near the town of Miami, Gila County, Arizona. The Miami mine started mining in 1910 and finished in July, 1959. The orebody was divided and mined as follows: Tons High Grade 24,400,000 - Top slicing, sub-level caving, etc. Low Grade 105,100,000 - Block caving Mixed ore 9,800,000 - " Low Grade #2 13,100,000 - " Total Mining 152,400,000 GEOLOGY Ore minerals are largely in pre-Cambrian Pinal schist intruded by tertiary Schultz granite porphyry and covered to some extent by Quarternary Gila conglomerate. The structures are highly faulted and shattered. The Miami fault on the east cuts off the ore and the Pinto fault on the southwest caused re-oxidation of enriched sulphides producing mixed ore. MINERALOGY The chief mineral is chalcocite, with chalcopyrite, bornite, covellite, malachite, azurite, chrysocola, cuprite, native copper, and molybdenite as minor minerals. The ore minerals occur in seams, veinlets and disseminated particles. In block caving there is always some dilution, and drawing of ore stops when the grade drops past an economical point. This results in a small amount of copper left in the stopes below the capping. There is some copper in the capping, probably below 0.03% or less than 0.6 lbs. per ton. Over the low grade #2 orebody and portions of the high grade there was an oxide capping which was not mined. The crushed pilars are another source of copper. The leaching at Miami is an attempt to recover this last remaining copper of a worked-out mine. The enrichment at the Miami mine had gone more nearly to completion than most ore bodies in the southwest. There is practically no pyrite in the capping and very little in the ore.

Jan 1, 1971

By Peter N. Blakey

The Kidd Creek orebody is a massive, base metal deposit with widths up to 600 feet and a strike length of 2,200 feet. The orebody dips eastwards at 70° to 80° and is amenable to sub-level open stoping. Five distinct zones (Fig.1) based on structural wall rocks and ore type parameters occur within the orebody. These zones are: Zone 1 - Mainly copper stringer ore Zone 2 - Massive pyrite ore Zone 3 - Massive sphalerite and chalcopyrite Zones 4 and 5 - Are banded and variable in nature Compressive strengths vary from zone to zone with an average of 22,000 p.s.i. and highs of 40,000 p.s.i. The mine is developed from a ramp extending from surface to the 1600 foot level and a 24 foot diameter, 3050 foot vertical shaft with main levels at 400 foot intervals. Sub-levels at 100 foot vertical intervals are driven from the ramp. transverse and longitudinal pillars to support the crown pillar left under the open pit. The layout allows an opportunity to enlarge or reduce pillar sizes and also to introduce fill on any horizon should conditions warrant. It also offers a large number of operating stopes spread through the various ore zones giving good ore blending characteristics. All ore from the stopes is handled through drawpoints using Wagner ST8 scooptrams with an average one way haul length of 650 feet.

Jan 1, 1976

By C. Ottergren

A process does not have higher capacity than what can pass through its bottleneck. Acknowledging this, and with the goal to optimize production at a minimum investment, one can use existing equipment, modify the process flow and make a few strategic capital investments. Automatic setting regulation is a technology that allows balanced crusher performance matching minute changes in feed material characteristics. The system makes it possible to utilize the crushers fully at all times. It also continuously and completely compensates for manganese liner wear.

Jan 1, 1999

By H. R. Manouchehri

"Pyrrhotite (Po) is one of the most abundant sulfide minerals in processing industry and must be rejected in most cases. Particularly, Po rejection and its selectivity against pentlandite (Pn) have long been a challenge due to similarities in the mineral composition of the two minerals and the collectorless flotation characteristics of Po. Xanthates have been widely used to promote sulfide mineral flotation; however, in the presence of xanthates, the redox potential established at the mineral/solution interface is most important, determining the flotation performance. In this paper, the importance of electrochemistry in Po and Pn flotation has been demonstrated and a comprehensive study was conducted on two different feed streams (i.e., magnetic concentrate and scavenger cleaner streams, containing magnetic and nonmagnetic forms of Po, respectively), from Vale’s Clarabelle Mill in Sudbury, Ontario, with an objective to determine if improvements in Po rejection and Pn recovery could be achieved by controlling pulp electrochemistry. By conducting a series of flotation tests under different Eh conditions and reagent usage schemes, it was revealed that higher Po content in the magnetic stream may protect Pn from being oxidized, improving Pn recovery. The results indicated that at low oxidizing pulp chemistry, the rest potential for the Pn is still high enough to allow the formation of dixanthogen to promote its flotation. Using a Pt electrode, it was found that by controlling pulp potential at -50<Eh< +50 mV, the Pn recovery and Po depression would be satisfactory. The results, using mineral electrodes (Outotec Chena analyzer), indicated that selective separation can be achieved if low-to-moderate oxidation potentials (0 to 100 mV) or reduction (0 to -100 mV) potentials are monitored using Pn and Po electrodes. Mixing two streams at 50:50 wt % would be possibly beneficial in selective separation.IntroductionPyrrhotite (Po), Fe1-xS, is one of the most abundant sulfide minerals in the processing industry. It is an iron-deficient sulfide that occurs either in monoclinic or hexagonal form. The monoclinic one is richer in sulfur and is ferromagnetic, whereas the hexagonal Po is poorer in sulfur and has no magnetic properties. In general, the ferromagnetic properties of natural Po increase with increasing sulfur content. Although Po holds significant iron content, it is not used as a feedstock for the iron and steel industry due to the difficulty in achieving complete removal of sulfur. The common availability of iron oxide ores makes the iron sulfides irrelevant for the steel industry."

Jan 1, 2015

By Neal Rackstraw, Mamo Meaza

Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority Section E8a consists principally of twin tunnels 1,713 meters (5,620 ft) long, excavated to a diameter of 6.35 meters (20.83 ft) using an open face shield, with a primary lining of four unbolted precast concrete segments expanded at the crown, and a full circle unreinforced concrete final lining with a finished tunnel diameter of 5.08 meters (16.67 ft). The tunnels, constructed in Cretaceous age sediments, are mostly in stiff to hard clay except for a few areas along the alignment that contain dense to very dense fine sand in the upper portion of the tunnel that created a mixed face condition. At two locations unexpected heavy water inflows produced very serious problems in both tunnels. Water flows in the interface area were generally more than 378.5 1pm (100 gpm) and reached as high as 2,649.5 1pm (700 gpm) in the mixed face ground. The nature of the tunnel inflows, the consequences, and the corrective measures adopted will be the subject of this paper.

Jan 1, 1991

By D. J. Turk

Stillwater Mining Company’s, Nye Operation has been producing PGM concentrate since 1987.Several expansions have allowed for increasing capacity from the initial rate of 500 tons per day, to its present capacity of 3,000 tons per day. The expansions were performed with minimal impact upon production and maximum utilization of the existing equipment. The latest expansion incorporates a 6’ X 18’ SAG mill, 13’ X 20’ Ball mill, pebble crusher, rougher flotation cells, 1250 Hp tertiary grinding mill, middling and scavenger flotation cells, and cleaner column flotation cells. This paper will describe the concentrator flow sheet, and controls for improved concentrator performance.

Jan 1, 2000

By J. Bilant, J. Donnelly

"A spatially-discretized heap leach simulation model was developed within the GoldSimTM modeling framework for the Coeur Rochester Mine, Nevada. The model is being evaluated by Rochester as a means of improving forecasting of silver and gold production on an actively loaded valley fill heap leach facility. Optimization of future heap leach operations and crusher product size is also being evaluated with this software. Simulation modeling incorporates metallurgical data such as mine planning, particle size distribution of placed ore, stacking plans, pad geometry, and leaching dynamics. The heap leach model is represented as a discretized matrix with lifts providing vertical separation to form 19,840 spatially discrete cells. Each cell is quantified with regard to ore properties and metal content. The model tracks solution and cyanide-complexed silver and gold within each cell as a function of time based on pad operations, unsaturated flow properties, and kinetic rates. Practical heap leach management and daily operation will be discussed as it relates to the simulation and forecasting model. INTRODUCTION The Rochester mine, and associated valley fill heap leach facilities, is an open-pit silver and gold mine located in Pershing County, Nevada. In 2015 Rochester produced approximately 4.6M troy oz silver (Ag) and 52K troy oz gold (Au) through combined cyanide heap leaching of the Stage II, III and IV heap leach pads with recovery via a Merrill Crowe process plant. Rochester is actively stacking and leaching ore on the Stage III Heap Leach Pad. The Stage III pad contains approximately 70M tons of ore in a valley fill configuration and is forecasted to receive an additional 20M tons of ore by the life-of-pad in 2019. The ultimate height of the pad is permitted to be 400 ft above the liner and solution collection system. Approximately 80 percent of the ore loaded on the Stage III pad is produced from tertiary crushing split from two crushing circuits that produce a nominal 80 percent passing 3/8” product. The remaining material consists of run-of-mine (ROM) from off loads of re-mined waste rock stockpiles. Metallurgical testing of the ore indicates low variability in geologic properties and high variability of both Ag and Au extraction rates for the various particle size distributions. Historically the valley fill configuration provided metal forecasting challenges that could not be predicted as the leach pads grew. Forecasting metal production and leach optimization of the Stage III pad became challenging due to the extreme variation in heap leach pad depth, application of available barren leach solution and the variability of Ag and Au extraction rates for the various ore particle size distributions. To assist with understanding and optimizing metal production forecasting with these factors for the Stage III pad, Hatch developed a spatially-discretized heap leach simulation model using GoldsimTM dynamic simulation software. The model incorporates metallurgical data such as mine planning (tonnages and grade), particle size distribution, ore crushing, ore stacking plan, pad geometry, and both leaching dynamics and kinetics to forecast metal production from a consolidated mine plan."

Jan 1, 2017

By J. A. Marshall

"INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential for use of UAVs in underground mines and present a prototype design for a novel autorotating UAV platform for underground 3D data collection. The mining industry has recently shown increased interest in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to assist in everyday operations [20, 11, 4]. Above ground, small UAVs are in some cases a more efficient, inexpensive, and safer alternative to manned aircrafts currently used for photography, inspection and security [6, 10]. For example, attaching camera, infrared and LiDAR payloads, UAVs can provide a low-cost method of obtaining highly accurate 3D photogrammetric data and aerial photography. UAVs are now commonly used in open pit mining operations for applications that include stockpile surveying, 3D pit modelling, facilities management, accident reporting, progress monitoring, and environmental assessment [11]. There are numerous companies offering UAV services for mining applications; e.g., UAV Geomatics, Leica Geosystems, Sky Futures, SenseFly and FlyTerra, to name just a few. Common services include stockpile and open pit volume computations, environmental assessment, aerial mapping and photogrammetry. Although the aforementioned services are thosemost commonly provided by UAV surveying companies, they may also add value to other daily mining operations. For instance, SenseFly offers pre and post-blast monitoring in order to identify the presence of misfires and wall damage. This data can also be used to reconcile the blast results with expected results. GEM Systems offers a UAV equipped with a magnetometer for mineral exploration surveys. Companies such as Barrick have even used UAVs for solids modelling at tailings dams and stability monitoring [11]. UAVs in mining have so far been mostly limited to surface applications. Harsh underground environments pose many obstacles for flying UAVs. The confined space, dampness, reduced visibility, air movement, and lack of control signal propagation hinders most operators from being able to fly a drone underground. It may be that truly practical uses for UAVs underground will require either autonomous or semi-autonomous flight capabilities. Although there are many difficulties with flying underground, the potential benefits from a working system could greatly improve mining operations. The potential benefits of deploying UAV platforms underground include access to unreachable and dangerous locations and removing personnel from unsafe situations. These benefits have the potential to greatly improve mine monitoring and mine safety. Research has shown that current UAV technologies exist that allow for autonomous indoor flight. Extensive research has been done to develop UAV systems that are capable of performing on-board simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), which can allow them to navigate and map a foreign environment autonomously [5, 7, 1, 13]. Grzonka [7] successfully used an open hardware quadrotor to autonomously navigate and map an office building. The research outlines the localization, mapping, path planning, height estimation and control of the autonomous quadrotor. Other research has been done that exploits autonomous UAVs for search and rescue. Kassecker [9] proposed a software and hardware framework for a quadrotor capable of indoor and outdoor urban search and rescue and Rudol [19] developed a system for human body detection and geolocalization using an autonomous UAV.The use of autonomous UAVs in search and rescue has the potential to improve situational awareness and surveillance for a rescue team. Similar research has been done that uses autonomous UAVs for indoor exploration. Pravitra [15] outlined a strategy for autonomous exploration of miniature air vehicles (MAVs) within indoor environments and Rudol [19] developed a method for using an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) and a UAV for cooperative indoor exploration. These studies show that aut"

Jan 1, 2017

By J. Navoyski, B. Macdonald, W. J. Helfrich, J. L. Bellanca, B. Demich

DISCLAIMER The findings and conclusions in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mention of company names or products does not constitute endorsement by NIOSH. ABSTRACT The pervasiveness of high-fidelity video games raises expectations of quality, detail, and lighting in virtual reality (VR) applications. However, high-quality models of mining equipment and environments are often not readily available, and developers may not be familiar with the latest techniques, such as physically based rendering (PBR). Because a consistent aesthetic is critical for maintaining immersion and controlling visual stimuli in research as well as in training, researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) created an asset development workflow. This paper details this workflow, including precision modeling and PBR techniques as well as a rigorous review process. It also describes lessons learned in the creation of photorealistic VR assets. BACKGROUND Virtual reality (VR) describes the simulated experience generated by an assemblage of hardware and software that are used to immerse the user. Over many years VR developers targeted the development of virtual environments (VE) toward various purposes: entertainment, the treatment of phobias [1], rehabilitation [2], and training [3]. A large part of the VE development includes digital assets, where digital assets refer to the non-programmed elements including 3D models, audio, and user interface. Because vision provides nearly 10Mbps of data [4] and accounts for the majority of all sensory input combined [5], a focused effort on asset appearance in VEs is warranted. Furthermore, research has shown that higher-resolution imagery increases search performance and training transfer, necessitating high-fidelity assets [6, 7]. In addition to being visually appealing, it is important that the assets and environment are also dimensionally accurate and consistent in order to elicit appropriate responses from the end users as they interact with and among these items [8, 9]. Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have developed VEs and digital assets under several research projects over the course of the last two decades [10, 11, 12, 13]. This work has provided researchers with a strong knowledge base for digital asset development. However, the assets themselves have had limited reuse value. Due to the extended timeframes and limited scope of these projects, the previously developed assets are not consistent in visual quality and dimensional accuracy. Moving forward, researchers wanted to minimize future development time and use of resources as well as adopt new asset development tools and game engine technology. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to document a new asset development workflow including geometry, materials, UV layout, and shader implementation combined with review steps in order to produce high-fidelity simulation assets that are accurate with consistent characteristics, using repeatable methodologies that are well documented.

Jan 1, 2019

By T. J. Lutz, L. Yan, J. R. Srednicki, J. A. Yonkey, G. T. Homce

"Federal regulations require the installation of refuge alternatives (RAs) in underground coal mines. Of the in-use RAs, over 95% are mobile RAs with the remainder being built-in-place (BIP) RAs. Heat/humidity buildup has been one of the major concerns with mobile RAs. For BIP RAs, however, there is a lack of in-mine heat/humidity test data to determine the extent of heat and humidity buildup. To quantify heat/humidity buildup in BIP RAs, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) performed a series of heat/humidity tests on a 60-person BIP RA with and without a borehole air supply. At various times during the year, tests were performed with cooled, heated, or unconditioned borehole air to examine how various outdoor temperatures may affect the thermal conditions inside a BIP RA. The results show that the air supplied to a BIP RA may require heating and cooling, depending on the outside air temperatures and the temperature of the mine. For example, during tests with an external ambient temperature above 70°F and a humidity that reached 90 %RH, providing 55°F dew point air was able to keep the internal apparent temperature below the mandated 95°F. Results for each test case are presented. INTRODUCTION The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has required the installation of refuge alternatives (RAs) in underground coal mines since 2008 [1]. MSHA requires that RAs provide an environment with breathable air for entrapped miners for a 96-hour period. Heat buildup inside an occupied RA is a serious concern. Without a means to dissipate the heat and humidity generated by the occupants and the carbon dioxide scrubbing system, the temperature and humidity inside RAs could lead to severe discomfort or heat stress depending on the mine ambient temperature before and during occupation of the RA. In its 2006 report, the West Virginia Mine Safety Technology Task Force recommended an apparent temperature limit of 95°F for RAs [2]. In 30 CFR 7.504, MSHA specifies a maximum apparent temperature of 95°F inside an occupied RA [3]. The apparent temperature is calculated using both air temperature and relative humidity [4]. To determine if their RAs meet the apparent temperature limit, RA manufacturers have been performing 96-hour-long heat and humidity tests in laboratories. During these tests, a heat input of 117 W (400 BTU/hr) per person is used to represent the metabolic heat of a single miner [2]. The heat generated by the RA’s carbon dioxide system is also accounted for in testing. To account for this heat, 50 W (170 BTU/hr) of heat per miner is used for a lithium hydroxide scrubbing system, or 30 W (100 BTU/hr) of heat per miner is used for a soda lime scrubbing system [5]. In these tests, air velocities around the RA are minimized to represent the worst-case scenario of an interruption in mine ventilation that might occur in a mine disaster."

Jan 1, 2017

By Robert R. Beebe

At first glance, mineral processing on an industrial scale might seem entirely in the realm of macro-engineering, with large machines operating on minerals and rocks to achieve size reduction, classification, chemical treatment, separation and dewatering. These operations must be conducted on a large scale to be of practical interest. But the machines and processes may not be designed and operated to take fullest advantage of micro-engineering factors. At the same time, idealized designs based solely on micro-engineering research may require adjustments to gain the desired results in the larger scale, operational context. Using micro-engineering research in this way allows the design and implementation of more efficient versions of the machines and processes currently used, while aiding the revolutionary developments unlikely to come from macro-engineered, trial-and-error solutions. Thus, from an industrial viewpoint, micro- and macro-engineering are complementary functions.

Jan 1, 1992

By Terry B. Linde, William M. Dowall

The recently completed In-Pit Crushing and Conveying Project at Phelps Dodge&apos;s Morenci Mine is rated among the world&apos;s leading materials handling projects. The operation involves the crushing and transport of more than 109,000 tonnes per day of copper ore, utilizing regenerative conveyors capable of providing over 5.5 megawatts (7,000 hp) of equivalent electrical energy. This paper describes the key aspects of the project and includes: Original project objectives; System design criteria; System description; Optimization studies; Major design features; Equipment description; and System commissioning.

Jan 1, 1993

By L. Yan, B. Lambie, J. Srednicki, J. Carr

Electromagnetic emissions from electrical devices may interfere with electronic safety systems or other devices in the mining environment. This electromagnetic interference (EMI) may cause unwanted changes in the performance of the affected devices and may cause safety issues for miners. To minimize the risk of EMI, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has conducted research quantifying the electromagnetic emissions of several types of equipment that might be used in the mining environment. Previous research has shown that welding arcs can give off ultraviolet (UV) emissions, visible light, and infrared (IR) emissions that can cause health problem on skin and eyes. In this study, the electromagnetic emissions of the shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) process were monitored and measured. Several factors including operating mode (AC, DC positive or DC+, DC negative or DC-), current setting (low, medium, high, maximum), and electrode type were investigated to compare their effect on emission level. The test shows that the emission level from the welding process can be affected by those factors. The test data also shows that, among those factors, the operating mode has more influence on emission level than do current setting and electrode type. The information in this paper can be useful for the mining industry to better understand the emission in the 9-kHz to 500-MHz frequency range from a SMAW welder.

Feb 1, 2023