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By Henry Kreisinger, John Blizard, B. J. CROSS, C. E. Augustine

This report gives the results of 26 tests of a four-pass Edgemoor boiler fired with powdered coal at the Lakeside station of the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Co. The tests were made by the fuel section of the Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the research department of the Combustion Engineering Corporation and the operating department of the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Co. The object of the tests was to determine the thermal efficiencies and capacities obtainable by burning powdered coal under large central-station boilers, and the possibility of operating such boilers continuously at high efficiency and capacity without destructive effect on the furnaces and without difficulties in refuse removal. In any system for burning pulverized coal the furnace is the most important part because, to justify the cost of pulverizing, the powdered coal must be burned with higher efficiency than coal fired with mechanical stokers. In other words, it is the furnace that by giving higher thermal efficiency must pay for the installation, maintenance, and operation of the pulverizing equipment. No matter how simple the apparatus for the preparation of pulverized coal may be, or how simple the pulverizing process, unless the furnace is so designed that it can be operated continuously with high thermal efficiency, the whole system is a failure. For high thermal efficiency the coal must be burned almost completely with low excess air. But low excess air and complete combustion give high furnace temperature, which in turn causes erosion of the furnace lining and fusion of the ash; and removal of the fused ash is difficult. The necessity of complete combustion with low excess air thus brings with it these two important problems in the design of a furnace for burning powdered coal: 1, Prevention of erosion of the furnace lining; 2, easy removal of refuse from the furnace. For the purpose of solving these problems, the boiler tested was equipped with a furnace having hollow walls, through which about 60 per cent of the air needed for combustion passed before it entered the furnace. By passing through the hollow walls, the air cooled the furnace lining and prevented excessive erosion. A water screen was placed in the furnace about 3 feet above the bottom to keep the refuse deposited at the bottom from fusing and to make its removal easy. The design of the furnace, water screen, and burners was based on the experience gained in the previous cooperative tests1 with a smaller furnace, experimental water screen, and burners at the Oneida Street station of the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Co. The boiler tested had 13,057 square feet of heating surface. It was one of eight boilers fired with powdered coal, and was designated as boiler No. 8. The Lakeside station is the largest central station in the world that burns powdered coal exclusively. The coal used in the first five tests came from Illinois. The fuel in the other tests -:vas a mixture of Illinois and Pittsburgh coals.

Jan 1, 1925

By Sanjay Kumar Singh

The mechanics of load transfer in bord-and-pillar mining is not well understood despite the evolution of the art of pillar extraction over the last 20 years via trial and error (empirical) or Rock Mass Rating (RMR), simple monitoring and pillar extraction experiences at neighboring mines. Variations in geologic conditions and pillar extraction methods, along with a lack of comprehensive instrumentation programs for monitoring ground behavior during pillar recovery, are among the factors that make it difficult to predict how strata will respond to pillar extraction. Efficient and safe use of roof supports depends on the interaction between the designed support and coal strata. Of particular interest in this study is the mechanics of strata deformation as influenced by geologic conditions, pillar extraction methods and optimum support with load-bearing capabilities in strata control during mass exploitation of underground coal deposits required detailed investigation,?. To provide a better understanding of the mechanics of strata deformation, as researchers, we have collected data and reviewed measurements of convergence and stress in one mine of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (S.E.C.L.), i. e., in North Chirimiri Pondary Hills (NCPH) and have completed numerical modeling with FLAC software for (Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua modeling, Itasca India Consulting Pvt. Ltd.) for two typical pillar extraction plans. Stress distribution in the mine roof above pairs of roof supports was calculated to demonstrate how Resin roof bolt support installed support contributed to roof block movement control. It was shown that overall stress and roof-floor convergence patterns were most influenced by the stiffness of coal measure rocks and by pillar extraction sequences and layouts. Also, resin roof bolts and other support systems play a critical role in controlling stability of both the immediate roof and the main roof for a distance of up to 18 meters (i.e., working coal seam height X three times) above the seam. Installed supports provide unique strata control advantages over other types of secondary support by significantly reducing the time between mining and installation of the secondary support. Although resin roof bolts are similar to posts in stiffness and capacity, they are more effective than posts under static loads because they can yield and still maintain loads at nearpeak capacity(Singh, et al., 2006), whereas posts fail and lose their ability to limit mine roof deformation.

Jan 1, 2012

By M. Mononen, J. Huuskonen, M. Vauhkonen, J. Kourunen, A. Lehikoinen

"A new approach to measure process conditions in flotation cells is presented. Real scale flotation cells in a Zinc circuit are imaged using Outotec LevelSense sensors based on electrical resistance tomography. The latest results from long period plant tests show that the sensors together with FrothControl analysis give new information that correlates well with other process parameters. The sensors can compensate for electrical contact contamination using an automatic calibration technique and they are basically maintenance free. The results indicate that using the LevelSense sensors and FrothControl solution, the process control and optimization can be done automatically, stabilizing and improving the metallurgical performance of the flotation process.INTRODUCTIONThe froth flotation process is widely used in mineral industry for the separation of minerals from low-grade ore slurry. Different property parameters of froth and slurry could be measured to monitor and control the flotation process: air bubble size distribution, flow dynamics, thickness of the froth bed, amount of solids in the froth, etc. Some techniques already exist that can be utilized in studying these important parameters on-line. Examples of the techniques are the high-speed video imaging, simple conductivity probes, ultrasound techniques, floats and pressure transducers (Maldonado et al., 2008). These techniques, however, often suffer from some limitations. For example, the video imaging only gives information from the surface of the froth, simple conductivity probes suffer from contamination and the floats may get stuck and therefore do not give reliable signal for process control and optimization."

Jan 1, 2013

By C. J. Pretorius

More than 30 percent of the global demand for zircon (ZrSi04) is supplied by South Africa. A significant amount of the zircon is exported, and beneficiated products are then imported for industrial applications locally. Beneficiating the zircon locally could have a positive impact on the local market, since zircon is only one of many such cases. Ammonium acid fluoride serves as an alternative anhydrous fluorinating agent for zircon in the synthesis of several metal fluorides1,2. It provides an effective dry fluorinating method and is easier to handle than hydrogen fluoride or fluorine gas. Zircon exposed to extreme plasma temperatures dissociates and becomes more reactive. The reaction of the plasma-dissociated zircon (Zr02.SiO2) with the ammonium acid fluoride (NH4F.XHF, where x= 1 to 5) forms two main intermediate compounds (NH4)3ZrFr(s) and (NH4) 2SiF6(s), the latter decomposing to form volatile products at relatively low temperatures, providing easy separation of the silicon and zirconium compounds. The ammonium zirconate compound decomposes to form zirconium tetrafluoride (ZrF4), which can be further manufactured into zirconium metal, to name but one product. Data on the kinetics of the reaction of ammonium acid fluoride with zircon and plasma-dissociated zircon, combined with the thermo¬dynamic parameters of the reaction, is essential for the development of an industrial process for the production of a precursor for the manufacturing of zirconium metal, namely anhydrous ZrF4. Both the reaction kinetics and reaction parameters will be included in this study, as well as some proof that the reaction proceeds to ZrF4 on a small batch scale. If the exact reaction parameters can be pinned down, a wide spectrum of anhydrous metal fluorides can be synthesized through this fluorination route.

Jan 1, 2012

By Kenneth G. Skinner

The rapid growth of the metallurgical, chemical, and allied industries on the Pacific coast just prior to and during the war caused a sudden increase in the demand for refractories, which was the immediate cause of a revival in interest in refractory clays available on the Pacific coast, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. Population increases and shortage of shipping facilities caused an increase in the amount of various ceramic materials and products used and produced on the Pacific coast, with accompanying demand for information regarding sources of clay. In an effort to supply part of this information, the Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the College of Mines, University of Washington, started a program in 1944 to test the refractory and other properties of clays from seven Pacific Northwest deposits that had been drilled and sampled as part of the Bureau of Mines alumina from clay investigation. Figure 1 shows the location of these deposits.

Jan 1, 1949

By Andrzej Walentek

This paper presents the results of numerical modeling of the fractured zone around longwall gateroads. The numerical computations have been based on the results of underground measurements of the fractured zone around longwall gateroads, which were performed for various geological and mining conditions and measured with the use of the endoscopic method with a digital camera. Having results of the underground investigations, trials of duplicating them by the Finite Element Method using software PHASE and the Hoek-Brown failure criterion were performed. In order that the fractured zone predicted by the model-based computations closely simulate that measured underground, some selected parameters in the Hoek-Brown failure criterion were modified based on the earlier determined relations used for prediction of the roof-to-floor convergence in longwall gateroads. As a result, the model-based computations produce results very close to those obtained from the underground measurements. Determination of the fractured-rock zone around the mine roads is of great importance to mining practice, especially in planning and designing supports for longwall gateroads. The influence of the front abutment pressure causes the fractured rock zone around the roads to increase and results in an increase of support load. Moreover, proper determination of the fractured rock zone is one of basic elements in the process of planning roof bolting for mine workings.

Jan 1, 2009

By A. C. Fieldner, W. A. Selvig

For purposes of coal classification it is desirable to know the composition and calorific value of the pure coal substance; that is, of the coal free from its ash-forming minerals. Two methods suggest themselves: (1) To free the coal from most of the ash-forming material previous to the analysis; and (2) to analyze the coal as received and calculate the analysis, with certain more or less arbitrary corrections, to the pure-coal basis. Calculation methods are obviously more apt to give correct results with low-ash than high-ash coals. With coals of unusually high ash it would appear preferable to remove, previous to the analysis, as much of the inorganic matter as possible, by float-and-sink or acid-treating methods. Effect of Ignition on Inorganic Constituents of Coal The need of corrections in calculating analysis to the pure-coal basis is due to the fact that the ash, as determined by ignition, is not the same, in either weight or composition, as the inorganic mineral matter in the coal. On ignition a number of changes occur in the coal such as loss of water of hydration of the shaly material, conversion of pyrite (FeS2) to ferric oxide (Fe203) with evolution of the sulfur as sulfur dioxide or possible fixation of more or less of the sulfur in the ash as calcium sulfate (CaSO4), and decomposition of calcite (CaC03) to calcium oxide (CaO). The amount of sulfur from pyrite which remains in the ash as calcium sulfate depends on the amount of calcite and pyrite in the coal. Certain coals high in both calcite and pyrite show relatively large amounts of sulfate sulfur in the coal ash. The determination of total carbon and hydrogen in coal includes, besides the organic carbon and hydrogen, the carbon of inorganic carbonates such as calcite, and the hydrogen of the water of composition of some of the ash-forming minerals. For detailed discussion of corrections proposed for calculations of coal analyses to the " pure "

Jan 1, 1930

By Pedro Lilienfeld

This report describes a program to develop, design, fabricate and subject to environmental testing three prototype collection-sensing devices of an eventual mining-machine mounted automated monitor for the measurement of the respirable fraction of coal mine dust to determine both short-term as well as average mass concentrations over typical 8-hour shifts. The design of this instrument is based on collection by filtration and mass sensing by beta-radiation attenuation. The emphasis of this development program was to evolve a rugged, stable and reliable collection-detection head compatible with the environment to which An eventual monitor will be subjected. Laboratory testing of this prototype instrument was performed over a representative range of temperature, humidity, dust concentration and composition, shock and vibration. The results of this testing program indicated that the operation of the prototype version His compatible with these environmental conditions and that further development of this configuration into a field operational device is justified.

Jan 1, 1977

By M. Abzalov

"Control of analytical data quality is usually referred to in the mining industry as Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC), and involves the monitoring of sample quality and quantification of analytical accuracy and precision. QAQC procedures normally involve using sample duplicates and specially prepared standards whose grade is known. Numerous case studies indicate that reliable control of sample precision is achieved by using approximately 5% to 10% of field duplicates and 3% to 5% of pulp duplicates. These duplicate samples should be prepared and analyzed in the primary laboratory.Bias in the analytical results can be identified by inclusion of 3% to 5% of the standard in each sample batch. Several different standards are used, with values spanning the practical range of grades in the actual samples. A blank (a sample in which the concentration of metal of interest is below detection limit) should also be included. Standard samples alone cannot identify biases introduced during sample preparation, and therefore approximately 5% of the duplicate samples (coarse rejects and pulp) should be processed and assayed at another, external, reputable laboratory.This paper discusses techniques used for estimation of errors in precision and accuracy, and overviews diagnostic tools. It is shown that one of the most commonly used methods, the Thompson-Howarth technique, produces consistently lower results than other methods. These results reflect the nature of this method, which relies on the assumption of a normally distributed error, and thus produces biased results when errors have a skewed distribution. This study concurs with the suggestion of Stanley and Lawie (2007: Exploration and Mining Geology, v. 16, p. 265-274) to use the average coefficient of variation (CVAVR(%)) as the universal measure of relative precision error in mine geology applications: Le contrôle de la qualité des données analytiques est habituellement désigné sous l’appellation d’Assurance et Contrôle de la Qualité (ACQ), elle implique le suivi de la qualité des échan¬tillons et la quantification de la reproductibilité et la précision analytiques. Les procédures des pro¬grammes d’ACQ impliquent habituellement l’usage de duplicata et de standards analytiques dont la teneur est connue. Plusieurs études de cas indiquent qu’une bonne fiabilité du contrôle de la précision des échantillons est atteinte par l’usage de 5% à 10% de doublons sur le terrain et de 3% à 5% de doublons de pulpe. Ces duplicata devraient être préparés et analysés au laboratoire principal.Un biais des résultats analytiques peut être identifié par l’inclusion de 3% à 5% d’échantillons standard dans chaque envoi d’échantillons. Plusieurs standards sont utilisés, avec des valeurs couvrant l’étendue des teneurs habituellement rencontrées dans des échantillons réels. Un blanc (un échantillon dans lequel la concentration d’un métal donné est sous la limite de détection) devrait aussi être inclus. L’emploi exclusif d’échantillons standards ne permet pas l’identification de biais résultant de la préparation des échantillons, de telle sorte qu’environ 5% des duplicata (rejets grossiers et pulpes) devrait être traités a un autre laboratoire indépendant et fiable.Cet article passe en revue les techniques utilisées pour évaluer l’erreur liée à la précision et a la reproductibilité, et effectue aussi un survol de divers outils diagnostiques. Il ressort de cet examen qu’une des techniques les plus fréquemment utilisées, la méthode Thompson-Howarth, fournit des estimés systémati¬quement inférieurs à ceux provenant des autres méthodes. Ces résultats sont un reflet de la nature de cette méthode, laquelle assume une distribution normale de l’erreur, biaisant ainsi les résultats lorsque l’erreur présente une distribution asymétrique. La présente étude recommande de privilégier l’usage du coefficient moyen de variation (CVAVR(%)) en tant que mesure universelle de la précision relative de l’erreu"

Jan 1, 2008

By Mark H. Balfe

Over the last decade, Fenway Park has undergone annual improvements to modernize the facility for players and fans. These renovations include the Monster Seats, the Right Field Roof expansion, a new pavilion behind home plate, expansion of the Red Sox clubhouse, additional roof seating, and concourse improvements. Retrofitting the historic ballpark to bring it up to current standards required installation of foundations to support the new structural loads for each of the alteration projects. This required evaluation of existing conditions, and in many cases augmentation of the foundations at existing columns to accommodate the structural changes to the park. New foundations, generally consisting of drilled-in micropiles, were installed in numerous configurations and conditions. Since 2003, a total of 215 drilled-in micropiles have been installed to augment various columns around the park. The micropiles range in capacity between 40 and 70 tons and are installed through Fill and Organic Soils and embedded into the dense Glaciofluvial Sand and Gravel layer. Issues and learning related to the foundation augmentation include schedule constraints (work is typically conducted during the off-season and schedule is very aggressive), encountering old/abandoned utilities or foundations, ventilation of equipment, and management of spoils during micropile installation.

Jan 1, 2011

By Don A. Toth

Until recently, the fire protection systems used to protect mining equipment were based on generically designed, off the- shelf concepts. These systems were reliant on single agent approaches and were generally comprised of a series of small twenty or thirty pound chemical canisters that would discharge their contents when triggered by thermal detection means. As the equipment grew in capacity, the logic used to increase the protection was to add more chemical canisters to the system. Hydraulic excavators and large-scale mining trucks grew dramatically in size into the 1990?s and beyond; with this growth came the increase in major losses due to fire. This was evidenced throughout this period, and continues to be of great concern today. During this presentation you will learn of the significant changes that have come about as a result of this history. Today, dual-agent products, infrared detection and unit-specific, engineered systems are the primary phrases used when discussing how to best protect this equipment from fire loss. This session is a must for anybody looking to optimally protect their equipment assets and for those looking to renew and/or secure new insurance for high value equipment in the future.

Apr 1, 2005

By R. H. Oitto

To determine whether reflectors could substitute for the trip lights referred to in the Federal Mine Safety Code, the Bureau of Mines studied trip safety devices under simulated haulageway conditions. The noticeability of reflectors compared with trip lights and fluorescent panels was evaluated from distances of up to 850 feet with light source intensities of up to 1-6 foot-candles (ft c). Reflectors tested consisted of a reflective lens in a holder secured to a frame that can be attached to a trip. Reflectors were found to be suitable for use as a trip safety device. In fact, for the conditions in many underground haulageways some reflectors would be more effective than a permissible trip light.

Jan 1, 1968

By Axel Preusse

On the basis of the Law on Financing Hard Coal Mining dated 28 December 2007, the subsidized German hard coal mining industry will be shut down to the end of the year 2018 in a socially acceptable manner; in 2012 this decision will be reassessed. Even after the abandonment of all mining activities subsequent burdens are inevitable. In this paper, the possible long-term effects resulting from a mining industry history, which is spanning more than 200 years, and their possible consequences are pointed out, in particular in connection with the abandonment of mine water drainage measures which is economically meaningful in the long term. According to the decision situation as it presents itself today, this point in time will be far beyond 2018. In preparation for this, an action framework is to be developed in areas possibly affected.

Jan 1, 2008

By K. Swedburg, M. Samuels

"The New Afton concentrator was commissioned in June 2012, reaching the design milling rate in September 2012. By late 2013, through a campaign of optimization and de-bottlenecking, it was recognized that the installed plant was capable of greatly exceeding the design throughput of 11,700 tpd. Because the value of the metal contained (by increasing the plant feed rate) exceeded the offsetting losses of copper and gold recovery (as the operation moved to a coarser grind), the concentrator feed rate was strategically increased with support of New Gold, while the operations team was given a mandate to evaluate, and then implement, flow sheet options that could re-establish the original design criterion grind target and achieve the corresponding improved recovery. Broadly, the two options implemented were the addition of a tertiary grinding stage consisting of Metso Vertimill® prior to rougher flotation (in order to address the grinding required at increasing throughput by increasing the power), and the addition of three Woodgrove Staged Flotation Reactors (SFR) added to the cleaner circuit after regrind of the rougher concentrate (to address the increased mineral loading to the cleaner circuit). Through test work, it was anticipated that the SFRs would be capable of achieving final concentrate grade in a single pass without the integration of recirculating loads, a strategy sometimes referred to pre-cleaning. This paper describes the expectations generated for the Woodgrove SFR unit operation through pilot plant testing on site, and compares those results with the performance of the expanded circuit that exceeded the original design criterion of P80 160 µm, which was commissioned in the second quarter of 2015.INTRODUCTIONThe New Afton concentrator, located near Kamloops, BC Canada, commenced operation in June 2012. The mill achieved the design throughput of 11,000 tonnes per day average during the month of September 2012 and, following various operational optimization efforts (O’Hara et al, 2015), achieved the design p80 grind size of 160 µm at the design milling rate in July 2013.During August 2013, trials were carried out to determine the throughput rate limits of the mill circuits and to evaluate mill metallurgical performance at higher rates. Milling rates up to 15,500 dmt per 24 hours were achieved during this trial, demonstrating potential capability for sustained milling rates exceeding the nominal design capacity. As was expected, the higher milling rates resulted in a coarsening of the grinding circuit product size, and resulted in marginally lower recoveries in the rougher flotation circuit. Despite the lower recoveries, the higher milling rates resulted in higher metal production and the financial analysis favored running at rates of at least 13,000 tonnes per operating day, with the higher cash flow in the near term offsetting the value of metal production loss at the end of the mine life (due to the short term increase in the rate of reserve depletion). Milling rates were sustained above 13,000 tonnes per day through the second half of 2013, and increased above 14,000 tonnes per day by mid-2014 (Figure 1)."

Jan 1, 2016

By Gordon DM

Tyres account for 25-30 per cent of the operating costs of large capacity haul units as used in open-cut mines.Tyre operating costs can be substantially reduced and often contained in real terms by applying knowledge that is now available.This paper describes certain specific advances in tyre management, namely batching, bias adjustment, cumulative plotting and the so-called "pressure-temperature" system of tyre pressure control, originated on the Mt Newman Mining Company's Newman minesite, and discusses the contribution that each has made to improving tyre management and reducing costs.

Jan 1, 1983

By E. Don Dilling, W. F. Holbrook, Lloyd R. Michels, James W. Pennington, Dwight L. Harris, Wm. F. Hergert, Cyrus L. Blogett, H. A. Doerner, Ernest A. Reige

"IntroductionA process for production of magnesium by carbothermal reduction was developed at Padentheirm, Austria, by the Austro Americanische Magnesit Corporation& an independent investigation of this and other processes was started in 1937 by the Bureau of Mines at Pullman, Wash., with the cooperation of Washington State College. 10/ A preliminary study of the Radentheirm pro¬cess, as revealed by the meager information then available, demonstrated the following two major disadvantages,The use of hydrogen for shock cooling requires an enormous volume of gas - about 1,000 cubic feet for condensing each pound of metal as a pyrophoric dust which must be completely separated from this gas. Then if the gas is to be recycled for repeated use, the CO produced by the reduction reaction must be separated from the hydrogen. These separations are costly from the standpoint of equipment and operation. 11/The condensate is an impure, pyrophoric metal powder that must be purified and converted to coherent form. This is accomplished by distillation or sublimation of the metal. Distillation on a large scale involves difficulties inherent in the high boiling point (1,107° C.) and the chemical activity of the metal. To avoid these difficulties, the metal is sublimed at 600° C. and of very low pressure. This is quite easily carried out as a batch operation but is a costly procedure. A continuous sublimation process has not been accompli shed."

May 1, 1945

In order to maintain a production rate of 6,000 tonnes per day from underground at the Williams Operating Corporation, two independent mining areas were required which created a long narrow sill pillar between them. During initial mining of the sill pillar there were a number of significant ground falls [LeBlanc and Murdoch, 2000] and in March 1999, with no active mining ongoing in the sill pillar area, a rockburst of magnitude 3.0 Nuttli occurred. Extensive ground support was designed and installed to withstand events of similar magnitude [Bawden and Jones, 2002]. A mine wide microseismic system was installed to monitor mine induced seismic behaviour over the entire mine. The area most directly affected by the 1999 rockburst was rehabilitated using a highly ductile support design. Along with microseismic instrumentation, the areas were instrumented using conventional SMART Cables and SMART MPBX?s. Subsequent to this, the area was impacted by a large number of high magnitude seismic events [magnitudes between 1.7 and 3.5 Nuttli]. The ground support performed very well during these events, providing confidence in the mine?s ability to control the ground under severe rockburst conditions. Analyses of microseismic and conventional instrumentation, combined with numerical analyses of sequence alternatives, were used to develop an optimal mining strategy for the sill pillar area. The selected strategy involved utilization of instrumentation data and calibrated model results to analyze yield zones in the sill. The analyzed ?yielded? zones were assessed to be low seismic risk. Initial mining in the sill was then concentrated in these low risk areas, with the objective of further concentrating stress into the remaining seismically active area, in order to induce ultimate failure of the sill. Continuing large magnitude seismicity and resulting damage in the remaining ?high seismic risk? area, led to abandoning a second portion of the footwall access and the strategic decision to extract a stope near the centre of this zone in order to force final failure of the sill pillar. During execution of this plan two large magnitude seismic events occurred resulting in destressing and final failure of the remaining sill pillar. The paper provides a detailed description of this ?strategic mine sequence driven self-destressing process? and the implications to final extraction planning in this area of the mine.

Apr 1, 2005

By Haukka M. T

A new low-dilution fusion method which has been successfully used for accurate determination of the major oxide components of silicate rocks, is applicable to rapid, accurate determination of trace or minor eiements in mineral exploration samples. Limit of detection is in many cases less than 5 ppm. Either rapid, approximate measurement and calculation methods (suitable for geochemical exploration), or more accurate methods (applicable to orebody evaluation studies) may be used.Rapid methods are described for nickel in rocks and sulphides containing 10 ppm to >2 per cent Ni, and for gallium. The rarely-determined element gallium is an example of a constituent which may be easily investigatedby XRF using the LiB02 fusion disc, which is a permanent, easily-stored analytical sample available for later rapid or accurate analyses. The method is applicable to over 30 elements at levels encountered in mineral exploration.

Jan 1, 1978

By Aram Grigoryan

This paper addresses the challenges of designing the underpinning of major sub-way station with 4 operating tracks. No. 7 subway extension crosses under the existing 42nd street subway station on the 8th Avenue line. Understanding the history of the original construction, of the current structures and their condition were instrumental in developing a feasible underpinning design that is integrated with the design of the new tunnels. The existing 8th Avenue subway station has a lower abandoned level. Several alignments and corresponding underpinning schemes were studied. The design allows new tunnel construction under the station without interruption of station operations.

By Gianni Bartolacci, Patrice Nadeau, Szatvanyi. Gerard, Carl Duchesne, Claude Chrétien

"Combustion is used throughout the mineral processing industry to produce steam in boilers, to dry concentrates in rotary dryers, and to apply heat treatments in pyrometallurgical furnaces. Tight combustion control is very important in latter type of furnace since the combustion conditions directly affect final ore quality. However, achieving tight combustion control is not straightforward since most of the flames encountered in industry are turbulent non-premixed flames, they are affected by several unmeasured disturbances and are often produced by burning several types of fuel simultaneously, some of them coming from other parts of the plant. A novel method is proposed in this paper to improve process and product quality control as well as to optimize the combustion conditions based on digital flame color images. Multivariate Image Analysis and Regression is to used extract the flame color characteristics from images to predict the solids discharge temperature of an industrial rotary kiln. It is shown that this method yield extremely good 10 minutes ahead forecast of the temperature and should lead to a substantial reduction in product quality variability as well as in fuel consumption.INTRODUCTIONFuel-fired furnaces are often used in the mineral processing industry for various purposes, such as for the production of steam (utility boiler), in conjunction with rotary dryers to dry mineral concentrates or in pyrometallurgical processes for induration, roasting, and so forth. These furnaces are necessary in the supply chain from the mine to the metals, but their operating costs are constantly rising due to the fluctuations in fuel prices. Moreover, these processes are now targeted by the Kyoto Protocol since they are energy intensive and they produce significant amounts of CO2 and other pollutants such CO, NOx and SO2. To achieve both a reduction in operating costs (i.e. fuel consumption) and in pollutant emissions while maintaining or improving product quality, one needs to have a very good control of the combustion process."

Jan 1, 2005