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By James E. Lonergan, Young C. Kim

Over the past two and one-half years, various emission control strategies for a coal-fired power plant have been jointly developed by the University of Arizona and the Homer City Owners. The objective of this work was to assist the Homer City management in their efforts to comply with SO2 emission regulations while continuing to use the relatively high sulfur coal from their captive mines as the primary source of plant fuel. One of the operational strategies studied was to have the captive mines minimize the sulfur variability of the run-of-mine coal on a short term basis. A mine production scheduling program called COMPF2 was developed to perform this task. This paper describes the application of this mine planning program at an underground coal mine. A comparison of the planning results with actual production figures showed the ability of this program to schedule production so as to minimize both the sulfur content and the sulfur variability of run-of-mine coal.

Jan 1, 1983

By K. C. Lau

INTRODUCTION The design of engineering structures such as mine openings in and foundations on rock requires a knowledge of the constitutive laws governing the behaviour of discontinuous and layered rock masses. At the present time there are two main approaches for predicting the stress distributions and displacements in such engineering structures. In one method, the whole of the rock mass is discretized. The behaviour of the components of the rock mass, that is, the joints and the intact rock are modelled using analytical techniques such as the finite or boundary element methods. Typically the intact rock is modelled as a linear elastic material bounded by non-linear discontinuities. An alternative method of analysis is to describe the load-deformation properties of the jointed, layered or even reinforced rock mass in terms of smeared or equivalent homogeneous material properties. Such equivalent material properties may then be used to compute the stress distributions around openings and in foundations using standard methods of analysis such as the finite or boundary element techniques. Once the stresses have been obtained for the equivalent material, the stresses in the individual constituent layers or discontinuities may then be determined. Each approach to the problem has particular advantages. The first method is more likely to yield results which more closely represent the behaviour of the rock mass, since the behavioural responses of both the joints and intact rock are modelled. However, for many large or complicated geologic structures such an approach can become unweildy and uneconomical. In such cases, the equivalent

Jan 1, 1984

By Y. L. Su, R. Stefanko, Y. J. Wang

This chapter describes a new approach to the solution of stress distribution around underground openings utilizing the finite element method and employing stochastically simulated rock properties. It is well-known from extensive laboratory tests that the properties of rocks, e.g., Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio, are not single-valued but form some distribution. If the scatter of test data is attributed to the variability of the rock itself rather than due to an inadequacy in test procedure, then stress solutions have to consider these variations. Utilizing this basic philosophy, the present study was initiated. A long circular opening subjected to plane strain in a hydrostatic stress field was chosen as a specific example to illustrate this approach. The technique adopted in solving stress distributions was based on the finite element method. This method is essentially a generalization of standard structural analysis procedures in which the continuum is idealized as an assemblage of "elements," interconnected at a finite number of nodal points. It is capable therefore of handling different material properties for individual elements in the model, if desired. In this study, each individual element was assumed to be isotropic, homogeneous, and elastic. However, values for Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio were randomly varied from element to element according to an assumed frequency distribution.

Jan 1, 1970

By Joseph C. Buchen

In principle, productiorl of salt from sea water is a simple operation. The sun and wind cause evaporation of sea water trapped in ponds, and what is left is principally salt. Commercial production, however, requires consideration of many factors. First is a high consistent annual rate of evaporation, as well as large areas of suitable low-lying ground close to economical shipping facilities. The south end of San Francisco Bay has these requisites. Large ponds are built, by using clamshell dredges to build up levees to a height of approximately 3 ft. on ground usually lower than sea level, so that the water may be taken in through tide gates without pumping. Ponds are divided into extremely large concentrating ponds and smeller crystallizing ponds. Approximately ten times more area is required for concentrating than for crystallizing. The concentrating ponds are irregular in shape and size but the crystallizing ponds are rectangular and fairly regular in size, to aid in harvesting. The ocean water is taken into the first of a series of concentrating ponds and gradually moved forward from pond to pond as it increase:: in density, reaehing the crystallizing area as a saturated brine. This brine is pumped into the crystallizer at the beginning of the net evaporating season, usually in May, and further evaporation causes its sodium chloride content to deposit on the bottoms of the ponds. The brine must be drawn off and a fresh supply added from time to time to prevent other undesirable salts from depositing with the sodium chloride. Harvesting usually begins near the end of August and now is accomplished almost entirely by mechanical means. After harvesting, the salt is stored in large sbockpiles until required for shipping or refining. The greatest amount is used for industrial purposes and is shipped without any processing other than screening, but all salt for domestic use produced by the Leslie Salt Co. is refined by the racuum process, giving a produet consistently testing over 09.9 per cent sodium chloride.

Jan 1, 1938

By Joseph C. Buchen

In principle, productiorl of salt from sea water is a simple operation. The sun and wind cause evaporation of sea water trapped in ponds, and what is left is principally salt. Commercial production, however, requires consideration of many factors. First is a high consistent annual rate of evaporation, as well as large areas of suitable low-lying ground close to economical shipping facilities. The south end of San Francisco Bay has these requisites. Large ponds are built, by using clamshell dredges to build up levees to a height of approximately 3 ft. on ground usually lower than sea level, so that the water may be taken in through tide gates without pumping. Ponds are divided into extremely large concentrating ponds and smeller crystallizing ponds. Approximately ten times more area is required for concentrating than for crystallizing. The concentrating ponds are irregular in shape and size but the crystallizing ponds are rectangular and fairly regular in size, to aid in harvesting. The ocean water is taken into the first of a series of concentrating ponds and gradually moved forward from pond to pond as it increase:: in density, reaehing the crystallizing area as a saturated brine. This brine is pumped into the crystallizer at the beginning of the net evaporating season, usually in May, and further evaporation causes its sodium chloride content to deposit on the bottoms of the ponds. The brine must be drawn off and a fresh supply added from time to time to prevent other undesirable salts from depositing with the sodium chloride. Harvesting usually begins near the end of August and now is accomplished almost entirely by mechanical means. After harvesting, the salt is stored in large sbockpiles until required for shipping or refining. The greatest amount is used for industrial purposes and is shipped without any processing other than screening, but all salt for domestic use produced by the Leslie Salt Co. is refined by the racuum process, giving a produet consistently testing over 09.9 per cent sodium chloride.

Jan 1, 1938

By William Fink

MANY investigators have attempted to determine the true nature of the internal changes taking place during aging. Merica, Waltenberg and Scott1 were the first to propose a theory of age-hardening. They attributed the age-hardening of duralumin to the precipitation of minute particles of the compound CuA12. Later Zay Jeffries and R. S. Archer2 augmented the above theory by suggesting that the small CuA12 particles acted as "keys" causing "slip interference." Many other investi-gators3 have devoted much time to the mechanism of age-hardening, some corroborating the "precipitation" and "slip interference" theory, others coming to different conclusions because of effects that to them seemed unexplainable by the early theories; e.g., the increase of electrical resistance upon aging, the fact that no change in lattice parameter could be detected during the early stages of aging even at elevated tempera-tures, and the fact that the density did not change as would be predicted. In 1932, Merica revised4 his earlier precipitation theory to take care of these presumably anomalous effects. This revised theory, the "knot" theory, assumes that substantial age-hardening occurs before actual precipitation of solute as discrete particles. The assumed mechanism is one of diffusion of solute atones into groups forming distorted regions which act as "hard" spots and cause slip interference. These "knots" are assumed to have approximately the same lattice arrangement as the solvent.

Jan 1, 1936

By E. M. Wise

MANY of the platinum metal alloys are hot-forged in the early stages of reduction from ingot and substantial quantities of platinum alloys are commercially employed at very high temperatures in ammonia oxidation units, orifices for forming glass rods and fibers and as cathodes in long-life thermionic amplifiers. They are used also for electrical heating resistors, safety blowout disks, thermocouples and crucibles. The tensile prop-erties at elevated temperatures are important in many of these situations but data on the subject are limited. Creep data also are important, but will not be covered at this time. SCOPE AND CONCLUSIONS Tensile tests were carried out at room temperature and elevated temperatures up to 1100° C. on previously well annealed samples of platinum, palladium and several of their important alloys with composi-tions shown in Table 1. The results are presented graphically in Figs. 1 to 4. The tensile strengths of platinum and the platinum-base alloys (with the exception of the 10 per cent rhodium-platinum alloy) at 1100° C. are from 16.6 to 18.8 per cent of the strengths of the same alloys (well annealed) at room temperature. The strength ratio of the 10 per cent rhodium-platinum alloy is 22.3 per cent, which is appreciably higher than that of the other materials tested.

Jan 1, 1938

By Robert M. Dreyer

During the past two decades, synthetic abrasives have taken over successively greater percentages of the high-grade abrasive market, so that now, with the exception of natural diamonds (discussed in section 3.15.4C of this chapter), the importance of natural high-grade abrasives is negligible. The predominance of synthetic abrasives is indicated in Table 15.4A.1. This shows that the 1968 value of domestically produced synthetic abrasives (excluding synthetic diamonds) was over $80 million, whereas the value of garnet, the largest domestically produced, natural high-grade abrasive, was less -than $2 million. The major synthetic abrasives (other than synthetic diamonds) are: alumina, silicon carbide, boron carbide, tungsten carbide, and metallic oxides, including various iron oxides. A major advantage of synthetic abrasives is that the size and shape of grain can be closely controlled during manufacture. Although Table 15.4A.1 gives the average price of synthetic abrasives, such averages are of somewhat limited value. This is because the actual price varies within wide limits, depending on composition, hardness, size, and shape of grain. In 1968 the approximate total consumption of abrasives in the United States was valued at about $200 million, of which about two-fifths was in the form of synthetic abrasives (other than diamonds), one-third in synthetic diamonds, and the remainder in natural diamonds. Natural abrasive products, such as silica sand, tripoli, and pumice, are important in the low-cost abrasive field. Of the low-cost abrasives, silica sand continues to be the most important, with domestic production of about 300,000 tons at a value of $1.8 million (see Table 15.4A.1). In general, the lower the sales price of the abrasive product, the more limited is the market which can be served from a given production center. Each abrasive has applications for which it is especially useful, but there is a continual struggle among abrasive suppliers to induce substitution of one product for another. Such substitution can be stimulated by changes in method of preparation affecting hardness, shape, and size of grain.

Jan 1, 1976

By Clark B. Risler, Walter E. Thomas

MILL planning must include electrical drives and a system to supply them. These should be considered at the time metallurgical and mechanical plans are being made. Because it is convenient, flexible, reliable, and economical, electricity is the accepted source for powering mill concentrating equipment. Ore-treating mills have grown to the point where a single mill has been built using 360 motors ranging from 1 to 1000 hp and totaling 50,000 hp. Such a system of electrical drives can be scattered over a square mile and employ 4000 to 220 v. Drive Motor Characteristics: Since ore processing is predominantly a continuous operation, very few of its drives require wide speed variation after initial adjustment. Consequently squirrel cage, wound rotor, and synchronous alternating current motors are most often used.

Jan 5, 1957

By Robert Isaac Williams

The Questa mine is located in northern New Mexico on the western flank of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains about 75 miles north of Santa Fe and ranges in elevation from 6,800 to 10,000 ft. GEOLOGY The rocks of the area are Precambrian metamorphic rocks covered by Tertiary extrusive andesites and rhyolites and intruded by Tertiary granitic rocks. These Tertiary intrusives are localized in an east-west belt about 20 miles long and 2 miles wide, extending from Questa to Red River. The Questa orebody is associated with a north-trending aplite intrusive about 3/4 mile wide and 1 3/4 miles long. In the area of mineralization, the metasomatism of aplite has produced a mottled porphyritic rock. This hybrid rock has caused much of the controversy about the Questa mine intrusive. The orebody is essentially monomineralic and consists of numerous closely spaced molybdenite veins varying in thickness from ' 'paint" to 3 in. and occurring in both the andesites and the intrusive. In the intrusive the veins are often siliceous. Common alteration minerals associated with the molybdenite ore vary with the original composition of the rock. The alteration of the aplite has produced phenocrysts of orthoclase, albite, oligoclase and biotite; veins of quartz, orthoclase, and biotite; and graphic myrmekitic intergrowths of feldspars and quartz. In many places near the contact, the andesite is indistinguishable from the metasomatized aplite. The dominant alteration in andesite, however, is the development of fine-grained biotite with apatite, rutile, and sphene.

Jan 1, 1969

By J. H. Smith, H. W. Paxton

X HE recent investigation of Butler, McCabe, and paxton' on the vapor pressure of manganese gas in equilibrium with Mn-Fe alloys has been extended to include the iron-rich solutions and alloys in the two phase equilibrium region. The study of the phase equilibrium by Kurnakov and Troneva2 and the extensive reviews of the Mn-Fe system by Hansen,3 and Hellawe114 are not in agreement with regard to the location and extent of the equilibrium between the solid phases of fcc y and complex P in the temperature range above the eutectoid temperature of approximately 975Kwhere 0 decomposes to y and bcc a. An evaluation of the existing equilibrium data is confronted with the conflicting results presented by various investigators who used techniques requiring a quenching treatment to retain the high-temperature equilibrium or encountered temperature hysteresis during thermal analyses. The difficulty of suppressing the transformation of the manganese-rich concentrations of the y-solid solution during quenching has been well etablished.' To avoid this uncertainty the phase equilibrium was investigated at temperature by measuring the partial pressure of manganese gas in equilibrium

Jan 1, 1962

By Will Clark

HE who enters a mining claim within an Indian reservation of the United States of America acquires no rights thereby, because of the fact that the lands within such Indian reservation are not a part of the public domain, and cannot be located or acquired as mineral land. However, where such an entry is authorized as to a particular reservation by an Act of Congress, such claims as may be entered under such authorization are thereby segregated from the reservation, and the Indian title is extinguished. Under the Choctaw Constitution, any citizen of that nation, in other words any Choctaw Indian, who discovered a coal mine, acquired an exclusive right to all coal within a radius of 1 mile. The laws of the Chickasaw nation provided for the formation of corporations to develop coal and other mines, with authority to contract with others to develop and work the mines. Under these laws, leases were made; but Congress subsequently abrogated all existing leases, prohibited all persons from receiving royalties from such mines, and provided that all coal within the nation should remain the common property of the tribes. Such leases are now expressly prohibited by an Act of Congress (32 United States Statutes at Large, 655). All leases of mineral lands upon Indian reservations must now be made under regulations promulgated by the Secretary of the Interior, and the royalties must be paid into the United States Treasury for the benefit of the tribes. In Canada the Indians have no rights to the royal mines and minerals, and the government can make no stipulation with the Indians which would affect the rights of the Province in which the lands are situated. Therefore, while it is true that under our present law no rights can be acquired to a mining claim within an Indian reservation, it seems to be fully within the authority of Congress to make laws, giving such rights to mineral locators as it may deem necessary or expedient.

Jan 6, 1914

By H. Herbert Hughes

ECONOMISTS have predicted that the present business depression ultimately may pay big dividends to industry through the cumulative savings resulting from technical improvements and merchandising advances that might never have been developed under normal conditions. Waste prevention is a sound medicine for economic ills. In theory, this prescription may be applied not' only to raw materials, but also to labor, fuel, over- head, and other phases of production. Actually, how- ever, regardless of the efficiency of operating practices, waste is inevitable in the production of many commodities. The problem then becomes one of profitable utilization of waste rather than prevention.

Jan 1, 1932

By D. W. Loucks

There is plenty of evidence to indicate that at least one of man's chief interests in life is to make himself as comfortable as possible. If you doubt this, just watch the fellow next to you for the next half hour trying to find the most comfortable position that a hard chair has to offer. Comfort, however, does not always mean an easy chair. To some, it may mean a wealth of money: to another, freedom from worry. But to most of us, it means first of all a comfortable atmosphere in which to live, and to a great many of us it probably also means freedom from that annoying task of firing the furnace. Today more than ever before, automatic heat is one improvement that is placed high on everyone's list. Perhaps this is because automatic heating is becoming relatively cheaper. Perhaps it is because of a good publicity campaign on the part of the oil and gas men or maybe it is just that we are getting lazier day by day. At any rate, almost every issue of Better Homes and Gardens, House Beautiful, or your other favorite home magazine carries an article extolling the virtues of this or that automatic heating system.

Jan 1, 1949

By Colin G. ink

OUTSTANDI'NG in progress among the less familiar 'metals during 1936 is the electrolytic production of 99.9 per cent manganese meta1 readily and many quantity. Strictly speaking, manganese should not' be classed as 'a rare metal, since there is 800 times as much manganese in the earth's crust as there is zinc or lead. But manganese' as a metal is rare, just as titanium metal is rare though titanium is five times as abundant in the earth's crust as manganese.

Jan 1, 1937

By Ta M. Li

US mine-related fatalities were reduced by 10.3% at metal and nonmetal operations in 1974, according to a report by the Secretary of the Interior to Congress concerning the administration of Public Law 89-577. While there was no significant change in the overall injury experience, the 157 fatalities were the lowest recorded in the mining industry since federal mine inspections began under the Act in 1970. The report attributes this reduction to the "improvement in the quality and increased size of the inspection force as well as the continuing emphasis on mine safety conditions and practices." The year 1974 represents the first full calendar year in which the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA) had responsibility for administration of the Federal Metal and Nonmetallic Mine Safety Act, and the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. Prior to MESA's establishment in 1973, these functions were delegated to the US Bureau of Mines. Research activities in health and safety were continued by the Bureau in 1974.

Jan 12, 1975

By Robert W. Hunt

I have repeatedly said that the mechanical treatment of the metal forming a steel rail, during its manufacture, was comparatively of much greater importance than its chemical composition; and years of observation have confirmed and emphasized this fact. ' The comparison of the wear of the earlier steel rails with that of later ones, and to the great disadvantage of the latter, ia still being constantly made by railway oficials. And while some of us, with experience covering the whole history of the manufacture of steel rails, are aware of the great differences in the conditions governing their production at various periods, I do not think the engineering world generally appreciates the direct and imperative influence which these variations have had, and are having, upon the wearing-quality of the rails. In the earlier days, the steel was poured into ingots which would make but two 30-ft. rails not exceeding a weight of 60 lb. per yard—giving a mass weighing, say about 1,400 lb., and of a section of about 12 in. square. To-day the ingots are about 22 in. square, and weigh more than 4,000 lb. Of course, the interior of the larger ingots must remain hot and liquid longer than that of the smaller ones, and from this condition arises the steel-rail makers béte noire—segregation of the metalloids and piping of the steel. Ingots of the smallest section will pipe, but with the increase of the size, so will follow that of the interior cavity. This well-known tendency demands that special care should be exercised to avoid the evils arising from it.

Jan 1, 1905

"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." Science knows no national boundaries, knows no country. These views might be taken as premises for a discussion of the development of the mineral resources of the world. Yet how far man is removed from such broadminded ideals! In this day of jealousy and dread, of political machinations and statesmen's maneuverings, of rantings and crass ravings against fellow-beings, man's attitudes towards God's gifts are but the measure of the smallness of man. That the exploitation of mineral wealth should be for the common good, none will deny, but what is meant by "common"? Is it for the common good of The Pennsylvania State College, Pennsylvania, the United States of America, or the world? If man is big enough and honest enough to state categorically that by "common," as used in the context above, is meant that the utilization of the mineral wealth should be for the mutual benefit of all mankind, and that all concerned strive to see that such a viewpoint is executed, then there is brighter hope for the future. It is to be hoped that the world may have at least a few years or possibly a generation of peace. What can be done in these years to work towards the ultimate goal of human improvement? The work of statesmen in the drafting of international agreements and the easing of small frictions which appear between nations, as they

Jan 1, 1950

By Basil B. Zavoico

During 1938 the Russian oil industry, while able to increase its production 4.69 per cent above the preceding year, was not successful in correcting some of its basic difficulties, and the industry's position as it entered 1939 was unsatisfactory. The internal political difficulties of 1937 and 1938 took a toll in the oil industry as they did elsewhere in the U. S. S. R., further complicating the solution of the problems facing it, most important of which still remain: lack of experienced and responsible leadership, able to make quick decisions; undisciplined and migratory labor; and insufficient and often unsatisfactory quality of the various equipment needed by the industry and its ineffective distribution. Recent developments in the U. S. S. R. suggest that during 1939 the management will be granted more latitude and hence somewhat better results may be anticipated from the executive branch, provided, however, the "purges" do not recur. The labor should be better disciplined and should not shift as easily, owing to the introduction, at the close of 1938, of individual labor passports to all workers in the country, the principal purpose of which is to correct those two deficiencies. It is not anticipated, however, that the service of supply will show any appreciable improvement in 1939, partly because of inherent difficulties and partly because the manufacturers of heavy machinery are working primarily and necessarily for munitions. Production Production of crude oil during 1938 is estimated at 224,714,000 bbl., as compared with 212,742,000 bbl. in 1937, an increase of 4.69 per cent but 12.76 per cent below the planned output. While there were no major readjustments in the source of supply of crude oil, both the older districts, Baku and Grozny, were barely able to maintain their 1937 levels of production, the increased output being supplied primarily by the fields of Maikop and Ural Permian Basin districts. While exploration work was outstandingly successful in 1937, in 1938 no discoveries of any

Jan 1, 1939

Do not write until you have something to say. Think first; then write. In order to be understood, you must know what you wish to say. Clear writing is the consequence of clear thinking. Therefore consider your subject well before you begin to write; ruminate on it; marshal the salient facts in your mind; saturate yourself with the ideas you wish to express and with cognate ideas; then express yourself deliberately. If you are bubbling over with your subject the words will come, but you might as well expect to sail without a breeze as hope to give life to words without the living thought. Here I may advert to the fact that among the uneducated it is a common expectation to acquire the knack of writing without taking the trouble to study the art of literature. I overheard a woman in a suburban train remark to her neighbor: "I'd like to be able to write well without stopping to think about it". She was one of many that would like to do a thing well without the trouble of thinking; but it cannot be done in respect of anything to which thought is essential. The possession of a good voice does not justify a person in expecting to sing successfully to a large audience; before singing in public one has to master the technique of singing; one has to learn first how to breathe properly, how to enunciate, and many other things. The successful singer is an artist, not a megaphone. Most of us would regard a man or a woman without any training in the art of singing as a fool or an impostor if he or she were to give a public concert, yet we do not recognize the equal foolishness and imposture of persons that write books before they have studied the technique of writing. That is why so many books are unreadable, and why many books by clever men are difficult to read. They start to write books before

Jan 1, 1931