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E1 Teniente made blockcaving look easy. Ore rolling out the Teniente 5 level has the appearance of nicely screened riprap ready for road dressing. Actually it has been mostly size-reduced by nature abetted along the way by the occasional nudge of a double jack wielded by a buitrero (grizzly-man). It is the famous upside-down mine at Sewell, where the ore flow is down and the people flow is up. Sewell (rhymes with jewel) is the impossible cluster of dwellings clinging to a high Andean spur where 13,000 inhabitants find that staircases must substitute for sidewalks. There is no mining man who is not familiar with the picture of Sewell-by day a pyramid of barracks huddled on the high ground out of harm's way and by night a surprising Christmas tree against the mountain top. Until April 1967, Kennecott's Braden Copper Co. rocked along producing a not inconsequential amount of copper, 180,000 tpy (all tonnages cited here are short tons), attributable to its not unspectacular mountaineering and engineering achievements. These latter included expertness in building avalanche-control fencing; operation of a 35,000-tpd concentrator on the Sewell mountain spur; a spectacular aerial tramway to move 1600 tpd of concentrates to the smelter at Caletones, and occasionally to provision Sewell when snow blocks the road; a cliff hanger of a railroad 43 miles down to the rich bottom land at Rancagua; and last but not least, a 40-mile tailing launder that sweeps across deep valleys on trestles that rival those of the Romans.

Jan 11, 1969

By W. C. Knopf, I. M. LeBaron

In the Carlsbad area potash is dry-mined and wet-concentrated. Wet concentration involves recircu-lation of saturated brines, with resultant difficulties of brine disposal and inherent losses in recovery through solution of the KCl. A dry beneficiation process for potash minerals would offer many advantages over present methods. International Minerals & Chemical Corp. has been working on development of a dry process for some time. This article is a progress report. Potash ores available in this country are largely mixtures of halite and sylvite contaminated with slimes and often with many sulfate and magnesium minerals. Electrostatic concentration of KCl when the contaminating minerals are in low percentage has been accomplished. Continuous production of better than 60 pct K2O concentrate from high potassium sulfate ores has not been demonstrated at the present time. Laboratory Procedure: Laboratory work on electrostatic beneficiation of potash minerals has been carried out using both pure crystals and mined ore. Electrostatic separation of the two main components of potash ore, sylvite (KCl) and halite (NaCl), is accomplished by first heat-treating the ore to allow for electric charging of the particles. Preferential exchange of' electrical charges between different mineral particles through surface contact is the principal mechanism involved. After proper conditioning of the particle surfaces, the oppositely charged minerals are dropped vertically into a horizontal electric field having a field gradient from about 5000 to 15,000 v per in. The particles are free-falling in the field. A suitable power supply is used to produce the proper total voltage for the electric field. Total required voltage is, of course, a function of electrode spacing. A typical electrode arrangement with power supply is shown in Fig. 1. In general, the total voltage on any system is 75,000 to 90,000 v. Power consumption is negligible, as leakage at insulators and corona discharge are the main losses in the system. Optimum preheat temperatures for pure material components generally are not the same as for mined minerals. Fig. 2 shows clearly that maximum recovery on a 50 pct pure KCl, 50 pct pure NaCl mixture occurs at a preheat temperature of about 600°F. In this test the preheat mixture was allowed to cool to about 225°F before dropping through the electric field. The optimum temperature for sep- aration is practically never the optimum temperature of preheat. Optimum separation for mined Carlsbad potash ores occurs when a preheat temperature closer to 900°F is used, as shown by Fig. 3, which plots percent sylvite (KCl) in the concentrate and tails as a function of preheat temperatures. Here again the ore was allowed to cool to about 225°F before separation. It should be noted that efficiency of separation increases continuously with increasing preheat temperatures until incipient fusion of the ore takes place at about 950°F. The increase in optimum preheat temperature for Carlsbad ores over the pure minerals can be traced to the effect of the clay slimes intimately associated with the mined potash. If the slimes associated with the ore are removed by washing with alcohol or other non-aqueous material, the necessity of preheating to the high temperature is removed. This temperature range has been proved critical within these limits during continuous pilot plant operation. Concentrate and tailings grade and optimum recovery also are functions of the temperature of the potash mineral particles during separation in the electric field. Fig. 4 presents data indicating that feed to the rougher pass should range between 150°F and 275°F for best results. It has been found by subsequent pilot plant work that these temperatures can be maintained in actual operation.

Jan 1, 1959

By K. E. Manchester, A. H. Clark

Hall measurements have been made on three groups of silicon samples, which were implanted with boron, aluininunz, and phosphorus ions. Boron and phosphorus implants show essentially bulk properties when annealed under previously determined conditions, i.e., 15 min at 80O°C for boron and 10 mirz at 600°C for phosphorus. Bulk properties were also observed in alu?rrilzum-implanted samples when ion concentrations were below 1015 cm-'; however, strange low- terrzperalure behavior and a falloff in cavrier concenlralion was observed for sarnples with ion concenlration abozle loL5 ern-'. This can be attributed to solid-solubility effects since the average bulk concentration f0.r the sample exhibiting bulk properties was below the reported solubility limit for aluminum, while the other samples were above the limit. A detailed study of the annealirzg process indicates that mobilities reach bulk c~alues in phosphorus implants at 250DC, in alutninurn ivnplanls a1 500°C, and in boron implants at 700°C. A simple rnodel has been proposed to fit the annealing data. THE technique of semiconductor doping by direct injection of energetic ions is being actively investigated at this Center. Previously published results from this laboratory have been concerned with the investigation of implanted profiles in silicon and the electrical properties of the resultant p-n structures.1'2 Diode properties have been reported for junctions produced by implantation of boron ions and aluminum ions in n-type silicon and phosphorus ions in p-type silicon. Reverse current characteristics, as well as electron diffraction data, have indicated that the damage to the structure produced by the energetic ions during the stopping process can be minimized by a gentle anneal. The time-temperature conditions for this process have been determined by sheet resistivity studies.3 Electrical profiles of implanted phosphorus ions which have been determined by a differential sheet conductivity technique are based on the assumption that the carrier mobilities and activation energies for ionization are the same as in bulk silicon. These assumptions have been substantiated experimentally by measurement of Hall constants and resistivities of these implanted structures and the results are presented herein. After establishing the bulk property equivalence of the annealed layers, a more detailed examination of the annealing process was undertaken. The sheet resistivity technique initially used to determine anneal conditions has been broadened to include Hall constants and mobility behavior with anneal conditions. PROCEDURE The three groups of samples prepared for Hall measurements were implanted with mass-separated beams of boron, aluminum, and phosphorus ions. Ion concentrations are equivalent surface concentration and they have been determined from beam current measurements during implantation. Implant conditions for the samples are shown in Table I. In all cases, the samples had previously been angle-lapped on one edge and the junction delineated with an HF-copper sulfate solution. The surfaces of the implanted regions of the samples were exposed to the delineating solution and in the case of the "n"-type phosphorus-implanted areas it was later discovered that a finite amount of surface could be etched by this solution. This is discussed in the section on results. The implanted samples were ultrasonically cut into the conventional six-probe configuration shown in Fig. l.* In the annealing studies, for which the meas- urements were taken at room temperature, the sample holder was a Bakelite jig incorporating tungsten mechanical probes. The other measurements were taken using a conventional liquid-nitrogen cryostat, in which the temperature could be varied from 77" to about 400°K. For these measurements, 10-mil aluminum dots were evaporated onto the samples and alloyed with the silicon at 530°C for 15 min. The samples were then mounted in flat-packs, and gold wires were bonded to the aluminum dots. The electrical measurements were made with either a Leeds & Northrup K-5 Potentiometer, a Keithley 147 Nanovolt Null Detector, or a Keithley 601 Electrometer. No external bias was applied to the substrate. There is an inherent self-biasing arrangement at one or the other of the current contacts (depending upon the polarity), and this suffices to limit the current flow to the implanted layer. The magnetic field was generated by an A. D. Little electromagnet. Except for occasional checks of linearity of the Hall voltage with

Jan 1, 1969

By T. E. Leontis

The importance of magnesium alloys in the manufacture of aircraft engines has been realized for many years. A concentrated effort has been exerted in the laboratories of the Dow Chemical Co. to develop magnesium-base alloys with improved properties at elevated temperatures whereby greater advantage can be taken of the inherent lightness of these materials. In an earlier publication, attention was called to the superior tensile properties and resistance to creep of cerium-containing magnesium alloys at temperatures up to 700°F. More recently, additional data on magnesium-cerium alloys have been furnished by Murphy and Payne. The present paper deals with the mechanical properties of sand-cast magnesium alloys containing zinc, at temperatures up to 500°F. The study includes binary Mg-Znt alloys containing up to 10 pct zinc and several ternary and some polynary alloys based on the Mg-~Zn,f Mg-jZn, Mg-4.4211, Mg-6Zn, and Mg-roZn binaries. The compositional variation in the tensile properties, hardness, and creep at room and elevated temperatures, and in the electrical conductivity at room temperature has been determined. The results of these tests show that many zinc-containing magnesium alloys exhibit resistance to creep at elevated temperatures significantly higher than that of present commercial magnesium alloys, but lower than that of alloys of the magnesium-cerium type. In addition, they have high tensile properties at room and elevated temperatures and high conductivity. This combination of mechanical properties and conductivity indicates that these alloys should be given serious consideration for commercial applications involving exposure to temperatures higher than those to which present commercial magnesium alloys can be taken safely. Literature The properties of sand-cast magnesium alloys containing zinc as a principal alloying element have not been investigated very extensively, especially at elevated temperatures. The following remarks, which are confined to sand-cast alloys, will serve as a summary of the most important references on this phase of magnesium metallurgy. The first recorded determination of the tensile strength of binary Mg-Zn alloys as a function of zinc content was reported by Aitchison. Similar studies, including the measurement of elongation and hardness, have been performed by Gann and Winston,' Dumas and Rockaert, Haugh-ton and Prytherch,6 and by Spitaler, the last being reported by Beck.' A slight superiority in the tensile strength of chill-cent Mg + 8 es alloy Over the sand-cast alloy was noted by Maybrey.8 That alloys of magnesium containing 5 to 12 pct zinc

Jan 1, 1949

Olof Venstrom (communication to the Secretary*):—In order to do justice to a property, once the largest producer of copper in the world, which is now being reopened, with a fair promise of again becoming important, I beg to add a few words in connection with Mr. Souder's remarks on the El Cobre copper-mines. The El Cobre copper-mines were worked by the old English

Jan 1, 1905

By L. Ibagos S., T. Balberyszski

The volumetric flow rate and the initial concentration of the copper sulfate solution influence the rate of reaction and, hence, the precipitation efficiency in a continuous launder cementation system. Using a model of such a system it was found that the precipitation efficiency is related to the two process parameters by the approximate expression [ log [1-n] = -[0.072 co 2.91 e – 0.511c o Q 1.15 ] N Q] where c is the initial concentration, Q, is the volumetric flow rate and N is the number of launders in the system. This expression agrees with an equation developed for the rate of the cementation process if it is assumed that the exponential factor represents the change in the surface area with concentration and the exponents 2.91-and 1.15 relate the hydrodynamic conditions and the surface concentration to co and Q. The experimental results are used to determine the values of a Precipitation Coefficient for any volumentric flow rate and initial concentration of solution. Knowing the Precipitation Coefficient, the total volume of launders that will result in a given precipitation efficiency can be calculated. It is established that maximum precipitation efficiencies are obtained for initial concentrations between 6.0 and 7.0 gpl and volumetric flow rates of approximately 350 m3 /hr Good agreement between calculated and actual launder volumes is obtained for a number of industrial operations for which a comparison is made.

Jan 1, 1973

By Arne Westgren

ONLY in exceptional cases can the ordinary methods of chemistry be used for determining the constitution of compound metallic substances. Recourse has therefore been taken to special methods, the main expedients of which are, as we know, thermal analysis and metal microscopy. To these may be added-though more accessory-the determination of electric conductivity, specific volume, hardness or other properties. The information obtained by these methods has been compiled in equilibrium diagrams. Naturally, the technically most important alloys, such as steel, bronze and some others, have been subjected to very close study, and many investigators have devoted themselves to the solving of their problems of constitution. The equilibrium diagrams of these systems are therefore known today with a comparatively high degree of accuracy, even though it must be admitted that many details regarding their transformation reactions still remain to be completely explained. The equilibrium diagrams of the other alloys as a rule have not been determined so accurately. Most of them are based only on approximate determinations of the homogeneity ranges of the various phases. Thus extensive, detailed studies remain before these diagrams may be considered as established. Unfortunately, it must also be admitted that many of the alloy diagrams given in the present handbooks are as a whole very dubious. As a matter of fact, many of them may really only be viewed as the results of rather superficial, orientating investigations. In fact, there also seems to be a general opinion prevailing in our day that much work still remains to be done before the equilibrium conditions of the alloys may be considered as fully explained. At present, in almost all institutes for research on metals, as well as in many university laboratories, investigations to this effect are being carried out. As a rule, the classical methods of metallography, the thermal analysis and metal microscopy are applied.

Jan 1, 1931

Jan 1, 1907

By Thomas Watson

INTRODUCTION THE users of barite in the United States derive their supply partly from the domestic production and partly from the imports from foreign countries. According to the Mineral Resource division of the U. S. Geological Survey, the domestic production of barite in 1913 was 45,298 short tons, valued at $156,275, or $3.45 a ton, and the imports of crude barite were 35,840 short tons, valued at $61,409, or $1.71 a ton. These figures clearly show a decided advantage in cost of the foreign over the domestic barite to users in the United States. The difference in cost is the only advantage to the consumer of foreign barite, for there are large reserves of the mineral in the United States of good grade. The production of many of the operating mines is capable of decided increase, and it is believed that the operating mines together with the large reserves of undeveloped deposits of barite are entirely adequate to meet the demands of the users in the United States. Deposits of barite are known in California, Idaho, Nevada, and Alaska, but most of them are undeveloped because there is, apparently, no market for the .material in that region. The domestic production is derived from Missouri and the Appalachian States, the greater part being obtained from Missouri. Following the outbreak of war in Europe many users of foreign barite in the United States have been forced to seek their supplies at home. It seems opportune at this time, therefore, that a general review be given of the barite industry in the Appalachian States, one of the two areas from which the domestic supply of the mineral is derived, and that attention be directed to the undeveloped deposits in the region. Briefly, then, this paper reviews the barite industry in the Appalachian States, and describes the occurrence, preparation, and uses of the mineral.

Jan 2, 1915

By C. E. Brown, D. C. Helms, O. W. Shimer

The early history and progress of anthracite stripping, from the first known operation at Summit Hill in 1821 through 1917, was covered in 1917 in a paper by J. B. Warriner,1 then chief engineer, now president of the Lehigh Navigation Coal Co., and stripping methods between 1917 and 1931 were the subject of a paper in 1931 by H. H. Otto,2 of the Hudson Coal Company. . The present paper is confined to methods used today on pitching beds in the western middle and southern anthracite fields. The anthracite industry, not unlike other large industries, had been affected for more than a decade by the adverse economic conditions of the country. High development and operating costs and the competition of other fuels caused some collieries to be closed temporarily, while others were permanently abandoned. In order to obtain a larger tonnage at a lower development cost, a larger stripping program was put into effect by many companies. In 1932, stripping operations accounted for 3½ million tons, or 7 per cent of the total anthracite production of the year, and in the next 10 years this increased until more than double that amount, or over 14 per cent of the total production, was from stripping operations. These figures represent the total production of the entire anthracite region; unfortunately, the figures have not been separated from the different fields. There are some operations in the southern and middle western fields where the tonnage obtained from stripping amounts to more than 30 per cent of the total colliery production. Stripping operations on pitching beds present difficult problems. Owing to the various geological formations, a different situation is encountered in nearly every stripping pit; and because of the proximity of an overlying bed, it is very often necessary to load the entire overburden into trucks and haul it out of the pit to the dump area, although back filling and casting is done whenever possible. Beds in the areas described in this paper pitch from 20" to 90 and some are on the invert in many sharp folds and faults. Planning The more successful strippings have had adequate engineering analysis. Some work is being done without much preliminary planning, but many strippings would have failed completely if close supervision by the engineering department had not been . maintained. Locations of stripping areas are determined as follows: I. By constructing cross sections over the areas and drilling sufficient diamond-drill or well drill holes to study the strata and to determine the location, thickness

Jan 1, 1944

Jan 1, 1941

Jan 1, 1940

By R. H. Tien

Temperature distribution as well as position of the solidified front is solved by means of "heat balance integral", for the case of freezing a slab with time-dependent surface temperature. Numerical solutions for the cases of linear variation and exponential decay for surface temperature are given. Application also includes solidification of casting. An increased interest in the heat-transfer problem involving a change of phase has been developed in recent years. Practical problems include solidification of a casting, freezing and thawing of soil, ice formation, and others. Despite the importance of the topic, a literature search reveals relatively few solutions which may be extended to practical problems. Due to mathematical complexity, which comes from the nonlinearity of governing differential equations, exact analytical solutions which have been published are limited to a few cases with simple boundary conditions. Although numerical solutions of these problems have become available after highspeed digital computers were introduced, lack of simple and general methods of programming for computation makes this approach impractical. The case of the semi-infinite slab with constant surface temperature was solved in the 19th century. In honor of Neumann, who first found an analytical solution, this kind of problem is generally referred to as the Neumann solution. As has been shown in Fig. 1, the problem to be analyzed is the freezing of a semi-infinite region (x > 0) which is initially liquid at the melting temperature with the surface (x = 0) maintained at time-dependent temperature. This analysis can be applied to the study of many casting processes where most of the heat removal is essentially unidirectional. "Heat balance integral" which has been used by Goodman1 is employed in this analysis. The concept of "heat balance integral" is to define a quantity, d(t), called the thermal layer. Beyond this thermal layer, for all practical purposes, there is no heat transfer, and the region is at the equilibrium temperature. "Heat balance integral" is obtained by integrating the conduction equation with respect to the space variable over this thermal layer d(t). Choosing some plausible temperature distribution, usually a polynomial or a finite trigonometric series in the space variable, this integral equation becomes an ordinary differential equation, with time as the independent variable, which can be solved by classical methods. The thermal layer and "heat balance integral" are equivalent, respectively, to the boundary-layer thickness and the momentum integral in hydrodynamics. A modern account of Prandtl's concept of the boundary layer and von Karman's momentum integral may be found in Ref. 2. Although the problem considered here has been limited initially to uniform melting temperature, the present method is equally applicable to the case with arbitrary temperature distribution in the liquid. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The physical situation and coordinate system used in the problem to be analyzed are shown in Fig. 1. Notations used are listed in the table of nomenclature. Let us assume a semi-infinite region extending over positive x, initially at the uniform melting temperature. At the surface x = 0, a time-dependent temperature, which has a numerical value

Jan 1, 1965

By George E. Thackray

In December, 1894, the Cambria Iron Company made a number of heats of Bessemer steel to be used in structures by one of its customers, subject to inspection and tests by a firm of consulting engineers, one of the requirements being that the material should riot exceed .08 per cent. of phosphorus. In other respects the requirements were such that they could only be met by material of good quality; but the general spe cification is not introduced here, as it is not the purpose of this paper to deal with anything except certain difficulties encoun tered in determining the phosphorus-content of the material in a manner satisfactory to both seller and buyer. Preliminary determinations of phosphorus were made in sample-ingots from each of the heats from which material was rolled for the order in question, and these preliminary chemical tests, made in the laboratory of the Cambria Iron Company, showed that, with very few exceptions, every heat was within the prescribed limit of phosphorus. After the material had been rolled, sample-drilling8 of finished material were taken from the various heats in the regular manner in use at the works, these samples being thoroughly mixed and divided into two parts, one of which was analyzed at the works' laboratory and the other sent to the inspecting engineer. Several hundred determinations were made from this mate rial without reaching an agreement between the work of the inspector's chemist and that of the works' chemist; but as it is not the object of this memorandum to treat of this part of the subject at length, it is considered sufficient to present herewith only a few of these first determinations. The analyses given in Table I. are those of the original series made on the heats which were afterwards resampled for final determination by an arbitrator; and they are selected for this reason, as the entire " comparison is thus rendered more complete.

Jan 1, 1896

By Franklyn Oatman

IN order that the conditions which obtain in an oil well may be readily understood, a brief description of a typical California well and. a number of the phenomena accompanying same will be given. That the necessity for the exclusion of water be realized, the effects of water intrusion, a description of methods of prevention, and a discussion of causes of failure will be presented, followed by a summary and recommendations. Fig. 1 shows a section of a typical well which illustrates the relation of oil sands to overlying strata. It indicates a deep water sand separated from the oil sand by shale, and the proper place for the final shutting off of water. In this well a comparatively thick stratum of compact shale protected the oil from overlying water so that the operation of landing the water string was a simple matter. In some wells the protecting stratum may be only from 3 to 5 ft. thick and very careful operation is necessary in order to land the water string of casing properly and not puncture through to the oil sand. The cases just cited are common, but occasionally, after excluding overlying water, productive oil sands are drilled through in the expectation of finding more productive underlying sand, and a water-bearing stratum is tapped. In this case the problem is the reverse of the normal; water must be prevented from ascending rather than descending. A discussion of well-drilling methods is not within the scope of this paper, except such operations as pertain to shutting off of water. A brief outline of the several conditions which may accompany drilling follows. Some or all may be present in any particular case. The direct relation of these to prevention of intrusion will he discussed in detail further on. In drilling, the hole. becomes more or less irregular in shape, and rough, and as the casing follows the bit into the well it does not fit snugly against the walls. As a result, water may descend between the casing and walls of the well. If a circulation pump is not used during drilling, the hole is simply punched through and the pulverized material removed from the well by means of a bailer. If circulation is maintained there is a continual flow of water down inside the casing and up around the outside between the pipe and the walls of hole. This keeps an open. space around the pipe.

Jan 3, 1914

By R. A. Morse, P. M. Bridges, L. E. Wilsey, Howard N. Hall, P. L. Terwilliger

Theoretical and experimental investigations of a constant pressure gravity drainage system are reported. Experimental data are presented to show that recovery to gas breakthrough by gravity drainage is inversely proportional to rate. The gravity drainage reference rate, which is numerically equal to the so-called "maximum theoretical rate of gravity drainage" is shown to have no particular significance from a recovery standpoint. Before this rate can be used as a basis of comparison for recoveries, it is necessary that the relative permeability and capillary pressure characteristics and displacing fluid viscosities be identical for the systems compared. A method is presented by which accurate prediction of the performance of a gravity drainage system can be made. Close agreement between experimental and calculated drainage performance shows that steady state relative permeability and static capillary pressure data can be used to describe fluid displacement behavior. The very wide range of liquid recoveries before gas breakthrough which result from production rate variation alone demonstrates the importance of this factor in planning depletion of a gravity drainage reservoir. Calculated results are presented which show that little additional recovery can be expected from a high pressure gravity drainage system between the times of gas breakthrough and attainment of such high gas/liquid ratios as to make further pressure maintenance impractical. INTRODUCTION It bas been recognized for some time that gravity forces play an important part in the recovery of oil from some types of reservoirs. Field experience has shown that under certain conditions, gravity drainage can result in very high oil recov- eries. Qualitative reasoning has led most engineers to the general conclusions that: (1) Where gravity drainage is important, the reservoir pressure should be maintained by gas injection at the crest of the structure to prevent shrinkage of the oil in place and to keep a low viscosity so the oil can drain at the fastest possible rate. (2) Recovery by gravity drainage is rate sensitive. A survey of the literature indicates that while considerable work has been done on the effects of gravity in oil production problems, no satisfactory method of calculating the performance of gravity drainage reservoirs has been reported.1,2,3,4,5 In the absence of any proven method of calculating reservoir performance, the level at which pressure should be maintained and the rate of production for most efficient operation has been open to debate. The limits and general character of the recovery us rate relationships are apparent from the following: As rates of production approach zero, oil will drain by virtue of its own weight fast enough that the saturation distribution is always approximately the same as the original static capillary distribution. That is, at the gas-oil contact the liquid saturation goes from 100 per cent to a value of perhaps 10 to 30 per cent in a very short distance, so that as production continues. a relatively sharp gas-oil contact moves down-structure, leaving a very low residual oil saturation in the originally oil saturated zone. At very high rates of production, the oil that drains by virtue of its own weight is negligible and recovery will approach that of a horizontal gas drive, leaving a much higher residual oil saturation. At intermediate rates of production. recovery should be between these extreme*. Despite the lack of quantitative methods, tentative agreement had been reached on the question of optimum producing rate. It has been generally concluded that rather sharp decrease in recovery would occur at rates of production above the "maximum rate of gravity drainage" and hence this rate should not be exceeded. The "maximum rate of gravity drainage" is defined as the rate of production from a 100 per cent

Jan 1, 1951

By L. E. Wilsey, R. A. Morse, P. L. Terwilliger, Howard N. Hall, P. M. Bridges

Theoretical and experimental investigations of a constant pressure gravity drainage system are reported. Experimental data are presented to show that recovery to gas breakthrough by gravity drainage is inversely proportional to rate. The gravity drainage reference rate, which is numerically equal to the so-called "maximum theoretical rate of gravity drainage" is shown to have no particular significance from a recovery standpoint. Before this rate can be used as a basis of comparison for recoveries, it is necessary that the relative permeability and capillary pressure characteristics and displacing fluid viscosities be identical for the systems compared. A method is presented by which accurate prediction of the performance of a gravity drainage system can be made. Close agreement between experimental and calculated drainage performance shows that steady state relative permeability and static capillary pressure data can be used to describe fluid displacement behavior. The very wide range of liquid recoveries before gas breakthrough which result from production rate variation alone demonstrates the importance of this factor in planning depletion of a gravity drainage reservoir. Calculated results are presented which show that little additional recovery can be expected from a high pressure gravity drainage system between the times of gas breakthrough and attainment of such high gas/liquid ratios as to make further pressure maintenance impractical. INTRODUCTION It bas been recognized for some time that gravity forces play an important part in the recovery of oil from some types of reservoirs. Field experience has shown that under certain conditions, gravity drainage can result in very high oil recov- eries. Qualitative reasoning has led most engineers to the general conclusions that: (1) Where gravity drainage is important, the reservoir pressure should be maintained by gas injection at the crest of the structure to prevent shrinkage of the oil in place and to keep a low viscosity so the oil can drain at the fastest possible rate. (2) Recovery by gravity drainage is rate sensitive. A survey of the literature indicates that while considerable work has been done on the effects of gravity in oil production problems, no satisfactory method of calculating the performance of gravity drainage reservoirs has been reported.1,2,3,4,5 In the absence of any proven method of calculating reservoir performance, the level at which pressure should be maintained and the rate of production for most efficient operation has been open to debate. The limits and general character of the recovery us rate relationships are apparent from the following: As rates of production approach zero, oil will drain by virtue of its own weight fast enough that the saturation distribution is always approximately the same as the original static capillary distribution. That is, at the gas-oil contact the liquid saturation goes from 100 per cent to a value of perhaps 10 to 30 per cent in a very short distance, so that as production continues. a relatively sharp gas-oil contact moves down-structure, leaving a very low residual oil saturation in the originally oil saturated zone. At very high rates of production, the oil that drains by virtue of its own weight is negligible and recovery will approach that of a horizontal gas drive, leaving a much higher residual oil saturation. At intermediate rates of production. recovery should be between these extreme*. Despite the lack of quantitative methods, tentative agreement had been reached on the question of optimum producing rate. It has been generally concluded that rather sharp decrease in recovery would occur at rates of production above the "maximum rate of gravity drainage" and hence this rate should not be exceeded. The "maximum rate of gravity drainage" is defined as the rate of production from a 100 per cent

Jan 1, 1951

By T. L. Joseph

IT is a distinct privilege to participate in this meeting convened to honor the memory of Henry Marion Howe, a distinguished scientist and metallurgist. Many have added to our rapidly growing fund of metallurgical knowledge but few have made the unique contribution of formulating basic concepts essential to an over-all comprehensive view of the subject of metallography. Of those previously selected to deliver this lecture, several have added a personal touch to their discourse because they were able to refer to their associations with Dr. Howe. It was not my good fortune to know him or to enjoy his inspiring influence. Like most of you, my contact has been with his published works, which are outstanding in that they provide lucid, detailed expositions of the nature and behavior of metals and alloys. His deep understanding and clarity of expression have greatly accelerated our progress in metallography and in the use of metals. The degree to which a man's thinking, experimentation and writing contribute toward an understanding of basic laws and phenomena determines whether his life's work is of transitory or permanent value. This occasion appropriately recognizes the fundamental importance of Dr. Howe's pioneer work in the field of metallurgy. On two former occasions, gray iron was selected as a subject for discussion. The fact that the production of pig iron has not been discussed before does not reflect any lack of interest on the part of Dr. Howe or former lecturers in the process that under- lies the production of steel. Although Dr. Howe's work in his later years centered around metallography, his earlier publications show a considerable interest in the production of iron and steel. He recognized that in the ascending spiral of metallurgical advancement we are not winding a single thread but are weaving a complex fabric. Specific evidence of his interest in the production of pig iron may be found in his book1 on The Metallography of Cast Iron and Steel. In explaining why blast furnaces have been in constant use for about 600 years, he says: "The process is economical because it utilizes with extraordinary completeness the calorific power of the coke due to the thorough transfer of heat from the gaseous products of combustion to the charge." This emphasis on heat transfer, overlooked in many more extended and more recent discussions of the blast-furnace process, illustrates Professor Howe's ability to see the essentials. Other distinct advantages of the blast furnace, such as the removal of much of the sulphur and practically all of the oxygen, were mentioned. It was also stated that although the blast- furnace process is complex in nature, its outward form is comparatively simple, thus permitting large-scale production at small labor costs. All who contemplate the production of metallic iron from its ores by any other process might well consider the

Jan 1, 1946

On the following pages are abstracts of papers published by the Institute during the year 1934 as TECHNICAL PWLICATIONB, CONTRIBUTIONS, m bound volumes and in MINING AND METALLURGY. For abstracts of papers that appear In bound volumes in 1934 but that were published as TECHNICAL PWLICATIONS m 1932 or 1933, see the TRANSACTIONS for 1932 and the YEAR BOOK dated January, 1934. Many of the TECHNICAL PWLICATIONS have been reprinted In bound volumes Information regarding this disposition, and number of pages in each paper, may be found m the list beginning on page 92 Volume numbers are given as listed at the beginning of the index, page 99 The abstracts are grouped as follows:

Jan 1, 1935

By Allen J. Johnson

With a realization of the rapidly increasing importance of automatic stokers as a medium for domestic heating, the Anthracite Institute Laboratory has conducted extensive investigations, over a period of several years, to determine the various outstanding characteristics of stoker design and performance. The purpose of this paper is to summarize these findings as a guide to current practices. Stokees Investigated One or more models of the underfeed stokers listed below were included in the various phases of this investigation: Beckley Gilkoal Burnwell Iron Fireman Combustioneer Motor Stokor Electric Furnace Man Norristown Super-stoker Erie Heat Generator Whitney Fire Ball (Tests Incomplete.) Fuel Saver Principles of Construction.—The operating principle of the leading makes of underfeed stokers is similar (Fig. 1). A plunger1 or slowly revolving worm2, conveys the buckwheat or rice sizes of anthracite to the center of a specially constructed tuyere pot where air is admitted to the coal through suitable ports of varying design. As the fuel burns, it is slowly forced to the outside circumference of the tuyere by the pressure of the incoming coal; eventually the ash falls over the edge of the pot, either entirely by gravity or aided by mechanical sweepers. In at least one model, the entire firepot revolves. While various special details have been included in the design of a number of stokers, they do not affect the general principles as described above, and therefore have not been included in this discussion.

Jan 1, 1936