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By Ferdinand Roehlich

An evaluation of the use of manually activated, installed,. dry chemical fire protection systems on underground metal and nonmetal mine vehicles is described. In addition, an assessment of the possible health risks posed by the dry chemical extinguishing agents used in such systems is provided. Work involved installation of fire protection hardware on an operating piece of underground metal/nonmetal mine equipment and, via actual fire tests, a determination of the effectiveness of the hardware in extinguishing on-vehicle fires. Two fire protection systems were installed on a Caterpillar 988 front-end loader in St. Joe Mineral's Fletcher mine, near Viburnum, Mo. Both a fully pressurized Safety First CM-20 and a nonpressurized cartridge actuated Ansul A-101 were installed for comparative purposes. Both systems operated satisfactorily during an 8-month endurance trial period which preceded the actual fire tests. Each system was able to extinguish an 18" x 4" class B test fire placed in the engine area of the machine. The health hazards analysis of dry chemical powder consisted of a detailed search of published literature relating to these multipurpose agents. This data was verified via a controlled laboratory analysis of two monoammonium phosphate based powders (Safety First Unikem and Ansul Forey) and an analysis of air samples collected at various locations on the test vehicle during the fire tests. Although the powder was found to be nontoxic, two potentially dangerous thermal decomposition products were identified--ammonia and phosphoric acid. However, later analysis indicated that an operator would not be exposed to dangerous concentrations of either compound if he were to remain outside of the powder cloud. A "Selection and Use Manual for Manually Activated, Fixed Fire Suppression Systems on Underground Metal and Nonmetal Mining Equipment" was prepared both as an, appendix to the report and for distribution under separate cover.

Jan 1, 1977

By John B. Gayle

The Bureau of Mines has designed and constructed an experimental coke oven, using a commercial oven as a model where practicable. Because the rate of carbonization is important in determining the quality of the coke produced and may affect the "mount of pressure developed during carbonization, particular attention was given to those elements of the design that govern the heat transfer to the charge. The new oven deviates in design from most existing test ovens in that the charge is full width (17 inches), the heating walls ore constructed of 4-1/2-inch silica brick, and zoned, heat-input arrangements compensate for heat losses at the ends, top, and bottom of the charge. This report describes the oven, which was designed by H. S. Auvil and installed under his direction, at the Southern Experiment Station, Tuscaloosa, Ala., while he was supervising, engineer, Coke Section. It gives the results of a limited number of carbonizing tests. These results indicate that the main objective in designing and building this oven, that off duplicating commerical, slot-oven carbonizing conditions, has been accomplished; if coke-discharge conditions simulate commercial-oven conditions, the cokes from the experimental oven arc very similar to oven coke, in soma tests being fully as close is duplicate tests from a Angle batch of coke.

Jan 1, 1952

By G. W. Grove, E. E. Quenon

"INTRODUCTION During September, October, and November 1946 the Safety Division of the Bureau of Mines, off' the United States Department of the Interior, Pittsburgh, Pa., tested four new types of self-contained breathing apparatus and approved them in accordance with Schedule 13C. Approval was granted with the proviso that certain specifications outlined on the approval plate be made fully effective, and with the understanding that established safe practices in training in the care and use of self-contained breathing apparatus are of major importance.The excellent records made during the past 30 years in the safe use of self-contained breathing apparatus, some of which required the almost continuous wearing of apparatus during several hours daily for days, weeks, or months, may be attributed largely to the Bureau's system of rescue organizations, selection of physically fit rescue workers, effective training, and educational work done in rescue and recovery operations during fires or following disasters and in the care and use of self-contained breathing apparatus. Loss of life during wearing of breathing apparatus was due almost invariably to poorly assembled or otherwise defective apparatus, poor physical condition of the wearer, or insufficient training or some incorrect procedure.The newly developed breathing apparatus are of much simpler design than the conventional type used for the past several years; however, it is just as important to select rescue crews carefully and to train them properly in the care, use, and limitations of the new types of apparatus as for the older long-established types, if anything like safety is to be achieved in using them. The Bureau of Mines considers that 1/2-hour and 3/4-hour self-contained breathing apparatus should be used only as auxiliary equipment in mine rescue and recovery work, and their capabilities and limitations should be well understood by those who wear them."

Jul 1, 1947

By William J. Douglas

This document describes the development of a conventional mining equipment data base, and an approach for conducting industrial engineering studies of arbitrary mining systems employing network techniques. Data was acquired through underground time studies. Each member of a four-man field team was assigned to a specific machine during each shift for which observations were conducted. Using digital wrist watches and networks describing the man-machine interactions, all events occurring luring the course of each shift were recorded on cassette tapes. The tapes were transcribed, coded, keypunched, and validated using computerized editing techniques. The resulting data files were processed to provide statistics relating to activity durations and event frequencies. The results were used to evaluate operator, machine, and system performance for each section which was observed. Equipment, reliability, and maintainability analyses were conducted using the industrial engineering data files in conjunction with historical information collected at the mine site.

Jan 1, 1976

By R. R. Brandenthaler

The development of the Seminole area into one of the major oil-producing sections of the country has been accompanied by many innovations and departures from former methods of development. On July 1, 1929, two years and nine months from the date of discovery, 20,490 acres were considered proved, and additional acreage is constantly being developed. Because of its peculiar conditions, extent, and rapid rate of development, the Seminole area provided numerous problems, the solution of which necessitated research in connection with practical field operation; as a result, there was a radical departure from methods usually employed in the development of a new field in the Mid-Continent area.

Jan 1, 1930

By Arne Landsberg

The Bureau of Mines measured the vapor pressure of FeC12 , FeBr2, FeI2, Sb, Bi, Cd, Mg, Pb, FeC13 , and VCl2 using the Knudsen-and torsion-effusion methods, and on FeC13 -NaC1 mixtures, Au2Cl6, and MgNi2 using only the Knudsen method. Apparent vapor pressures calculated from the experimental data vary with orifice size and method of determination. Reaction with residual oxygen in the instruments was noted to have an effect on the iron halide data. Vapor pressure curves plotted as log P versus 1/T (where P is pressure and T is absolute temperature) for one substance using several orifice sizes tended to converge at a single point when extrapolated beyond the experimental region. All of the data, except those of VC12, agree with previously published results. The importance of comparing effusion measurements with those obtained by other methods and the variations encountered with various orifice sizes are discussed.

Jan 1, 1977

By Thomas P. Mucho, Dennis R. Dolinar, Anthony T. Iannacchione

The Chestnut Ridge Anticline is a prominent structure in southwestern Pennsylvania, USA. This structure has brought two economically valuable limestone formations to the surface, where they are easily accessible to room-and-pillar mining. Nine active crushed stone quarries, an underground research facility, and one industrial facility currently operate along the linear trend that represents the axis of the anticline. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has identified significant variation in levels of horizontal stress within relatively short distances at shallow overburdens along the anticline. At one quarry, the horizontal stress is high enough to shear strata with a modulus of approximately 77 Gpa. Conversely, zones of extension were observed in parts of another quarry, indicating very low horizontal stress conditions. This study found that high levels of horizontal stress are to be expected in this very stiff rock formation and that local geologic and topographic structures are capable of altering the magnitude and possibly the orientation of the horizontal stress field.

By S. J. Page, R. A. Jankowski, J. A. Organiscak

The U.S. Bureau of Mines investigated the relationship of bituminous coal seam parameters and the amount of airborne respirable dust generated at longwalls. Dust and coal samples were obtained from 20 longwalls operating in geographically representative coalfields throughout the United States. Statistical analyses of coal seam parameters and airborne respirable dust measurements indicate a likely causal relationship between seam type and respirable dust. Low-ash, high-volatile coal seams were associated with higher airborne respirable dust levels. A negative linear correlation (significant at the 95-pct confidence level) was observed between the seam's ash content and airborne respirable dust, explaining up to 18 pct (R2 = 0.18) of headgate dust level variation and up to 15 pct of tailgate dust level variation. Volatile matter was found to have a positive linear correlation with tailgate dust level, explaining 16 pct of the variation. Further data examination indicates that these relationships with dust are most likely nonlinear, because of improved R2 values over the linear correlations. However, a notable portion of longwall dust production is influenced by other operational parameters, so additional research under more controlled conditions is needed to determine the seam's causative functions.

Jan 1, 1992

By Alexander Siefert, Steffen Pankoke

In the development of commercial vehicles as well as of passenger cars, the effects of vehicle vibrations on operating safety, health and comfort can only be predicted by numerical simulation when appropriate occupant models are available. Such models must be based on human anatomy and have dynamic properties of real humans in order to achieve realistic results. Since human dynamic behavior depend on posture and percentile, the occupant model needs to be adjustable to these parameters with respect to geometry and dynamic properties [1,2]. Dynamic Human Finite-Element-Model CASIMIR CASIMIR is a non-linear, dynamic finite-element-model of the human body. It consists of a dynamic model of the upper torso with head, neck, shoulders and arms as well as of a dynamic model of the lower extremity with pelvis and legs. The most important part is the lumbar area with dynamic non-linear models of the lumbar spine and of back and abdominal musculature. The frequency-dependent characteristics of the intervertebral discs and the effects of muscle activation and non-linear frequency-dependent muscle properties are included. In the latest stage of development, CASIMIR has been equipped with a compliant model of the body surface in the contact areas to the seat. This results in a very realistic transmission of static and vibrational forces into the human body, see fig. 1. Intense model verification and validation has been performed in all stages of model development, starting with validation of small components like intervertebral disc, ending with validation of whole-body-vibrations using measurements of the dynamic mass / mechanical impedance [4]. For an in-detail examination of stresses in the vertebral bodies and discs, a non-linear submodel of the lumbar spine with an increased number of degrees of freedom can be coupled to the whole-body-model, enabling the researcher to examine local effects of vibrations and single shocks on the lumbar materials. [ ] Since it is well known that human dynamic behavior is significantly affected by anthropometric data and posture, CASIMIR can be individualized to the anthropometric status of single individuals or to the mean values for specific percentile groups. Furthermore, posture can be adjusted to the seating conditions applicable to a specific vehicle. Posture modification capabilities include the variation of the lumbar lordosis [3].

Jan 6, 2006

By John C. Machisak

THIS INFORMATION CIRCULAR covers the calendar year 1055 and contains statistical data on employment and injuries pertinent to metal and nonmetal mining and to their mills and processing plants that are voluntarily reported annually to the Federal Bureau of Mmes. This report, unlike previous publications, lists not only production and development workers but also office employees associated with mining and milling or processing. The last publication m the series, Information Circular 7798, Injury Experience in the Metal and Nonmetal Industries, 1954, also contains unpublished injury and employment statistics for 1943 through 1953. The Bureau is authorized to request data on injuries and employment from operators in the metal- and nonmetal-mining industries. The information voluntarily submitted by these operators contributes immeasurably to the promotion of safety in the mineral mining industries as it discloses the hazards to which metal and nonmetal workers are continually exposed during mineral extractive operations.

Jan 1, 1959

By Charles E. Glass

The purpose of this report is to demonstrate the flexibility of rte sensing techniques for providing data with which to implement mined-lands reclamation in an efficient and cost-effective manner. An operational program is presented for using satellite remote sensing data, collateral data, and automated image analysis to provide: 1) an inventory of coal and copper mines and mine waste in Arizona, 2) techniques for periodic monitoring of mining areas using multitemporal classification and image prediction techniques, and 3) delineation of high priority areas for future reclamation and current land-use planning of Arizona mining areas based on environmental hazards indices computed using classified scenes and collateral data.

Jan 1, 1980

By E. M. Frost

"A new apparatus has been devised for quickly and precisely analyzing natural gas for its helium content. The following outstanding advantages make it far superior to any equipment now available for the purpose.3/4/5/6/1. It enables more rapid determinations to be made.2. It has far greater sensitivity than previous apparatus. 3. It is portable.Fifty or more samples may be analyzed in an 8-hour day with the new apparatus and procedure. A maximum of about 10 samples per day could be analyzed with previous apparatus. In the apparatus described, the volume of pure helium obtained from a sample is determined by measuring the pressures created by that pure helium when it is expanded into a constant calibrated volume. In older methods the pure helium separated from a sample is pumped into a burette and measured at atmospheric pressure. The new apparatus and Procedure used with it reduce the average time for an analysis from about 40 minutes to less than 10 minutes,Samples containing a few thousandths of a percent helium may be analyzed as readily as samples containing 1 percent or more, This was not possible with former apparatus. Duplicate samples containing a few thousandths of a percent helium have been analyzed, results checking to one ten-thousandth of a percent. Attempts to measure a corresponding volume of helium in a burette at atmospheric pressure become futile. The ability to determine very small quantities of helium has become of great importance recently in gas- and oil-field engineering studies such Os the utilization of helium as a tracer gas in following the movement of gases through underground structures.A complete apparatus was recently carried more than a thousand miles in a passenger automobile. It arrived without breakage, was .set up and ready to make an analysis in a few hours. .Former apparatus was not portable. The portability of the present apparatus permits taking the apparatus to the field for more efficient prosecution of field engineering problems. The only services required in the field are electricity, tap water, and a source of liquid air or liquid nitrogen.The principle involved is based upon the fact that large volumes of all the constituents usually found in natural gas, except helium, are adsorbed quantitatively on cocoanut charcoal that has been cooled to the temperatures of liquid air. A volume of sample is measured and transferred to a tube of cocoanut charcoal maintained at the temperature of liquid air. After adsorption of all the constituents other than helium, the charcoal tube is connected to a sensitive pressure-measuring device, and the Percentage helium originally in the sample is calculated from two pressure readings and the volume of the original sample."

Jun 1, 1946

By T. L. Johnston

The Dobbins property, about 4-1/2 miles northeast of Cartersville, Ga., was fist operated in 1866, it is the oldest manganese mine in Georgia and one of the oldest minus in the United States still producing manganese ore. Changes in ownership, lessees, and operators and lack of records prevent the compiling of statistics regarding total production of ore from the property.

Jan 1, 1942

By T. L. Johnston

The Dobbins property about 4-1/2 miles northeast of Cartersville, Ga., was first operated in 1866. It is the oldest manganese mine in Georgia and one of the oldest mines in the United States still producing manganese ore. Changes in ownership lessees and operators and lack of records prevent the compiling of statistics regarding total production of ore from the property

Jan 1, 1942

By A. C. Fieldner

"INTRODUCTION In a previous report3 prepared for the American Gas Association, the influence of washing coal on coke properties and on gas and by-product yields was discussed on the basis of answers to questionnaires sent to coke-oven superintendents and a review of the literature on the subject. This review indicated that the elimination of free impurities by cleaning coal improved coke quality by (a) reducing ash and sulphur, (b) decreasing clinker trouble in burning the coke, (c) diminishing cross fractures in the coke, resulting in greater resistance to breakage on handling, and less small coke and breeze, and (d) greater uniformity in chemical composition and physical properties of coke. Washing also reduced the sulphur in coke and gas and increased the yield of gas and by-products per ton of dry coal charged.This paper is supplementary to the previous report and presents some experimental data obtained with Pittsburgh bed coal from Pennsylvania and Mary Lee bed coal from Alabama.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSGrateful acknowledgment is made to F. J. Pfluke, of the Rochester Gas and Electric Cc., of Rochester, N. Y., for the plant test data on screened lump and washed coal; and to Ray W. Arms, Manager of the Coal Cleaning Department, of Roberts & Schaefer Co., of Chicago, for the data on effect of air cleaning."

May 1, 1931

By A. T. Coumbe

The first survey 3/ covering sales of liquefied petroleum gases was made in 1930 by the Bureau of Mines, which at the time was under the United States Department of Commerce. This original canvass covered national totals for 1922 through 1929, and most of the supply came from natural gasoline plants. The 1930 report showed approximate totals for butane and propane and for butane-propane mixtures and pentane grouped together. No attempt was made to breakdown the national sales by various uses until 1931, when the quantities for domestic or household consumption, gas manufacturing, and industrial requirements, including miscellaneous uses were indicated. As the market for these liquid petroleum gases expanded and as new uses came into importance, their respective quantities were shown separately in the annual survey. Sales for internal-combustion engine fuel and for raw material for chemical plants were first taken out of the industrial total in 1936. During World War II liquefied petroleum gases became important as feed stock diverted to synthetic rubber plants, and consequently the survey was broadened to cover this particular demand, beginning in 1944. Pentane was dropped from the survey after 1943, as, being liquid at atmospheric pressure, it is not considered as one of the liquefied petroleum gases and furthermore, the quantity reported made up less than 1 percent of the total sales. Thirteen producing companies reported to the Bureau in the first survey made in 1930, and in the 1952 canvass about 130 producers--petroleum refiners and natural gasoline companies--and about 1,300 dealers cooperated by filing schedules showing a breakdown of their sales. Their 1952 deliveries of approximately 4.5 billion gallons of liquefied petroleum gases were equivalent to about 3.4 billion gallons of gasoline or 3.1 billion gallons of distillate fuel oil.

Jan 1, 1954

By Michael W. Redifer

A Fortran IV computer program was developed to calculate the composition at equilibrium of products from a set of high-temperature gas combustion reactions. The program was used to develop high-temperature equilibrium concentration profiles for various constituents as a function of temperature and oxygen concentration. The computer program was specifically applied to reactions pertaining to the corrosion of superheater tubes in pulverized coal-fired boilers; however, it is useful for any multicomponent, multireaction scheme in which equilibrium constant data can be obtained and is comprised of gaseous reactants along with finely dispersed solids or liquids. General applicability of the computer program, including its limitations, are discussed along with detailed instructions for using the program.

Jan 1, 1973

By J. E. Zeilinger

The technical feasibility of using energy from explosive ignitions of coal dust to pump water was .demonstrated in an exploratory investigation. Ignition of small amounts of pulverized coal that were dispersed in air over columns of water pumped up to 5.3 gallons of water per cycle when operated against a head of 30.75 feet. Water displacement was accomplished by either manual or automatic operation through a single cycle, and by automatic operation through a continuous series of cycles of I-minute duration. Operating through single cycles, slurries containing up to 3 pounds of coal and 4.6 gallons of water were also pumped. Possible uses of an efficient coal-fired pump would include pumping water for irrigation purposes, removing water from mines, transporting coal from mines in the form of a slurry, and pumping water to elevated reservoirs at electric powerplants so that it could be used to generate electricity during peak periods of demand.

Jan 1, 1966

This summary of State laws on explosives was compiled primarily to ascertain what subjects relating to their control have been acted upon by each State legislature and, in general, how they have been treated. It does not include any legislation passed after 1942, or any proclamations, regulations, or administrative orders. It does not purport or attempt to be authoritative. If any problem arises involving interpretation of the statutes of any particular State, the original source must be consulted for the exact words used by the legislature. This summary, however, will be useful in determining whether relevant statutes exist, and in locating them quickly with a minimum of effort. It will be of value also in comparing statutes in one State with similar statutes in other States to determine what construction has been placed upon them by the courts of these jurisdictions or to contrast the varying provisions of many States upon a similar subject. To make these comparisons easier, the statutory provisions for each State have been grouped under several major topics in outline form. Although this sometimes has resulted in disruption of the continuity of individual acts, the increased general clarity and availability of comparable sections have more than justified the procedure followed.

Jan 1, 1943

By R. T. Sorensen

Research and testing in a small scale equivalent of a commercial flota-tion plant was completed on four low-grade, iron-bearing materials from the western Mesabi range. Closed circuit-flotation of calcium-activated silica with fatty acid collector developed data for comparison with the batch process and highlighted problems not evident from previous bench testing. The four ore samples contained from 27 to 39 percent Fe and were equally represented by nonmagnetic taconite and semitaconite type materials. Iron concentrates containing 6.0 percent, or less, SiO2 were made 5, all four samples. Of the two material types, the semitaconite was the ore amenable to treatment, yielding iron recoveries of about 90 percent as cc pared with 70 to 80 percent for the other. Pilot plant tests showed that concentrate grade made in batch tests could be duplicated in the closed circuit and demonstrated that the amount of recoverable middling iron varied considerably between ore samples. The continuous tests also showed that water temperature strongly influenced results in the treatment of one ore but apparently was of indifferent consequence in another. Progress in thickening and filtration of flotation concentrates was made through introduction of tapioca flour to serve the dual role of iron mineral depressant and flocculant.

Jan 1, 1966