Search Documents

By Forbes K. Wilson

"For his vision, determination, dedication, and leadership in the conquest of the remote and rugged Ertsberg and the technical and human barriers to its development and for his lecture ..." It is a great honor for me to be included among the Jackling Award recipients, many of whom have been close friends and associates. My subject is the development of the Ertsberg, a copper mine located 4' south of the equator, 70 miles (113 km) from the south coast of Irian Jaya---the easternmost province of the republic of Indonesia at an elevation of 12,000 ft (3658 m) in an area which was inhabited by a few "stone age" people when I first arrived there in 1960. Persistence, tenacity, immagination and innovation were all required to bring the Ertsberg into production. The technical, financial and political problems that have been faced over the past 16 years were unique in many respects. I hope that my paper will give some encouragement and help to future developers of mines in difficult and inhospitable surroundings.

Jan 1, 1978

By AIME AIME

THE value to the engineering profession of a liaison between the engineering societies of Russia and America, through Engineering Council, was the subject of a meeting in the Engineering Societies Building attended by over 500 persons. In introducing the subject, Mr. N. A. Stephanoff, President of the Russian Society of America, said: In Russia, engineers were divided into two classes: those who had graduated from the high technical schools and the practical engineers who had graduated from special technical schools. These technical schools were divided into three groups: The first corresponded to the German polytechnical schools with many departments, mechanical, chemical, metallurgical, mining, etc. The second group corresponded to the French special schools of the "Écoles des Ponts et Chaussées." "École des Mines." The third group was formed by the Military and Naval Academies of Engineers. In 1910, Russia's high technical schools had about 45,000 students, whose training covered a period of not less than five years, and who enjoyed all opportunities afforded by laboratories in no way inferior to those of Germany.

Jan 1, 1920

By F. B. Richards

For the last five years the furnace-men drawing their oresupply from the Lake Superior districts have had to solve the problem of using the very fine Mesabi ores as part of their oremixture. It is not my purpope to dwell on the early experiences and the progressive development in the use of these ores up to this time, but to lay before the members of the Institute one prominent feature concerning them, namely, the frequent and sometimes very disastrous slips (?) or explosions (?) occurring at furnaces where these ores are used. The Transactions of the Institute contain very little on this subject. Mr. F. E. Bachman, in his discussion of Mr. 0. 0. Laudig's paper (Trans., xxvi., 1061), advances a theory as to the cause of these occurrences; but this is the only reference to the subject in the Transactions up to this time, so far as I can recall. Probably all the furnace-men running the harddriven coke-furnaces in the central West have had more or less experience with this trouble; and I believe the majority of

Jan 1, 1899

By Henry Souther

It is generally admitted that a god, practical and commercial set of specifications for the use of the many purchasers of cast-iron does not exist. A few good sets are in the hands of large buyers, but even these are very different, contradictory, and not intended to cover a wide range of product. Furthermore, most of them have been prepared to cover but one branch of the industry. It is strange that purchasers of cast-iron have not looked into this question long ago and demanded good, uniform cast-irou. Probably cast-iron has been discarded from many uses because of its failure in a few instances, even though the failure was due to ignorance of the quality of the iron, or perhaps to abnormally bad iron. Some foundrymen seem to consider all gray iron from a given foundry as uniform, especially if they know that it has been made from certain well-known brands of pig. It is likely that with standard specifications and the increase of knowledge necessary for their intelligent employ-

Jan 1, 1905

By O. E. Palasvirta

Close examination of most so-called new processes in mineral dressing reveals that they were conceived and developed a long time ago. High-intensity magnetic separation is no exception. Although its application in iron ore beneficiation seems new, in Germany the process has been commercially successful for almost two decades. High-intensity separators have long been standard equipment in the glass sand industry; they have also been used in concentrating some of the more unusual paramagnetic minerals. The basic features of an induced-rotor, high-intensity magnetic separator were described by Désiré Korda in Paris in 1905,1 and many patents have since been issued for improvements on the original design. Fig. 1 shows the basic design of an induced-rotor separator. Several U. S. manufacturers have been supplying induced-rotor separators for many years, but these are all devices of relatively low capacity, not suitable for treating such low-cost commodities as iron ore. On the other hand, two German manufacturers are offering induced-rotor separators of high capacity, both proven in the field.

Jan 12, 1959

By Stanley B. Roboff

Throughout the world nuclear power re- actors are being designed and constructed as the energy source for stationary power plants. They are built to power submarines, surface ships, and long-range aircraft and to provide small package power plants that can be set up with relative ease in outlying areas. Regardless of type, most of these plants are designed to operate at the highest permissible temperatures and with the greatest possible burn-up of fuel. On paper it is now possible to design a nuclear power plant that will out-perform all existing types of power-generating plants, and at costs which are attractive. Such plants, however, are not now being built, nor will they ever be built, unless major engineering advances are made in the realm of reactor materials. The reason for this is straight- forward enough. Although it is known that huge quantities of energy can be generated in nuclear fuels within short periods of time, as yet there are no construction materials capable of withstanding the severe conditions that would exist within a power reactor operating with ultrahigh output.

Sep 1, 1956

In March 1962, over three months ahead of schedule, production began from the Ventersdorp Contact Reef of the Western Deep Levels Ltd. mine on the West Witwatersrand. Few mines have captured the interest of mining men and the public as has Western Deep Levels. It has presented the gold mining industry with a challenge which involved the opening of an ultradeep mine with the attendant problems of exceptionally heavy capital commitments ($77 million to start of production), high rock temperatures and pressures at great depths, cementation and pumping in an area notorious for the volume of subsurface water, and the necessity for entirely new thinking and the application of new ideas. HISTORY Not all the problems facing Western Deep Levels were, however, new. Situated 43 miles from Johannesburg, just off the main road to Potchefstroom, Western Deep Levels was the sixth company to undertake mining operations on what is known as the West Wits line and it could draw on the wealth of experience gained by other pioneer mines in the area.

Jan 12, 1962

By A. J. Sinclair

Sampling methods for feasibility studies are dependent on geological characteristics of the deposit being evaluated. A preliminary geostatistical study is required, taking into account autocorrelation aspects of variables under study in order that sample plan design can be optimized to produce grade and tonnage estimates within stipulated error limits. In general, regular sample distribution is to be aimed for, and regular sample lengths (from drill core or cuttings, for example) are preferred in order to facilitate statistical analysis. Sample plans are modified and improved (either technically or economically), as a sampling program proceeds and additional information is obtained. Bulk samples for metallurgical testing can be evaluated in terms of the variance shown by all such samples in a deposit and the internal variability of grade. Attention to these sources of variability will ensure proper evaluation of pilot test results from bulk samples. In addition, a general mineralogical study of a deposit is an important, often ignored, requirement in a more general but semi-quantitative evaluation of the representativeness of a bulk sample; and, moreover, provides information useful in optimizing plant design.

Jan 1, 1978

By C. S. Anderson

GEORGIA, since 1829, has produced nearly $18,000,000 from her gold mines, but in late years the output has dwindled to insignificance. In view of present universal efforts to increase gold production, it seems pertinent to record some recent observations in that field, briefly review its past and weigh probabilities of reviving gold mining there. Little in this paper can be claimed as new or original, and it does not present results of a detailed or profound investigation of the whole region. The Allatoona gold mine was reopened in January, 1932, and explored at greater depth during the period from January to June of that year. A number of other abandoned mines were visited, but since the workings, in common with most such mines in Georgia, were flooded or caved, underground conditions could not be examined. For a wider knowl-edge of the subject, a search was made through available pertinent literature and statistics, a bibliography of which is appended hereto. To all the sources obligations are gratefully acknowledged.

Jan 1, 1933

By BION J. ARNOLD

WE can, I think, rightfully claim, irrespective of our faults, that engineers must, in order to last as engineers, possess the qualifications of integrity, stead- fastness of purpose, ability to think straight, and to apply these qualities consistently and continually in their everyday work. All engineers know this, most of them conform, and in order to drive it home I might, if 'clothed with proper authority, preach to you at length, but I shall not take the chance. So I only want to make a suggestion or two to the young engineers. Have an ideal and work toward it. You will have your disappointments and your temptations but keep your record clean, and if anyone says you are foolish or ugly, or homely, or that you need a guardian, take the criticism with a smile, for he may be able to prove his contention; but if he attacks your integrity, strike at once and fight hard, for he has assailed not only your character but your principal asset as an engineer.

Jan 1, 1929

By T. MacDONALD

ATHOUGH flotation has been a commercial process for over twenty years, the last two years have witnessed a sudden and phenomenal increase in our knowledge of how to separate minerals heretofore not considered amenable to flotation at all. As remarked by Professor Locke in the January issue. "Either commercial or laboratory flotation is reported on zircon, ilmenite, carnotite, kyanite, scheelite, chromite, fluorite, feldspar, cassiterite, wolframite, barite, and clay. Attractive patents on soap flotation are U. S. Nos. 2,000,656 and 2,040.187. A survey by Ralston in the February E. & M. J. adds many other minerals to this impressive list. The simple but pregnant fact is that any mineral can be coated, directly or indirectly, with a water-repellent coating, and since this is true, it follows that any mineral can be floated. Fundamentally, this is no new discovery, where, for instance, is the mineral that cannot he washed from a pair of dirty hands by means of soap and water, given the absence of refractory greases or oils which would have no proper place in flotation ?

Jan 1, 1937

By N. Plint, E. T. Pinkney

Copper segregation developments within the Anglo American Group are described with particular reference to the work of the TORCO Project Team. Some radical differences have been adopted in the mechan-ical approach as compared with methods used by previous workers. Most important among these are the following: (1) The heating unit is a fluidized-bed roaster. (2) A moving bed segregation chamber is used in which a packed bed of heated ore, to which reagents have been added, moves slowly downwards under gravity and is discharged at a controlled rate by means of a suitable valve mechanism. (3) The quantities of reagents used (sodium chloride and some form of carbon) are only a small fraction of those recommended by other investigators. (4) Retention times of only 2 min have been satisfactory for the complete segregation of many types of ore. Project TORCO is the code name given by Anglo American Corp. of South Africa, Ltd., to the investigation undertaken in Zambia to develop a plant capable of treating large tonnages of refractory copper-bearing ores by the segregation process. The process has now been under investigation for six years (1960-66) and during that period work has progressed from bench-scale laboratory tests through small-scale pilot-plant work to a 500-tpd commercial pilot unit. Test work has been carried out mainly on the ores of the Zambian Copperbelt and results have been encouraging. Recoveries on the order of 90% have been obtained on all Copperbelt ores tested with high concentrate grades. PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION Laboratory scale segregation test work on Nchanga banded sandstone ore and oxidized ore from Kansan-shi was originally conducted by Professor Maurice Rey. SociCtC Miniere et Mktallurgique de Pefiarroya, in 1957. Both ores responded favorably to the process. In November, 1960, the consulting engineers of Anglo American Corp. of South Africa, Ltd., initiated preliminary investigations on the application of the segregation process to Copperbelt ores. In early laboratory work, samples were heated in a closed, externally heated tube furnace for one hour at temperatures ranging from 800 to 830°C. The free moisture content of the ore feed was 4% and reagent additions were 0.5% salt and 1.0% coal. Both salt and coal were pre-crushed to -48 mesh Tyler.* All samples except an ore from the Bancroft mine responded well to the process and recoveries of over 90% were obtained. The presence of dolomite was responsible for the relatively poor recoveries from the Bancroft ore, as tests on one of the other ores with additions of calcite or dolomite confirmed. Recoveries dropped from 94 to 45% Grades of all the rougher flotation concentrates produced were low at 10-15% copper. The laboratory investigation was then followed up on a pilot-plant scale. An attempt was made to carry out the segregation process in a coal-fired 5-ft-diam fluidized-bed roaster. The feed consisted of a banded sandstone from Nchanga to which 0.5% sodium chloride had been added. Reducing conditions were maintained in the roaster by the addition of coal in excess of that required for heating the feed. The excess coal and added salt constituted the segregation reagents and the temperature of the bed was held at approximately 750°C. Recoveries of copper and grades of concentrates were low. The reasons for lack of success were: (1) The reaction is a gaseous one and a fluidized-bed roaster is therefore unsuitable as a segregation unit. (2) Coal in excess of that required for heating was introduced into the fluidized bed and under these conditions some of the copper would be reduced in situ. The term "reduced in situ" is used here to describe any copper mineral reduced to the metallic state in its original site within the ore particles. If this copper is to be recovered by subsequent froth flotation it must first be liberated from the gangue by grinding or some other method which, in practice, is usually not feasible on ores of this type.

Jan 1, 1969

By P. D. I. Honeyman

IN THE Southwestern copper region the event of greatest interest was the starting up of the new Hurley, N. Mex., smelter of the Chino Mines division of the Nevada Consolidated Copper Corp., which occurred in May. This plant, built as a wet-charge smelter for treating largely an all-concentrate charge, embodies in its de- sign the latest in materials-handling equipment. Noticeable around this smelter is the absence of tram cars and trackage for the handling of charge, dust and other materials. Concentrate from the mills is received in bottom- dump cars which are unloaded into a series of concentrate bins. Concentrate is then reclaimed through the bottom of the bins and discharged through a feeder on to a conveyor belt. Flux for the charge is fed on to the conveyor ahead of the concentrate charge. The belt-mixed charge is conveyed to the furnace building and discharged into the furnace charge bin ready for feeding to the reverberatory furnace. As in the McGill plant, the furnace is fed by vibrating conveyors, one down each side of the furnace.

Jan 1, 1940

By Charles Smeal, Robert J. Schafer, Max Quantinetz

Normally metal powders cannot be ground to sub-micron sizes because of welding and agglomeration phenomena. Through the use of selected grinding aids and grinding fluids, nickel and other metal powders have been ball-milled as fine as 0.1 It was found that certain inorganic salts are more effective grinding aids for metal powders than conventionally used surfactants. METAL and alloy powders are used to produce reagents, pigments, coatings, solders, brazes, and parts for industry by powder metallurgy techniques. They are also combined with refractory compounds to produce cermets and dispersion-hardened products. One of the interests at the Lewis Research Center has been to explore the potentialities of the dispersion strengthening process. Since the work of Ir-mann, many investigators have shown that the strength of dispersion-hardened products may increase with decreasing interparticle spacing.24 One approach to achieving small interparticle spacing is to combine fine refractory compounds and metal powders, preferably below 1 in size. In attempting to obtain fine metal powders, it was found that until very recently the best that could be obtained from commercial suppliers, particularly of ductile metals, was about 1.0 . Interest was therefore developed in providing finer metal powders for dispersion-hardening studies. Information obtained from the literature, from others working in the field, and from prior experimental work performed at NASA, led to a consideration of ball-milling as a technique to produce the desired materials. Some of the variables associated with ball-milling are the size, material, and nature of construction of the grinding container; the nature and amount of the grinding material and material to be ground; and the nature and amount of the grinding liquid and grinding aid, if employed, and the grinding time. In all ball-milling, welding and agglomeration can oc- cur as well as grinding. Because of the tendency of ductile metals to weld together, they are difficult to grind.5 The ultimate particle size obtained on grinding is generally the one at which the rate of grinding becomes equal to the rate of welding. To help delay welding and thus obtain smaller particle sizes, grinding aids are often employed. The principal objective of this investigation was to produce submicron metal powders by ball-milling the powders with selected grinding aids and grinding fluids. A secondary objective has been to attempt to explain the variations observed in grinding behavior by considering possible grinding mechanisms and correlating various parameters with grinding effectiveness. Three groups of ball-milling experiments were run; one in which the grinding aid was varied, a second in which the grinding fluid was varied, and a third in which the material being ground was varied MATERIALS, APPARATUS, AND PROCEDURE In the first group of experiments in which the grinding aid was varied Inco Carbonyl Grade B nickel powder initially 2.5 (all sizes refer to average particle size as measured by Fisher Sub -sieve Sizer) was used as the material being ground and 200-proof ethyl-alcohol as the grinding fluid. Surfactants, representative of typical organic structures, were selected as grinding aids. Inorganic salts used as grinding aids were chosen on the basis of the size and valence of their ions. Water soluble salts were used in order to facilitate their removal from the slurry after grinding. In the second set of experiments, grinding of the 2.5- Ni powder was tried in four different grinding liquids; water, cyclohexane, n -heptane, and methy-lene chloride. In this study seven grinding aids selected from those tried in the first group of experiments were employed. In the third group of experiments 200-proof ethyl alcohol was again used as the grinding fluid to mill Cu, Cr, Fe, Ag, and Ni powders of various initial particle sizes' All mill charges contained 300 ml of grinding liquid and 3000 g of 1/2 in. stainless steel balls. When inorganic salts were used as the grinding aid, 70 g of salt and 210 g of metal powder were employed, and with surfactants 6 g of grinding aid and 300 g of

Jan 1, 1962

By L. D. Mullins, E. B. Elfrink, W. L. Wahl

In the past few years several articles and papers presenting results of solution gas-drive depletion calculations have appeared in the lit-erature. Such calculations are of interest to the oil industry, for investment decisions must often be made before much is known about a reservoir. At other times, an estimate of the possible benefits to be realized from alternate production methods is desirable, and theoretical depletion calculations can serve as a floor or reference level from which to work. In any case, an estimate of ultimate oil recovery based upon engineering data is commonly required. An engineer confronted with the problem of obtaining, for a specific reservoir system, an estimate of ultimate oil recovery by solution gas-drive depletion usually will be forced to perform the calculations himself. This is despite the quantity of data in the literature. Rarely will either experience or the literature provide results from a reservoir system similar in all important respects to the one under consideration, and calculated results are not so plentiful that satisfactory interpolation procedures can be devised. Performing the calculations, however, is a tedious, time-consuming task unless an electronic computer is available, and, in practice, time and manpower are not always available for this purpose. A quick, simple, consistent method was needed for reducing the uncer- tainty in estimated oil recovery from solution gas-drive reservoirs when only minimum information about the reservoir system is available. PROCEDURE Method of Calculation The usual requisite assumptions were made so that the material balance equation could be used to calculate data for the charts. The following assumptions were made: (1) the reservoir is homogeneous and isotropic; (2) oil recovery is due entirely to solution gas drive and neither a gas cap nor a water drive nor gravity drainage is present; (3) the initial reservoir pressure is the bubble-point pressure of the reservoir fluid; (4) initial total liquid saturation is 100 per cent of pore space; (5) interstitial water saturation remains at the initial value as the reservoir pressure declines from the bubble-point pressure to atmospheric pressure; (6) equilibrium gas saturation is 5 per cent of pore space; and (7) oil and gas saturations are uniformly distributed throughout the reservoir at all times. There are no saturation gradients due to a wellbore, nor is the geometry of the reservoir system considered. The material balance equation was written in the form of a differential equation' which was integrated to determine the change in oil saturation for an assigned pressure drop. Formal integration was not possible, so recourse was made to the Runge-Kutta method' of numerical integration. All computations were performed on IBM equipment. Numerical integration yielded the change in oil saturation within the reservoir as the pressure. declined from the bubble-point pressure to atmospheric pressure. The initial oil saturation minus the change in oil saturation yielded the oil saturation at atmospheric pressure. The oil originally in place was obtained by dividing the initial oil saturation by the initial formation volume factor (differential liberation) while the oil in place at atmospheric pressure was obtained by dividing the final oil saturation by the formation volume factor at atmospheric pressure. U1timate oil recovery, expressed as a percentage of the initial oil in place, was obtained by dividing the difference between the oil initially in place and the oil in place at atmospheric pressure by the oil initially in place and multiplying by 100. PVT Data Charts were based upon 135 solutions to the material balance equation. PVT properties of the reservoir fluids were variables in this equation and had to be known as functions of pressure. The required PVT data might have been obtained from either actual reservoir fluid systems or correlated data. However, correlated PVT data were developed and employed in the calculations for the following reasons: (1) it is doubtful that 135 sets of PVT data could have been obtained for the values of variables investigated in this study, and (2) results of recovery calculations from randomly obtained PVT data could not be correlated as well as rssults from selected PVT data. The PVT data used to develop the

By John M. Tinsley, Calvin D. Saunders, H. K. van Poollen

In the past few years much con-sideration has been given to the evaluation of the effect of hydraulic fracturing on the productivity of wells. Generally, these studies included the evaluation of fracturing materials, fracture extension and formation damage due to the use of various fracturing fluids. Only little consideration has been given to the characteristics, and in particular the flow capacity, of the fracture itself and its effect on well productivity. This paper presents the results of laboratory investigations pointed toward fie evaluation of the efficiency of various fracrures with special emphasis on the flow capacity of these fractures. Data presented in this paper are the results of both an electrical model study and physical testing. Under consideration are (I) effect of overflush, (2) premature production of well after treatment, (3) "tailing-in" with coarse sand near the end of the treatment, (4) effect of propping agent size and concentration, (5) reduction in effective frac-ture permeability caused by formation caused by formation fines, silt and clays, and (6) effect of various fluids on formation strength and competency. The results of this investigation indicate that the flow capacity of a fracture is affected by any or all of the various parameters mentioned above. The authors believe that a better understanding arid utilization of these factors should result in more efficient formation fracturing. INTRODUCTION Hydraulic fracturing has become almost a standard practice of many companies for stimulating production from old and new wells. Although most companies utilize this service, techniques of application vary widely between companies and areas. Probably too often when a well in an area responds favorably to a particular technique all future wells in the same area are treated in a similar manner. Possibly a modification of the technique would result in a further production increase. Variables, of which many are extremely difficult to evaluate from field results, hamper the selection of procedure changes. Attempts are being made by a number of organizations to analyze statistically treating techniques from production data. This is a very worthy and necessary approach but very possibly laboratory investigations may aid in evaluating some of the variables which tend to affect the results of a fracturing treatment. Some of the factors cannot be studied from practical field experience and only laboratory tests can show the possibilities which might exist. One of the factors which appears to be of major concern today is the flow capacity of the created fracture and how it can be changed. Papers on this general subject have been primarily concerned with the size of propping agent and the extent of fracture. Papers have also been written on the possible permeability damage to formations by fracturing fluids. In addition, it might be possible that another type of flow restriction is prevalent. This would be a restriction of flow through a sand-packed frac- ture caused by foreign materials integrating within the propping agent. This paper presents preliminary data obtained in an attempt to evaluate the effect of some factors affecting flow through sand-packed fractures. No attempt is being made to offer a fracturing technique adaptable to all areas and conditions, but to furnish data tending to show the possible effects which might be caused by variations in procedures and materials. PROPPING AGENT PERMEABLLITIES A hydraulically induced fracture containing sand as a propping agent may theoretically be classified as a packed-sand system. The flow of fluids through such packed systems has been the subject of much research. Although there have been numerous methods proposed for the evaluation of such systems, most writers agree on the general properties affecting their flow capacity or permeability. These properties include porosity, particle size, sphericity and the roughness of the particle. In some methods of evaluation . the particle size and sphericity terms are combined to produce an equation which is a function of the surface area of the particles. In this study the permeability of various fracturing sands was both measured and calculated. The apparatus for the permeability measurements consisted of a 52-in. Lucite tube with a 2.5-in. ID. A screen and drain plug were fitted in the bottom of this tube to retain and hold the sand in place while allowing fluid flow. Two pressure taps consisting of thin, highly perforated

By W. T. Weller

In Part I, a study of pressure build-up curves calculated for conditions under which both oil and gas flow led to the conclusion that the presence of a dispersed free gas phase in an oil reservoir must be taken into consideration to estimate accurately average reservoir pressure and permeability from build-up curves. Familiar methods based on the assumption of no free gas can be extended to the two-phase case by using total compressibility and mobility in place of single-fluid compressibility and mobility. These methods give correct values for average pressure and permeability when gas saturation is small. Errors become larger as the gas saturation increases. However, for the use to which the results will be put, the methods are satisfactory for reservoir engineering purposes. An improved method of calculating the performance of depletion-type reservoirs is presented in Part 2. Because the mathematical relationships describing simultaneous flow of oil and gas are quite involved. simplifying assumptions are made to provide means of obtaining approximate solutions of reasonable accuracy. One such approximate method now in use is the constant-GOR solution. It involves the assumption that at any instant, the ratio of total gas flow rate (both free and disolved) to oil flow rate is the same at all points in the reservoir. The approach is not applicable unless the free gar saturation in the reservoir is everywhere greater than the critical gas saturation. This paper presents a modification which, by avoiding the constant-GOR assumption, makes the method applicable to all reservoir conditions, and so far appears to be more accurate than the constant-GOR solution and to he comparable in required compuctation time. PART I— BUILD-UP CURVE ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION Pressure build-up characteristics of shut-in wells have been used for many years by engineers to evaluate average reservoir pressure, effective permeability thickness of the pay section, effectiveness of well completion (skin effect) and reservoir size. A number of methods of analysis have appeared from time to time."" Without exception, these methods are based on the assumption that the reservoir contains but one fluid of constant small compressibility and constant mobility. It has been suggesteda" hat these single-fluid methods may be applied to data from reservoirs containing both oil and gas by substitution of some effective total properties of the multiphase system in place of the corresponding single-phase properties. The present investigation was undertaken primarily to evaluate this approach. METHOD A number of theoretical build-up curves were calculated for conditions of two-phase flow, under the assumption of certain reservoir and fluid properties, and were analyzed by single-fluid methods with appropriate total compressibility and total mobility values for the corresponding single-fluid properties. Results of the analyses were compared with the assumed conditions. The theoretical build-up curves were completed by procedures similar to those of West, Garvin and Sheldon." Since these calculations require a considerable amount of computer time, an attempt was made to derive an approximate calculation method. The attempt was unsuccessful for calculating build-up curves, but the effort did result in a new approximate method of calculating the performance of solution gas drive reservoirs, which appears to be an improvement over the constant-GOR method" used previously (see Part 2). The West, Garvin and Sheldon calculations involved the following assumptions: (1) the reservoir is circular and completely bounded, with a completely penetrating well at its center; (2) the porous medium is uniform and iso-tropic, with a constant water saturation at all points; (3) gravity effects can be neglected; (4) compressibility of rock and water can be neglected; (5) the composition and equilibrium are constant for oil and gas; (6) the same pressure exists in both the oil phase and the gas phase; and (7) no afterproduction occurs, i.e., the well is shut in at the sand face for build-up. These assumptions make it possible to describe two-phase flow of oil and gas by the partial differential equations:

Jan 1, 1967

By U. F. Kocks

The flow stress in some latent slip systems of aluminum and silver crystals after various deformations in single slip was investigated by transverse compression and supplemented by experiments on overshoot of the compression axis and the stability of corner orientations. Work hardening was found to be remarkably isotropic, the ratio of the flow stress in the latent system to that in the primary system being between 1.0 and 1.3. The strain-rate dependence was not significantly larger in the latent system. This low anisotropy suggests that specific dislocation interactions are not the direct cause of work hardening. Either the obstacles are essentially impenetrable so that only their distance enters, or a fairly random distribution of dislocations of all systems is. in fact. formed during single slip. The latter seems to he excluded by the observations on the strain-mte dependence and on the amount of secondary strain. The amount of seconzdary strains occurring in single slip was determined by shape-change mensurements and by a new method connected with the latent-hardening experiments. It is definitely less than 1/300 times the strain in the primary svstem. WORK hardening is due to dislocation interactions; this is a hypothesis, and possibly the only one, on which all present work-harden ing theories agree. About a dozen specific interactions have been considered, and it is unlikely that any essential one has been missed. Different work-hardening theories differ to a large extent in the specific interactions which are deemed most important. The presence or absence of any particular interaction, and its degree, depend on the geometrical relationships between the two dislocations interacting. Let us enumerate some examples. Two dislocations may react, with a varying reaction energy, to form a third dislocation, and this reaction product may be sessile or glissile. Two dislocations may intersect and a jog may be formed on both, on one of them, or on neither; this jog may be sessile17Z or glissile and it may, if moved nonconservatively, lead to the production of vacancies or interstitials. Finally, a dislocation may bypass another one and thus interact only with its stress field. All these interactions depend on the specific relation between the Burgers vectors and line directions of the two dislocations. Any dislocation generated during plastic deformation of fcc crystals belongs to one of twelve slip systems. Taking any one dislocation, its relationship to each of the other eleven can fall, by symmetry, into one of only five classes. These relationships are enumerated in Fig. 1 and Table I. Each slip system is represented in the stereo-graphic projection by two triangles, namely those in one of which the specimen axis would have to lie if the specimen were to deform in single slip on this slip system in a given sense, in a tension test. Let us represent the primary slip system by the shaded triangles. The other slip systems are classified only with respect to their relationship to this primary system. The code letters (initials of established names* in German) are explained in Table I. Three specific interactions are also listed in cases where they may be strong: the product of a reaction, the formation of jogs in either system, and the elastic bypass stress. The last column relates to the types of experiments reported in this paper and summarizes their results. To decide experimentally between the relative importance of the various interactions one would like to produce a group of dislocations in one slip system and then measure the stress necessary to force another group of dislocations of a specific second system through them. Hopefully, one can produce the first set of dislocations by plastically deforming the specimen in single slip. Then one can try to achieve single slip in a specific, previously latent system and measure its flow stress. If it is different from the virgin flow stress, there has been "latent hardening". Some types of latent-hardening experiments will be discussed in the next section. The strain-rate and temperature dependence of the flow stress is an indication of the importance of dislocation intersections. By extending an investigation of this dependence to the latent systems, one can determine how much more important forest contributions are here. seeger3 has used the as-

Jan 1, 1964

By Robert E. Green, Robert A. Swanson

Ultrasonic attenuation and stress were measured simultaneously as a function of strain for aluminum single crystals tested in compression. The propagation mode and polarization of the ultrasonic waves were chosen with reference to the theoretical analysis presented in Part I. Good experimental agreement was found with this theory and with earlier experimental work in tensile tests. Support is given to the contention that ultrasonic -attenuation measurements are much more sensitive to the early stages of plastic deformation than are conventional stress -strain measurements. Dislocation meclzanisms are suggested which are compatible with both the present and the earlier experimental observations. A brief historical introduction of previous work concerned with the study of dislocation motion by ultrasonic-attenuation measurements has been given in Part I. The purpose of the present experimental investigation was to make use of the theoretical considerations from Part I in order to gain further knowledge concerning dislocation motions during plastic deformation. Emphasis was placed on the choice of propagation modes and polarization of the waves, such that interactions between these waves and dislocation movement on a specific slip system could be investigated. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Since the primary concern of this investigation was dislocation damping, other sources of damping were eliminated as much as possible. The test specimens were 0.5-in.-diam single crystals of 99.99+ pct pure aluminum grown from the melt by a modified Bridgman technique. Ultrasonic-attenuation measurements were made at a frequency of 10 megacycles per sec using a Style 56A001 Ultrasonic Attenuation Comparator manufactured by Sperry Products Inc. after a design by Chick, An- derson, and Truell.1 At this frequency the particle vibrations are essentially adiabatic and thermo-elastic damping should be absent. This frequency was selected since it was one of the frequencies used by Hikata et al.2 n conjunction with tensile tests on aluminum crystals, thus allowing direct comparison with this work. The use of quartz-crystal transducers insures that the amplitude of vibration is not sufficient to cause the break away of the dislocation loops from weak pinning points. The quartz-crystal transducers used all possessed a resonance frequency of 10 megacycles per sec and were thin circular discs 0.375 in. in diameter. X-cut crystals were used to generate the longitudinal waves and AC-cut crystals to generate the transverse waves. Aluminum was chosen as the basic material because it is a typical fcc metal whose deformation behavior is well-known and because the most recent work at the time the present research was initiated was that by Hikata et al. who used aluminum. The present tests were run in compression to see if such tests could be satisfactorily run in compression without being severely masked by grip effects.. A second reason was to compare the results in compression with those of the tension experiments of Hikata et at. Finally, shorter specimens could be run in compression with less over-all damping than in tension. All of the aluminum-crystal test specimens used were oriented for plastic deformation by single slip; i.e., they possessed the orientation having a maximum Schmid factor of 0.5. Because of the well-known time dependence 3 of plastic strain at constant stress, the test specimens were subjected to a quasi-static loading. Previous investigations4-' have indicated that attenuation after plastic deformation is also time-dependent, so any continuous loading of the specimen would show that changes in attenuation were also a function of strain rate. By loading the specimen to a given stress level and holding it constant until the recovery process was essentially complete, the time dependence was eliminated. The quartz transducer was permanently bonded to the aluminum crystal using Eastman 910 cement. Excess cement was removed from around the quartz with DMF (dimethyl formamide). Eastman 910 was found to be far superior for bonding, especially with regard to the shear-wave transducer, since it formed a solid bond which readily supports shear-wave propagation. The solid bond formed by the Eastman 910 cement also insured that the quartz

Jan 1, 1964

By R. J. Lutton

Empirical data from 91 rock excavations have been used to construct a family of slope curves on a chart relating excavation height and inclination. The highest and steepest slopes from each excavation are plotted and connected by a line. The 31 1ines appear to establish one or two geometrical slope fields through which the curves are projected. The curves apparently represent a lumped eflect of many factors too complex to be considered individually. Important factors such as geological structure or ground-water conditions can dominate the picture, but where these factors do not overshadow others, the slope chart should be useful for estimating or checking optimum inclination. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAE) has been engaged since 1962 with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in a joint research program to develop nuclear excavation technology. The Corps is responsible for collecting the requisite data on engineering and construction problems associated with nuclear excavation. The ultimate objective is to develop a capability to use nuclear explosives as a construction tool on public works projects such as harbors and canals. The present study on empirical inclination-height curves for conventionally excavated slopes is an outgrowth of an investigation' sponsored by the USAE Nuclear Cratering Group on applicability of data from existing excavations in establishing guides for engineering judgment in crater excavation. Data were generously contributed by over 50 mining companies among other organizations. Inasmuch as several companies preferred that their contribution be anonymous, all data are treated so here. Some Factors Affecting Stability Many factors affect or are suspected of affecting the stability of excavated slopes, e.g., adverse structural orientation, degree of structural ordering, ground water, climatic conditions, mechanics of excavation, and plan-profile configuration. Such factors are lumped together in developing a slope chart. Obviously geological structure and ground water can overshadow all other factors. Where such is the case, the simplification of slope charts may give an erroneous picture (not conservative enough). A further complication results from the fact that the concept of stability may vary according to the use of the excavations. For example, slope adjustments that would be regarded as failure in a powerhouse excavation, might be tolerable in a mining operation. Mine slopes are continually being modified by further excavation, and instability that would develop in a similar permanent excavation slope over a period of years might not have time to develop in a mine. Inclination vs. Height Charts Charts of inclination vs. height for particular formations or conditions have been used in the past as an aid for designing excavation slopes. Some of these have been based upon empirical analyses of collections of data and experience. MacDonald" and Lane have presented slope tables and charts for excavated and natural slopes in relatively weak sandstone and shale. Coates' has shown an inclination-height chart for slopes in incompetent rock. Most organizations have developed slope design criteria which relate bench widths, heights, and inclinations to use in various rocks. Slope data collected in present studies can be similarly used to develop inclination-height charts; however, a plot of all slopes on such a chart shows very little because of the wide spread of the data. Reasons for the dispersion of points are: (1) many slopes are not carried at optimum inclination, particularly in mines where maintaining roadways and following irregularities of ore bodies are more important than achieving steep inclinations; (2) many engineers and geologists with varied backgrounds and viewpoints have been involved in designing these slopes; and (3) each slope is characterized by a unique combination of factors affecting stability and in turn optimum inclination. Significant curves can sometimes be constructed where the points can be grouped into related clusters from the same excavation. The essence of this approach appears when only two slopes from each excavation are considered—the highest slope and the steepest slope, connected by a line segment (Fig. 1). This reduces considerably the usable data because in many cases only one of these two slopes is available. Nevertheless, the concession seems justified. Construction of Slope Curves Ninety-one pairs of points and connecting line segments were assembled in this study. The line segments were assumed to approximate a geometrical slope field (Fig. 2), and a family of curves has been visually projected through to represent the slope field. It should be

Jan 1, 1971