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By D. F. Doerr, E. Blalock, D. R. Bush, K. D. Cohen

"INTRODUCTION The design, development, fabrication, and test of cryogenic breathing apparatus is part of a much larger effort funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and managed through a Space Act Agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. This effort is designed to create cryogenically based life support equipment that is responsive to the needs of miners as required by the Miner Act of 2006. Our goal was to design and build a liquid air based self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) that lasted 2 hours and would be used for the egress of miners during a mining accident and be refillable while worn. Therefore, the current report describes tests of an Advanced Cryogenic Breathing Apparatus (termed the ACryoBA) designed to provide miners egressing an emergency situation with a two-hour open-circuit SCBA. The ACryoBA utilizes low pressure cryogenic liquid air instead of high pressure compressed air commonly used in most commercially available SCBA. The ACryoBA can also be self-filled from strategically placed Cryogenic Air Supply and Fill Stations (CryoASFS) initially, and thereafter on the egress route approximately every 1 hour and 30 minutes with a 30 minute air reserve. The ACryoBA evolved originally from a one hour Liquid Air Pack (LAP) developed in the 1980’s for Space Shuttle Rescue forces allowing for longer duration and cool air (Figure 1). It was used successfully for many years, through the end of the Space Shuttle Program. The first attempt at a mine egress pack was the Cryogenic Breathing Apparatus (Figure 2). It was to have a low profile, two hours of breathing, attitude independence, and a simple rapid refill while in use. The CryoBA met the two hour criteria, but with difficulty due to excessive heat leakage caused by the dual 4 liter Dewar design. Much of the stored air was lost as it vaporized faster than it could be used. However, the pack was successful in demonstrating both attitude independence and a simple rapid refill capability. The ACryoBA project was designed to continue the progression and address the deficiencies in the CryoBA. The ACryoBA pack was designed to last 2 hours. It minimizes the heat leakage with a single Dewar and thereby requires less liquid air. The single Dewar design also minimizes weight, making it much more manageable by the user (Figure 3). The ACryoBA complies with 42 CFR part 84 NIOSH certification test requirements. One critical requirement for the ACryoBA is operation in positions other than vertical for periods up to 1/4 (i.e. 30 minutes) of the rated service life of 2 hours; this was accomplished by use of new technology called the “attitude independent pickup” which is abbreviated “AIP.” The AIP, developed by BCS Life Support LLC (patent #8,899,226), has a tube going from the top flange down through the center of the Dewar. At the end it has a flexible bellows and a weighted end. Due to the flexible nature of the bellows, the pickup at the end is free to rotate and follow the liquid level around within +/- 90o of vertical."

Jan 1, 2016

By A. J. Guse

The primary limiting factor for hoisting capacity from great depths is the self-weight of steel wire ropes. Steel wire ropes are very suitable for mine hoisting due to their high strength and durability, but have the negative characteristic of a low strength/weight ratio. Also, as hoisting depths increase, the service life of steel wire ropes decreases due to the higher stresses and physical effects on the ropes. The significantly higher strength/weight ratio of synthetic ropes offers the primary advantage of hoisting a larger payload with a similar size rope and hoisting plant. The beneficial properties of synthetic ropes could be used to improve the overall economics of deep underground mining both for new deep shaft projects and for existing mining operations expanding to deeper orebodies. A research and development program has been initiated to evaluate the suitability of a fully synthetic rope for the mine hoisting application.

Feb 23, 2014

By K. E. Harrison

The acid rain legislation has passed into law. This new law has caused the power generation community to investigate alternative methods to obtain compliance with the new legislation. One thing all of the power companies have concluded is the answer is not easy. Do we switch fuels to burn all low sulfur compliance coal? Maybe possibly only partial desulfurization by means of a dry sorbent system? Or, finally, maybe a wet scrubber system? Whatever the choice, the power community needs to investigate all of the alternatives. In 1988, ICF Kaiser Engineers, Inc. (ICF KE) responded to a request by the U.S. Department of Energy for the engineering development of advanced physical fine coal cleaning. ICF KE responded and was awarded a contract to conduct a multi-task program to develop an advanced flotation system to eliminate pyritic sulfur and retain as much energy as possible. ICF KE assembled a team that included members of industry, academia, and industry research organizations to conduct this multi-task program. The program includes sixteen (16) tasks. This team had personnel to help solve some of the anticipated problems and to provide industry prospective on the viability and commercial potential for any concepts proposed. The primary team consists of a major coal producer, Babcock and Wilcox, Eimco Process Equipment Company, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Jan 1, 1992

By Cary Hirner, Tony Cicchetti, Daniel G. Cressman, Jeff F. Wallace, Prapan Dave, Malcolm Sheehan

The City of Toronto is currently undertaking the design of the Black Creek Sanitary Trunk Sewer Relief Project. The Project involves the design and construction of approximately 20 kilometers of tunnel through shale rock of the Georgian Bay Formation and soft ground soil consisting of glacial till, glaciolacustrine and glaciofluvial sand, silt and clay deposits. The 20 kilometer alignment has been split into four sections of tunnel (1) the 12.9 km, 3.0 meter diameter Keele Trunk Relief Sewer, (2) the 2.9 km, 1.5 meter diameter Keele Trunk Relief Sewer Microtunnel, (3) the 3.9 km, 1.8 meter diameter Jane Relief Sewer, and (4) the 0.5 km,1.5 meter diameter Combined Sewer Overflow Storage Tunnel. Additionally, one 40,000 m3 wet weather flow (WWF) storage tank and numerous WWF connection shafts are to be constructed and connected to the Keele Trunk Relief Sewer to pick up WWF from existing outfalls currently discharging to Black Creek. The anticipated cost of the project is approximately $600 million with construction of the Project’s Phase One Works, the Keele Trunk Relief Sewer and Jane Relief Sewer, scheduled to commence in 2025. This paper provides an overview of the project in terms of the anticipated geotechnical conditions, the scheme developed for design and construction of the tunnel system and the associated schedule and procurement strategy. The consideration for planning of the tunnel system, the risk-based analysis and decision-making process are presented and form the basis for selection of a precast tunnel lining support method in the rock and soft ground.

Jun 13, 2023

By Dae Young Kim, Sim Bo Kyung, Ebrahim Farrokh, Ki Chang Hyun

"TBM cutter life evaluation in abrasive granitic rocks is a very important issue, especially in pressurized face tunneling with mixshield TBM for which the planning of costly interventions becomes crucial. This paper presents an overview of methodologies for cutter life evaluation in rock. A comparative study is performed to indicate the predictability of cutter life evaluation methods based on detail data from the NS3 tunnel project in Singapore. A new model is developed based upon the cutter wear information of eight TBM tunnels from around the world. New methods are proposed to evaluate the optimum intervention interval length and the number of worn-out disc cutters for a tunnel project. Finally, two new laboratory tests in the evaluation of disc cutter abrasion, including a full-scale and a small-scale test, are introduced, and their test results are discussed. INTRODUCTION The issue of wear evaluation for hard rocks has been extensively studied in drilling and pavement industry. In this regard, several tests and evaluation methods have been proposed to estimate or evaluate the state of tool life (e.g. bit life for drilling). In the case of TBM tunneling, tool wear may depend on several factors such as mineral composition, strength, or type of cutting, but as the abrasion is usually the major mechanism for the tool wear in hard rock, the developed methods for cutter wear or cutter life evaluation are mostly based on the abrasion indices such as Cerchar Abrasivity Index (CAI). This paper attempts to review the major methodologies for disc cutter wear and life evaluation and to propose new methods to evaluate cutter life and intervention interval evaluation based on detail information of a mixshield tunnel project in Singapore as well as general information of some other projects from Iran, Italy, South Africa, and France. As the laboratory tests are crucial in the process of evaluation, two new lab tests are developed and used to inspect suitability of the new proposed model for disc cutter wear evaluation."

Jan 1, 2016

By E. R. Mueller

The natural lives of machines and components vary tremendously! Maintenance managers struggle constantly to maximize their equipment lives while minimizing their maintenance costs, but they normally lack the tools and techniques they need to do this properly. This paper proposes a methodology based on probabilities of failure and expected values for repairs that recognizes the variation among individual machines and components as well as the high costs associated with catastrophic failures. It enables a user to determine the optimum change-out intervals for many types of equipment. The approach proposed here is sophisticated enough to be reliable but simple enough to be applied by the maintenance staff on the shop floor. It will complement existing preventive and predictive maintenance programs.

Jan 1, 1995

By G. Konstantopoulou

Environmental degradation due to abandoned quarries is an international problem, more intense when these sites are found in urban or suburban zones, in environmentally sensitive areas or are visible from sites of special interest. Rehabilitation solutions applied worldwide, range from simple relief restoration and planting to more sophisticated site exploitation in order to serve specific social needs. The elaboration of rational rehabilitation plans for every site presupposes deep knowledge and comparative evaluation of all the parameters of the problem. In this paper, a methodological approach of rehabilitation solutions for abandoned quarry sites is elaborated, based on domestic and international experience and practice. Solutions are grouped in eight main categories. In every category the framework of prerequisites and confinements (environmental, technical, social, economic, legal) for their application in Greek quarry site is investigated. A comparative assessment of alternative restoration solutions is introduced, using tools supplied by environmental economics, cost-benefit analysis, G.I.S. and multi-criteria analysis and follows in two stages: 1) Establishment of a set of criteria aiming at a priority list for a number of quarry sites located in a geographical or administrative district. 2) Assessment of alternative solutions for every single quarry from the previous priority list for the selection of the most adequate using technical, economical, social and environmental criteria.

Jan 1, 2008

By R. E. Nelson

The Alton Coal project, located in south-central Utah, lies at one point just over six miles from Bryce Canyon National Park. This region of the southwestern United States has been called the "Golden Circle" of national parks and monuments. Can a mine be inserted into this region so that it does not intrude on this spectacular landscape? The Alton Coal Project is a proposed surface coal mine designed to serve as the fuel source for the Harry Allen Power Plant, a 1,000 megawatt generating station planned for a site 25 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The mine and the power plant will be connected by an underground pipeline through which coal will be transported in slurry form.

Jan 1, 1988

Stillwater Mining Company has an extensive history with tunnel boring machines (TBM) at the Stillwater and East Boulder underground PGM mines in Montana. The first use of a TBM was a 4 m (13 ft) diameter main beam unit at the Stillwater mine starting in 1988, where 6.4 km (4 mi) of tunnels were driven parallel to the J-M Reef orebody on four different levels. TBM?s were central to the development of the East Boulder Mine as two 4.6 m (15 ft) TBM?s drove two 5,639 m (18,500 ft) parallel tunnels to access the J-M Reef; one of these units is still in service driving a 2,591 m (8,500 ft) access West of the East Boulder mine for the Graham Creek project. For the Blitz Project, a 5.5 m (18 ft) diameter main beam unit will be utilized to drive a 6,858 m (22,500 ft) ventilation and rail haulage level East of the Stillwater mine. TBM?s have been preferred method for developing new mines and sections of the J-M reef as the geometry and geology of the Stillwater Complex allow for faster development compared to conventional methods.

Jan 1, 2012

By B. Bag

Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids are used in the flotation of iron values present in iron ore. Among the several fatty acids, oleic acid and its sodium salt are widely used. To substantiate the flotation results, the quantum chemical calculations of a few such acids have been carried out by adopting the semi-empirical AM1 method. These acids have been further optimized in the presence of an iron atom. The electronic interaction of the polar carboxylic head group of oleic acid with the iron atom is higher compared to the other acids. The numerical results support the flotation behavior of iron ore with oleic acid. Key words: Iron ore, Flotation, Fatty acids, Quantum chemical calculations, Semi-empirical AM1 method

Jan 1, 2009

By V. T. McLemore

The Steeple Rock district is a major epithermal .gold-silver district in New Mexico that exhibits district zoning. Five types of ore deposits occur in the district. The base-metal veins (with Au and Ag) form the center of the district and occur along the Carlisle fault. The gold-silver veins occur along northwest-trending faults outward from the base-metal veins. The margins of the district are formed by copper-silver, fluorite, and manganese veins. In addition, areas of older acid-sulfate alteration occur throughout the district and also exhibit zoning: massive silica/chert zone (inner), silicified zone, and clay zone (outer). This alteration overlies regional; alkali-chloride (propylitic to argillic to sericitic) alteration. Synthesis of available data suggests the acid-sulfate alteration is related to a shallow but older epithermal hot springs system. Subsequently, younger epithermal veins formed along faults.

Jan 1, 1994

By V. Rajaram

The oil shales located in the Appalachian Basin cover an eight-state area of the eastern U. S., and are referred to as Devonian (black) shales. These shales have been exploited for their gas potential for several years. The Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) has conducted research since 1972 on the production of shale oil from the Devonian shales, and this resulted in the development of the HYTORT process. This process demonstrated that the yield from the Eastern oil shales can be greater than the value indicated by the Fischer assay method. IGT estimates that 423 billion barrels (67.3 x 109 m3) of oil could be recoverd by HYTORT processing of surface-minable eastern U. S. shales. Recently American Syncrude Corporation and Southern Pacific Petroleum N. L. have proposed oil shale projects in Kentucky. This paper will describe the surface mining and retorting techniques that have been studied for exploitation of the Devonian shales, and enumerate the problems that have to be overcome before commercial production can be realized from these shales.

Jan 1, 1983

By Frank F. Aplan, Edward C. Jr. Dowling, Richard R. Klimpel

Thirteen kinetic models that mathematically describe the flotation process have been statistically evaluated for the flotation of copper, lead and zinc ores. Comparisons have been made for a variety of circuits involving roughing, cleaning, scavenging and regrind followed by cleaning. Variations in collectors, frothers, depressants and activators have been considered. Based on the statistical criteria used for the evaluation, and the reagent, circuit and ore variations studied, the most reliable flotation models have been identified and subsequently used to characterize the metallurgical results.

Jan 1, 1986

By Paul S. Murphy, Eric W. Oehrke

INTRODUCTION The global market for sulphur has experienced dramatic structural shifts during the past 10-15 years. After a number of years of dominance as sulphur suppliers, the world's Frasch producers were confronted with large increases in nondiscretionary sulphur production from sour crude oil and gas, while escalating energy and exploration costs reduced the economic incentives to replace dwindling sulphur reserves. Sulphur demand also experienced substantial growth, but the majority of this increase was filled by nondiscretionary production. The result was essentially flat demand for Frasch sulphur during this period. This paper briefly summarizes Freeport Sulphur Company's outlook for global supply and demand for sulphur through the year 2000, and examines in more detail the history and anticipated shifts in trade patterns. World trade in elemental sulphur (brimstone), despite year-to-year fluctuations, has been on an upward trend in recent years, and should continue to grow through the end of this century. The type (discretionary vs. nondiscretionary) and location of forecast sulphur supply sources has potentially broad implications for the world's Frasch producers, as they compete in a world market which is increasingly supplied by non-discretionary production. SULPHUR DEMAND Sulphur is a versatile and essential element used in a wide variety of manufacturing processes. Almost 90% of world sulphur consumption is in the form of sulphuric acid. The relatively low cost, ready availability, and physical and chemical properties of sulphuric acid make it the most economical acid for a number of chemical processes. Although sulphur is used in the manufacture of many products, the largest consumer by far is the phosphate fertilizer industry. The majority of sulphur demand growth over the past 30 years has occurred in this area, and today it accounts for nearly 65% of global sulphur consumption in all forms. Due to the relative importance of phosphate fertilizers, sulphur demand is typically discussed in terms of fertilizer and non-fertilizer (or industrial) uses, and this approach will be followed here. We at Freeport believe that global consumption of phosphate fertilizers should grow at an average annual rate of about 3.5% through the year 2000, which is roughly equal to the growth rate experienced during the past ten years. The basic assumption underlying this forecast is that world population will continue to grow significantly, while the total acres of cropland will grow only slightly. Therefore, in order to feed a growing population, higher crop yields will be necessary, which in turn will require the increasing use of fertilizers. This expected growth in phosphate consumption will, without doubt, fluctuate from year to year, and we Frasch producers have painful memories of the large dip in demand during 1982-83. However, we believe that the fundamentals for growth are very good, and that future demand will move back onto the historical trend line. In the recent recession the use of sulphur in the non-fertilizer or industrial sector dropped sharply, and it now appears that future growth will not return to the old trend line. Most of the non-fertilizer uses of sulphur and sulphuric acid involve older industries which are very mature, such as oil refining, steel, pulp and paper, pigments, etc. The use of sulphur in some of these industries is expected to exhibit little or possibly even negative

Jan 1, 1986

By T. J. Smolik

The Golden Sunlight Mine started full-scale operations in February 1983, with a conventional open-pit mine supplying 4464 tonnes (5000 tons) per day of milling ore. After crushing and grinding, the ore is leached with cyanide solution in large agitation tanks. Soluble gold values are removed from the sand portion of the leached ore with five stages of countercurrent washing cyclones. After thickening of the cyclone-wash overflow slurry, the gold is recovered in activated carbon with a six-stage carbon-in-pulp circuit and a five-stage upflow carbon column circuit. Pressure stripping, carbon reactivation, electro-winning and refining complete the gold recovery process.

Jan 1, 1984

By J. H. Bassarear, P. F. Thomas

Large-scale equipment can reduce both capital and operating costs for concentrators. Large semiautogemus (SAG) mills can be effectively utilized in big mills but they must be kept fully loaded to tab advantage of their great potential. With varying hardness ores, controlling throughput is difficult and careful design must take this into consideration. A variable speed drive on large primary semiautogemus mills can overcome this problem to a considerable degree. This paper provides a base case using standard accepted technology of two wound rotor single speed 4476 kW (6000 hp) motors to drive the primary SAG mills of a hypothetical 36,364 t/d (40,000 stpd) typical porphyry copper mill. One other fixed speed drive will be described and jive variable speed drive configurations will be reviewed. Capital costs for the entire grinding circuit, from crusher product to flotation feed, were developed for the base case and each of the alternatives. A technical evaluation comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each drive is presented.

Jan 1, 1987

By C. H. Rawlins

The total amount of ferrous slag generated in the U.S. is about one-third the amount of iron ore mined, thus ferrous slag can be considered a significant mineral body for processing. Steelmaking slag contains up to 30 wt.% metal of which only the >25mm fraction is commonly recovered. A grinding study was conducted of BOF, EAF, and LMF slags using the Bond Work Index method to determine grindability to 106µm. Work Index values obtained were 13.8-24.9 kWh/ST, depending upon the slag type and composition. Steel particles were magnetically recovered from the crushed and ground samples for size-by-size analysis, yielding up to 18 wt.% of the slag weight recovered as magnetic. The recovered material, as characterized by inert gas melting, was found to be 61-96 wt.% metallic.

Jan 1, 2008

By J. G. Groppo

Froth flotation technique is an effective and efficient process for recovering of ultra-fine (minus 74 pm) clean coal. Economical dewatering of an ultra-fine clean coal product to a 20 percent level moisture will be an important step in successful implementation of the advanced cleaning processes. This study is a step in the Department of Energy's program to show that ultra-clean coal could be effectively dewatered to 20 percent or lower moisture using either conventional or advanced dewatering techniques. The main focus of the pilot plant study was on proof-of-concept testing of a dewatering technique for a fine clean coal product. The coal industry is reluctant to use the advanced fine coal recovery technology due to the non-availability of an economical dewatering process.

Jan 1, 1997

By N. Arbiter

If two fluid phases are brought into contact with a solid, one fluid may completely wet the surface to the exclusion of the other, or both may wet it, forming a three-phase line of contact. These relative wetting tendencies are quantified by the contact angle 0 which is related by Young's equation (1,2) [12 cos? = 13 ? 23] [to the three interfacial tensions (3). No contact angle for the first fluid, indicating that it does not wet the solid in the presence of the second, means that the difference between the two solid-fluid fluid surface tensions, - 8 is greater than (or just 13 -23 equal to) the fluid-fluid tension 12; a finite angle indicates that the difference is less.*]

Jan 1, 1964

By H. T. Mikkelsen

Mineral production implies emissions of particulate matter (dust), noise and vibration that may cause conflicts with neighbors living nearby. In Norway a few conflicts has been brought to court, the latest in 2006. This paper discusses dust emissions and dust depositions (dustfall). The pollution authorities have accepted monitoring of dustfall instead of suspended dust as the first step in conflict cases concerning small and medium sized enterprises. In the case of exceeded limit values, the second step is to require monitoring of suspended dust and next the implementation of control actions to reduce dust emissions. Dustfall monitoring programmes carried out at six mineral production plants in Norway, show that the mineralogical rates of dustfall are rather low a few hundred meters away from the plants or the tailings disposal. They are mostly considerable lower than the limit value of 5 g/m²/30days accepted by the authorities. Seasonal variations between mineralogical and organic dust fractions can be observed in Norway, with higher content of mineral dust during winter time. Other sources to mineralogical dust can be recognized. During winter time wear of road pavement and sand on icy roads can give high emissions of mineralogical dust to the ambient air. Parallel monitoring of suspended dust and rates of dustfall indicate that dustfall can be used to estimate the level of suspended dust. A model for estimating suspended dust based on records of dustfall is presented.

Jan 1, 2007