Search Documents

By R. S. Rickard, M. C. Fuerstenau

Anodic polarization curves for iron dissolution and cathodic polarization curves for copper deposition and ferric and hydrogen ion reduction were studied. These results were used to predict the relative rates of the reactions: The rates of the first two reactions were found to be first order with respect to the reacting ion, and the rale-controlling step was diffusion of the ions to the callzode surface. The rate of hydrogen ion reduction in an oxygen-free solution is dependent on the reciprocal of the square root of the hydrogen ion activity. In solutions containing oxygen, the rate of hydrogen reduction becomes dependent on the square root of the partial pressure of oxygen. At equal concentrations copper precipitation occurs about twice as fast as ferric ion reduction. In an air-saturated solution containing 0.01 M cupric ion at pH 2, the rate of hydrogen ion reduction zs about 10 times slower than that of copper precipitation. At pH values below 3, the rate of hydrogen reduction in oxygen-free solutions is very slozu. COPPER cementation has been utilized industrially for many years as a means of recovering copper from aqueous solutions. There are many different types of cementation plants, but all simply provide a means of contacting iron with relatively dilute copper solutions. In the past little or no attention has been paid to rates or mechanisms of the reactions involved. As a result, this and other studies'-3 have been undertaken recently to establish the important parameters in this system. The reactions involved in copper cementation by iron are: Since transfer of charge is involved in every case, these reactions should be considered from an electrochemical point of view. In any electrochemical system involving electrolytic conduction, passage of electrons necessitates ion transfer to the respective electrodes according to Faraday's law. The current in the system will be proportional to the rate of ion transfer, and, therefore, when the current in the galvanic cell is known, the rates of the reactions involved can be determined. Galvanostatic electrode measurements5" are applicable for these electrochemical studies, in that with this technique polarization curves (current density vs electrode potential) are established by impressing a constant current through an electrode and measuring the electrode potential. Once the current density, electrode potential, and reacting area are known for each reaction in this cementation system, the rates of the iron-consuming reactions can be determined. EXPERIMENTAL MATERIALS Several metal electrodes were used in this investigation; they are shown in Table I. Solutions were made with reagent-grade salts and conductivity water. Air, nitrogen, and oxygen were employed. All of these gases were saturated with water and degreased prior to use. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE The experimental work was divided into two general areas. The first area involved galvanostatic measurements, which were used to determine the rates of reactions as a function of various parameters. The second area comprised actual cementation experiments to check the rates predicted from the electrode measurements. Galvanostatic Electrode Experiments. Polarization curves were obtained using a standard galvanostatic technique5'= with the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. The various electrode polarization experiments were run the same way except for changes in solution composition, polarity, and type of measured electrode. The general procedure involved the following steps: 1) a solution was made 0.5 M in sulfate ion and to the desired cation concentrations; this solution was placed in a constant-temperature bath and saturated with the desired gas; 2) the electrodes were cleaned and placed in the electrode holder; 3) the previously cleaned apparatus was assembled and immersed in a constant-temperature water bath (temperature controlled to ± 0.05"C); 4) the electrode was then positioned; the solutions were introduced, and the polarization meas-

Jan 1, 1969

By Stanley C. Herold

A few hates on the occurrence and significance of mud volcanoes in Colombia may be of interest at the present time, owing to the renewed activity in geological exploration of the coastal regions bordering the Caribbean Sea. The best-known volcanoes are found a few miles from the seacoast. One is situated to the south of Puerto Colombia; the second, to the east of Cartagena near the village of Turbaco; and the third, near the village of Puerto Escondido south of the Sinu River. Others are reported in more inaccessible localities. Usually they stand 2 1/2 or 3 ft. (0.762 or 0.914 m.) above the surrounding ground at the crater, though several craters from 10 to 20 ft. -(3.04 to 6.09 m.) "apart will often build up an extensive mound at low gradient. The shallow mound may cover 1/2 or 3/4 acre (0.2 to 0.3 ha.) with an elevation of 12 or 15 ft. (3.65 or 4.57 m.) at the, center. The craters are formed of hardened blue clay; the inside diameters vary from 14 to 24 in. (35.56 to 60.96 cm.). The rim is continuous, except on one side where there is usually a cut 3 or 4 in. deep, thus allowing an overflow. The craters are filled to the' rim-cut with a thick mixture of blue clay mud and water, which is kept in agitation by escaping gas. Fig. 1 shows the bubble in the act of bursting and Fig. 2 the appearance of the surface of the viscous fluid a second or so later. The frequency of the explosions is determined by the weight of the column of fluid in the neck of the volcano, consequently, such explosions are not synchronous in a group of craters. Ordinarily, there arc two or three explosions in about 3 minutes. The supply of gas is small but steady and sufficient pressure must accumulate before the bubble can enter the column of fluid. The water is derived from the surface and enters the scdirnentary strata not far distant from the volcano. During long dry seasons, as the supply of water fails the volcano dries and geyser action ceases. The temperature of the muddy fluid is normal; the gas is dry and inflammable. - No petroleum products come with the gas. On the surface of the fluid, there is sometimes a dark brown streaky scum, which

Jan 1, 1920

By P. Douglas, G. M. Leak, B. Mills

The sinusoidal surface relaxation technique has been used to measure the surface self-diffusion coefficient of spectroscopically pure nickel over a wide temperature range under a hydrogen atmosphere. A kink in the Arrhenius plot has been observed. In the temperature range T/T 0.98 to 0.80 (T in O K and T, is the melting temperature) the average self diffusion coefficient is given by Below the temperature T/T,- 0.80a decrease in the slope of the log Ds us 1/T plot is observed. This is associated with a diffusion process characterized by a lower activation energy (-20,000 cal mole'') and smaller preexponential term (-10- sq cm sec"). A series of experiments were carried out at T/Tm = 0.61 under a hydrogen atmosphere of higher oxygen partial pressure than for the rest of the experiments. It was found that Ds was significantly depressed due to oxygen adsorption. This evidence supports the opinion that the low temperature process (activation energy -20,000 cal mole-') is unlikely to be due to oxygen adsorption. An interesting feature of the present data is that the transition temperature (T/Tm - 0.80) is a function of orientation. For a small number of crystals of measured orientation the transition temperature was observed to be higher towards the low index (100) pole. Theories of surface diffusion are briefly reviewed and it is concluded that the present reszuts are best explained by invoking a surface roughening process. GJOSTEIN has recently analyzed available surface diffusion data for a wide range of metals. He suggested that two mechanisms were operative for fcc metals, an adatom process at high temperatures and a vacancy process at low temperatures. Results for nickel can be summarized as follows. At low temperatures (T/T, - 0.3 to 0.44) under ultra high vacuum conditions, Melmed2 measured an activation energy Q of 21 kcal mole-' using field electron emission microscopy. At higher temperatures (T/T - 0.7 to 0.9) under a vacuum of 10- ' torr, Maiya and lakel measured y as 39 kcal mole-' using the multiple scratch smoothing technique. The present work was undertaken to try to find out if two distinct processes could be observed. High temperature results give Q about 47 kcal mole-': there is evidence also for a low temperature value of about 20 kcal mole-'. These measurements were all made under a hydrogen atmosphere, in the temperature range 860" to 1412°C. Concurrent with the present study Bonze1 and jostein> have also observed a break in the Arrhenius plot for the (110) surface of nickel. These measure- ments under ultrahigh vacuum conditions using the laser diffraction technique are in excellent agreement with the work reported here under hydrogen annealing conditions. THEORY The available surface relaxation techniques include single and multiple scratch smoothing and grain boundary grooving. The processes have been compared in detail by Gjostein for conditions where surface diffusion dominates6 and Mills et al? where volume diffusion dominates. In summary the relevant points are as follows. Grain boundary grooving gives an average Ds for the two surfaces adjacent to the boundary and this can, to some extent, be simplified by using symmetrical bicrystals. This technique has been used to study the effect of environment on Ds for silver and copper.'-'' Scratch techniques yield Ds values for the small orientation range exposed by the scratches (-2 deg). The multiple scratch process is preferable because the profile rapidly becomes sinusoidal and can then be interpreted theoretically in a relatively simple way. Also corrections for mass transport processes other than surface diffusion can be introduced easily. Mullins" considered a sinusoidal profile described the wavelength of the profile. After time t the profile can be described by the equation The terms A, A', C, and B which account, respectively, for contributions due to evaporation-condensation, diffusion through the gas phase, volume diffusion through the lattice, and surface diffusion are defined as: where Ds = the surface self diffusion coefficient ys = the surface energy per unit area p = the equilibrium vapor pressure over a flat surface pa = the equilibrium vapor density over a flat surface DG= the diffusion coefficient of vapor molecules in the inert gas DM = the mass transfer diffusion coefficient which for a pure cubic metal is Dv/f where Dv is the radiotracer diffusion coefficient and f is the correlation factor H = the molecular volume V = the surface density of atoms, il2'3 M = mass of an evaporating molecule

Jan 1, 1970

By W. O. Philbrook, R. H. Spitzer, F. S. Manning

The steady-state operation of an isothermal, counter-current reactor in which a mouing bed of hematite particles is reduced by hydrogen has been modeled mathematically using a generalized single-particle kinetic formulation for topochemical reduction with formation of the intermediate oxides, wustite and magnetite. Reduction prof iles have been generated for various oper- REDUCTION of iron ore, as practiced industrially, approaches counter current, granular-bed operation. The total process is extremely complex. Quite under- ating conditions selected to demonstrate the influence of major variables such as gas and solid flow rates, bed length, and particle size. These profiles illustrate , among other things, that the reducing-gas requirement in a countercurrent bed hinges upon the iron-wüstite equilibrium or 'pinch-point" in much the same way as in a staged reactor. standably, nearly all research has been focused on reduction of single particles of oxide under controlled conditions. While this approach simplifies the problem by eliminating interparticle interactions, the remaining intraparticle transport and kinetic processes still constitute a most formidable challenge. Only within the last few years has knowledge of single-particle reactions been developed sufficiently to make modeling of counter current-bed reduction a realistic and useful study of process behavior. The authors have analyzed1"3 extensive laboratory

Jan 1, 1969

By AIME AIME

SECTION DELEGATES were given an opportunity to see how the machinery of Institute administration functions, on Tuesday evening, Feb. 16, when they were the' guests at the regular monthly meeting of the Directors. Of the new board of 25 members, 19 were present at the meeting, including directors from Seattle, Los Angeles, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Chicago and Pitts-burgh, the new junior past-president from Jerome, Ariz., and the new president from .Washington, D. C. The complete list of the 72 in attendance at the dinner,: held in the main dining room of the Engineers' Club, which pre-ceded the general session of the Directors'. meeting, follows:

Jan 1, 1932

By NATHANIEI HERZ

(Cleveland Meeting, October, 1912.) THE formula very frequently used for computing the economical size of pipe to transmit compressed air is that of D'Arcy, as follows: d5(p1-p2)/w1l D-c w11 Where, D = the volume of compressed air delivered in cubic feet per minute,-at the final pressure. c = an experimental coefficient determined for the various sizes of pipe. d = the diameter of the pipe in inches. 1 = the length of the pipe in feet. P1 = the initial gauge-pressure in pounds per square inch. p2= the final gauge-pressure in pounds per square inch. W1 = the density of the air, or the weight in pounds per cubic foot at the initial pressure, p,. The most common case is that in which the given quantities are: the quantity of air required, the length of the pipe, and the initial pressure. The method of solution is to assume a pressure-loss and to compute the remaining factor, c/d5, thus giving the size of pipe corresponding to the assumed loss of pressure. It is always desirable to try two or more pressure-drops, in order to find the combination that is most satisfactory, since often a small change in the size of pipe will reduce or increase the loss of pressure several pounds. An alternative method is to assume a size of pipe and calculate the corresponding pressure-drop. Each method involves a series of tedious calculations to arrive at the most economical solution, and also requires the use of tables giving the constant, c, the actual diameters corresponding to the nominal pipe-sizes, the density of the air, w1, and often, for convenience, a table giving the

Dec 1, 1912

By Jed H. Mosgrove

Ventilation is the method of producing, conducting, and distributing a constant current of fresh air through mine workings and returning the impure air to the outside atmosphere. Without ventilation no operations are possible in an underground mine. Therefore it is the most important single phase of mining, one on which everything else depends. A good ventilation system, therefore, must be correctly designed, properly conducted as the workings advance, and continually checked to make sure it is functioning correctly. Good air is essential for men to comfortably and safely perform their work. It is also essential to dilute, render harmless, and sweep the mine of any explosive fumes and the gases that are released in varying degrees by all coal seams and the rock strata in which they are contained. GENERAL The body of air that is being moved through the mine, known as the ventilating current, must have a definite way to enter and leave the mine. In other words, there must be a definite intake and return. The main consideration is to get the proper amount of good quality air to the working faces where it is needed. Inasmuch as the mine is divided into sections with interconnecting corridors, known as entries, it is necessary that there be a proper means of conducting the air to the proper points. As a simple explanation of a mine, consider a long tube and think of it in terms of a mine entry ill which the air must pass. The tube must have at least two openings before air can travel through it and this is the same for coal mine entries. The problem in ventilation is to find some means that will cause the air in the tube to flow from one end to the other. The only possible way to do this is to cause greater pressure at one end of the tube than at the other. Air at the end with the greatest pressure would then, of course, flow to the en which has the least pressure. Mine

Jan 1, 1973

Executive ERLE V. DAVELER. Chair u W. B. HEROY PAUL D. MERICA JOHN M. LOVEJOY WILLIAM WRAITH Finance H. G. MOULTON, Chairman H. T. HAMILTON HENRY KRUMB Admissions JOHN L. CHRISTIE, Chairman GEORGE D. BARRON, Vice-Chairman FRED H. KAY PHILIP KRAFT H. Y. WALKER

Jan 1, 1938

By I. L. Barker

ALTHOUGH valuable information has been pub-lished on the important problems of slag losses with which every copper metallurgist has to contend, a great deal of money is still being wasted in copper smelters all over the world, through metal being irretrievably lost in reverberatory slags. When smelting a relatively low-grade pyritic concentrate together with a proportion of direct-smelting oxi- dized ore, as is done in Oroya, slag volumes are of necessity high, and even a relatively clean slag, say of 0.5 pct Cu, means a loss of almost 4 pct of all the copper charged, or over $1,000,000 annually at present output and prices. While it is known that such losses can often be reduced by allowing the slag time to settle, with or without addition of a reducing agent such as coal or pyrite, the facilities for such treatment are not always available in a plant of old design working to capacity under severe space limitations. Nor is it easy under such conditions to run large scale tests which may endanger the smooth flow of production for considerable periods without yielding

Jan 1, 1958

By W. J. Leas, L. A. Rapoport

As a preliminary, consicleration is given to the conventional definition of relative permeability and to the conditions governing the simultaneous flow of oil and gas through porous media. For the conditions of flow prevailing throughout most of a gas drive reservoir, the oil and gas can reasonably be supposed to be in capillary equilibrium with each other. Under these conditions, and these conditions only, the relative permeability to liquid can be expressed as a function of saturation. The relative permeability to liquid in that case is dependent upon the distribution of fluids which itself is shown to be related to the capillary pressure, and, in turn, to the saturation. As a consequence, relative permeability to liquid can be expressed in terms of the volume and surface area of a network of liquid channels bounded by the rock and the gas phase. While the volume of this network can be evaluated accurately, the surface area cannot. However, for any such volume, maximum and minimum values of the corresponding surface area can be calculated from capillary pressure data. It is then possible to establish for any saturation the limits within which the value of the relative permeability to liquid must lie. As a consequence of the theoretical development, the validity of an experimental method for measuring relative permeability to liquid which utilizes a stationary gas phase is demonstrated. In this method capillary barriers are cemented to the ends of the core sample to permit the maintenance of capillary equilibrium between the two phases. At the same time, this procedure eliminates undesirable secondary phenomena such as end effects, fissure effects, etc., the presence of which adversely affect the results of other laboratory methods. The results obtained by theoretical calculations, and experimentally, are discussed. In view of the overall precision that can presently be obtained in reservoir calculations, the agreement between the calculated and measured relative permeability to liquid data can be considered satisfactory. In conclusion, for reasons of economy and simplicity, the procedure of calculating limiting relative permeability to liquid curves from capillary pressure data is indicated for general engineering purposes. It is shown that the above procedure can easily be extended to the cases where connate water is present. Its use for reservoir studies is particularly recommended in conjunction with the method for measuring relative permeability to gas' which simultaneously yields the capillary pressure data necessary for the calculations. THEORETICAL Definition of Relative Permeabilities — Basic Equations for Heterogeneous Flow The equations by which the relative permeability concept is defined and upon which the formulation of all of the gas-oil flow problems rests at the present time are expressed as: V, = — Grad PL = — Grad PL ....(la) PL µL, k k KG VG = —K - Grad PG k- Grad Pc .... (lb) Mo where ,. and G refer to liquid and gas; V is the volumetric rate of flow per unit gross area. µ the viscosity, Grad P the potential gradient. and k the specific permeability of the porous medium.* (For horizontal flow, Grad P becomes the pressure gradient; otherwise, gravity must be included.) According to these expressions, each of the constituent phases is considered similar to a homogeneous system where the volumetric rate of flow is proportional to the pressure gradient, and for each of which the constants of proportionality, k, and kG, are termed effective permeabilities. by analogy to the specific permeability as defined by Darcy's law in its original form. In order to obtain a convenient basis of comparison, the effective permeabilities are referred to the specific permeability, k, of the considered porous medium, with the help of the relations: k1. = KI. k kQ = Kn k..........(2) K,. and Kr. are defined as the relative permeabilities to the liquid and to the gas phase respectively, and frequently expressed in per cent of specific permeability. It may be seen that Equations (1); which appear to be a direct generalization of Darcy's law, correspond to the assignment at any given time of a set of "local" permeabilities to each point of the porous medium, and represent in a differential form the two fluid flow system as a simple superposition of the individual single flow systems. The above interpretation implies that the effective or relative permeabilities are independent of pressure or rate of flow,

Jan 1, 1951

By L. A. Rapoport, W. J. Leas

As a preliminary, consicleration is given to the conventional definition of relative permeability and to the conditions governing the simultaneous flow of oil and gas through porous media. For the conditions of flow prevailing throughout most of a gas drive reservoir, the oil and gas can reasonably be supposed to be in capillary equilibrium with each other. Under these conditions, and these conditions only, the relative permeability to liquid can be expressed as a function of saturation. The relative permeability to liquid in that case is dependent upon the distribution of fluids which itself is shown to be related to the capillary pressure, and, in turn, to the saturation. As a consequence, relative permeability to liquid can be expressed in terms of the volume and surface area of a network of liquid channels bounded by the rock and the gas phase. While the volume of this network can be evaluated accurately, the surface area cannot. However, for any such volume, maximum and minimum values of the corresponding surface area can be calculated from capillary pressure data. It is then possible to establish for any saturation the limits within which the value of the relative permeability to liquid must lie. As a consequence of the theoretical development, the validity of an experimental method for measuring relative permeability to liquid which utilizes a stationary gas phase is demonstrated. In this method capillary barriers are cemented to the ends of the core sample to permit the maintenance of capillary equilibrium between the two phases. At the same time, this procedure eliminates undesirable secondary phenomena such as end effects, fissure effects, etc., the presence of which adversely affect the results of other laboratory methods. The results obtained by theoretical calculations, and experimentally, are discussed. In view of the overall precision that can presently be obtained in reservoir calculations, the agreement between the calculated and measured relative permeability to liquid data can be considered satisfactory. In conclusion, for reasons of economy and simplicity, the procedure of calculating limiting relative permeability to liquid curves from capillary pressure data is indicated for general engineering purposes. It is shown that the above procedure can easily be extended to the cases where connate water is present. Its use for reservoir studies is particularly recommended in conjunction with the method for measuring relative permeability to gas' which simultaneously yields the capillary pressure data necessary for the calculations. THEORETICAL Definition of Relative Permeabilities — Basic Equations for Heterogeneous Flow The equations by which the relative permeability concept is defined and upon which the formulation of all of the gas-oil flow problems rests at the present time are expressed as: V, = — Grad PL = — Grad PL ....(la) PL µL, k k KG VG = —K - Grad PG k- Grad Pc .... (lb) Mo where ,. and G refer to liquid and gas; V is the volumetric rate of flow per unit gross area. µ the viscosity, Grad P the potential gradient. and k the specific permeability of the porous medium.* (For horizontal flow, Grad P becomes the pressure gradient; otherwise, gravity must be included.) According to these expressions, each of the constituent phases is considered similar to a homogeneous system where the volumetric rate of flow is proportional to the pressure gradient, and for each of which the constants of proportionality, k, and kG, are termed effective permeabilities. by analogy to the specific permeability as defined by Darcy's law in its original form. In order to obtain a convenient basis of comparison, the effective permeabilities are referred to the specific permeability, k, of the considered porous medium, with the help of the relations: k1. = KI. k kQ = Kn k..........(2) K,. and Kr. are defined as the relative permeabilities to the liquid and to the gas phase respectively, and frequently expressed in per cent of specific permeability. It may be seen that Equations (1); which appear to be a direct generalization of Darcy's law, correspond to the assignment at any given time of a set of "local" permeabilities to each point of the porous medium, and represent in a differential form the two fluid flow system as a simple superposition of the individual single flow systems. The above interpretation implies that the effective or relative permeabilities are independent of pressure or rate of flow,

Jan 1, 1951

By James Terry Duce

Production of oil in Bahrein for the war years was as follows: YEAR BBL PER YEAR Prior to 1939 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,287,055 1939 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,588,554 1940 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,073,919 1941 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,794,157 1942 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,240,627 1943 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,571,609 1944 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,713,795 1945 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,308,938 Total to Jan. 1, 1946 . . . . . . . . 70,578,654

Jan 1, 1946

By Joseph G. Debanné

Foreword The three case histories and the liquid fuels planning scenario presented in this paper span a twenty year period, from the pioneering days of computers in the petroleum producing industry during the mid-fifties, to the energy crisis era of the seventies. Inasmuch as two of the main actors, Ian McKinnon and I, are featured in all three case histories, while I am currently involved in the fossil fuels scenario, this paper provides four related and personal spot readings along an evolutionary path: from the one dimensional technical domain to the multi-dimensional techno-socio-economic domain of computer applications in the petroleum industry. Coincident with this evolution in the direction of increasingly comprehensive and powerful computer applications, the evolution in hardware/software capability and in analytical power are also kept in perspective. The three case histories are: 1. The Bonnie Glen-Wizard Lake Case (Calgary, Alberta, 1955-1957); 2. The TransCanada-Great Lakes Gas Transmission Case (Ottawa-Washington, 1966); 3. The Westcoast Transmission - El Paso Pipelines Gas Export/ Import Case (Ottawa-Vancouver-Washington, 1966-1967). The liquid fuels planning scenario is a demonstration exercise rather than a case history; however, it represents an important point on the evolutionary curve and, provides a concrete example of tech-

Jan 1, 1977

By Laurence Hicks

CONSIDERATION of the past work on the subject of the diffusion of chromium into iron suggested that additional information might be given by the use of X-ray spectroscopy in following the concentration changes through the diffusion zone. Grübe and Fleischbein1 packed rods of electrolytic iron in a mixture of alumina and chromium. These specimens were heated in an atmos-phere of purified hydrogen for varying lengths of time. After treatment the specimens were examined metallographically and showed the usual structure, consisting of a border of radially oriented columnar grains ending in a sharp boundary line. Reference is made to the fact that etching with certain reagents will attack only the material inside the border of columnar growth and also to the fact that polishing seems to develop a ridge at the position of the boundary between the etched and unetched areas. By chemical analysis of thin layers turned off on a precision lathe, the authors were able to obtain depth-concentration curves. These curves, reproduced in Fig. 1, show that 'in most cases a pronounced change of slope occurs, corresponding to the position of the boundary of the columnar grains. In a later paper Grübe extends his work to other systems which show the same characteristics.2 He concludes that the reason for the break in the curve is that a hindrance of diffusion occurs at the place where the regularly oriented grains of the diffusion zone meet the random grains of the interior portion, on the assumption that the diffusion velocity in one direction in a grain may be greater than in another direction, and that the grains in the diffusion zone orient themselves so as to give the maximum diffusion rate. Kelley3 points out that Grübe has failed to note that the boundary line does not consistently cross all grains and

Jan 1, 1933

By AIME

ENGINEERS have long pondered the answer to the question of "How am I doing?" and in large measure the answer from the economics angle is provided by the 1946 survey of the engineering profession now being published by the Engineers Joint Council as an eighty-page bulletin entitled "The Engineering Profession in Transition." The survey, based upon a completely precoded mail questionnaire, aimed at three major objectives: (1) to determine the general impact of World War II upon the profession in the period 1939 through 1946; (2) to obtain re- R liable data from which valid findings could be derived to predict how active the profession would be after 1946; and (3) to determine if the war's upheaval had changed materially the pattern of professional activities, education, background, and earnings from those which existed prior to 1939. Abundant data on the economic status of the engineer based upon years of experience in his particular field, the specific branch of the industry in which he served, and his educational background are presented. Relationships between years of experience

Jan 1, 1947

By A. W. Brune

Conventional methods of calculating the duty cycle of a mine hoist are awkward in that a number of items must be remembered or that they must be collected together in order to have all the calculated data in one place. A more convenient way is to tabulate all factors involved, permitting a ready evaluation of the problem. An example illustrates the convenience of such a table for either of two types of drums, cylindrical and conical. Assume the following conditions: The hoisting depth is 600 ft. Balanced hoisting is used. The weights of empty skip and ore are 6000 lbs and 12,000 lbs, respectively. Production is 3600 tons per shift. Net hoisting time per shift is six hours with a rest period of eight sec, top and bottom, per trip. Acceleration and retardation are each six sec. The diameter of the drum is seven ft; its face is four ft. The sheave has the same diameter. The equivalent effective weight of the drum reduced to rope center is 15,400 lbs. The weight of each sheave is 2100 lbs. 1 The rope is 1 1/4-in. improved plow steel weighing 2.50 lb per ft.

Jan 9, 1961

By N. J. Themelis, P. Spira

The efficiency of the reverberatory furnace operation in producing. slags of 1020 copper content depends on the mixing and flow conditions in the bath. Radioactize-tmcer tests have indicated the jkaction of bath volume engaged inflow and the mixing conditions in the bath. The factors controlling the flow pattern of slag have been classified as laminar transfer flow, natrsral convection, and flou, due to the rapid addition or removal of slag.. Similarity criteria for model studies have been developed. The pyrometallurgical processing of copper begins with the smelting of either flotation concentrates, or direct-smelting ores which have been partially roasted to calcines. These materials are generally smelted in a reverberatory furnace, Fig. 1, and separate into two liquid phases, a sulfide matte and an iron silicate slag. he matte is tapped and subsequently reduced to metallic copper in a converter, while the reverberatory slag is usually discarded without any further treatment. Molten slag from the converting operation is returned intermittently to the reverberatory in order to recover its high copper content (1 to 3 pct Cu). The reverberatory furnace is about 115 ft long by 30 ft wide. In general, the solid charge is fed at intervals through openings along the sides of the roof and forms sloping banks from which the molten materials trickle down into the bath; the charge banks extend over a length of about 70 ft from the firing wall. The depth of the slag and matte layers varies from smelter to smelter; in the Noranda furnaces, the slag depth is 24 to 30 in., while the depth of matte at the taphole is about 20 in. Apart from smelting, the functions of the reverberatory are to recover most of the copper content in the converter slag by physical and chemical interaction with the furnace bath, and to provide adequate time for optimum separation between matte and slag. The efficiency of these operations depends on the mixing and flow conditions in the bath and is reflected on the copper losses in the slag. In the present study, the reverberatory furnace is considered as an open-channel chemical reactor and the driving forces for material transport through the bath are examined by means of flow and mathematical models. FLOW CONDITIONS IN THE REVERBERATORY FURNACE To facilitate the study of mixing conditions in continuous-flow reactors, two idealized patterns of flow have been accepted by workers in this field.' The term "backmix" flow is used to describe complete and instantaneous mixing in the reactor (perfect mixing); all particles have the same chance of leaving the system, independently of their time of entrance, and the fluid is uniform in composition throughout the vessel. On the other hand, "plug" flow, or "piston" flow, assumes that a fluid element moves through the reactor without overtaking or mixing with fluid entering at an earlier or later time. In addition to the two idealized patterns of flow, "deadwater" flow accounts for that portion of the fluid which is moving so slowly that it may be assumed to be stagnant. According to the definition by evensppiel,' the cut-off point between active and stagnant fluid may be taken as material which stays in the vessel for a period twice the mean residence time. The flow patterns in real vessels may be approximated by a combination of the above flows. Thus, the vessel is assumed to consist of interconnected flow regions with various modes of flow existing between them. The flow pattern may be determined directly from the flow paths of fluid through the essel. -However, the difficulty of obtaining and interpreting such information has led to the alternate approach of determining the residence time distribution of fluid elements by means of stimulus-response studies. The stimulus is provided by introducing a tracer in the inlet stream and the response by the record of the change in tracer concentration in the exit stream from the reactor. Such tests have been conducted in glass tank furnaces using either chemical7"9 or radioactive tracers1'-'' and, in one case, experiments have been reported for a metallurgical furnace.'"

Jan 1, 1967

By R. A. Flinn, R. D. Pehlke, D. R. Glass, P. O. Hays

Knowledge of the depth of penetralion of an oxygen jet into the bath of the oxygen converter and of the correlation of penetration with driuing pressuve, lance heighl, and nozzle throat area is vital to the understanding of converter operation. If the penetration is too shallow, then severe and hazardous slopping takes place. On the other hand, if the jel penetrates entirely Lhvough lhe bath for an apprcciublc period of time, bottom damage occurs. In addilion to measurement of the penetralion of the jel, knou~ledge of the circulatory movement in the bath is also of interest in order to evaluale various theories oj-concerter operating behavior which have been published. In this investigation, experimental converters were buill of IOU- , 300-, and 4000-lb capacity. Four independent methods were used to determine penelralion: the onset of bottom marking, a nitrogen bubbler probe, observation througlt an optical syslew built into the oxygen lance, and direcl viewing of the jet issuing from the bottom of the vessel. Good correlation zuas obtained, and empirical relalions for pvedicling perletration were found. These relations were conjzrmed by bottom marking tests in 55- and 110-ton vessels. Within the operaling conditions employed in these tests, the depth to which a single oxygen jet penetrated zuas found lo vary according to the relatiorl ThE technical literature is replete with data concerning the successful use of the basic oxygen furnace or converter in steelmaking. Experimental data are lacking, however, on the vital factors of the depth of penetration of the jet into the bath and the induced circulation. Commercial operating conditions usually have been the result of cut and try experiments in lance manipulation until satisfactory results were obtained. There have been, however, two hotly argued opposing theories concerning desirable depth of penetration and these are exemplified by the Schwarz and Miles patents1,2 on one hand and the Suess patent3 on the other. The Schwarz patent teaches that the jet, issuing from the nozzle at supersonic speed, penetrates deeply "so that the reactions between the iron and the oxygen and between the oxygen and the rest of the smelting components take place in the center of the bath". Specific operating suggestions are given by Miles.2 By contrast, the Suess patent calls for surface Circulalion was investigated by lour methods: by direct observation in 200-lb open baths, by the use of graphite rudders in the 300- and 4000-lb converlers, by direct observalion through an oplical system in the lance, and by various models al room temperature. All were in excellent agreement and indicated that the motion of the bath ulas up at the center, radially outluavd at the surface, and down at the sides. Experi-ments in small and in commercial vessels indicate that it is essential to operate with a jet penetration of approximately 50 pct of the bath depth. Surface blowing results in low oxygen eficienty and in hazardous conditions which may render the process inopeuable. RejYactory dartzage al the bottom of the vessel is only encountered when the jet penetrates to the bottom, and this can be avoided by properly applying the penetration formula. The application of this en/pirical formula in commercial peraations is best when limited to combinations of lance size, pressure, and height which are typically encounteved in the use of a single-hole lance. blowing so that "...the oxygen jet does not penetrate deeply into the molten metal bath and is confined to an impingement area at the central portion of the bath surface". These references are given merely to illustrate the basic differences between the two schools of thought and to point out the need for measurement of penetration for the sake of the operator. For example, it is shown later that inefficient and even dangerous conditions can arise if improper blowing conditions are used. Differences are also evident between the two schools of thought as to the mixing, circulation, and agitation which is to be accomplished by the jet. The Schwarz patent states that "surface contact is not sufficient in most cases to bring about quick reaction, the same as the blowing of the gas over the bath surface or the mere blowing of the gas onto the bath surface". The patent goes on to call for active mixing. In contrast the claims of the Suess patent call for "discharging a stream of oxygen ... to an extent to avoid material agitation of the bath by the oxygen stream". In this patent the circulation is said to be downward in the center and up at the sides of the vessel. A number of investigators4-12 have explored penetration and circulation in transparent models. In general, it is agreed in these tests that the circulation is upward at the center (along the sides of the jet cavity),

Jan 1, 1968

By AIME AIME

As already announced in the January Bulletin, this publication will be issued during the coming year monthly instead of bi-monthly as heretofore. Among other reasons for this change, it is desired to effect thereby the earlier transmission to members of important papers, lists of candidates for membership, and other items of timely information. Spokane Meeting and Excursions. Further details of the 97th meeting of the Institute have been sent to members in the Circular of May 8, 1909. The list of those intending to go on the excursion is filling up, and since preference in position of state-room or berth is given in the order of application, members and guests who expect to accompany the party and have not yet communicated with Mr.. Theodore Dwight, 29 West 39th St., New York, N. Y., are earnestly requested to do so without delay. For convenience of the members a summary of the additional information is here presented. A special train of Pullman cars will leave Chicago about September 15. This train will be side-tracked at all places visited, and the sleepers will be available for lodging and the dining-car for meals during the entire trip, except during the Yellowstone Park tour. The general cost of the trip per member will be $300, which includes transportation, berth, and meals for the entire trip from Chicago back to Chicago, almost 6,000 miles, and the tour through. Yellowstone Park, occupying in all about 30 days. Special, accommodations on the train will be furnished at the following rates

Jun 1, 1909

By Horace Winchell

IT IS OFTEN interesting to look backward and review the world's progress in any line of human endeavor. Our pride is flattered by our achieve-ments and our imagination stimulated by the compari-son between our present productivity and prosperity and those of the relatively unenlightened days of our recent ancestors. We love to reflect on the progress of the last quarter of a century in the art of metallurgy, in. the production and consumption of the various metals and minerals which constitute the basis of our industrial and commercial supremacy. We dwell complacently on the figures which prove that we are the world's leader in nearly all departments of mining and that our production of necessary minerals over-shadows that of other countries. We recall the days when it was considered the proper thing, if not indeed indispensable, to go abroad for the rounding out of a mining engineer's education. We had no mining schools equal to those of Germany. Our schools of technology were elementary and their equipment limited. RISE OF AMERICAN MINING SCHOOLS Now we point with true American pride to institutions which, are unsurpassed in all the world in their standard of efficiency. We know full well that the American engineer is in demand in many foreign parts and when we read recent scientific treatises published abroad we are amazed to find them unfamiliar with many of the more advanced ideas which have here already come to be an everyday part of our professional knowledge and equipment. Blessed with a country of unrivalled natural resources, dwelling in a latitude whose climate is most conducive to enterprise, peopled with races of inventive and organizing genius with equality of individual opportunity, our industries have grown and expanded until our output has reached staggering proportions and the draft upon our mineral reserves is appalling. Coupled with this development has arisen a demand for engineers which has brought into our schools of technical science larger and larger numbers of young men whose imagination has been stimulated by the success of their predecessors who happened to be contemporary elements in the recent industrial expansion and prosperity.

Jan 1, 1923