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On A Simulation Method Of Methane-Concentration Control ? IntroductionBy Waclaw Trutwin
The idea of automatic or remote control of the mine ventilation process generally, and methane concentration particularly, attracts the attention of mining engineers more and more. The advantages of introducing mine ventilation control systems are breaking traditional reluctance. The change of attitude is not only because of the requirements of modern exploitation technology, but it is also due to the recent progress in development and successful introduction of reliable monitoring systems and actuators in the form of controlled ventilators and doors [1]; [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. Many 'years of theoretical and experimental studies of the dynamics of mine ventilation processes created the needed base for a proper design of an automatic control system [7],[8],[9], [10]. From these studies must, however, be drawn a fundamental conclusion, which may be regarded as the motto of this paper: An automatic control system for mine ventilation ill-conditioned or improperly designed is capable of creating hazard situations in response to random disturbances, much more, severe in consequence than a traditional ventilation system without any automatic or remote control! This statement is easy to prove if the dynamic properties of the ventilation process are taken into consideration. The ventilation process, as a matter of fact, is described by non-linear equations, and it must be expected that the process has more than one state of equilibrium. In other words, in the ventilation process may exist not only one but also more than one steady-states of flow, of which some are stable and others unstable. In certain circumstances, there may be no steady-state at all, and the process will oscillate [8], [11] , [12] . The state of flow in a network tends towards a steady-state and the actual steady-state established will depend on the initial conditions or disturbances in flow (fire,. etc.), which steady-state from the total number that will be . We frequently observe jumps from one steady-state to another. Disturbances in flow conditions which may cause such transitions are events of random character, occurring very rarely. Concluding, it must be stressed that there has to be a control system adjusted to the ventilation process in order to avoid situations mentioned above. There is only one alternative available and suitable for examination or study of the dynamics of a given mine ventilation problem: either by continuous monitoring of the real process, or numerical simulation of the process using a mathematical model. The advantages of the second method are obvious. This method allows consideration of every possible case very quickly and cheaply in relation to the first method. The aim of the paper is to show again that the simulation of the mine ventilation process and particularly a methane concentration process, separately or combined together with a control system, are real possibilities. A simulation method requires precise specification of the problem under consideration. For example, if we intend to examine a methane-concentration control system, the following items have to be specified: - expected target function of the control system. - structure of the control system. - mathematical model of control system, including sensor system, data preparation system, controllers, decision routine, regulators, etc. - structure of mine ventilation network. - mathematical model of ventilation process, including air flow and methane concentration processes. - pattern of disturbances which may occur in the controlled process as well as initial conditions on a 'start-up' of the system. Using typical computer programs for numerical solution of equations in the mathematical model of the problem involved, we are able, within the adequacy of the model, to simulate every case specified by the disturbances and initial conditions. As a result of simulation, it is expected that the following parameters could be defined: - transient flow in the network. - transient state of methane concentration in working areas. - stability of flow and methane concent¬ration. - stability of the control system. - range of control. - efficiency of control, etc. It is obvious that simulation methods readily allow for modifications to existing systems such that desired results will be obtained. Also optimisation problems could be solved by use of the simulation methods. In order to illustrate these general thoughts, a brief presentation of a mathematical model of methane concentration and
Jan 1, 1980
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Laboratory assessment of the rock-fragmentation process by continuous minersBy V. B. Achanti, A. W. Khair
Introduction Laboratory studies were carried out at West Virginia University to investigate the rock-fragmentation mechanism of continuous miners using an automated rotary cutting simulator. The primary factors influencing the fragmentation process were found to be bit spacing, bit geometry, depth of cut and cutting-drum rotational speed. This paper presents a discussion of the effects of these parameters in achieving optimum energy consumption and minimizing dust generation during rock fragmentation. The removal of rock ridges/walls between adjacent grooves is analyzed with three hits mounted simultaneously on the cutting head, while the bit tip angle was varied from 600 to 900. Bit spacing was varied from 25.4 to 50.8 mm (1 to 2 in.) while the cutting process was assessed for varying cutting depths. Respirable dusts generated during the course of the experiments were analyzed utilizing cascade impactors. Assessment of these parameters has led to a better understanding of the cutting mechanism of continuous miners in terms of energy consumption and dust generation. A review of the literature revealed that a considerable amount of research has been carried out on rockcutting processes. Many authors agree that the mechanical cutting efficiencies of mining machines (e.g., continuous miners, shearers and road headers) are affected by a host of parameters. Some of these parameters are machine controlled, some are operator controlled, while others are uncontrollable. Efforts were focused on understanding the influence of parameters such as bit spacing, cutting depth, attack angle, bit type, drum speed, bit geometry (i.e., tip size, shape and tip angle) and rock type on the cutting process efficiency in terms of specific energy consumption and respirable dust generation (Strehig?? et al., 1975, Hanson et al., 1979, Khair et al., 1989). Roepke et al. (1976) in an attempt to study the dust and energy generated during coal cutting using point attack bits found that the dust and the specific energy consumed both decrease as the depth of cut increases. The four fundamental stages of dust generation luring rock fragmentation are identified by Zipf and Bieniawski (1989). Coal breakage by various types of wedges was assessed by Evans and Pomeroy (1966) in an extensive experimental study on British coals. Yet the industry today requires further attention and guidance to optimize the energy consumption and dust generation during the rockbreakage process. This paper attempts to give a better understanding of the influence of some of the parameters listed above and focuses on further improvement in the rock-cutting process. The specific energy consumed for different types of bits used and the respirable dust generated are analyzed in the context of the variation of a few other parameters. Laboratory investigation The experiments were performed in the Rock Mechanics Laboratories located at West Virginia University. A rock-cutting simulator designed and fabricated by Khair (1984) was utilized for this purpose. The details of this machine are available in the literature (see Khair 1984). For this study, a series of preliminary experiments was carried out to determine the optimum cutting frame advance speed. This was intended to facilitate a maximum cut depth of 31.75 mm (1.25 in.) at an advance rate of 0.525 mm/s (0.0207 ips) for all types of bits being used and various bit spacings being considered. To look into the cutting-process efficiency of a continuous miner in the laboratory, several parameters of influence are being considered. Besides the bit-geometry parameters, machine- and operator-controlled parameters, such as spacing of bits on the cutting head, the cutting head rotational speed and the total cutting depth during an experiment, are varied. At the time this paper was written, only part of the completed experiments were ana¬lyzed, and a number of experiments were still being carried out following an orthogonal fractional factorial experimental plan to assess the effect of all of the above¬mentioned parameters on the cutting efficiency in terms of energy consumption and dust generation. Three different types of tip angles, namely, 60°, 75° and 90°, and two different tip sizes, namely, diameters of 7.94 and 24.61 mm (0.313 and 0.969 in.), were used. At
Jan 1, 1999
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Technical Note - The Flotation Column As A Froth SeparatorBy R. K. Mehta, C. W. Schultz, J. B. Bates
Introduction The Mineral Resources Institute, The University of Alabama, has for the past three years been engaged in a program to develop a beneficiation system for eastern (Devonian) oil shales. One objective of that program was to evaluate advanced technologies for effecting a kerogen-mineral matter separation. Column flotation was among the advanced technologies selected for evaluation. Early in the program it was shown that column flotation was superior to conventional (mechanical) flotation and to the other advanced technologies being evaluated. The investigation then proceeded toward the further objective of defining the optimum operating conditions for column flotation. One observation made in the course of optimization testing was that introducing the feed into the froth (above the pulp-froth interface) resulted in an improved combination of concentrate grade and kerogen recovery. This observation was reported in a previous paper (Schultz and Bates, 1989). Because the practice of maintaining the pulp froth interface below the feed point is contrary to "conventional" practice, it was decided to subject the observation to a systematic series of tests. This paper describes a recent series of tests and the results that were obtained. Experimental equipment and procedure The arrangement of the column cell and auxiliary equipment for continuous flow testing is shown schematically in Fig. 1. The feed sump [O] is filled with a sufficient volume of prepared sample to permit a large number of tests to be performed (typically 12). Past experience has shown this is necessary to control sample variability and variability in the size distribution resulting from ultra fine grinding. The feed slurry is maintained at about 20% solids and is constantly recirculated and stirred. The sample is metered from the circulating pipe by a peristaltic pump [O]. The feed slurry is diluted with reagentized water [O] by a second peristaltic pump [O]. Wash water [O], also reagentized, is supplied through a third peristaltic pump [O]. While this feed system may seem unduly complex, it does permit users to independently vary either the wash water rate or the net solids content of the cell. In the tests reported here, the feed rate and net percent solids were constant at 12.5 gms/min. and 3.3%, respectively. Diluted feed enters the column through 6.35 mm-diam (0.25 in.-diam) copper tubing and is discharged upwardly at the center of the column. Tailings are discharged through flexible tubing that can be adjusted so as to control the position of the pulp-froth interface. The column is 76.2 mm-internal-diam (3 in.-internal-diam) and 1090 mm (43 in.) high. It is made from lucite tubing and is fitted with a 51-mm-diam (2-in.-diam) fritted glass air sparger having an average pore diameter of 50 µm. In performing a series of tests, the concentrate and tailing are allowed to discharge continuously. The system is allowed to equilibrate for 30 minutes after the pulp and froth reach operating levels. Concentrate and tailing samples are taken simultaneously for timed intervals (five to 15 minutes, depending on the volume of sample desired). After sampling, a change in operating conditions is made and the system is again allowed to equilibrate. The tests to determine the effect of the pulp-froth interface level were part of a larger series of tests in which the objective was to optimize the conditions for a rougher flotation stage in a two stage circuit. The sample used in this series of tests was an Alabama shale ground to d90 = 23.1 µm and d50 = 7.9 µm. The operating conditions remaining constant in this series of tests were as follows: Column height - 1600 mm (63 in.) Air sparser - 50 µm (average pore diameter) Spray water - 130 cc/min. Feed rate - 12.5 gm/min (0.4 oz per min) (dry solids) Percent solids - 3.3% Frother (Dowfroth 250) - 45 ppm The variable test conditions are tabulated in Table 1. Positions of the pulp level (pulp froth interface) and feed entry are presented as a percentage of column height (as measured from the face of the air sparser). These test conditions are presented Fig. 2. At each of these test conditions, individual tests were performed at varying air
Jan 1, 1992
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San Manuel MineBy H. H. Richards, Ray L. Tobie, L. A. Thomas
GENERAL DESCRIPTION Since the beginning of operations, with the exception of a small tonnage mined by slushing, ore extraction has been by full gravity caving. Formerly, a checkerboard sequence of block undercutting was followed with the even-numbered blocks in one panel and the odd¬numbered blocks in the adjacent panel being mined. As these blocks were depleted, the intermediate or pillar blocks were mined (Fig. 1). Following this checker¬board, the mining sequence went through a number of changes, finally evolving into diagonal retreat panel cav¬ing by blocks (Fig. 2). The numbers in Fig. 2 indicate the sequence in which blocks were undercut. Gaps in the numbering sequence indicate undercutting on the level outside the illustrated area. Geology The ore body is a low-grade deposit of chalcopyrite mineralization disseminated throughout structurally weak, highly fractured, strongly altered granitic host rocks. It takes the shape of a gently dipping elliptical cylinder consisting of an ore shell of variable thickness surrounding an interior waste core. Major and minor axes of the mineralized cylinder are 1524 m (5000 ft) and 762 m (2500 ft), respectively, and length approximates 2438 m (8000 ft). Ore is sufficiently fractured to break readily into medium-coarse size. The igneous rock complex containing the ore body is covered by a wedge-shaped blanket of Tertiary con¬glomerate which was brought into place by faulting along the major regional structure of the San Manuel fault. Thickness of the conglomerate cap varies from only 9 m (30 ft) at the east end of the ore body to more than 610 m (2000 ft) at the west. Structurally, the con¬glomerate is much more competent than the igneous host rocks and, when caving, it breaks into massive chunks. Conglomerate boulders seen in drawpoints underground are very coarse. The total rock column over the initial mining area of the 1415 grizzly level was 354 m (1160 ft) of which 122 m (400 ft) was ore, 79 m (260 ft) was leached igneous capping, and 152 m (500 ft) was conglomerate above the San Manuel fault. Diamond Drilling: From 4572 to 7620 m (15,000 to 25,000 ft) are drilled annually from underground workings to delineate the ore body. MINE DEVELOPMENT Haulage Level In the south or main ore body (see Figs. 3-6), with the exception of the draw and transfer raises, all the extraction openings are concreted (Seaney and Tobie, 1965). The haulage panel drifts, which are 18 m (60 ft) below the grizzly drifts, are first driven with pre¬concrete ground support. The drift, which has an arched section, then is concreted using mobile collapsible steel tunnel forms. The haulage drifts leading from the pan¬els to the hoisting shafts are not concreted. After the panel drifts have been concreted, the raise stations from which transfer raises will be driven are constructed and the raise-station ore-drawing chute is installed. The chute is prefabricated of A-36 steel with undercut guillo¬tine gates made of abrasion-resistant 2.5-cm (1-in.) steel plate powered by 20-cm (8-in.) air cylinder installed on each side of the raise station. Transfer Raises The transfer raises are lined with 15 x 20-cm (6 x 8-in.) cribbing and are 1.22 m (4 ft) in the clear. Each cribbing is protected from wear by a high carbon steel angle which is nailed onto the cribbing. The transfer raises are driven from each side of the raise station on an angle of 1.1 rad (63°). Each raise con¬sists of a main and a backover branch. The transfer¬raise driving crew consists of two men working one shift only. Grizzly Drifts After the transfer raise reaches the grizzly level, the grizzly drift can be driven. The grizzly drifts are spaced at 10.6-m (35-ft) centers and are driven parallel to the long axis of the ore body (see Fig. 2). This drift is driven by a two-man crew working on one or more drifts at a time using feed-leg machines. The eight grizzlies in the 42.7-m (140-ft) long drift are spaced at 5.3-m
Jan 1, 1982
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1996 Jackling Lecture - Carlin-Type Gold Exploration In Nevada Since The Newmont Discovery In 1961 - Recipient of the 1996 D.C. Jackling Award - John S. LivermoreBy John S. Livermore
I feel very privileged to be added to the distinguished group that has received this award since the first recipient, Reno Sales, received it in 1954. If my research is correct, the last geologist to be honored was Bill Callahan in 1982. Perhaps the Awards Committee decided it was about time to select a geologist, and I became the beneficiary. Regarding the discovery of the Carlin ore body, it was the culmination of several studies - one going back as far as 1939 when a US Bureau of Mines engineer named W.O. Vanderberg recognized an unusual type of gold mineralization in sediments in northern Nevada. What was unusual was the fact that the gold was so fine that it would not concentrate in a pan. This, plus the study of the Roberts Mountain thrust by Ralph Roberts (1960) and conversations with Harry Bishop, manager of the Gold Acres Mine, pointed Alan Coope and me in the direction of the Lynn Window and, eventually, the Carlin discovery. There has been a great deal written about this discovery. I thought it would be interesting to discuss the evolution of Carlin gold exploration in Nevada since this time and to discuss the changes in perception of this unique type of mineralization. The method used by Coope and me in following up on Roberts' work was to map geologically the Roberts Mountain thrust and conduct geochemical sampling of favorable outcrops and float. Coope was highly experienced in geochemical exploration, as he had graduated from the Royal School of Mines in London, studying under John S. Webb, one of the pioneers of geochemistry as applied to mineral exploration. We first considered using pathfinder elements, but finally concentrated on gold analyses alone, even though the sensitivity of fire assays used at that time was only about one-half part per million. According to the spatial relationship of the mineralization to the Roberts Mountain thrust, as pointed out by Roberts (1960), we were looking for mineralization within the thrust itself. Our models were the known Gold Acres and Getchell mines, which contained reserves on the order of 0.9 to 1.8 mt (1 to 2 million st). These were not of substantial size, but I had hoped we might find more than one of these tributary to a mill that would justify an operation for our employer, Newmont Mining Corp. What we ended up with was the type of deposit we were looking for - an open pit deposit of micron gold, which the old timers had missed because the gold was not capable of being panned. But never in our wildest dreams did we think there was a chance of finding a body containing 10 mt (11 million st) of ore at 0.30 oz/st (10.3 g/t).The deposit was not in the thrust proper but was found in a favorable horizon of Roberts Mountain siltstone that was below the thrust. This is the first example of how a model should not be followed blindly. Newmont was successful in keeping this discovery quiet for some time. After a considerable amount of drilling, a rumor circulated that they had discovered a large low-grade ore body of around 1.7 to 2.1 g/t (0.05 to 0.06 oz/st), which of course would not have been economic with gold at $1.13/g ($35/oz), which was the fixed price at that time. The company, for obvious reasons, did not discourage the rumor. When, however, the true results came out there was a lot of feverish activity. Because of this new type of so-called "invisible gold," which could have been missed by the old timers, the thought was that other deposits would be discovered very soon. The Carlin and other smaller deposits, including Bootstrap, Blue Star and Gold Quarry, were in windows where the lower plate of the Roberts Mountain formation (below the thrust) had been exposed by erosion. This then became the new
Jan 1, 1997
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Using diamond drilling to evaluate a placer deposit : A case studyBy G. T. Newell, J. G. Stone, V. M. Mejia
Introduction Advances in drilling have reached a point where large diameter cores can be recovered from "tight," or weakly indurated placer gravels. In such ground, core drilling can provide more reliable data regarding tenor than can be obtained using churn drilling or similar classical techniques. It can also provide metallurgical and geological information that is not available from samples obtained through alternate methods. In 1985, Coastal Mining Co, a subsidiary of M. A. Hanna, and Western Gold Reserves began to review a Tertiary placer deposit owned by San Juan Gold at North Columbia, CA, about 14 km (9 miles) northeast of Grass Valley. The deposit is one of the largest remaining unmined portions of the formerly extensive early Tertiary ancestral Yuba river system. It has been known since the 1850s, has been the subject of much technical literature, and has been the object of at least four previous drilling programs. The eastern one-third of the 6 km (3.7 mile) stretch of the channel between North Columbia and Badger Hill was partially stripped by large scale hydraulic mining in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Mining ceased in 1884 when the Sawyer Decision prohibited further discharge of hydraulic tailings into the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. By that time, about 30 to 45 m (100 to 150 ft) of relatively low grade upper gravels had been removed over some 81 hm2 (200 acres). About 90 to 105 m (300 to 350 ft) of higher grade middle and lower gravels were left at least partially stripped. In 1914, a few churn holes were drilled along a widely-spaced line. In 1938-1939, Selection Trust conducted an extensive drilling campaign to evaluate the deposit. Particular attention was directed toward the partially stripped eastern portion. In 1968, the US Geological Survey drilled three churn holes in the eastern part of the deposit. The US Bureau of Mines conducted experimental mining and drilling in the Badger Hill area. In the late 1970s, Placer Service Corp. acquired a lease on the deposit. Between 1979 and 1984, Placer Service drilled 28 large diameter BADE (a German-manufactured machine) drill holes on the eastern portion of the deposit. The surviving records from the widely-spaced 1914 drilling program are fragmentary and the reported grade not well substantiated. The 1968 holes were drilled for scientific purposes. Again, drilling details are not available. However, detailed records for both the churn drilling program and the BADE program were available and formed the basis for the initial evaluation of the property. Geology The geology of the auriferous Tertiary gravels of California have been described by Whitney (1880), Lingren (1911), and, more recently, Yeend (1974). In general, the Tertiary gravels in the North Columbia area occupy a broad channel cut into pre-Tertiary igneous and metamorphic rocks. The upper, or white gravel is overlain conformably by volcanic tuffs and volcaniclastic rocks. A middle gravel is characterized by the presence of silicified and carbonized wood. A lower blue gravel unit has relatively coarser cobbles and contains a higher proportion of igneous and metamorphic cobbles than the other units. The upper gravel consists of interbedded pebbly sand and silty, or clayey sands with prominent cross bedding. Most of the pebbles are well rounded and consist mostly of white vein quartz and quartzite. The upper unit is moderately well compacted. Exposures in the walls of the old hydraulic mine pits stand at 45° and 50° angles. The gold content of the unit is well below an economic cutoff. The middle gravel - included with the upper unit by Yeend (1974) - is coarser grained, with carbonized wood, and 75 to 100 mm (3 to 4 in.) cobbles of metased-imentary and metavolcanic rocks in a sandy matrix containing abundant lithic fragments. The upper contact appears to be conformable, but the lower portion of the unit appears in places to consist of reworked lower gravels. The unit contains less clay than the upper unit and is somewhat more friable than the underlying lower gravels. The gold content, while somewhat higher than the upper level, is too low to be of ore grade. The lower gravel averages between 30 to 45 m (100 to 150 ft)
Jan 9, 1988
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Impact on aggregates of regulating nonasbestos minerals as asbestosBy Kelly F. Bailey
Introduction On June 20, 1986, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published revised asbestos exposure standards for general industry and construction. The standards reflect OSHA's attempt to adequately control workplace exposures to minerals it considers carcinogenic - minerals capable of causing or contributing to cancer. These standards specifically identify asbestos as: chrysotile, an asbestiform serpentine mineral; and the amphibole minerals amosite, crocidolite, tremolite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, and anthophyllite asbestos. Each of these has a more common nonasbestos mineral analog that exists in nature in a crystalline, blocky shape rather than the hair-like or fibrous shape of asbestos. The mineralogical names for three of these nonasbestos minerals are unique: antigorite for chrysotile, cummingtonite-grunerite for amosite, and riebeckite for crocidolite. The other three nonasbestos analogs do not have unique mineralogical names. They are simply designated as actinolite, tremolite, and anthophyllite without the word asbestos following their names. The 1986 OSHA standards not only cover exposure to the six asbestos minerals, they also cover specifically the nonasbestos forms of actinolite, tremolite, and anthophyllite (AT&A). The new standards regulate these minerals exactly like asbestos (OSHA, 1986). The construction aggregate industry views this as a major problem because these nonasbestos minerals are common amphibole rock-forming minerals in the earth's crust. They exist in small quantities over large areas of the United States (Kuryvial et al., 1974). These minerals, unlike asbestos, are not mined for a specific commercial purpose. They are unavoidable components in much of the aggregate used for construction throughout the US. They are also common in the gangue material of metallic ores. There are areas of the US where amphibole-bearing bed¬rock is common. Not every rock mass in these areas contain amphiboles, however. It does mean, though, that amphiboles are physically compatible with many of the rocks in those areas. And given the correct geochemical conditions, they will be present primarily in the nonasbestiform variety. In addition, these amphiboles will probably exist in the natural drainage system, sand and gravel deposits, stream sediments, lake shores, valley basins, or ordinary beach sand within these areas. There has been little quantification of nonasbestiform AT&A in dusts and soils in the US. This is not surprising since these nonasbestiform minerals are not commercially valuable. However, an example of the pervasive nature of these minerals can be found in a 1981 Geological Society of America publication where about 0.7% tremolite-actinolite was found in the desert dust in and around Tempe, AZ (Pewe, 1981). Since OSHA standards treat these common nonasbestos minerals as carcinogens in the same way as asbestos, large natural areas in the US are implicitly being labeled as hazardous by OSHA. When a substance is identified as a carcinogen, another OSHA standard comes into play, the Hazard Communication standard. There are also right-to-know laws in 9 states that essentially duplicate this federal standard. These standards require that a product containing 0.1% or more of an OSHA-designated carcinogen be labeled as such (OSHA, 1983). This means that much of the stone and sand gravel products occurring naturally and mined in the US could be labeled a carcinogen when, in fact, they are not. The National Stone Association (NSA) and the domestic construction and mining industries believe that OSHA has seriously erred. The NSA has studied the health, mineralogical, technical, economic, and legal basis for OSHA's action. These studies concluded that there is no justification for the agency regulating nonasbestos minerals as if they were asbestos. Health issues The preamble to OSHA's 1986 asbestos standard states that evidence for asbestos-like health effects from exposure to nonasbestiform varieties of AT&A is inconclusive (OSHA, 1986). The fact is, not only are the data inconclusive, they are nonexistent. During 1986-1987, NSA's occupational health and epidemiology consultant, Environmental Health Associates (EHA), reviewed all available health studies related to AT&A. EHA found evidence that malignancies in both experimental animals and humans are associated with the asbestos forms of these minerals. No experimental or epidemiological evidence was found that indicated such pathogenic effects occur from exposure to nonasbestiform varieties of these minerals. There are relatively few scientific studies of the health effects of exposure to nonasbestiform varieties of AT&A. In three different animal studies, exposure to either nonasbestiform tremolite or actinolite did not result in pulmonary fibrosis on in excess tu-
Jan 11, 1988
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Increasing Mine-To-Market Coal-Transport Productivity Through Better Particle Management At The Mine FaceBy J. C. Yingling, J. W. Leonard
Introduction The absence of coal-face particle management heavily penalizes the transportation of coal from initial loading to final consumption. The penalties include dust problems, significantly reduced mine-loading-cycle productivity, mine-belt spillage, excessively high coal-preparation costs, chute blockages and dangerous pulverizer blockages at the final point of utilization. Fine particles commonly cause environmental and economic problems. It is well known that these fines can cause safety and environmental dust problems. But it is not well understood that these fines can also swell broken coal to a point where 5% to 15% more time and capacity must be used to deliver the same tonnage. In this paper, methods and rewards for reducing and/or managing fines at the mine face are discussed. Computer-based loading-cycle model productivity estimates, viewed from a new perspective, are made on the basis of material volume rather than on the long-established, and frequently misleading, basis of tonnage. It is typically the volume of broken material being transported that defines the capacity of a given transportation system, while the corresponding tonnages are merely a reflection of the specific material densities. Published evidence suggests that the swelling of broken coal can be decreased very significantly using small quantities of certain nonfrothing chemicals, which are added to mine-face spray water, and by employing improved mine-face breakage practices. In a future paper, the effects on transportation productivity beyond the coal mine will be discussed. The precursor to the work presented in this paper, involving the bulk density improvement for broken coal and the subsequent production gains for underground coal mines, was earlier presented in Leonard and Newman (1989). In the past, this topic has been studied and practiced only in byproduct coking in the steel industry. However, a potential exists for an increase in coal-industry productivity by improving the bulk density of coal to yield a subsequent reduction in delivered cost. This can occur with breakage, handling and treatment methods resulting in the loading of greater quantities of coal in fixed volumetric capacity haulage units such as mine cars, shuttle cars and scoops. Laboratory-based experiments to achieve an increase in productivity by increasing coal bulk density were discussed in Leonard, Paradkar and Groppo (1992). Chemical techniques using small quantities of commercially available reagents (surfactants) resulted in about a 13% to 15 % increase in bulk density, which was thought to produce a proportional increase in the productivity of a mine, together with a subsequent reduction in cost. The idea is to mix the reagents with the water that is used to spray coal during mining. In this paper, the impact of bulk density improvements on production rates is presented. Increases in production ranging from 60% to 88% of the bulk density increases are projected. This analysis was performed for atypical continuous-miner section. In the following sections, discussion and results of the analysis are presented. Discussion An analysis was performed to ascertain the impact of bulk density improvements on face-production rates for a typical continuous-miner section. Figure 1 illustrates the section layout and cut sequence. This layout and sequence is identical to the case described in King and Suboleski (1991). As can be seen, the section uses five entries and 12.2-m cuts that are taken by a remotely controlled continuous miner. The seam height is 1.5 m and two shuttle cars (5.7 t nominal capacity) are employed for haulage from the miner to the section feeder, which, throughout the cut sequence, is positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1. The simulation model was coded in the SIMAN simulation language. The major impacts of increased bulk density improvements on such a production system are as follows: •Shuttle-car payloads, in terms of the mass of coal transported per haul cycle, are increased proportionally to the increase in bulk density that results from the application of surfactant. •Shuttle-car discharge times should remain largely unchanged, because they are determined by the volume of material that is discharged, rather than the mass, and this volume does not change.
Jan 1, 1996
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Using Conveyors to Cut CostsBy Andrew N. Peterson
US mine operators frequently fail to investigate more cost effective and productive bulk material handling systems because surface mines seem to lend themselves to truck ore haulage. In this country, as a result, use of conveyors to move heavy loads from mine to process facilities has been minimized, if not actually neglected. In contrast, there are more than 50 conveyorized surface mines in successful operation around the world. These mine operators have learned that properly applied conveyorized systems can offer major savings in capital and operating costs, which contribute to improved profits when combined with other proven mining technologies. Growing acceptance and application of conveyorized bulk material handling in surface mines also points up how unique each mine is and how careful planning contributes to maximum mine effectiveness. Because of these differences, mining executives and technical and operating staffs need to develop an understanding of three factors in applying conveyorized bulk material handling in surface mines: • Why each mine will benefit from the type of automation permitted by conveyorized operation, •What kind of equipment is available, and • What applications most effectively demonstrate the first two factors in action - hauling either ore or waste. The conveyorized systems considered in this presentation have production rates from 0.5-2.7 kt/h (500-3,000 stph). Worldwide, these systems have been operating since the early 1960s. Advantages of Conveyors Why do you want conveyorized bulk material handling? First, it almost always provides lower operating and maintenance costs. Second, it frequently requires lower initial capital costs and almost always requires lower capital costs over the life of the surface mine. Third, it provides comparable operating availability, and finally, it frequently gives comparable operating flexibility - depending on the mine plan. Cost avoidance can be accomplished with modern production methods. These, in turn, permit increased productivity and reduced operating costs such as those for energy, maintenance, and manpower. It has been demonstrated in European surface mines and elsewhere, that conveyor systems frequently require lower initial costs than does truck haulage. Almost always such operations require lower capital costs over the mine life. Those costs include the continual addition of haulage trucks to both accommodate the increasingly difficult haulage routes and fulfill replacement requirements when trucks wear out. Conveyor systems handling ore in numerous large crushing and port facilities, which have operated since the early 1950s, have clearly demonstrated a useful conveyor life of more than 25 years. In contrast, off-highway trucks have life spans of six to eight years. The following examples illustrate comparative capital costs to purchase conveyor systems and comparable truck haulage units. Example 1 The ore haulage route from point A to point B is level and 610m (2,000 ft) long. The material weighs 1.8 t/m3 (110 lbs per cu ft) and must be transported at a rate of 1.8 kt/h (2,000 stph). The installed capital costs to provide a properly designed conveyor that will transport the described material from point A to B is about $450,000. The capital cost to purchase three 77-t (85-st) off-highway trucks and one spare truck - which would provide equivalent capacity - would be about $1.2 million. The truck cost estimate is based on a 6 min. or 771 kt/h (850 stph) truck cycle time. Truck efficiency is estimated at 0.8. Each 77-t (85-st) truck would have an actual haulage rate of 617 kt/h (680 stph). Therefore, three trucks would be necessary to transport the designated tonnage of 1.8 kt/h (2,000 stph). A movable crushing plant would be located at point A for the conveyors and a permanent crushing plant at point B for the truck haulage system. Capital costs for these primary crushing plants were not included in the calculations for either system because the capital costs are frequently comparable. Example 2 The transport route from point A to point B is 610 m (2,000 ft) horizontally and 122 m (400 ft) vertically - on a 20% grade (Fig. 1). The material weighs 1.8 t/m3 (110 lbs per cu ft) and must be moved at a rate of 1.8 kt/h (2,000 stph).
Jan 6, 1983
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Subsidence Control by BackfillingBy Alice S. Allen, James Paone
SURFACE SUBSIDENCE IN MINING The consequences of subsidence are becoming progressively more serious as the consumption of an ever- increasing quantity of minerals conflicts with the needs of an expanding population for surface land area. The inevitable result will be an increase in the amount of land area on which undermining is restricted because surface subsidence must be prevented. Designation of land areas that may be undermined, provided that subsidence is controlled and kept within specified limits, also will increase. The decisions as to which land is to be used for urban, agricultural, or other purposes clearly involve considerations that go far beyond the scope of mining technology. Under the authority assigned to the US Bureau of Mines (USBM) by the Organic Act (May 16, 1910) and its succeeding amendments and pursuant regulations (30 U.S.C. 1-1 1 ), the Bureau conducts scientific and technologic investigations concerning mining and its related problems. Subsidence-control demonstrations that have been conducted under this authority include projects in Wyoming, West Virginia, Illinois, and the Pennsylvania anthracite region. The problenls for technology arc to devise methods for extracting minerals with controlled subsidence in varying geologic settings and for calculating or predicting the amount, extent, and characteristics of the subsidence that accompanies the extraction of our principal minerals mined by high-tonnage methods so that logical choices can be made from the possible alternative approaches. Where underground minerals and fuels are mined and removed, the voids that are created underground generate strong imbalanced stresses in the surrounding and overlying rock strata. The resulting readjustments in the rock masses may cause subsidence of the ground surface. Subsidence implies vertical collapse, because the most conspicuous component of movement is downward. However, the downward component is accompanied by differential horizontal strains that may be more damaging to man-made surface structure.; than the more apparent vertical displacements. SUBSIDENCE CONTROL The most widespread method of alleviating potential subsidence problems in undermined areas has been to backfill mine voids with mine refuse or some other in- expensive material that provides lateral support to the remaining mine pillars and vertical support to the mine roof and overburden. Most USBM backfilling work has been conducted jointly with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources in the anthracite region of northeastern Pennsylvania. These joint projects were conducted under the authority of the Anthracite Mine Drainage Control Act of July 15, 1955 (Public Law 84-162, as amended), and the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-4. as amended). In addition to the Appalachian and mine-drainage projects, the Bureau has either conducted or participated in demonstration projects to develop the "pumped- slurry" method of backfilling mine voids. Three of these projects were conducted in Rock Springs, WY. The first was a field test of the pumped-slurry technique, conducted in 1970 under the combined participation of the City of Rock Springs, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Dowell Div. of the Dow Chemical Co., and USBM (Candeub, Fleissig, 1971). The objective was to demonstrate that a large quantity of sand could be hydraulically injected under pressure through a single borehole, and that filling of the mine voids would be essentially complete. In the earlier "blind-flushing" methods, involving sluicing material through boreholes by gravity, quantities per injection hole ranged from 15 to 765 m3 (20 to 1000 cu yd), and the mine voids were only partially filled. In the first test of the pumped-slurry method, approximately 14 900 m (19,500 cu yd) of sand were injected success- fully through a single borehole. Subsequent information obtained through 43 monitoring boreholes indicated that mine voids below 11 330 m2 (2.8 acres) had been filled. As a result of the successful initial test of the pumped-slurry process, USBM conducted additional backfilling demonstration projects using the new technique. The first full-scale demonstration was carried out in the Green Ridge section of Scranton, PA, between 1972 and 1974. This project proved the feasibility of using the new hydraulic-injection technique to back- fill dry mine voids, as well as flooded voids, and it demonstrated that crushed anthracite refuse could be used as easily as sand in the process. Stabilization was pro- vided for about 202 300 m2 (50 acres) of Scranton, having a population of approximately 1000. Additional demonstration projects at Rock Springs, WY, between 1973 and 1975, resulted in the stabilization of about 364 200 m2 (90 acres). The work was necessary to preserve the physical and economic well- being of the city, because there have been numerous occurrences of subsidence during recent years. A demonstration project completed in 1976 in Rock Springs brought the total stabilized area in that city to 647 500 m2 (160 acres). At a cost of about $3,000,000, a population estimated at 7000 persons and property values exceeding $18,000,000 were protected. Presently. USBM is participating in subsidence- control projects involving backfilling in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and West Virginia. Eleven demonstration projects were in progress by USBM in 1977-eight in the Pennsylvania anthracite region and three in bituminous areas of West Virginia (one) and Illinois (two). The estimated total property value is over $100,500,000, and the total cost of the projects is expected to be nearly $20,000,000. The demonstration projects are designed to adapt the pumped-slurry technique to a variety of subsurface conditions, to increase efficiency, and to reduce costs.
Jan 1, 1982
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Radiation Exposure Assessment Following The 1978 Church Rock Uranium Mill Tailings SpillBy Kathleen Kreiss, A. James Ruttenber
INTRODUCTION Early in the morning of July 16, 1979, there was a breach in the earthen retaining dam of a tailings pond at the United Nuclear Corporation's (UNC's) Church Rock uranium mill. The acidified liquid and tailings slurry spilled through the damaged portion of the retaining wall into an arroyo that is a tributary to the Rio Puerco river system. The Rio Puerco runs through Gallup, New Mexico, and eventually crosses the New Mexico-Arizona border (Fig. 1). On its way to Gallup, the Rio Puerco and its tributaries pass through land with a checkerboard pattern of ownership, with portions owned or leased by the Navajos, individuals, the Bureau of Land Management, and the State. In terms of tailings liquid volume (3.6 x 108L; 94 million gal), the UNC spill ranks as one of the largest. The mass of solids released in the slurry (10.0 x 105 kg; 1 100 tons) appears to be close to the median for accidents of this kind, however [U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), 1979]. The UNC first opened its Church Rock uranium mill in 1977 on land adjacent to acreage belonging to the Navajo tribe. The mill, which is next to the UNC Church Rock mine, is located approximately 16 km (10 miles) northeast of Gallup, New Mexico (Fig. 1). Gallup, a town of 18 000 people, is the closest population center. The region surrounding the plant site is sparsely populated by Navajos, at a density of approximately 5.8 persons/km2 (15 persons/sq mile). The UNC mill and mines employ approximately 650 persons, and the adjacent Kerr-McGee uranium mine employs about 300. The UNC mill normally processes 3.2 x 106kg/day (3 500 tons/day) of uranium ore, depositing the acidified tailings slurry in a series of three earthen holding ponds. The tailings ponds are located east of the pipeline arroyo that feeds into the Rio Puerco approximately 2.4 km (1.5 miles) from the southernmost tailings dam. The liquid portion of the tailings slurry evaporates in the ponds; hence, under normal conditions, there is no surface flow from the holding ponds to the arroyo. Both runoff from the plant site after heavy rains and possible seepage from the tailings ponds may deliver radionuclides to the arroyo-river system, however. The dam across the southernmost tailings pond was considered to be in keeping with the state of the art. However, the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Division (NMEID) had warned UNC about dangers of locating the pond over a heterogeneous geological formation. The state Engineer's Office approved of the site only after UNC agreed to strict design criteria. Others have pointed to dangers of constructing earthen dams for impoundment of uranium mill tailings (Carter, 1978). Causes of the dam break were multiple: the UNC mill filled the tailings pond to a level that exceeded permit criteria; the tailings pond was lined improperly; the dam was constructed using clay that was compacted excessively, resulting in cracking and subsequent seepage; and the unstable substrate beneath the dam permitted differential settling. The UNC Church Rock mine has continuously released dewatering effluent into the pipeline arroyo at a rate of 88.3 L/sec (1 400 gal/min) since 1968. Before 1975 this effluent was not treated; after 1975 it received precipitation treatment for removal of Ra-226. Radionuclides are also released into the river system through the dewatering of the Kerr-McGee uranium mine 1.6 km (1.0 mile) north of the UNC mill. During usual mining operations, approximately 227 L/sec (3 600 gal/min) are released into the pipeline arroyo and subsequently into the Rio Puerco. The Kerr-McGee mine began continuous release of dewatering effluent in January 1972. In 1974 Kerr-McGee began Ra-226 precipitation treatment of its dewatering releases, but NMEID data indicate that treatment has often been incomplete. The effluent from both mines has been responsible for transforming the downstream portion of the Rio Puerco from a sporadically dry riverbed into a continuously flowing stream and has contributed to the current levels of background radiation along the river system (Table 1). This paper will summarize the postspill monitoring efforts and relate the assessment of this spill to the general question of evaluating the health effects of nuclear fuel-cycle wastes. The data pertaining to the measurement of radionuclides in the Church Rock environment and the radionuclide concentrations in animals will appear in forthcoming reports. CHURCH ROCK HEALTH EFFECTS ASSESSMENT APPROACH The initial health effects evaluation involved identifying the radionuclides that were released into the river system from the tailings pond. Table 1 lists the State of New Mexico maximum permissible radionuclide concentrations for liquids released to unrestricted areas, the typical tailings liquid concentrations, and postspill river water concentrations. The tailings liquid contained comparatively high levels of Th-230, Ra-226, Pb-210, and Po-210--all of which, according to postspill river water samples, had exceeded the state maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) at one time or another. After the radionuclides in the tailings were identified, pathways through which humans could be exposed were clarified. Environmental monitoring data were then used to quantify the important pathways of human exposure. Water samples were collected from the river, from test wells dug near
Jan 1, 1981
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Measurement Of Radiation Parameters In Open-Cut Mining SituationsBy V. A. Leach, Lokan. K. H., S. B. Solomon, R. S. O’Brien, L. J. Martin, K. N. Wise
INTRODUCTION The development during 1979 of a relatively small, but high grade (10,000 tonnes uranium at an average grade of 2 per cent), uranium ore body at Nabarlek in the Northern Territory, Australia offered an excellent opportunity to obtain detailed radiation data for an open cut mine operating during the dry season. The ore body (Queensland Mines Limited-1979), which was completely extracted in a period of four and a half months, consisted of a vein type deposit dipping at 30 to 45 degrees and contained a central core of pitchblende in massive and irregular pods, surrounded by lower grade fine grained disseminated pitchblende. Mineralisation extended from the surface to a depth of 72 metres over a length of 230 metres with an average but variable thickness of 1D metres. Ore near the surface had been heavily weathered and complex secondary minerals were formed which had dispersed from the main vein. Mining was carried out with large earth moving equipment. Overburden and weathered surface ore were removed initially with scrapers. At greater depths bulldozers were used to rip and assemble ore and rock at each level, and these were removed by large trucks to the ore and waste rock stockpiles. Where necessary, blasting took place during shift changes each evening. Mining was essentially continuous with two ten hour alternating shifts working for thirteen days out of fourteen. At the completion of mining a relatively small excavation (335m x 185m x 70m) remained, and this will serve as a tailings repository during the milling phase. FIELD MEASUREMENTS The inhalation of radon daughters, arising from the radioactive decay of radon gas is well established (Archer et. al. 1973) as a potential hazard in the uranium mining industry. Control over radon and its daughters to ensure that recommended exposure limits are not exceeded is achieved by providing adequate ventilation, and under normal circumstances natural ventilation from an open pit should be sufficient. However, during the dry season it is not uncommon for stable atmospheric conditions, with little horizontal air movement, to develop - particularly at night - and significant radon daughter concentrations may accumulate. Throughout the entire mining period measurements were therefore made of radon and radon daughter levels at representative locations within the pit and on the ore stockpile as it developed. Initially these measurements were carried out manually, using the Rolle method for radon daughters, (Rolle 1972) and .scintillation cells (Lucas 1964) or a two filter tube for the determination of radon (Thomas 1970). For the latter half of the period however, a continuous recording instrument, developed within the Laboratory was used to provide a detailed record of radon daughter levels within the pit. At the same time, continuous readings of wind speed and direction, and vertical temperature gradient between 10 and 3D metres were recorded on a 30 metre meteorological tower, situated 800 metres from the pit. Radon Emanation Rates It is evident that radon and radon daughter concentrations depend on the grade, or more particularly, on the surface radon emanation rate of the ore which is exposed. Accordingly, as the mine progressed, detailed measurements were made of both of these quantities. The surface emanation rate of radon was determined for each ore bench as it was exposed by placing an extended array of canisters, filled with freshly degassed activated charcoal, face down on the ore for a known time. These canisters, which had previously been calibrated in the Laboratory, adsorb radon with high efficiency, and the total radon adsorbed is measured after retrieval by detecting the gamma rays from the trapped radon daughters (Countess 1977). At the same time, as each canister was placed in position, a measurement of the local ore grade was made for each location. This was achieved with a calibrated sodium iodide scintillation detector, adjusted to detect the 609 keV gamma ray from the isotope 2148i, a decay product of radium. Finally, measurements were made of the radiation field 1 metre above the surface, with a gamma ray survey meter, which was calibrated in the Laboratory. The relationship between the scintillator count rate and ore grade was determined by comparing the scintillator output with the gamma monitor, and relating the latter measurements to ore grade (Thomson and Wilson 1980). It was observed that while emanation rates and ore grades varied widely, the ratio of emanation rate to ore grade was in general fairly stable. A plot of this ratio is presented as a function of depth below the original surface in Figure 1. For most observations the ratio is constant at a value of 80 Bq m-2 s -1 per unit ore grade, where ore grade is expressed as percentage of U308. At the surface however, where the ore was weathered, the ratio was about a factor of three higher, and at two particular depths, where high grade pitchblende was being removed, it was very much lower. This was not unexpected as earlier Laboratory studies of drill core samples from Nabarlek had indicated that the emanation coefficient (the fraction of radon produced within the ore which escapes from the mineral particles) decreases with increasing ore grade.
Jan 1, 1981
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Microcomputer-Assisted Real Time Data Acquisition For A Uranium Mine Ventilation ExperimentBy J. E. Oberholtzer, M. G. Fernald
INTRODUCTION Approximately six years ago the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) developed a data acquisition system (DAS) specifically designed for measuring radon levels and other environmental parameters during studies of means to control radiation hazards in underground uranium mines. The DAS system records data in machine readable form using a paper tape punch, which represented the state-of-the-art at that time for a moderate cost output device. However, the use of paper tape as a recording medium for field studies is somewhat unwieldy. Reducing the raw data required either that the tape be shipped to a computer center equipped with a high-speed paper tape reader or that the tape be transmitted at low speed over the telephone lines to a remote computer. Transmitting, at ten characters per second, the data from a 10-channel DAS taking Four readings per hour would require about 30 minutes For each 24-hour day's data. Telephone lines from remote mine sites are often of marginal quality and data errors can be introduced during transmission. Paper tape punches are also prone to occasional punching errors. Both problems make it necessary to carefully check for and correct data errors, a process which is possible because each DAS produces an independent printed data record, but the error checking and correction process can be quite laborious. Aware of recent advances in microcomputer technology which have brought the price of a personal computer down to about the cost of a paper tape punch 5-10 years ago, the Bureau decided to explore the feasibility of using a low-cost personal computer in the field to process DAS data in real time. On behalf of the Bureau, Arthur D. Little, Inc., developed a simple interface circuit which permits an Apple II computer to accept data from one or two DAS units as it is being transmitted to the paper tape punches. Computer software converts each measurement to appropriate engineering units, e.g., radon concentration, Working Levels, air velocity, temperature, or barometric pressure. The computer also calculates 1-hour and 8-hour running averages of all converted data and prints those results as soon as they are obtained on a line printer located at the test site for immediate inspection. After development, the system was used continuously and successfully for a 5-month period at a Utah uranium mine. DAS DESIGN AND MODIFICATION Each of the two USBM data acquisition systems used in this work consists of two separate modules. A multiplexer module located below ground near the measurement transducers acquires signals from each of nine tranducers. Six input channels were devoted to measurements of radon or Working Level. The outputs of those transducers, photomultiplier tubes or G-M tubes, respectively, are digital pulse trains which are accepted directly by the mutliplexer. Three channels were used for environmental parameters--air velocity, temperature, and/or barometric pressure. Each of the environmental tranducers is fitted with dedicated linearizing and voltage-to-frequency conversion circuitry so that the outputs to the multiplexer are also pulse trains having frequencies of one tenth of the value of the measured parameter expressed in the appropriate engineering units. A 100-Hz reference signal was input into the tenth channel for use in monitoring system integrity and performance. All ten pulse trains are then timeseries multiplexed into a signal line for transmission to the above-ground data acquisition module. Above ground, the composite signal is de-multiplexed into ten separate lines, each of which is connected to a digital counter which converts the pulse train to a numerical value. The acquisition of each set of readings is initiated by an adjustable "scan cycle comparator" timer. The acquisition process proceeds in three phases. First, radon and Working Level channels are counted for an extended period of time, typically 5-10 minutes depending on activity, because of the low pulse rates involved. Then the other four channels are counted for ten seconds, and finally, all ten readings, along with the Julian day and time of day are output serially onto paper tape and printed on a strip printer. When the scan cycle comparator reaches its preset time (15-minute cycle times were used in this work), it resets itself, initiates another readout cycle, and begins timing again. The only modification made to the data acquisition systems used in this work was to disconnect the scan cycle comparator in one unit, which became the "slave" and bring in the scan cycle comparator signal from the other unit, the "master", to initiate data acquisition cycles in the slave. Synchronizing the two data acquisitions in this fashion and using two slightly different radon counting times insured that the two systems never attempted to output data to the Apple II at the same time. THE APPLE II COMPUTER The Apple II computer used in this work was equipped with 48 KBytes of semiconductor random access memory (RAM), two floppy diskette drives, a Centronics Model 730 impact matrix printer and a modulator for driving an ordinary color television as a video display device. A single California Computer Systems Model 7720A dual 8-bit bidirectional parallel input/output (I/O) card was installed in the Apple to accept the digital data from both data acquisition systems. This card is
Jan 1, 1981
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Cut-and-Fill at the Bruce MineBy Keith E. Dyas, John Nelson, Ronald T. Johnson
GENERAL DESCRIPTION The Bruce mine of Cyprus Mines Corp. is located in Bagdad, AZ. The mining method used is open cut-and-fill. Of the annual production of 81 647 t (90,000 st), approximately 83% is taken from load-haul-dump (LHD) stopes and the balance from slusher stopes. All ore is produced from the area between the 1250 level and the 2300 level. The average travel time from the shaft pocket to the stope is approximately 5 min. GENERAL ORE BODY REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS Size, Shape, and Dip The Bruce ore body occurs in quartz-sericite schist with Dick rhyolite on the footwall and andesite on the hanging wall. Diabase dikes are found in the hanging wall; there is also a dike coming off the footwall and crosscutting the ore body. All of the rock types are of the Precambrian Yavapai series and have been subjected to regional metamorphism. A composite of the ore body is given in Fig. 1. The deposit is of massive sulfides occurring as a steeply dipping replacement body. On the upper levels the ore is veinlike with widths from 0.6 to 4.6 m (2 to 15 ft), dipping at 1.4 to 1.5 rad (80° to 85°). On the lower levels the ore is dipping from I to 1.2 rad (60° to 70°) with widths from 3 to 16.8 m (10 to 55 ft). The strike length varies between 107 to 183 m (350 to 600 ft). The rhyolite footwall generally has a knife-edge contact with the massive sulfides. The exceptions to this are the upper levels where there is a 1.5 to 3 m (5 to 10 ft) band of silicified sericite schist between the sulfides and the rhyolite. In the southern part of the ore body the hanging wall is tuffaceous andesite and andesite. In this area the contact is generally sharp and easy to follow. However, to the north there is a large chlorite schist zone that crosscuts the bedding and comes in contact with the massive sulfides. This is apparently due to hydrothermal alteration of the andesite. The chlorite schist is highly mineralized with chalcopyrite and pyrite and quite often forms economic pockets of ore. In the massive sulfides the chief ore minerals are sphalerite and chalcopyrite. Pyrite is the predominant sulfide with considerable pyrrhotite throughout. Bright arsenopyrite ouhedrons in fine grain massive sulfides are quite common. Occasionally small amounts of galena are seen, usually near the foot or hanging wall contacts. On rare occasions tennanite is associated with massive arsenopyrite. Minor amounts of quartz, calcite, and un¬replaced remnants of sericite schist occur, but essentially pyrite is the gangue in which the ore minerals occur. The ore values are in excess of 3.5% copper and 12.5% zinc with some silver and rare gold as byproducts. Ground Conditions The massive sulfides are generally self-supporting. One exception is in the 1850 stope where the ore body is 9 to 11 m (30 to 55 ft) wide and 152 m (500 ft) long. There are flat to shallow dipping slips and seams in the ore, creating extremely blocky ground. For support, old 25.4-mm (1-in.) hoist ropes were installed tensioned to 27 t (30 st), and then cement grouted over the entire length in longholes [14 to 15 in (40 to 50 ft) in length) drilled on 3-m (10-ft) centers from the level above. This has tied the formation together very successfully and virtually eliminated the blocky ground condition. Both the hanging wall and footwall are quite shaley in some areas. Reasons for Adopting Trackless Open Cut-and-Fill Methods First, any method other than open cut-and-fill would have caused too much dilution. The use of rubber-tired mining equipment in the pro¬duction stopes requires a footwall ramp. The inclines in ore will be mined out, so this ramp in the footwall will provide access to and from the stopes (Fig. 2). This incline is very expensive, but necessary to convert existing stopes to LHD mining. 'The final cost of ore mined by the LHD machines has not been determined. As of 1972, tons per manshift in the 2150 stope-the only one to complete a full cut-had increased from 7.58 t (8.36 st) to 12.83 t (14.14
Jan 1, 1982
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Potential Health And Environmental Hazards Of Wastes At Active Surface And Underground Uranium MinesBy J. M. Smith, T. R. Horton, R. L. Blanchard, T. W. Fowler
INTRODUCTION Uranium mining operations release radioactive materials into both air and water and generate large quantities of solid wastes containing low levels of radioactive materials. Solid wastes produced by mining operations remain on the surface at many inactive mining sites in the Western United States. These mining effluents may present a potential health and environmental hazard. Therefore, Congress, in Section 114(c) of the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978, instructed the Administrator of EPA to prepare a report identifying the location and potential health, safety, and environmental hazards of uranium mine wastes and to recommend a program to eliminate these hazards. Several facts and limitations helped shape the method and approach of the EPA study. Little information on uranium mines was available; measurement information that was available on uranium mine wastes was frequently influenced (biased) by nearby uranium mills; time and resources did not permit comprehensive field studies to provide additional data; and there are inherent variations between uranium mines and sites that complicate generic assessments of mine wastes. To accommodate these facts, the EPA developed conceptual models of uranium mines and made health and environmental projections from them. The models were based upon available data from the literature, supplemented with information from discussions with persons inside and outside the EPA, and by doing several short-term field studies in Texas, New Mexico, and Wyoming. When necessary, conservative (maximizing) assumptions were employed. This paper presents a brief account of a part of the EPA study dealing with the potential health and environmental effects caused by active surface and underground uranium mines. Airborne contaminants are emphasized, although solid and liquid effluents are also included. Due to the limited space, only the methods and parameters used and the results of the assessments will be presented here. Anyone interested in the source of the data used and the development of the parameters should refer to the EPA report (Blanchard et al., 1981). The occurrence and emissions of stable elements were included in the EPA report, however, due to space limitations and their apparent small impact, except for possibly at some specific mines, only radioactive sources will be included in this presentation. MODEL URANIUM MINES The model surface mine was located in the South Powder River Basin of Wyoming and the model underground mine was located in the Ambrosia Lake area of New Mexico. These are the prevalent type mines in those areas. The model mines were based on the average production parameters of the 63 open pit mines and the 256 underground mines that were operating in the United States in 1978 (Department of Energy, 1979) and on a report of an extensive study of open pit mines in Wyoming (Nielson et al., 1979). Information contained in environmental impact statements and in reports from federal and state agencies was also used. Parameters for the model mines are listed in Table 1. The surface mining scenario is that 7 pits are opened in the 17-year mine life with overburden from each successively mined pit used to backfill a previously completed pit, resulting in an equivalent of one pit of overburden (2.4 year production) stored on the surface. No backfilling is assumed at the underground mine. Overburden or waste rock, ore, and sub-ore are separated into separate piles that are either rectangular in shape with length twice the width or in the shape of a frustum of a regular cone. Both shapes have 45 degree sloping sides. To account for bulking, the volume of the material comprising the piles was considered to be 25% greater than the volume of material removed from the ground. It was assumed that dewatering was required at both mine sites. Wastewater discharge rates at the surface and underground mines were assumed to be 3.0 and 2.0 cu m per min, respectively. SOURCE TERMS The following radioactive contaminants at active uranium mines were assessed in the EPA report: 1. Radioactive particulates in a) wind suspended dust from waste rock (overburden) pile, sub-ore pile, ore stockpile, b) suspended dust from mining activities (rock breakage, loading and unloading ore and wastes), and c) vehicular dust, 2. Rn-222 emanation from waste rock (overburden) pile, sub-ore pile, ore stockpile, and mining activities, 3. Rn-222 emanation from mine surface areas, and 4. Radionuclides in wastewater discharged to land surface. Estimated average annual dust emissions (item 1 above) from the model mines are listed in Table 2. Emission factors and the assumptions used to estimate these dust emissions are described in detail in the EPA report. Radioactive source terms were computed for each of the sources; dust emissions were multiplied by the concentrations listed in Table 1
Jan 1, 1981
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Sublevel Caving at Craigmont Mines Ltd.By R. A. Basse, W. D. Diment, A. J. Petrina
INTRODUCTION In 1957, diamond drilling on a magnetic anomaly indicated an extensive zone of copper mineralization on what is now the Craigmont Mines property. By mid¬1958, drilling established a copper ore body. Milling commenced in September 1961 at 4536 t/d (5000 stpd) and by the end of October 1977 the mine had produced 339 662.04 t (374,363.9 st) of copper. At present, two-thirds of the mill feed is derived from underground operations and one-third from low-grade surface stockpiles. Craigmont Mines is situated 209 km (130 air miles) northeast of Vancouver (see Fig. 1), 16 km (10 miles) west of the town of Merritt, a logging, ranching, and mining community of about 7000 people. It is serviced by paved highways, Canadian Pacific Railway, British Columbia Hydro, and Inland Natural Gas Co. Water is pumped from the Nicola River, a distance of 6 km (4 miles) and a lift of 244 m (800 ft). In March 1967, the open pit mining operations at Craigmont Mines reached their economic limit and were suspended. Before this, it had been decided that a sub¬level caving method of underground mining would be used to supply ore to the concentrator after the cessation of open pit production. This chapter describes the fac¬tors influencing the choice of mining method, some of the problems encountered, mining practices, and results. GEOLOGY The ore bodies of upper Triassic age are located in a limy horizon striking east-west, closely paralleling the intrusive Guichon batholith, bounded on the south by rhyolites and on the north by graywackes, and dipping steeply to the south (Figs. 2a, b). The ore bodies are relatively narrow with a maxi¬mum width of 79 m (260 ft), a combined strike length of 853 m (2800 ft), and a vertical extent of 610 m (2000 ft). Chalcopyrite is virtually the only copper mineral, and 20% of the ore zone consists of acid solu¬ble magnetite and hematite. The area has been subjected to considerable faulting and brecciation, which is a major factor in the mining operation. Total geological reserves, at 0.7% Cu cutoff, for the deposit were 22 316 743 t (24,600,000 st) at 1.89% Cu. An additional 5 236 270 t (5,772,000 st) at 0.6% Cu were mined from the open pit. Ground Conditions The waste rocks-graywacke, andesites, and diorite -are relatively incompetent due to the high degree of fracturing and jointing, and all require varying degrees of support. The ore zones are somewhat less fractured; ground support is still required, however, although to a lesser extent than in the country rock. Ground conditions in the main ore body are better than in the smaller, nar¬rower ore bodies. Clayey fault gouge is present in most of the faults; gouge zones may be up to 6 or 9 m (20 or 30 ft) wide. The main ground problems are associated with local weakness rather than pressure. Shape of Ore Bodies (Figs. 2a, b and 3a, b) The main No. 1 ore body is approximately 244 m (800 ft) long and 46 m (150 ft) wide. It extends ver¬tically from the original top of the open pit at 4200 ele¬vation to just below the 3060 level. The No. 2 ore body is approximately 304 m (1000 ft) long, varies from stringer width at the extremities up to 79 m (260 ft) wide, and extends from 3060 level to 2400 level. Both these ore bodies have extensions re¬sulting in additional small irregular bodies. Ore bodies are mostly steep dipping, though part of the Wing ore body, an extension of No. 2 ore body, dips at 0.87 rad (50'). This ore body varies in size, but is approximately 122 m (400 ft) long, 21 m (70 ft) wide, and about 213 m (700 ft) high. No. 1 Limb ore body is a narrow extension of the No. I Main with a vertical extent of 137 m (450 ft), average width of 18 ft (60 ft), a strike length of 152 m (500 ft), and dips steeply at 1.4 rad (80°). No. 1 East is an eastern extension of the No. 1 Main with a vertical extent of 183 m (600 ft), a strike length of 91 m (300 ft), an average width of 30 m (100 ft), and dips at 1.2 to 1.4 rad (70 to 80°). No. 1 South is at the upper west end of the open pit with a vertical extent of 76 m (250 ft), a strike length
Jan 1, 1982
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Undercut-and-Fill Mining at Falconbridge Mine of Falconbridge Nickel Mines Md.By S. A. Tims
INTRODUCTION The Falconbridge mine ore body extends about 1.6 km (1 mile) in length and the deepest developed ore is on the 6050 level below surface. The ore zone varies in width from a few inches to over 30 m (100 ft) and the average width is 4.9 m (16 ft). Access levels are driven in the ore at 53.3-m (175-ft) intervals. The principal method of mining is overhand longitudinal cut-¬and-fill. Prior to 1962 timber square-set stoping as a secondary extraction method was used for about 15% of the total production. Undercut-and-fill was intro¬duced at Falconbridge in 1962 as a potential replace¬ment for the square-set method in heavy ground. The undercut-and-fill method was developed by Inco in the 1950s, its principal application being to transverse pillar mining. Falconbridge made modifications to this method. A feature of the mine is the No. 1 flat fault which dips 0.79 rad (45°) towards the northeast. The main characteristic of the fault is the presence of large swells of ore directly under the plane of the fault. The ground under the fault area is highly fractured and associated with massive sulfides. In the past, the ore under the fault was recovered, with difficulty, by either tight cut¬and-fill or square-set stoping. In the 1970s these meth¬ods were supplanted to a large degree by the under-cut-¬and-fill method. An advantage of the current undercut-and-fill method which uses cemented fill compared to the cut-and-fill and square-set methods is the reduction of dilution due to better control of the walls. At Falconbridge mine, it is estimated that the grade of ore produced by undercut¬and-fill is improved by approximately 10% over other methods. Where undercut-and-fill is used in very weak ground, a much greater improvement in grade can be expected. Table I shows mining production for 1974. The undercut-and-fill method was first used at Falconbridge during 1962. The first longitudinal stope was prepared for undercutting by laying down laminated beams the length of the stope and installing a lagging mat floor on top of the beams. Unconsolidated tailings fill was poured on top of the mat floor. As the cut ad¬vanced under the floor, heavy posts were placed under the laminated beams at 1.8-m (6-ft) intervals. During 1966, a radical change was made to the method when tailings fill, consolidated with portland cement, replaced the unconsolidated fill. This development eliminated the laminated beams and heavy mat floor and greatly im¬proved the stability of the stope. This system, with minor variations, is currently used at Falconbridge mine. APPLICATION The undercut-and-fill method is used to mine in¬competent ground, sills or floor pillars under mined-out levels, or a block of ore isolated between levels. It is occasionally used to advantage in sequencing produc¬tion from various mining blocks. This is done by mining a block of ore cut-and-fill method and at the same time mining the ore block directly underneath by the under¬cut-and-fill method. The undercut-and-fill mill holes at Falconbridge are either boreholes, stripped timbered raises, or steel mill holes. Boreholes and rock raises tend to slough in heavy and broken ground which increases dilution when sloughing exceeds the ore width outline and also in¬creases the difficulty of moving down to start the new cut. For example, in one installation, a 1.2-m (4-ft) diam borehole sloughed to a size of 3.7 x 5.5 m (12 x 18 ft). The undercut-and-fill method usually requires a mill hole extending from the level below the ore to the top horizon of the ore block. The customary methods of providing a mill hole are: 1) A borehole is driven from level to level through the ore block and a chute installed on the bottom level (Fig. 1). 2) An existing raise is used as a mill hole. If the raise is timbered, a steel mill hole is installed inside the timber and tailings fill poured around the steel mill hole (Fig. 1). 3) An existing steel mill hole, situated at one end of a mined-out stope, is used as the mill hole for an ad¬jacent undercut-and-fill ore block. The mill hole posi¬tion is determined when planning the mining sequence of the first stope (Fig. 2).
Jan 1, 1982
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A Sensitive TL-Detector For Radon Daughter MonitoringBy W. Jacobi, B. Haider, D. Regulla, J. Huber
[Introductory Remarks] Thermoluminescence (TL) detectors are widely used for the dosimetry of X- and[ y]-rays. Also filter devices for radon daughter monitoring have been developed in which the a activity on the filter was measured with TL-detectors (Breslin et al., 1977). For this purpose normal LiF-tablets with a thickness of 0.4 - 1 mm were used. However the lower detection limit of such TLmonitors for radon daughters is relative high, especially in areas with a high [y]-background, due to the low [a /-y]-sensitivity ratio of such thick LiF-detectors. This [a/y]-sensitivity ratio can be increased if TL-detectors are used whose thickness is comparable with the range of [a]-particles. On the basis of this consideration we have developed a simple light weighted and sensitive TL-monitor for the measurement of the cumulative radon daughter exposure in air. [Description of the "Monitor] The monitor consists of two parts: The sampling pump with the accumulator, and the sampling probe which contains the air filter and TL-detector system. Both parts are connected with a plastic tube. For operation in mines a light weight, portable air sampler with a built-in accumulator (DuPont model 125 and 200, 400 g) is used which enables an adjustable, constant flow rate in the range of 7.5 -12 1/h. These air samplers allow a sampling period of 10 hours before recharging is necessary. For radon daughter measurements in houses this pump is replaced by a larger, netoperated pump with a flow rate of 180 1/h. Figure 1 shows a schematic cross section through the sampling probe whose weight is 40 g. The radon daughters are collected on a hydrophob membrane filter (Sartorius) with an effective filter diameter of 11 mm and a pore diameter of 3 µm; its collection efficiency for radon daughters is [>] 95%. Above the filter the detector system is mounted. It consists of two thin Tm-activated CaSO4-TL films of 8 mm diameter on a Al-carrier foil manufactured by Matsushita Inc., Japan. The thickness of the TL-film is 6 mg/cm2, which is comparable with the range of a rays. The first detector is faced in 3.5 mm distance above the filter; in addition to the ambient y background this detector is exposed to the [a] and ß radiation from the radon daughters on the filter. Between the first and the second TL-detector is an Al-absorber of 0.5 mm thickness which shields this detector against the [a] radiation and partly also to the ß radiation from the filter. Both detectors have the same [y] shielding. After air sampling both TL-detectors are read-out with a commercial, hot-air reader (Matsushita Inc. / Japan, Model 505 A). The glow-curves are identical for [a and y] rays (Regulla et al., 1980). The integral TLsignal from both detectors is displayed in mR-units (or mR-equivalent). The difference between the response of the unshielded TL-detector above the filter and the shielded TL-detector is proportional to the time-integral of the filter activity, integrated over the sampling period. Calibration and Intercomparison Measurements] The linearity of the a response was checked with a 241Am-source for an [a] fluence on the detector surface of 5400 [a's/cm2•s] in the range of 102 -105 mR-equivalent. Within the experimental error of 15% the response function is linear. The TLD-monitor was calibrated for radon daughters in air by comparison with a calibrated integrating, monitor (WLM-meter) equipped with a Si-surface barrier detector and a direct electronic read-out; this instrument was developed by us for area monitoring some years ago (Haider et al., 1976). The results of simultaneous measurements with the TL-monitor and the electronic WLM-meter in mine areas and in indoor air of houses are shown in figure 2. On the abscissa the mean potential [a] energy concentration (in WL) during the sampling period is given which was derived from the measurements with the electronic WLM-meter. On the ordinate the corresponding response of the TLDmonitor to radon daughters (difference between both TL-detectors) is displayed, expressed in terms of mRequivalent per liter sampled air. It follows from this comparison a linear relationship over the whole range of 0.005 - 5 WL with a standard deviation of 10%. The resulting calibration factor for the TLD-monitor is 18± 2 mRequiv per WL • 1.
Jan 1, 1981
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Harvesting and Converting Peat to Methanol at First ColonyBy Andrew B. Allen, Charles W. Robinson, Robert L. Schneider
In April, the US Synthetic Fuels Corp. broke a three-year silence and made its first financial award by approving a $820,750 loan for the First Colony peat-to-methanol project in North Carolina (ME, May, page 403). Peat Methanol Associates (PMA), a partnership between Koppers Co., ETCO Methanol Inc., Transco, Peat Methanol Co., and l. B. Sunderland, broke ground at First Colony last year and plans to begin production in Dec. 1985. Although the award is only a small part of Synthetic Fuels Corp.'s $15-billion budget, it does signal the corporation's intention to move aggressively ahead. It also is a positive indication that First Colony will be completed and operated successfully. This article describes the methods and equipment that will be used to harvest peat at First Colony, as well as how the peat will be converted to methanol. Introduction Peat deposits found along North Carolina's coastal plain contain high-quality fuel-grade peat with an average heating value of more than 23.3 MJ/kg (10,000 Btu/lb) (dry), with a low sulfur and ash content. The deposits differ from other US peats in that they contain large, sound Atlantic White Cedar and Cypress logs, stumps, and roots that may extend throughout the full depth of the deposit. A second difference is that these deposits are much more highly decomposed and, in the raw state, have the appearance and feel of a heavy, reddish-brown grease. These factors make it impractical to use standard production equipment so a new line was developed. Also, because of these conditions, techniques were modified to facilitate production. First Colony Farms, located near Creswell, NC, developed and evaluated a milled peat program. Equipment for this production method was designed and built, production rates were established from field operations, drying rates were established, weather data were analyzed, and total operating and capital costs were estimated. The method depends on the sun and wind for drying peat to the desired moisture content, in this case around 40%. Therefore, field preparation is actually the construction of a large solar collector to dry the peat so it can be harvested and stockpiled. It is essential that this collector be properly profiled initially and maintained during production to prevent precipitation from ponding. Initial Field Preparation Initial field preparation includes cleaning existing canals and constructing ditches and water control structures for proper drainage of rainwater run-off, building adequate roads for site access, removing surface vegetation, and profiling and sloping the fields. At First Colony, the 60.7-km2 (15,000-acre) harvesting area was divided into 129.5-hm2 (320-acre) blocks about 1.6 km (1 mile) long and 805 m (0.5 mile) wide. This was accomplished by cleaning main outfall canals with adjacent roads built from canal spoil at 1.6-km (1-mile) intervals. Existing intermediate canals that feed into main outfall canals at 805-m (0.5-mile) intervals also are cleaned. Headland roads are constructed from canal spoil along each side of each intermediate canal. This 129.5-hm2 (320-acre) block is then divided into 32 harvest strips by small V-ditches constructed at 50-m (165-ft) intervals. At the end of the field with the lowest elevation, corrugated steel pipe culverts are installed under the headland road in each V-ditch to control rainwater runoff into intermediate canals. Runoff water from the fields is diverted to a holding pond to prevent any increase in peak water runoff rates and to allow for more uniform drainage rate than experienced to date. After the drainage system is installed, harvest strips are ready for grinding and sloping operations. Surface vegetation, made up of small, waxy-leafed shrubs such as Gallberry, Bayberry, Magnolia, and scattered pond pine, can be effectively ground and incorporated into the upper surface of the peat layer. Here, it will rapidly decompose and have little effect on overall peat quality, thus eliminating the standard practice of pushing the vegetation and upper wood layer into long windrows with bulldozers and hauling this debris from the fields. Incorporating vegetation into the upper surface is known as the initial 102-mm (4-in.) surface vegetation grind and is accomplished by using a modified Bros Rota Mixer. Following this operation, and by using the same unit, a sec¬ond grind with a depth of 200-255 mm (8-10 in.) is made. This reduces the debris to a finer consistency, mixes it with the upper peat layer, and grinds any wood found in the upper 200-255 mm (8-10 in.). After initial grinding operations are completed, the augering or sloping operations can be accomplished with little or no hin-
Jan 7, 1983
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Adaptation of Surface Mining Machines to Underground MiningBy W. A. Haley
The use of diesel engines in underground hard-rock mines dates back to the late 1940s. For the first several years, they were used only occasionally, being limited to a few metal mines that experimented with crawler¬mounted front-end loaders, tractor-trailer hauling units, a few tractors for drill-compressor mounts, and utility cleanup machines. By the mid-1950s, track loaders had become commonplace in limestone mines and uranium mines on the Colorado Plateau in the United States, as well as in Canada. Use of crawler-mounted tractors as drill and compressor mounts also increased. By the end of the 1950s, rubber-tired loaders and some haulers began to replace the track-type machines and rail-mounted cars that had been in use. About 1960, the rubber-tired machines brought about a new era of underground mining mobility and flexibility, centered on a method commonly known as "trackless mining." Ultimately, many of the underground rail-type systems for loading and hauling were replaced by the trackless mining technique. ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS The size and nature of mineral deposits, plus ground control techniques, historically had dictated small open¬ings to the surface from many underground mines. The small mine openings led to the development of special rubber-tired loaders and haulers designed specifically for access through the small openings. However, some mines, particularly those in massive mineral deposits, are able to excavate and maintain very large openings, and some use modified room-and-pillar systems. With the large mine openings, the use of larger, more produc¬tive equipment such as that commonly found in surface mining becomes economical. In fact, productivity gen¬erally increases at a more pronounced rate than machine size increases because many of the larger machines were designed for heavy-duty shot-rock applications in surface mines and construction sites where the handling of blasted rock is common. Table 1 can be used as a very Table 1. General Productivity Comparison for Conventional Machines In Underground Use (Shot-Rock Conditions) 2.3 m3 (3 cu yd) 4.6 m3 (6 cu yd) Loader Loader Expected Surface 230 t/h 540 t/h Production (250 stph) (600 stph) Expected Underground 90 t/h 270 t/h Production (100 stph) (300 stph) Expected Total Efficiency: Surface 40%-60% 50%75% Underground 25%.-40% 30%50% Expected Useful Machine 8000 hr 12,000 hr Life Before Replacement general comparison of the production and efficiency between small and large machines. Combining greater productivity often inherent in larger machines, with reduced downtime resulting from using fully developed machines with fast parts and service backup, some mine operators have been able to reduce material handling costs appreciably while reduc¬ing manpower requirements for operators and main¬tenance men. Large mine openings increase the amount of rock that must be handled in the development work, and they sometimes increase the dilution in stopes or rooms, de¬pending upon the dimensions of the ore zone. Providing adequate space for the unrestricted operation of large surface mining machines could, therefore, lead to more waste segregation and handling costs. It could also cause greater ore dilution that would result in a lower grade of ore being delivered to the processing plant. The tradeoffs between opposing cost factors must be reconciled and balanced to achieve the best overall cost of the crude ore, concentrates, or product. EQUIPMENT MODIFICATIONS Loaders and haulers designed for surface mining are seldom used underground in their standard con¬figurations without some modifications. If done, the modifications generally are made by the equipment dealer and/or the user, and the modifications usually include one or more of the following items: 1) The exhaust stack is lowered, and its direction is changed. Usually, it is repositioned horizontally to the rear, or it is fed into the engine fan to diffuse the exhaust gases. 2) The operator's position is lowered by either lowering the seat or changing the seat to a side mount. 3) The operator controls are adjusted to fit the new operator position. 4) Other components, such as the radiator and loader tower, are lowered. 5) Special bumper guards are mounted at the base of the radiator area. 6) An exhaust conditioner is mounted and con¬nected, using either a catalytic or a water-type condi¬tioner, or both. This usually is controlled by the safety and health regulatory authority having jurisdiction. 7) The positions of other components are rearranged
Jan 1, 1982