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By Charles T. Baroch, Charles J. Baroch

In 20 years of commercial development, nuclear reactors have demonstrated that they are a safe, dependable, and economical source of power. Operating experience with commercial power reactors has firmly established nuclear power as a practicable source of energy. For both boiling-water (BWR) and pressurized-water (PWR) reactors, performances to date have generally met design predictions. Furthermore, it has become possible to analyze and understand the nuclear, chemical, and physical behavior of this class of reactors. The United Kingdom has had similar success with gas-cooled reactors. The Experimental Boiling Water Reactor (EBWR), the first United States experimental power reactor, began operation in 1956. It proved to be capable of supplying 4500 kw (kilowatts) of power. This reactor was followed in 1957 by the Pressurized Water Reactor at Shippingport, Pa. It was the nation's first full-scale central-station nuclear power plant and the first in the world designed exclusively for the production of civilian electric power. The Shippingport reactor was originally designed to produce 60 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and it was increased to 100 MW in 1964. In 12 years of operation, this reactor generated over 4.5-million MW-hr of electricity in spite of many shutdowns for experimental alterations. By 1969, a total of 15 central-station nuclear power reactors were operable in the United States with an aggregate electrical capacity of over 4200 MW. Early in 1964, Jersey Central Power & Light Co. announced plans for constructing a 515-MW nuclear plant at Oyster Creek, N.J., to be built without government financial assistance. The company stated that a nuclear plant had been selected competitively with fossil fuel. Their economic analysis stated that the plant would generate electricity at less than 4 mills per kw-hr, competitive with coal at 200 per million Btu (British thermal units). Coal cost in 1964 for that region averaged 26.00 per million Btu. The Jersey Central report created wide interest in public-utility circles; nevertheless, no other nuclear plants were announced in 1964. However, in 1965, six nuclear plants were announced by utilities, followed by 26 in 1966, 29 in 1967, and 10 in 1968. By Sept. 30, 1969, 97 reactors were operable, being built, or planned. The cost of these, all committed by electric utilities, was estimated at about $12 billion. When constructed, they will have an electrical capacity of 72,000 MW. The unprecedented surge in power reactors that started in 1965 tapered in 1968, and only seven reactors were announced in

Jan 1, 1976

By K. G. Wallace

In 1982, the US Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) to provide for the development of an underground repository for spent nuclear fuel. This development will be managed by the US Department of Energy. In 1986, the President selected three areas for site characterization to determine their suitability for the development of an underground repository. Those sites were: (1) a site in volcanic tuff located at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, (2) a site in bedded salt located in Deaf Smith County in Texas, and (3) a site in basalt located in Hanford, WA. At present, conceptual repository designs are being developed for each site. A key element of a repository design is the underground ventilation system required to support construction, nuclear waste emplacement, and potential waste retrieval. This paper describes the preliminary ventilation system designed for the repository in tuff. The concept provides separate ventilation systems for the construction and waste emplacement activities. The paper further describes the means by which acceptable environmental conditions will be reestablished to allow reentry into previously closed rooms for the purpose of inspection, maintenance, or retrieval.

Jan 1, 1988

By Oscar T. Marzke

Four alloys that precipitate the alpha phase from the beta of the copper-zinc system were heat-treated in various ways to develop as many forms of the segregate as possible. It was found that the precipitate may have the form either of plates or of needles. Plates usually result when precipitation occurs at low temperatures and needles when precipitation takes place at high temperatures. The needles tend to align themselves along certain planes in the matrix and to coalesce into plnte-like structures. The two phases were found to be related so that a (111) plane and [Oil] direction of the precipitate are parallel to a 10111 plane and 11111 direction of the matrix. DISCUSSION (E. A. Anderson presiding) D. W. Smith, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Written discussion).—Tllis report by Dr. Marzke covers completely all possible heat treatinents over a considerable range of compositiol~s in which a1pha precipitates from beta brass, and may be said to complete the Inctallographic part of this problern The lining up of ncedles of segregate to form plates, espeeially as shown in Fig. 5, appears to he regular, although the author's frequency plot in Fig. 11 makes it appear rather irregular. Has the author attempted anY correlation between some of the major dircetions and the oricntntaion of the parent grain as determined by X-ray analysis? Also, in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the cross-sections of the needles appear to be straightsided and regular. Have these directions been correlated with the matrix latttice? Dr. Mnrzkr 's method of interpretation of the orientation rclationships between the alpha. and beta phases is a bit uncertain and seems to wed more explanation. If this relationship, as staited is such that :L (1111 plane and a [I 10] direction of that plane in the precipitate is parallel to a. {110} p1ane and a [111] direction of that, plane in the matrix, there mill be a maximum of 24 possible orientations of the alpha phase within a. single grain of the beta phasc. This relationship is expressed strercographical1y in Fig. 13, ill which the locations of a11 of the alpha {111} poles for the 24 orientations of alpha me given. Fig. 12 chccks fairly closely with this thcoretical plot,. with a few exeeptions which may be due to the inaceuracy inherent in the method used by the anthor in determining the orientations of the segregates. The method might have been refined somewhat had corrections been made for the displacement of the slip p1ancs upon deformation.

Jan 1, 1933

By M. G. F. Söhnlein

In the earlier clays, these ores were treated by chloridizing-roasting followed by amalgamation, with satisfactory results, according to the information now available. Material from old tailing dumps from ore treated by this process, which are found at several places in the vicinity of Oruro, seldom contains more than 5 to 6 oz. of silver per ton. As ore with less than 100 oz. per ton was not treated, the extraction of silver must have been good. Reports of the operating companies published about 1890 asserted that over 90 per cent. of the silver was recovered, but in these calculations, as a rule, no allowance was made for silver lost during roasting and the figure referred only to the extraction of silvcr by amalgamation from the roasted ore.

Jan 1, 1921

By Ben Gumpertz

The important factors in any study of the screening of sand with a gravel envelope, as applied to use in oil wells, are: (I) sand size and shape, (z) gravel size and shape, (3) ratio of gravel size to sand size, (4) flow velocity, (5) viscosity of the fluid. Perhaps the first extensive investigation of the function of gravel in screening sand was performed by Coberly and Wagner,' from which the following conclusion was drawn: "The diameter of the largest grains in a single classified sand suitable for gravel packing is approximately 13 times the grain size at the ten-percentile analysis of the formation sample." ?;his applies to sands classified by Tyler screens and is for gravel grains of the maximum size that could be used to form a stable bridge. Field practice has shown that the screening effect of a given gravel for a given sand apparently varies with the flow velocity." Also, it has been assumed by some operators that the thickness of the walls of the gravel envelope surrounding the well has little effect upon the screening process. It is thought by others that a narrow envelope of gravel might form an ineffective screen. Thus the purposes of this work are: 1. To investigate the effect of gravel-sand size ratio upon screening action under the condition of varying flow velocities. 2. To investigate the effect upon screening action of varying the thickness of the gravel screen. 3. To investigate sand migration in the gravel screen and the effect of flow velocity and gravel size upon sand migration. Description of Apparatus In an attempt to reproduce field conditions for the purposes of this investigation, a flow tube was constructed, according to the manner of Urenj3 to represent a radial drainage segment of an oil sand. To arrive at the dimensions of the flow tube, a radial drainage segment of rectangular cross section was assumed to define an area of z sq. in. on the face of a well 6 in. in diameter. From this the dimensions of the segment were calculated out to a distance of 5 ft. from the face of the well. By computing cross-sectional areas at a number of sections along the rectangular segment and transforming these areas into the circular form, a drainage cone was obtained having everywhere the same cross-sectional area as the drainage element of rectangular cross section. To construct the apparatus, two sections of pipe of 7%-in. inside diameter, one 13 in. and the other 4 ft. long, were joined by a bolted flange. A mandrel having the dimensions of the drainage cone was centered in the pipe and a neat cement mixture was cast around it. A protective gasket was placed between the two sections of pipe so that the cement body could be separated at that point. When the mandrel was withdrawn a drainage cone was obtained (Fig. I).

Jan 1, 1941

By Ben Gumpertz

The important factors in any study of the screening of sand with a gravel envelope, as applied to use in oil wells, are: (I) sand size and shape, (z) gravel size and shape, (3) ratio of gravel size to sand size, (4) flow velocity, (5) viscosity of the fluid. Perhaps the first extensive investigation of the function of gravel in screening sand was performed by Coberly and Wagner,' from which the following conclusion was drawn: "The diameter of the largest grains in a single classified sand suitable for gravel packing is approximately 13 times the grain size at the ten-percentile analysis of the formation sample." ?;his applies to sands classified by Tyler screens and is for gravel grains of the maximum size that could be used to form a stable bridge. Field practice has shown that the screening effect of a given gravel for a given sand apparently varies with the flow velocity." Also, it has been assumed by some operators that the thickness of the walls of the gravel envelope surrounding the well has little effect upon the screening process. It is thought by others that a narrow envelope of gravel might form an ineffective screen. Thus the purposes of this work are: 1. To investigate the effect of gravel-sand size ratio upon screening action under the condition of varying flow velocities. 2. To investigate the effect upon screening action of varying the thickness of the gravel screen. 3. To investigate sand migration in the gravel screen and the effect of flow velocity and gravel size upon sand migration. Description of Apparatus In an attempt to reproduce field conditions for the purposes of this investigation, a flow tube was constructed, according to the manner of Urenj3 to represent a radial drainage segment of an oil sand. To arrive at the dimensions of the flow tube, a radial drainage segment of rectangular cross section was assumed to define an area of z sq. in. on the face of a well 6 in. in diameter. From this the dimensions of the segment were calculated out to a distance of 5 ft. from the face of the well. By computing cross-sectional areas at a number of sections along the rectangular segment and transforming these areas into the circular form, a drainage cone was obtained having everywhere the same cross-sectional area as the drainage element of rectangular cross section. To construct the apparatus, two sections of pipe of 7%-in. inside diameter, one 13 in. and the other 4 ft. long, were joined by a bolted flange. A mandrel having the dimensions of the drainage cone was centered in the pipe and a neat cement mixture was cast around it. A protective gasket was placed between the two sections of pipe so that the cement body could be separated at that point. When the mandrel was withdrawn a drainage cone was obtained (Fig. I).

Jan 1, 1941

By H. H. Kellogg

Available high-fernperatzwe equilibrium measurements and other thermochernical data have been critically reciewed for sulfation reactions of the type: Recommended values for log K and ?Fo as junctions of temperature are given for thirty-six suck reactions involving twenty-six different metals. Methods of calculation and choice between conflict-ing data are discussed. SELECTIVE sulfation now enjoys a considerable renaissance as a metallurgical unit process due, in large part, to the available of the fluid-bed re- actor—a device capable of the close control of temperature and gas composition necessary for a successful sulfation process. An additional need, however, if sulfation chemistry is to be approached in a scientific manner, is a reliable body of data on the equilibrium and kinetics of sulfation reactions in simple and complex systems. This paper offers a critical review and compilation of equilibrium data on pure sulfates (simple systems). The last such review, by K. K. Kelley in 1935:30 has proven itself most useful, but the existence of many new data makes necessary a re-evaluation of the available information. METHODS OF CALCULATION For a simple sulfation reaction such as MS04(c) = MO(c) + SO3 [1] there are two approaches one may take toward establishing the value of ?Fo or K as a function of

Jan 1, 1964

Jan 6, 1950

By Theodore Christos

The Bureau of Mines sponsored an investigation of the thermal oxidative degradation characteristics of selected ingredients employed in the formulation and manufacture of conveyor belts. This work was done to supplement similar studies of samples from finished conveyor belts and thus provide basic data for correlation of the potential toxic behavior of a finished belt with that of the individual ingredients. This report covers the study of (1) basic polymers (styrene-butadiene, neoprene), (2) reinforcing fibers (Nylon 6,6, Dacron, viscose rayon), (3) flame-retardant plasticizers (tritolyl phosphate-isomeric mixture, tri-p-tolyl phosphate, tributyl phosphate, tris (dichloropropyl) phosphate), (4) plasticizers (diphenylphtha1ate, di-(2-ethylhexyl) sebacate), and (5) a vulcanization accelerator (2-mercaptobenzothiazole).

Jan 1, 1977

MASSMIN 92 edited by H.W. Glen. Johannesburg, The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 1992. xiii, 485pp. ill. 30 cm. (SAIMM Symposium Series S12). Includes bibliographies. ISBN 1-874832-18-8. R342 (MemberR285; Student Member R218,88. Available in Australia from the AMF Bookshop, 63 Conyngham Street, Glenside, SA 5065 at $A171.00 (approx). This volume is the twelfth in a series of symposia published by The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy since 1962. This particular meeting addressed the subject of the underground mining of massive ore bodies.

Jan 1, 1994

By G. C. Tipper, A. P. Deane, A. G. Myers

SCHEME DESIGN London’s Heathrow Airport, as the world’s busiest international airport, is missing one vital aspect - a dedicated rail link which connects directly to the city. All this is about to change with the construction of Heathrow Express - a fast, high quality rail service between the airport and the centre of London. It was recognised in the mid 1980s that if Heathrow was to accommodate the forecast growth in passenger numbers and the resulting increase in road traffic, a dedicated airport rail service would be vital. The main access into the centre of Heathrow is via a road tunnel with a direct link to the M4 motorway. The airport has introduced a number of traffic management schemes, but these can only achieve so much benefit. Growth in air passenger traffic is predicted to continue at an average of 4% per annum well into the next century and it was clear that significant investment was needed. Heathrow Express at a cost of over £350 million will provide this when it starts its service in June 1998. The business case for the scheme is based on a rider ship of around 15% of air passenger traffic. The initial Heathrow Express service will be based on four trains per hour, up to 8 car train lengths, providing a high speed non-stop service between the airport and central London in just 16 minutes. Initially a joint venture between the British Railways Board and Heathrow Airport, by mutual consent of the two parties, Heathrow Airport recently purchased the British Railways Board share making this one of the largest private sector rail projects currently under construction in the UK. Leaving Paddington, the main rail terminus in West London, Heathrow Express trains will travel 12 miles on the newly electrified line to airport junction, north of the airport. At this point they will leave the mainline to enter a 5 mile tunnel section that runs underneath the heart of the airport. The railway companies are responsible for track work, signalling and electrification of the 12 mile main line section including a grade separated junction over the main tracks for the Great Western Railway which links London and South Wales. Heathrow Airport is re-

Jan 1, 1997

By Francesco Chiappalone, Marco Invernizzi, Franco Gasperin, Fabrizio Fara

As part of the Ship Canal Water Quality Project, 2.7-mile Combined Sewer Overflow tunnel is excavated with a 21.5-foot diameter EPB Tunnel Boring Machine. Due to the difficult geological and hydrogeological conditions, the tunnel is excavated maintaining a ground support pressure between 1 and 3 bar imposing significant challenges to the projects. The first part of the paper describes the general characteristics of the project while the second part focuses on the challenges and technical details of the pressurized breakthrough that took place in a deep shaft excavated in urban environment as part of the project.

Jun 23, 2024

By David Córdova R.

Dado que el método de minado empleado por la compañía Perúbar en la mina Juanita generaba ciertos riesgos de inestabilidad y dificultades operacionales, se propuso un nuevo método de explotación de minado: el de corte y relleno mecanizado por subniveles, cuyo sistema está clasificado como un método de explotación especial y de alta recuperación del yacimiento. En este sentido, el presente texto describe los beneficios de este nuevo método -en tanto ofrece una resistencia de relleno cementado en la masa rocante, así como la estabilidad de los materiales en el relleno hidráulico de los tajeos secundarios.

Aug 26, 1988

By Francisco J. Sotillo

Using new ecological-natural-organic depressant for gangue and pyrite with antibacterial properties (control of acid mine drainage) with new improved xanthate collectors using rheology additive not chemical reacting with xanthate resulted in better sulfide flotation. Rougher-scavenger lead flotation tests were conducted increasing the concentrate grade from 7.07% Pb to 13.44% Pb, enhancing selectivity. Lead recovery increased from 64.08% to 79.38% and 80.40% using only the new depressant, and improved xanthate Z-11 and Z-4, respectively. The results demonstrated that the new depressant was selective and efficient, and the new improved xanthates stronger more selective collectors.

Feb 22, 2026

By Randy M. Cole, Peter J. Phillips

A methodology is presented which quantifies six coal utilization cost components, each proportional to a coal's mineral content. These are: Ash disposal costs, coal transportation costs, plant maintenance costs, reduction in plant peaking capacity, reduction in plant rated capacity, and reduction in plant availability. Numerical examples illustrate that coal containing between. 12.5% and 25.0% ash-plus-sulfur can cause incremental utilization costs ranging from less than $1.00 to more than $8.00 per ton of coal, when combusted in a pulverized coal fired power plant. Estimated costs are then compared to historical data and the conclusion drawn that steam coal beneficiation may have broader economic justification than sometimes realized. It is noted that TVA, which first proposed the methodology and parameters used here, is continuing research on this aspect of coal utilization.

Jan 1, 1981

By James V. Thompson

ENGINEERS from industrialized countries are frequently called upon to examine mining operations in primitive areas and make recommendations regarding mechanization and modernization. They often set forth with self-confidence, knowing full well that all that is needed is their experience and several shiploads of mining machinery, and at times they mentally provide the answers before the problems have been clearly stated. In primitive areas it is absolutely essential that the examining engineer spend enough time at the site to acquire a thorough understanding of what is being done now and why it is done the way it is. The objective here is to state in simple terms some of the problems that may be encountered, in- as much as solutions, if they can be found at all, will differ with each experience.

Jan 8, 1958

By Otto Wartenweiler

After the phenomenal development of the new mine, the United Eastern Mining Co., with Mr. Frank A. Keith as President, decided to install a reduction plant. The character of the ore, closely resembling the product of other mines in the district, did not offer any particular metallurgical problems, since these neighboring mines had been operating milling plants very successfully for several years. Thus, with the general metallurgical treatment fairly well-defined, the matter of next importance was to design and construct a plant as economically as possible, that would give the best results obtainable. The ore consists of a mixture of calcite and quartz in about equal quantities, with some decomposed andesite, while the average value of mill feed was calculated to be $20 or more in gold, no silver being present. The tonnage to be treated at the start was fixed at 200 tons, but, in view of the favorable condition of the mine, it was considered advisable to arrange facilities for increasing the capacity to 400 tons. While it is best in some cases to adopt a distinct independent unit system where future enlargement is contemplated, in this instance the plans worked out differently. Summarized, the treatment adopted consists of coarse crushing, coarse grinding, fine grinding and cyanidation. For coarse crushing the selection of the No. 6 size gyratory crusher was governed not so much by its capacity as by the size of the feed openings to receive the run-of-mine material, which was too coarse for a No. 5 crusher. TO accomplish the coarse grinding to best advantage, a careful comparison was made between the modern steel ball-mill—the last word in crushing and grinding—and one of its older, and, at that time better-established, competitors, the rolls. The following conclusion was reached: While it is possible that for the sized plant under consideration the cost of operating rolls might be a little cheaper, it is preferable to use ball-mills because a simpler arrangement is possible, and because the handling of ball-mills is preferred by the operator. A marked departure was introduced for fine grinding. Instead of the long type of tube-mill, using pebbles, a mill of similar design was selected, but of much shorter length, using small cast-steel balls as grinding medium. For cyanidation, the Dorr continuous countercurrent process was

Jan 1, 1918

By E. J. Rapperport, J. P. Pemsler

We have made calculations to evaluate the sensitivity of atomic absorption as a technique to measure vapor pressure changes with temperature. Our conclusion, supported by the experimental findings presented in this work, is that the ultimate sensitivity of the technique is well below lo-' Torr. This magnitude of vapor pressure sensitivity makes the method extremely attractive for thermodynamic studies. Atomic absorption techniques have been used previously in this connection by Scatchard and Boyd' and by vidale2 with a much lower sensitivity reported. Scatchard and Boyd's work measured cadmium pressure over Ag-Cd alloys in the range 0.02 to 0.3 Torr, and Vidale estimated that sensitivities of only 10"5 to 10"6 Torr are to be expected. Atomic absorption appears to be particularly well-suited to thermodynamic studies for several reasons: A) It is extremely sensitive; our experiments indicate an ability to measure vapor pressure changes of 10"9 Torr. B) It is highly selective; there is seldom interference among the resonant wavelengths of the various species. C) It may be performed in an absorption cell under static conditions. This alleviates such problems as surface impoverishment of alloys, attainment of equilibrium, and temperature measurement and control. D) Simultaneous, or near-simultaneous, vapor pressure measurements may be made for several elements in a given system. Experimental. The physical basis of the technique is the highly selective absorption of particular wavelengths by specific atomic species. In most atomic absorption work the element of interest is incorporated into a hollow cathode lamp to provide a characteristic spectral source of high intensity. The spectra lines characteristic of the element in the cathode are attenuated by atoms of that element in the radiation path. Radiation from silver or cadmium hollow cathode lamps was directed along a path containing a 10-cm evacuated silica cell. The cell was positioned within a silica windowed furnace and contained silver, cadmium, or an Ag-Cd alloy. As the furnace temperature was elevated, the number of atoms of the absorbing element in the vapor phase within the cell rose, and the resonant radiation was increasingly absorbed. Intensities were measured by passing the radiation through a Techtron Model AA-4 one-half meter grating atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with a photo-multiplier detector. In order to minimize instabilities in the source, the hollow cathodes were allowed to warm up for several hours and were run at only 2 5 to 30 pct of their maximum rated amperage. In addition the attenuated beam was monitored before and after each reading. The attenuation of resonant wavelengths may be related to vapor pressure by the following relationships.

Jan 1, 1969

By G. A. Knox

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: The subject assigned to me would cover a great many pages if it were gone into thoroughly. Therefore. I have just touched on a few of the most important points. I think that everyone engaged in the production of commercial coal understands all about its preparation, but I will set forth my views as to how I believe it is best accomplished. In order to produce the best prepared coal, your first attention should be to the miner at the working face. The most careful system of blasting should be adopted to avoid heavy charging of holes which results in the shattering of the coal. The lump, or any other screened sizes that may be screened from coal that has been improperly shot, are subject to greater degradation in transportation and handling, as well as reducing screened sizes, which results in dissatisfied customers in the first case, and lower realization in the latter.

Jan 1, 1928

By C. F. McCarroll

[Laboratory research and, control in the production an. utilization of petroleum and it 3 products have expanded greatly during the past decade, and much of the routine control and experimental equipment now rewires the constant daily use of liquid mercury. In spite of this ;;renter use, very little consideration has been given to the hazard that might be occasioned by the toxic vapors of mercury unavoidably spilled' of otherwise exposed to the atmosphere during the normal procedure of laboratory open at ions. A simple visual examination ).'.' son-,, r° the laboratories reveal the presence of a considerable quantity of mercury in the cracks of floors, on work tables, and on ark, around equipment stands. Usually this mercury is contaminated with oil3/ and dirt so that it remaining in a finely divided state and a ;mall amount pre presents a relatively large surface for evaporation. Since :mercury shows measurable volatility at a temperature v,.^ lo.! 5o F., mercury vapor will be present in, the mercury _3 exposed promiscuously.]

Jan 1, 1939