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By K. H. McDaniel

An interactive mine ventilation simulation software program (WIPPVENT) was developed at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The WIPP is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research and development project located near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The facility is designed to provide a permanent, safe underground disposal of U.S. defense generated transuranic waste in bedded salt. In addition to its regular functions, the underground ventilation system is engineered to prevent the uncontrolled spread of radioactive materials in the unlikely event of a release. To enhance the operability system, Westinghouse Electric Corporation has developed an interactive mine ventilation simulation software program (WIPPVENT). While WIPPVENT includes most of the functions of the commercially available simulation program VNETPC (copyright © 1991 Mine Ventilation Services, Inc.), the user interface has been completely rewritten as a Windows ® application and screen graphics have been added. WIPPVENT is designed to interact with the WIPP ventilation monitoring systems through the site wide Central Monitoring System.

Jan 1, 1996

Integrated mining information and process control systems can reduce information delays, enhance decision making and improve the responsiveness of mining operations to, for example, variations in market conditions, mineral grades and ground conditions. This paper examines developments in the areas of: monitoring, data analysis and diagnosis,' communications systems; integrated mining support system;, and process and machine control. It concludes that the development of a comprehensive information technology plan is fundamental to the phased implementation of these technologies. In addition, hardware and software standards and concurrent digital design and simulation practices in selected manufacturing industries are examined and concluded to have relevance to the mining industry. Integrated information and process control systems will lead to emergence of the "digital mine". Such advances in mining information infrastructure as well as mining equipment will enable mining operations to shift from mass production methods to leaner production techniques. "Lean mining" aims to enhance and accelerate cash flow over the life of a mine by focusing on reduction of' throughput times; stockpiles for volume and quality control; and wastage and rework.

Jan 1, 1995

By Bradley V. Nelson

A number of improvements in the ventilation system at the Henderson Mine have been made during the past several years. A key to these improvements was the installation of a computerized monitoring and control system. Employees can determine the status of any of hundreds of devices in seconds through the use of this monitoring system. Mine dewatering pumps, the water treatment system, the ore haulage system, electric power usage as well as other devices are controlled and/or monitored. Ventilation parameters which are monitored include air flow volumes and carbon monoxide as well as the status of main surface fans, mine doors, and ventilation raise doors. Main underground fans are also constantly monitored and can be controlled remotely. These underground fans can be programmed to automatically start and stop to follow work schedules, optimizing air quality while reducing power cost. Mine air heating costs have been reduced by replacing an electrical resistance heating system with a direct fired natural gas heating system at the portal of the ore haulage tunnel.

Jan 1, 1995

By W. K. Summers

During the past few years monitoring systems have been installed to measure the effects of environmental changes on the ground-water resource. The design of a monitoring system depends upon the designer's perception of how the environmental factors merge with his perception of the ground-water flow system. The validity and representativeness of measurements made during a monitoring program depend upon the validicy of the designer's perceptions and concepts. To optimize the design of a ground- water monitoring program the designer should make preliminary measurements to confirm his assumptions.

Jan 1, 1985

By G. Almgren

With the exception of sublevel caving, the most common method of underground mining in Sweden is the "cut-and-fill" method. It is normally used for mining non-ferrous metals , and' is used extensively in the complex sulfide ore mines of the Boliden Company in north and central Sweden as well as the mines of the STORA and Vieille Montagne Companies in central Sweden. All in all, the cut-and-fill method is used in 13 of Sweden's 45 mines. As the mines are relatively small, the volume of ore mined by this method represents only about 5 % of the total ore production in Sweden. The commercial value, however, is much large than this percentage would imply. The production volumes and grades of some typical mines are shown in Table I. As seen, when rated internationally, the grades are comparatively low. The prices are set according to ?international metal prices? as dictated by the London stock exchange, and in lieu of governmental support, rational management methods are critical in order to achieve satisfactory profit.

Jan 1, 1975

By J. J. Webb

At Kerr-McGee's Galatia Mine in southern Illinois, the need for safe and efficient longwall moves prompted a detailed planning effort. Galatia Mine operates two longwalls on separate coal seams with different geologic conditions. An overview of the longwall move planning as related to manpower training, roof control, ventilation, transportation, equipment recovery and setup will be discussed. The impressive safety record achieved during each of the longwall moves at Galatia Mine verifies that health and safety planning does play a major role.

Jan 1, 1994

By J. M. Dean, R. L. Grayson

Introduction With the continued downward pressure on coal selling prices, mine management must make its operations as efficient as possible. The problem is the same one throughout the mineral industries, streamlining operations to maintain competitive min¬ing costs (Born, 1991). There has been a great deal of research into better using production manpower. But the story is different for operations support personnel. Traditionally, planning man¬power requirements are done annually, with modifications to the operating plan occurring generally quarterly. On the other hand, the demands on manpower are often dynamic, being responsive to changing productivity levels, mine conditions (including water influx, bad roof, poor floor) and unanticipated project requirements (responses to machine breakdowns or a new section setup requirement because of a drop in coal quality in another area). Such changes may impact the manpower structure significantly. At times they may cause serious labor relations problems concurrently. Realignments and the generation of instability in the workforce because of active job switching (bidding) are a result. Most responses by coal operators are reactive rather than proactive, a situation that could be mollified by more accu¬rate and detailed planning of predictable manpower require¬ments. A manpower planning tool is needed that takes into consideration such things as changing productivity levels and conditions as manhour requirements for different work areas are planned, rather than blindly allocated through traditional staffing modes. Mine Management Support System The Mine Management Support System (MMSS) is an integrated decision support system that was developed using Sun Microsystems hardware according to the contract be¬tween the US Bureau of Mines and West Virginia University. The software used in the development of MMSS included X¬ windows (Scheitler and Gettys, 1986) for the user interfaces, LASER (Raman, 1985; Hayhurst, 1990) for the expert sys¬tem and graphics components, and the C language for general programming requirements. Sun DOS was used to allow the use of IBM-compatible applications software on the Sun networks. Sun OS is the operating system. It can be viewed as an enhanced version of UNIX. One of the components of MMSS that was developed to address the many specific objectives outlined in Grayson et al. (1990) is the work scheduling system. MMSS accom¬plishes work scheduling by using a mathematical (goal) programming approach to minimize the amount of switching of workers from their regular jobs to perform other jobs (Grayson and Nutter, 1991). Manpower support program The main objective of MANSUPP is to plan a detailed manpower structure for a mine by incorporating a production schedule, condition-modified work standards and manage¬ment preferences to predict required manhours for various support activities, for example, belt moves. This is accom¬plished by gathering and processing planning information the same way a mine planner would. The program is menu¬driven with the selection of a particular menu item locating the user in the appropriate area within the spreadsheet to review/add information. All of the interactions between productivity, section conditions and management prefer¬ences and their effect on the amount of support work required must be considered. Information regarding the productivity of a particular section, the geometry of the section, work standards for individual activities and section conditions must all be gath¬ered for input into the program. In the initial stages of development, it was decided that the program be developed in an environment that mine planners were familiar with in order to accommodate the use of the program. Lotus 1-2-3 or a compatible (Quattro Pro) met this environmental need. Other reasons included ease of calculation due to built-in functions, powerful command language and macro capabili¬ties. Each of the major components of the program defined are summarized. Production schedule This area allows the user to input a production schedule for the entire mine over 12 periods. Space has been provided for five sections, advance or retreat, and two longwall sections. There are several calculations occurring in this area that do not apply to the determination of manpower, but serve as an aid in production planning. Section description The section description area of the spreadsheet is shown in Table 1. The first three items are calculated in the production schedule area of the worksheet and then transferred to this location. The remaining information is input by the user to be used in later calculations.

Jan 1, 1996

By L. M. English

In the past 30 years, the research arena has changed significantly in all fields, mining included. The relative representation of the topics of research, how the research is performed, and who has performed the research have all changed significantly over these decades. Although there are a lot of subjective ideas concerning these changes, and there is a fair amount of anecdotal "analysis," there has been no actual study of these trends to verify the facts. The period studied is divided into six five-year periods for the purposes of comparison. Some of the trends analyzed are as follows: ? Co-authorship ? Research areas ? Research sponsors ? Cooperative efforts

Jan 1, 1995

By R. Asmatulu

According to Darcy's law, the rate of filtration should increase with increasing pressure drop across a filter cake. In centrifugal filtration, the driving pressure is created by the centrifugal forces applied in the free water on the surface of a filter cake. However, the pressure drop can become negative when the free water surface disappears, which makes it difficult to achieve low cake moistures. In hyperbaric centrifugal filtration, this problem is overcome using air pressure to restore the pressure differential. In the present work, various mineral and coal fines have been subjected to hyperbaric centrifugal filtration tests. The laboratory tests show that the moistures of various mineral fines, such as copper and zinc concentrates, phosphate, talc, kaolin clay, and precipitated calcium carbonate, can be reduced substantially below that achieved by conventional centrifuges. Similar promising results have also been obtained with various coal fines in laboratory and pilot-scale test programs and in full-scale plant demonstrations.

Jan 1, 2012

By John Davis Morgan

The uncertain world conditions of the present time require that the United States be prepared to meet: a. all-out nuclear war with attack on the United States b. limited wars (anything smaller than (a.) c. political, economic, and/or psychological warfare. Our present position as a major world power derives in large measure from our free institutions and our great industrial productivity, and our productivity in turn depends on an ever-continuing flow of raw materials from the earth - metals, minerals, fuels, and agricultural products. The United States, with only about 6% of the world's population, uses from one-third to two-thirds of the world's annual supplies of 'most metals and minerals. The United States strategic materials stockpiling program is designed to enhance our national security posture: as stated in the preamble of the Stock Piling Act, to decrease and prevent wherever possible a dangerous and costly dependence of the United States upon foreign nations for supplies of strategic and critical materials in times of national emergency. In times past, the Good Lord himself has ordered some stockpiling. The Book of Genesis in the Bible tells how Pharaoh of Egypt was directed to set aside one-fifth of the produce of the land in each of the seven good years to meet the needs of the seven bad years that were to follow: this would be a stockpile of about two years? normal use. Our cultural heritage often reminds us of the wisdom of stockpiling, as in the case of the stories about the provident squirrels that gather their nuts in an orderly manner in the f all to prepare for the winter's cold. And the old proverb about a bird in the hand being worth two in the bush points out clearly the value of something that is directly at hand.

Jan 1, 1960

By R. Asmatulu

According to Darcy?s law, the rate of filtration should increase with increasing pressure drop across a filter cake. In centrifugal filtration, the driving pressure is created by the centrifugal forces applied in the free water on the surface of a filter cake. However, the pressure drop can become negative when the free water surface disappears, which makes it difficult to achieve low cake moistures. In hyperbaric centrifugal filtration, this problem is overcome using air pressure to restore the pressure differential. In the present work, various mineral and coal fines have been subjected to hyperbaric centrifugal filtration tests. The laboratory tests show that the moistures of various mineral fines, such as copper and zinc concentrates, phosphate, talc, kaolin clay, and precipitated calcium carbonate, can be reduced substantially below that achieved by conventional centrifuges. Similar promising results have also been obtained with various coal fines in laboratory and pilot-scale test programs and in full-scale plant demonstrations.

Jan 1, 2012

By T. V. Falkie

REMARKS OF DR. THOMAS V. FALKIE, DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF MINES, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BEFORE THE FALL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS, AIME, ACAPULCO, MEXICO, SEPTEMBER 23, 1974 This is a time of uncertainty on the world mineral scene. For some of the world's so-called "developed" countries, reserves and production of key minerals are running low. And, we have learned that the energy so essential in recovering and processing minerals can suddenly be in short supply. The prospects for a "no growth" situation in energy or mineral consumption are practically nil. Moreover, the world's economy is in flux, casting doubt on whether traditional mineral customers will continue to be able to buy, or for that matter, whether traditional suppliers of minerals will continue to sell. It is clear that the mineral situation is contributing to world inflationary pressures, which incidentally are most damaging to developing countries. So it is appropriate that SME members devote this session to the world mineral situation, and consider some of the opportunities and responsibilities that we will inevitably encounter as the future becomes the present. The opportunities, to me at least, are especially intriguing, I have the good fortune to be part of an organization that has an enormous capability and responsibility for dealing with mineral problems. The Interior Department's Bureaus, including the Bureau of Mines, have been around for a long time. They are. a prolific and reliable source of both mineral information and mineral technology.

Jan 1, 1974

By Robert M. Dreyer

In an industrialized nation, as the process of industrialization continues, the ratio of the value of production of non-metallic to metallic minerals normally increases gradually over a period of years. For example, in the United States, the ratio of the value of production of non-metals to metals now is approximately two-to-one. Those of us who come from California like to think that we inherit the mantle of the old hard-rock miner, but the truth of the matter is that, in California, of the total value of mineral production exclusive of fuels, 97% comes from non-metallic - industrial - minerals. Since the industrial minerals furnish a principal source of raw materials for the construction and chemical processing industries and since these two industries, in industrialized nations, generally increase directly with increasing population, the future of industrial mineral production both in the United States and throughout the world is indeed bright. Because of the importance of industrial mineral production, it often surprises those of us in the industrial mineral industry to find that industrial minerals are poorly understood by many of our colleagues in the mining industry. I think that one reason for this comprehension of the industrial mineral industry is that the education of both geologists and mining engineers still markedly emphasizes exploitation of the metals.

Jan 1, 1964

A Directory of Computer Programs Applicable to US Mining Practices and Problems. A. L. Sanford, T. L. Myers, and J. F. Stiehr. USBM OFR 131-78, Nov. 1977. A Master Environmental Control and Mine System Design Simulator for Underground Coal Mining. Tape MDS-5. Pennsylvania State University. USBM CT 1.77, Dec. 1975. Contains computer programs on a dynamic general purpose computer simulation model for underground coal mining. A Method for Computing Stabilization Pressures for Excavations in Incompetent Rock. J. D. Dixon and M. A. Mahtab. USBM RI 8128, 1976. Describes technique for determining the confining pressures that must be provided for stabilizing underground openings in incompetent rock. Accident Cost Indicator Model to Estimate Costs to Industry and Society From Work-Related Injuries and Deaths in Underground Coal Mining. Vol. I.III. D. G. DiCanio, A. H. Nakata, D. Colvert, and E. G. LaVeque. OFR 39(1)(3)-77, Dec. 1976. Describes a computer-based model for estimating the tangible costs of injuries and deaths from work-related accidents In underground coal mines. An Interactive Computer System for Evaluating Coal Mine Illumination. R. Goldstein. USBM OFR 110-80, March 1980. Computer system for calculating the illumination on coal mine surfaces due to machine-mounted lights. Analytical Modeling of Mine Roof Behavior Using Statistical Material Properties. R. T. Langland and F. J. Tokarz. USBM UCRL-51876, Aug. 1975. Analytical study of coal mine roof behavior using a computer model of a room-and-pillar mining method. Application of a Total System Surface Mine Simulator to Coal Stripping. Vol. I-VII. Pennsylvania State University. USBM OFR 33(1)(7)-78, Aug. 1978. Describes model development, input and output documentation, three case studies of an open-pit materials handling simulator, and development of two equipment selection models and a cost model. Characterization of the Structural Behavior of Rock Masses. Vol. I-II. L. R. Herrmann and M. A. Taylor. USBM OFR 67(1X2)-75, Sept. 1974. Computer subroutines for characterization of rock behavior, Including variability of properties within the rock mass, planes of weakness orthotropy, strength criteria, and post-failure behavior. Coal Mine Electrical System Evaluation. Vol. I-VII, L. A. Morley, et al. USBM OFF! 61(1)(7)-78, 1977. A concept to improve underground coal mine electrical system safety and availability. This proposed technique is based upon the ability to predict incipient failures in the mine power system. Prediction is made possible by a new method which uses a minicomputer to implement pattern recognition algorithms. Computer Modeling of Fluid Flow During Production and Environmental Restoration Phases of In Situ Uranium Leaching. R. D. Schmidt. USBM RI 8479, 1980. Describes development and application of a computer model for simulating the hydrological activity associated with in situ leaching. Interpretation of Rock Mechanics Data, Vol. II (A Guide to Using UTAH2). W. G. Pariseau. USBM OFR 47(2)-80, June 1978. Brief description of a two-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element program intended for mine stability analysis. Iterative Approximation Techniques for Microseismic Source Location. G. H. Dechman and Meng-Cherng Sun. USBM RI 8254, 1977. Iterative approximation method for microseismic source location developed to adapt microseismic techniques for rock structure analysis to investigations of surface problems such as slope failure in an open-pit mine. Limits and Cost Sensitivity of Alternative Parting Handling Methods. Vol. I-II. T. E. Finch, D. R. Haley, and C. J. Speaks, Jr. USBM OFF! 117(1)(2)-77, March 1977. Programs to examine alternative methods of handling the parting between two coal seams in a surface mining operation. Alternative methods consist of equipment implementation in either a stowing or haulback technique. Methane-Water Flow in Coalbeds. H. S. Price. USBM CT 1-79, April 1972. This computer program calculates transient, two-dimensional, gas¬water flow in a porous medium. Plastic Canopy-A Computer Program for the Structural Analysis of Protective Canopies. K. D. Winters, G. A. Gavan, and J. C. Ault. USBM IC 8795, 1979. Presents a FORTRAN IV program for the structural analysis of protective canopies used In underground mines and rollover protective structures used in surface mines. The Three-Dimensional Structural Analysis of Double-Entry and Single-Entry Coal Mines. Vol. I-III. Agbabia Associates. USBM OFF 16(1)(3)-80, Oct. 1978. Describes the computer program designed to perform a three-dimensional finite element analysis of an instrumented section of double- and single-entry coal mines. Underground Mine Evacuation Plans Analyzed by Computers. D. Tesarik, D. Nicholson, and A. B. Boghani. MSHA, Vol. 4, No. 5, Oct. 1979. USBM has developed a computer program to evaluate and construct mine evacuation procedures and plans.

Jan 11, 1981

By L. F. Delgado

Environmental and cost pressures sparked renewed interest in gravity separation. Industrial sands in Mexico are generally processed by screening, desliming, and flotation. Gravity separation with spirals was evaluated as an alternative to flotation in order to lower operating costs and decrease water pollution. Outstanding operating results are obtained in glass and foundry sand operations, plus a more competitive position for Mexican producers due to lower operating costs. Coal fines, generally recovered by flotation, have the same cost and environmental advantages when processed with spirals.

Jan 1, 1994

By O. Ozcan

Oleic acid has been almost invariably used in the flotation of siliceous fluorite ores. The performance of oleic acid, however, deteriorates with carbonaceous fluorite ores. Oleoyl sarcosine developed recently has been found to produce results superior over oleic acid with ores containing high calcite contents. While the mechanism of oleate adsorption is usually considered as chemisorption involving calcium oleate formation on both calcite and fluorite, no mechanism has been so far proposed to explain the adsorption mechanism of oleoyl sarcosine. In this study, the selectivity of oleoyl sarcosine, as inferred from flotation, zeta potential and infrared measurements, is ascribed to the interaction of fluorine ion to the nitrogen via hydrogen bonding.

Jan 1, 1994

By B. D. Hansen

Newmont has been on a focused path of improving operations for many years. After the merger of Newmont and Santa Fe Pacific Gold, Newmont created significant synergies of over $50million per year in Nevada, primarily through optimal ore movements and consolidation of various functions. During the current period of low gold and copper prices, Newmont has refocused its efforts on efficient operations worldwide. This paper will describe the methods and programs that continue to be implemented at Newmont's many mine facilities in Nevada. Newmont has used a combination of computer technology, optimal use of infrastructures, procurement strategies, functional consolidation, enhanced mine planning and a variety of available metallurgical processing options to decrease the cost of operations and increase profitability.

Jan 1, 1999

By B. D. Hansen

Newmont has been on a focused path of improving operations for many years. After the merger of Newmont and Santa Fe Pacific Gold, Newmont created significant synergies of over $50 million per year in Nevada, primarily through optimal ore movements and consolidation of various functions. During the current period of low gold and copper prices, Newmont has refocused its efforts on efficient operations worldwide. This paper will describe the methods and programs that continue to be implemented at Newmont's many mine facilities in Nevada. Newmont has used a combination of computer technology, optimal use of infrastructures, procurement strategies, functional consolidation, enhanced mine planning and a variety of available metallurgical processing options to decrease the cost of operations and increase profitability.

Jan 1, 1999

By Robert W. Carn

This paper presents the concepts which are presently being utilized in the design of coal export terminals. Criteria for selecting a viable site and establishing the terminal plan are presented. Factors affecting the design of the terminal as well as the present techniques and procedures in use today to determine the optimum use of equipment will be discussed along with the current trends in export terminal control systems. Finally capital and operating costs for a typical export terminal are reviewed.

Jan 1, 1982

By Ernst P. Hall

As a scientist and an engineer whose responsibilities include the consideration of air pollution and its control, I am frequently called upon to answer variations of two basic questions, These questions may I be set forth as: (1) How much air pollution does the coal industry cause? (2) How serious is the air pollution problem to the coal industry? At first these questions may seem elementary and almost trite, but serious consideration of them will show that they are technologically involved and I further complicated by the subjective base to which they must be evaluated.

Jan 1, 1963