This study was focused to assess major and trace elements in bauxitic duricrusts from Ngaoundal and its surroundings in order to establish their mining interest. To this end, fieldworks, mineralogical and geochemical ...This study was focused to assess major and trace elements in bauxitic duricrusts from Ngaoundal and its surroundings in order to establish their mining interest. To this end, fieldworks, mineralogical and geochemical analyses were carried out. Four facies of duricrust were identified and characterized from the summit to the top of the slope of the Ngaoundal mountain: scoriaceous, pisolitic, nodular and massive. Mineralogical and geochemical analyses performed on 16 samples, revealed a significant concentration of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> mainly in the scoriaceous facies (over 45% in grade), moderate in Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> (averaging 23.69%) and SiO<sub>2</sub> (averaging 21.7%). Trace elements were generally low, excluding Cr (421 ppm on average), Zr (327 ppm on average and V (213 ppm on average). In addition, the limited quantities of alkalis (Na<sub>2</sub>O, K<sub>2</sub>O) and alkaline earths metals (MgO, CaO) coupled with the very high values of Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) and Mineralogical Index of Alteration (MIA), (more than 99%) attest to the intense weathering of the studied materials. Allitization and monosiallitization constituted the crystallochemical phenomena that have led to the development of bauxitic minerals. More than 90% of gibbsite in scoriaceous facies, 52.21% - 76.01% of kaolinite in pisolitic facies and more than 40% of hematite in nodular facies were quantified. The relationships between the constitutive components indicated their interdependency during the bauxitization phenomenon. The mineralogical and geochemical properties highlighted the mining interest of the studied duricrusts to be valorized.展开更多
Surface mining operations play a crucial role in meeting the world’s increasing demand for mineral resources for the advancement of technology and debauched expansion of economies. The search for and exploitation of ...Surface mining operations play a crucial role in meeting the world’s increasing demand for mineral resources for the advancement of technology and debauched expansion of economies. The search for and exploitation of these mineral resources are therefore important for the sustainability of the mineral extraction industry. To this end, efficient mine planning must incorporate sterilisation drilling and effective waste rock management principles in the search and exploitation of these minerals. In this article, sterilisation drilling is being reviewed vis-a-vis the establishment of waste and tailings dump locations, backfilling of open pit excavations and mine closure giving critical attention to the minerals and mining laws of Ghana. Subsequently, a detailed case study of a surface mining operation that successfully incorporated sterilisation drilling in determining waste dump location in its mine planning process has been presented in this study. The findings indicate that the proposed waste dump location could present a potential mining prospect in the future based on enhanced milling capacity/technology and improved mineral commodity price;underscoring the significance of sterilization drilling in the sustainability of the mining industry.展开更多
Large portions of the tunnel boring machine(TBM)construction cost are attributed to disc cutter consumption,and assessing the disc cutter's wear level can help determine the optimal time to replace the disc cutter...Large portions of the tunnel boring machine(TBM)construction cost are attributed to disc cutter consumption,and assessing the disc cutter's wear level can help determine the optimal time to replace the disc cutter.Therefore,the need to monitor disc cutter wear in real-time has emerged as a technical challenge for TBMs.In this study,real-time disc cutter wear monitoring is developed based on sound and vibration sensors.For this purpose,the microphone and accelerometer were used to record the sound and vibration signals of cutting three different types of rocks with varying abrasions on a laboratory scale.The relationship between disc cutter wear and the sound and vibration signal was determined by comparing the measurements of disc cutter wear with the signal plots for each sample.The features extracted from the signals showed that the sound and vibration signals are impacted by the progression of disc wear during the rock-cutting process.The signal features obtained from the rock-cutting operation were utilized to verify the machine learning techniques.The results showed that the multilayer perceptron(MLP),random subspace-based decision tree(RS-DT),DT,and random forest(RF)methods could predict the wear level of the disc cutter with an accuracy of 0.89,0.951,0.951,and 0.927,respectively.Based on the accuracy of the models and the confusion matrix,it was found that the RS-DT model has the best estimate for predicting the level of disc wear.This research has developed a method that can potentially determine when to replace a tool and assess disc wear in real-time.展开更多
Severe shield jamming events have been reported during excavation of Uluabat tunnel through adverse geological conditions, which resulted in several stoppages at advancing a single shielded tunnel boring machine(TBM)....Severe shield jamming events have been reported during excavation of Uluabat tunnel through adverse geological conditions, which resulted in several stoppages at advancing a single shielded tunnel boring machine(TBM). To study the jamming mechanism, three-dimensional(3D) simulation of the machine and surrounding ground was implemented using the finite difference code FLAC3D. Numerical analyses were performed for three sections along the tunnel with a higher risk for entrapment due to the combination of overburden and geological conditions. The computational results including longitudinal displacement contours and ground pressure profiles around the shield allow a better understanding of ground behavior within the excavation. Furthermore, they allow realistically assessing the impact of adverse geological conditions on shield jamming. The calculated thrust forces, which are required to move the machine forward, are in good agreement with field observations and measurements. It also proves that the numerical analysis can effectively be used for evaluating the effect of adverse geological environment on TBM entrapments and can be applied to prediction of loads on the shield and preestimating of the required thrust force during excavation through adverse ground conditions.展开更多
In the Kaiping Coal field,mining of five coal seams,located within 80 m in the Kailuan Group,#5,#7,#8,#9 and#12 coal seam,is difficult due to small interburden thickness,concentrated stress distributions,high coal sea...In the Kaiping Coal field,mining of five coal seams,located within 80 m in the Kailuan Group,#5,#7,#8,#9 and#12 coal seam,is difficult due to small interburden thickness,concentrated stress distributions,high coal seam metamorphism,and complex geological conditions.By using the ZTR12 geological penetration radar(GPR)survey combined with borehole observations,the overburden caving due to mining of the five coals seams was measured.The development characteristics of full-cover rock fractures after mining were obtained from the GPR scan,which provides a measurement basis for the control of rock strata in close multiple coal seam mining.For the first time,it was found that the overburden caving pattern shows a periodic triangular caved characteristic.Furthermore,it is proposed that an upright triangular collapsed pile masonry and an inverted triangular with larger fragments piled up alternately appear in the lower gob.The research results show that the roof structure formed in the gob area can support the key overlying strata,which is beneficial to ensure the integrity and stability of the upper coal seams in multiple-seam mining of close coal seams.展开更多
Ground movements due to longwall mining operations have the potential to damage the hydrological balance within as well as outside the mine permit area in the form of increased surface ponding and changes to hydrogeol...Ground movements due to longwall mining operations have the potential to damage the hydrological balance within as well as outside the mine permit area in the form of increased surface ponding and changes to hydrogeological properties. Recently, the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement(OSMRE) in the USA, has completed a public comment period on a newly proposed rule for the protection of streams and groundwater from adverse impacts of surface and underground mining operations(80 FR 44435). With increased community and regulatory focus on mining operations and their potential to adversely affect streams and groundwater, now there is a greater need for better prediction of the possible effects mining has on both surface and subsurface bodies of water. With mining induced stress and strain within the overburden correlated to changes in the hydrogeological properties of rock and soil, this paper investigates the evaluation of the hydrogeological system within the vicinity of an underground mining operation based on strain values calculated through a surface deformation prediction model. Through accurate modeling of the pre- and post-mining hydrogeological system, industry personnel can better depict mining induced effects on surface and subsurface bodies of water aiding in the optimization of underground extraction sequences while maintaining the integrity of water resources.展开更多
The broad objective of this research was to improve current surface mining practices and reduce negative environmental impact of overburden removal in West Virginia(WV).The specific objectives were to(i)compare conven...The broad objective of this research was to improve current surface mining practices and reduce negative environmental impact of overburden removal in West Virginia(WV).The specific objectives were to(i)compare conventional surface mining method(drilling,blasting,digging,and loading)to a surface miner(SM)method,and(ii)apply the analytical hierarchy process(AHP)to help select the optimal mining method based on production,cost and environmental criteria.The design and the procedures used in this research involve five interrelated modules:(i)rock properties of overburden in WV,(ii)drilling and blasting,(iii)digging and loading,(iv)SM method,and(v)comparative analysis and selection of the optimal mining method by AHP.Results of this research indicate that application of SM method would yield higher cost of overburden removal than conventional mining methods in rocks with a high unconfined compressive strength and abrasivity.A significant advantage of SM method,where applicable,is the elimination of the negative environmental impacts associated with blasting.展开更多
Equipment plays an important role in open pit mining industry and its cost competence at efficient operation and maintenance techniques centered on reliability can lead to significant cost reduction.The application of...Equipment plays an important role in open pit mining industry and its cost competence at efficient operation and maintenance techniques centered on reliability can lead to significant cost reduction.The application of optimal maintenance process was investigated for minimizing the equipment breakdowns and downtimes in Sungun Copper Mine.It results in the improved efficiency and productivity of the equipment and lowered expenses as well as the increased profit margin.The field operating data of 10 trucks are used to estimate the failure and maintenance profile for each component,and modeling and simulation are accomplished by using reliability block diagram method.Trend analysis was then conducted to select proper probabilistic model for maintenance profile.Then reliability of the system was evaluated and importance of each component was computed by weighted importance measure method.This analysis led to identify the items with critical impact on availability of overall equipment in order to prioritize improvement decisions.Later,the availability of trucks was evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation and it is revealed that the uptime of the trucks is around 11000 h at 12000 operation hours.Finally,uncertainty analysis was performed to account for the uncertainty sources in data and models.展开更多
Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar(DInSAR),a satellite-based remote sensing technique,has application for monitoring subsidence with high resolution over short periods.DInSAR uses radar images to me...Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar(DInSAR),a satellite-based remote sensing technique,has application for monitoring subsidence with high resolution over short periods.DInSAR uses radar images to measure centimeter-level surface displacements.In the images,ground resolution can be relatively high,with each data point(pixel)representing the average displacement over an area of several square meters.The image data are acquired regularly which allows subsidence to be monitored sequentially over short periods;imaging periods typically range from weeks to months.Monitoring subsidence over short periods with high spatial resolution has potential to provide insight into the dynamics of subsidence and into relationships between mine advance and subsidence.In this study,for three longwall mines in the western United States,initial subsidence occurring at the start of longwall advance is quantified over short periods(12–72 days).C-band interferometric wide swath Synthetic Aperture Radar(SAR)images from the Sentinel satellites are used to quantify the subsidence.Overall,the data show initial development of subsidence,expansion of the subsidence trough,and the advance of subsidence in the direction of mining.展开更多
Most, if not all longwall gob areas accumulate explosive methane-air mixtures that pose a deadly hazard to miners. Numerous mine explosions have originated from explosive gas zones(EGZs) in the longwall gob. Since 201...Most, if not all longwall gob areas accumulate explosive methane-air mixtures that pose a deadly hazard to miners. Numerous mine explosions have originated from explosive gas zones(EGZs) in the longwall gob. Since 2010, researchers at the Colorado School of Mines(CSM) have studied EGZ formation in longwall gobs under two long-term research projects funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Researchers used computational fluid dynamics along with in-mine measurements. For the first time, they demonstrated that EGZs form along the fringe areas between the methane-rich atmospheres and the fresh air ventilated areas along the working face and present an explosion and fire hazard to mine workers. In this study, researchers found that, for progressively sealed gobs, a targeted injection of nitrogen from the headgate and tailgate, along with a back return ventilation arrangement, will create a dynamic seal of nitrogen that effectively separates the methane zone from the face air and eliminates the EGZs to prevent explosions. Using this form of nitrogen injection to create dynamic seals should be a consideration for all longwall operators.展开更多
Longwall mining has a significant influence on gas wells located within longwall chain pillars.Subsurface subsidence and abutment pressure induced by longwall mining can cause excessive stresses and deformations in ga...Longwall mining has a significant influence on gas wells located within longwall chain pillars.Subsurface subsidence and abutment pressure induced by longwall mining can cause excessive stresses and deformations in gas well casings.If the gas well casings are compromised or ruptured,natural gas could migrate into the mine workings,potentially causing a fire or explosion.By the current safety regulations,the gas wells in the chain pillars have to be either plugged or protected by adequate coal pillars.The current regulations for gas well pillar design are based on the 1957 Pennsylvania gas well pillar study.The study provided guidelines for gas well pillars by considering their support area and overburden depth as well as the location of the gas wells within the pillars.As the guidelines were developed for room-andpillar mining under shallow cover,they are no longer applicable to modern longwall coal mining,particularly,under deep cover.Gas well casing of failures have occurred even though the chain pillars for the gas wells met the requirements by the 1957 study.This study,conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH),presents seven cases of conventional gas wells penetrating through longwall chain pillars in the Pittsburgh Coal Seam.The study results indicate that overburden depth and pillar size are not the only determining factors for gas well stability.The other important factors include subsurface ground movement,overburden geology,weak floor,as well as the type of the construction of gas wells.Numerical modeling was used to model abutment pressure,subsurface deformations,and the response of gas well casings.The study demonstrated that numerical models are able to predict with reasonable accuracy the subsurface deformations in the overburden above,within,and below the chain pillars,and the potential location and modes of gas well failures,thereby providing a more quantifiable approach to assess the stability of the gas wells in longwall chain pillars.展开更多
Coal seams in Tashan Mine of Datong Coal Group in China average 15 m thick and have been mined by the top coal caving longwall mining method of large mining height. Mining height was 3.8 m and the top coal caving heig...Coal seams in Tashan Mine of Datong Coal Group in China average 15 m thick and have been mined by the top coal caving longwall mining method of large mining height. Mining height was 3.8 m and the top coal caving height was 11.2 m. The gateroad pillar between panels was 38 m. During retreat mining,serious bumps occurred in the gateroads on both sides of the pillar affecting safety production. Therefore,pillarless mining was experimented. Using numerical modeling and comparative study of cases of similar mining condition,it was decided to employ a 6 m wide pillar,rather than the previous 38 m wide pillar.Support system for the gateroads was designed and implemented. During gateroad development,pillar failure conditions and entry deformation were monitored. Hydraulic fracturing method was employed to cut off the K3 sandstone along the entry rib so as to reduce the abutment pressure induced during retreat mining. Support reinforcement method combining grouting and advanced reinforcement methods was proposed to insure stable gateroad ahead of mining. Methane drainage and nitrogen injection were implemented to eliminate hazards associated with mine fire and spontaneous combustion. Since the development of gateroad has just completed,and retreat mining has not begun,the effectiveness of the proposed methods is unknown at this point. However,monitoring will continue until after mining.The results will be published in a separate paper.展开更多
The purpose of this research was to develop a new approach in determination of overhaul and maintenance cost of loading equipment in surface mining. Two statistical models including univariate exponential regression (...The purpose of this research was to develop a new approach in determination of overhaul and maintenance cost of loading equipment in surface mining. Two statistical models including univariate exponential regression (UER) and multivariate linear regression (MLR) were used in this study. Loading equipment parameters such as bucket capacity, machine weight, engine power, boom length, digging depth, and dumping height were considered as variables. The results obtained by models and mean absolute error rate indicate that these models can be applied as the useful tool in determination of overhaul and maintenance cost of loading equipment. The results of this study can be used by the decision-makers for the specific surface mining operations.展开更多
‘‘Web ground control"(web GC) provides users with instantaneous access to mine design applications anywhere, at any time, through a web browser.Utilizing a web-based multiple-tier architecture, users are able t...‘‘Web ground control"(web GC) provides users with instantaneous access to mine design applications anywhere, at any time, through a web browser.Utilizing a web-based multiple-tier architecture, users are able to easily access ground control designs, perform on-demand calculations in the field, as well as facilitate project collaborations across multiple users, devices, and operating systems.Currently, the web GC platform contains five ground control related design applications previously developed and distributed by the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH), that is, analysis of roof bolt stability(ARBS), analysis of longwall pillar stability(ALPS), analysis of retreat mining stability(ARMPS), analysis of retreat mining stability–highwall mining(ARMPS-HWM), and analysis of horizontal stress in mining(AHSM).With respect to design decisions made by the web GC development team, the web GC platform will be able to further integrate future mine design applications providing the mining industry with one of a kind umbrella suite of ground control related software available at ones fingertips.The following paper provides a detailed overview on the current state of the web GC platform with discussions ranging from back-end database development and design to the front-end user-platform interface.Based on current progress in platform development as well as beta testing results, the web GC platform is scheduled for release in the fall of 2018.展开更多
Directive(EU)2017/164 establishes a fourth list of indicative occupational exposure limit values(IOELVs)to protect workers from risks of exposure to hazardous chemicals.It states that in underground mining and tunnell...Directive(EU)2017/164 establishes a fourth list of indicative occupational exposure limit values(IOELVs)to protect workers from risks of exposure to hazardous chemicals.It states that in underground mining and tunnelling,Member States may benefit from a transitional period regarding IOELVs for nitrogen monoxide,nitrogen dioxide,and carbon monoxide,during which the existing established IOELVs may be applied.The European Advisory Committee on Health and Safety at Work questions the technical feasibility of the proposed IOELVs in underground mining(CO,NO and NO2)and tunnelling(NO and NO2).Challenges arise concerning the availability of measurement methodologies for compliance with proposed IOELVs(NO2)in underground mining and tunnelling environments.展开更多
Since longwall mining causes subsidence through the overlying strata to the ground surface, the surface water and groundwater above the longwall panels may be affected and drained into the lower levels.Therefore, loss...Since longwall mining causes subsidence through the overlying strata to the ground surface, the surface water and groundwater above the longwall panels may be affected and drained into the lower levels.Therefore, loss or interruption of streams and overburden aquifers is a common concern in coal industry.This paper analyzed the potential effects of longwall mining on subsurface water system in shallow coal seam. In order to monitor different water level fluctuations throughout the mining period, three water wells were drilled down to the proposed deformation zone above the longwall panel. A GGU-SS-FLOW3 D model was used to predict water table contours for the periods of pre- and post-mining conditions. The field data from the three water wells were utilized to calibrate the model. The field test and numerical model can help to better understand the dewatering of shallow aquifers and surface waters related to ground subsidence from longwall mining in shallow coal seam.展开更多
Controlled blasting techniques are used to control overbreak and to aid in the stability of the remaining rock formation. Presplitting is one of the most common methods which is used in many open pit mining and surfac...Controlled blasting techniques are used to control overbreak and to aid in the stability of the remaining rock formation. Presplitting is one of the most common methods which is used in many open pit mining and surface blast design. The purpose of presplitting is to form a fracture plane across which the radial cracks from the production blast cannot travel. The purpose of this study is to investigate of effect of presplitting on the generation of a smooth wall in continuum and jointed rock mass. The 2D distinct element code was used to simulate the presplitting in a rock slope. The blast load history as a function of time was applied to the inner wall of each blasthole. Important parameters that were considered in the analysis were stress tensor and fracturing pattern. The blast loading magnitude and blasthole spacing and jointing pattern were found to be very significant in the final results.展开更多
A directive, legislated by the South African Department of Minerals and Energy(DME) in 1997, was introduced to reduce the dust exposures of continuous miner(CM) operators to below 5 mg/m3, when measured at the operato...A directive, legislated by the South African Department of Minerals and Energy(DME) in 1997, was introduced to reduce the dust exposures of continuous miner(CM) operators to below 5 mg/m3, when measured at the operator's cab position. The focus of this paper is to review the effectiveness of observing this rule for almost two decades and discuss industry perceptions arising from the application of this rule. The results have demonstrated that the engineering sample cannot predict the personal shift dust exposure of a CM operator. Therefore, it is recommended that the engineering sampling, as currently practiced,should be reviewed with the objective to discontinue and replace it by the approved PDM3700 realtime dust monitor.展开更多
Rope shovels are used to dig and load materials in surface mines. One of the main factors that influence the production rate and energy consumption of rope shovels is the performance of the operator. This paper presen...Rope shovels are used to dig and load materials in surface mines. One of the main factors that influence the production rate and energy consumption of rope shovels is the performance of the operator. This paper presents a method for evaluating rope shovel operators using the Multi-Attribute Decision-Making （MADM） model. Data used in this research were collected from an operating surface coal mine in the southern United States. The MADM model consists of attributes, their weights of importance, and alter- natives. Shovel operators are considered the alternatives, The energy consumption model was developed with multiple regression analysis, and its variables were included in the MADM model as attributes. Preferences with respect to min/max of the defined attributes were obtained with multi-objective opti- mization. Multi-objective optimization was conducted with the overall goal of minimizing energy con- sumption and maximizing production rate. Weights of importance of the attributes were determined by the Analytical Hierarchy Process （AHP）, The overall evaluation of operators was performed by one of the MADM models, i.e., PROMETHEE If. The research results presented here may be used by mining professionals to held evaluate the performance of rode shovel operators in surface mining.展开更多
The integration of sustainable development challenges and opportunities into the decision making process during the design and/or implementation of multi-disciplinary mining projects is generally not supported by deci...The integration of sustainable development challenges and opportunities into the decision making process during the design and/or implementation of multi-disciplinary mining projects is generally not supported by decision support systems(DSS). A new hybrid decision support tool, which features an integrated assessment of sustainable development issues as they apply to mining projects, is hereby proposed. The proposed DSS framework, named ‘‘Acropolis DSS", can be used to assist involved stakeholders in critical decisions, especially when addressing issues such as stakeholder participation, transparency,and trade-offs. The proposed DSS is based on a multi-criteria decision analysis combined with the multi-attribute utility theory.展开更多
文摘This study was focused to assess major and trace elements in bauxitic duricrusts from Ngaoundal and its surroundings in order to establish their mining interest. To this end, fieldworks, mineralogical and geochemical analyses were carried out. Four facies of duricrust were identified and characterized from the summit to the top of the slope of the Ngaoundal mountain: scoriaceous, pisolitic, nodular and massive. Mineralogical and geochemical analyses performed on 16 samples, revealed a significant concentration of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> mainly in the scoriaceous facies (over 45% in grade), moderate in Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> (averaging 23.69%) and SiO<sub>2</sub> (averaging 21.7%). Trace elements were generally low, excluding Cr (421 ppm on average), Zr (327 ppm on average and V (213 ppm on average). In addition, the limited quantities of alkalis (Na<sub>2</sub>O, K<sub>2</sub>O) and alkaline earths metals (MgO, CaO) coupled with the very high values of Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) and Mineralogical Index of Alteration (MIA), (more than 99%) attest to the intense weathering of the studied materials. Allitization and monosiallitization constituted the crystallochemical phenomena that have led to the development of bauxitic minerals. More than 90% of gibbsite in scoriaceous facies, 52.21% - 76.01% of kaolinite in pisolitic facies and more than 40% of hematite in nodular facies were quantified. The relationships between the constitutive components indicated their interdependency during the bauxitization phenomenon. The mineralogical and geochemical properties highlighted the mining interest of the studied duricrusts to be valorized.
文摘Surface mining operations play a crucial role in meeting the world’s increasing demand for mineral resources for the advancement of technology and debauched expansion of economies. The search for and exploitation of these mineral resources are therefore important for the sustainability of the mineral extraction industry. To this end, efficient mine planning must incorporate sterilisation drilling and effective waste rock management principles in the search and exploitation of these minerals. In this article, sterilisation drilling is being reviewed vis-a-vis the establishment of waste and tailings dump locations, backfilling of open pit excavations and mine closure giving critical attention to the minerals and mining laws of Ghana. Subsequently, a detailed case study of a surface mining operation that successfully incorporated sterilisation drilling in determining waste dump location in its mine planning process has been presented in this study. The findings indicate that the proposed waste dump location could present a potential mining prospect in the future based on enhanced milling capacity/technology and improved mineral commodity price;underscoring the significance of sterilization drilling in the sustainability of the mining industry.
文摘Large portions of the tunnel boring machine(TBM)construction cost are attributed to disc cutter consumption,and assessing the disc cutter's wear level can help determine the optimal time to replace the disc cutter.Therefore,the need to monitor disc cutter wear in real-time has emerged as a technical challenge for TBMs.In this study,real-time disc cutter wear monitoring is developed based on sound and vibration sensors.For this purpose,the microphone and accelerometer were used to record the sound and vibration signals of cutting three different types of rocks with varying abrasions on a laboratory scale.The relationship between disc cutter wear and the sound and vibration signal was determined by comparing the measurements of disc cutter wear with the signal plots for each sample.The features extracted from the signals showed that the sound and vibration signals are impacted by the progression of disc wear during the rock-cutting process.The signal features obtained from the rock-cutting operation were utilized to verify the machine learning techniques.The results showed that the multilayer perceptron(MLP),random subspace-based decision tree(RS-DT),DT,and random forest(RF)methods could predict the wear level of the disc cutter with an accuracy of 0.89,0.951,0.951,and 0.927,respectively.Based on the accuracy of the models and the confusion matrix,it was found that the RS-DT model has the best estimate for predicting the level of disc wear.This research has developed a method that can potentially determine when to replace a tool and assess disc wear in real-time.
基金Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation (AvH) for the financial support as a research fellowthe financial support of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TüB_ITAK) under Project No. MAG-114M568
文摘Severe shield jamming events have been reported during excavation of Uluabat tunnel through adverse geological conditions, which resulted in several stoppages at advancing a single shielded tunnel boring machine(TBM). To study the jamming mechanism, three-dimensional(3D) simulation of the machine and surrounding ground was implemented using the finite difference code FLAC3D. Numerical analyses were performed for three sections along the tunnel with a higher risk for entrapment due to the combination of overburden and geological conditions. The computational results including longitudinal displacement contours and ground pressure profiles around the shield allow a better understanding of ground behavior within the excavation. Furthermore, they allow realistically assessing the impact of adverse geological conditions on shield jamming. The calculated thrust forces, which are required to move the machine forward, are in good agreement with field observations and measurements. It also proves that the numerical analysis can effectively be used for evaluating the effect of adverse geological environment on TBM entrapments and can be applied to prediction of loads on the shield and preestimating of the required thrust force during excavation through adverse ground conditions.
基金The research is supported by National Key R&D Program of China(No.2017YFC060300204)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52074293)+2 种基金Hebei Province Natural Science Foundation of China(No.E2020402041)Yue Qi Young Scholar Project,CUMTB and Yue Qi Distinguished Scholar Project(No.800015Z1138)China University of Mining&Technology,Beijing.
文摘In the Kaiping Coal field,mining of five coal seams,located within 80 m in the Kailuan Group,#5,#7,#8,#9 and#12 coal seam,is difficult due to small interburden thickness,concentrated stress distributions,high coal seam metamorphism,and complex geological conditions.By using the ZTR12 geological penetration radar(GPR)survey combined with borehole observations,the overburden caving due to mining of the five coals seams was measured.The development characteristics of full-cover rock fractures after mining were obtained from the GPR scan,which provides a measurement basis for the control of rock strata in close multiple coal seam mining.For the first time,it was found that the overburden caving pattern shows a periodic triangular caved characteristic.Furthermore,it is proposed that an upright triangular collapsed pile masonry and an inverted triangular with larger fragments piled up alternately appear in the lower gob.The research results show that the roof structure formed in the gob area can support the key overlying strata,which is beneficial to ensure the integrity and stability of the upper coal seams in multiple-seam mining of close coal seams.
基金sponsored by the Appalachian Research Initiative for Environmental Science(ARIES)
文摘Ground movements due to longwall mining operations have the potential to damage the hydrological balance within as well as outside the mine permit area in the form of increased surface ponding and changes to hydrogeological properties. Recently, the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement(OSMRE) in the USA, has completed a public comment period on a newly proposed rule for the protection of streams and groundwater from adverse impacts of surface and underground mining operations(80 FR 44435). With increased community and regulatory focus on mining operations and their potential to adversely affect streams and groundwater, now there is a greater need for better prediction of the possible effects mining has on both surface and subsurface bodies of water. With mining induced stress and strain within the overburden correlated to changes in the hydrogeological properties of rock and soil, this paper investigates the evaluation of the hydrogeological system within the vicinity of an underground mining operation based on strain values calculated through a surface deformation prediction model. Through accurate modeling of the pre- and post-mining hydrogeological system, industry personnel can better depict mining induced effects on surface and subsurface bodies of water aiding in the optimization of underground extraction sequences while maintaining the integrity of water resources.
基金The research work in this paper is financially supported by the West Virginia Coal and Energy Research Bureau(CERB).
文摘The broad objective of this research was to improve current surface mining practices and reduce negative environmental impact of overburden removal in West Virginia(WV).The specific objectives were to(i)compare conventional surface mining method(drilling,blasting,digging,and loading)to a surface miner(SM)method,and(ii)apply the analytical hierarchy process(AHP)to help select the optimal mining method based on production,cost and environmental criteria.The design and the procedures used in this research involve five interrelated modules:(i)rock properties of overburden in WV,(ii)drilling and blasting,(iii)digging and loading,(iv)SM method,and(v)comparative analysis and selection of the optimal mining method by AHP.Results of this research indicate that application of SM method would yield higher cost of overburden removal than conventional mining methods in rocks with a high unconfined compressive strength and abrasivity.A significant advantage of SM method,where applicable,is the elimination of the negative environmental impacts associated with blasting.
基金the support of the Maintenance Department of Mobin Co.Sungun Copper mine
文摘Equipment plays an important role in open pit mining industry and its cost competence at efficient operation and maintenance techniques centered on reliability can lead to significant cost reduction.The application of optimal maintenance process was investigated for minimizing the equipment breakdowns and downtimes in Sungun Copper Mine.It results in the improved efficiency and productivity of the equipment and lowered expenses as well as the increased profit margin.The field operating data of 10 trucks are used to estimate the failure and maintenance profile for each component,and modeling and simulation are accomplished by using reliability block diagram method.Trend analysis was then conducted to select proper probabilistic model for maintenance profile.Then reliability of the system was evaluated and importance of each component was computed by weighted importance measure method.This analysis led to identify the items with critical impact on availability of overall equipment in order to prioritize improvement decisions.Later,the availability of trucks was evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation and it is revealed that the uptime of the trucks is around 11000 h at 12000 operation hours.Finally,uncertainty analysis was performed to account for the uncertainty sources in data and models.
基金Funding for this research was provided by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety(NIOSH).
文摘Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar(DInSAR),a satellite-based remote sensing technique,has application for monitoring subsidence with high resolution over short periods.DInSAR uses radar images to measure centimeter-level surface displacements.In the images,ground resolution can be relatively high,with each data point(pixel)representing the average displacement over an area of several square meters.The image data are acquired regularly which allows subsidence to be monitored sequentially over short periods;imaging periods typically range from weeks to months.Monitoring subsidence over short periods with high spatial resolution has potential to provide insight into the dynamics of subsidence and into relationships between mine advance and subsidence.In this study,for three longwall mines in the western United States,initial subsidence occurring at the start of longwall advance is quantified over short periods(12–72 days).C-band interferometric wide swath Synthetic Aperture Radar(SAR)images from the Sentinel satellites are used to quantify the subsidence.Overall,the data show initial development of subsidence,expansion of the subsidence trough,and the advance of subsidence in the direction of mining.
基金provided by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,NIOSH(No.211-2014-60050)
文摘Most, if not all longwall gob areas accumulate explosive methane-air mixtures that pose a deadly hazard to miners. Numerous mine explosions have originated from explosive gas zones(EGZs) in the longwall gob. Since 2010, researchers at the Colorado School of Mines(CSM) have studied EGZ formation in longwall gobs under two long-term research projects funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Researchers used computational fluid dynamics along with in-mine measurements. For the first time, they demonstrated that EGZs form along the fringe areas between the methane-rich atmospheres and the fresh air ventilated areas along the working face and present an explosion and fire hazard to mine workers. In this study, researchers found that, for progressively sealed gobs, a targeted injection of nitrogen from the headgate and tailgate, along with a back return ventilation arrangement, will create a dynamic seal of nitrogen that effectively separates the methane zone from the face air and eliminates the EGZs to prevent explosions. Using this form of nitrogen injection to create dynamic seals should be a consideration for all longwall operators.
文摘Longwall mining has a significant influence on gas wells located within longwall chain pillars.Subsurface subsidence and abutment pressure induced by longwall mining can cause excessive stresses and deformations in gas well casings.If the gas well casings are compromised or ruptured,natural gas could migrate into the mine workings,potentially causing a fire or explosion.By the current safety regulations,the gas wells in the chain pillars have to be either plugged or protected by adequate coal pillars.The current regulations for gas well pillar design are based on the 1957 Pennsylvania gas well pillar study.The study provided guidelines for gas well pillars by considering their support area and overburden depth as well as the location of the gas wells within the pillars.As the guidelines were developed for room-andpillar mining under shallow cover,they are no longer applicable to modern longwall coal mining,particularly,under deep cover.Gas well casing of failures have occurred even though the chain pillars for the gas wells met the requirements by the 1957 study.This study,conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH),presents seven cases of conventional gas wells penetrating through longwall chain pillars in the Pittsburgh Coal Seam.The study results indicate that overburden depth and pillar size are not the only determining factors for gas well stability.The other important factors include subsurface ground movement,overburden geology,weak floor,as well as the type of the construction of gas wells.Numerical modeling was used to model abutment pressure,subsurface deformations,and the response of gas well casings.The study demonstrated that numerical models are able to predict with reasonable accuracy the subsurface deformations in the overburden above,within,and below the chain pillars,and the potential location and modes of gas well failures,thereby providing a more quantifiable approach to assess the stability of the gas wells in longwall chain pillars.
基金funded by the United Foundation key project fund,Chinese Natural Science Committee (No.U1261207)Datong Coal Group,Tashan Coal Mine,and supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo of China (No.U1261207)
文摘Coal seams in Tashan Mine of Datong Coal Group in China average 15 m thick and have been mined by the top coal caving longwall mining method of large mining height. Mining height was 3.8 m and the top coal caving height was 11.2 m. The gateroad pillar between panels was 38 m. During retreat mining,serious bumps occurred in the gateroads on both sides of the pillar affecting safety production. Therefore,pillarless mining was experimented. Using numerical modeling and comparative study of cases of similar mining condition,it was decided to employ a 6 m wide pillar,rather than the previous 38 m wide pillar.Support system for the gateroads was designed and implemented. During gateroad development,pillar failure conditions and entry deformation were monitored. Hydraulic fracturing method was employed to cut off the K3 sandstone along the entry rib so as to reduce the abutment pressure induced during retreat mining. Support reinforcement method combining grouting and advanced reinforcement methods was proposed to insure stable gateroad ahead of mining. Methane drainage and nitrogen injection were implemented to eliminate hazards associated with mine fire and spontaneous combustion. Since the development of gateroad has just completed,and retreat mining has not begun,the effectiveness of the proposed methods is unknown at this point. However,monitoring will continue until after mining.The results will be published in a separate paper.
文摘The purpose of this research was to develop a new approach in determination of overhaul and maintenance cost of loading equipment in surface mining. Two statistical models including univariate exponential regression (UER) and multivariate linear regression (MLR) were used in this study. Loading equipment parameters such as bucket capacity, machine weight, engine power, boom length, digging depth, and dumping height were considered as variables. The results obtained by models and mean absolute error rate indicate that these models can be applied as the useful tool in determination of overhaul and maintenance cost of loading equipment. The results of this study can be used by the decision-makers for the specific surface mining operations.
基金sponsored by the Alpha Foundation for the Improvement of Mine Safety and Health, Inc
文摘‘‘Web ground control"(web GC) provides users with instantaneous access to mine design applications anywhere, at any time, through a web browser.Utilizing a web-based multiple-tier architecture, users are able to easily access ground control designs, perform on-demand calculations in the field, as well as facilitate project collaborations across multiple users, devices, and operating systems.Currently, the web GC platform contains five ground control related design applications previously developed and distributed by the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH), that is, analysis of roof bolt stability(ARBS), analysis of longwall pillar stability(ALPS), analysis of retreat mining stability(ARMPS), analysis of retreat mining stability–highwall mining(ARMPS-HWM), and analysis of horizontal stress in mining(AHSM).With respect to design decisions made by the web GC development team, the web GC platform will be able to further integrate future mine design applications providing the mining industry with one of a kind umbrella suite of ground control related software available at ones fingertips.The following paper provides a detailed overview on the current state of the web GC platform with discussions ranging from back-end database development and design to the front-end user-platform interface.Based on current progress in platform development as well as beta testing results, the web GC platform is scheduled for release in the fall of 2018.
文摘Directive(EU)2017/164 establishes a fourth list of indicative occupational exposure limit values(IOELVs)to protect workers from risks of exposure to hazardous chemicals.It states that in underground mining and tunnelling,Member States may benefit from a transitional period regarding IOELVs for nitrogen monoxide,nitrogen dioxide,and carbon monoxide,during which the existing established IOELVs may be applied.The European Advisory Committee on Health and Safety at Work questions the technical feasibility of the proposed IOELVs in underground mining(CO,NO and NO2)and tunnelling(NO and NO2).Challenges arise concerning the availability of measurement methodologies for compliance with proposed IOELVs(NO2)in underground mining and tunnelling environments.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51404275 and U1361209)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2013QZ03)the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program)(Grant No.2013CB227903)
文摘Since longwall mining causes subsidence through the overlying strata to the ground surface, the surface water and groundwater above the longwall panels may be affected and drained into the lower levels.Therefore, loss or interruption of streams and overburden aquifers is a common concern in coal industry.This paper analyzed the potential effects of longwall mining on subsurface water system in shallow coal seam. In order to monitor different water level fluctuations throughout the mining period, three water wells were drilled down to the proposed deformation zone above the longwall panel. A GGU-SS-FLOW3 D model was used to predict water table contours for the periods of pre- and post-mining conditions. The field data from the three water wells were utilized to calibrate the model. The field test and numerical model can help to better understand the dewatering of shallow aquifers and surface waters related to ground subsidence from longwall mining in shallow coal seam.
文摘Controlled blasting techniques are used to control overbreak and to aid in the stability of the remaining rock formation. Presplitting is one of the most common methods which is used in many open pit mining and surface blast design. The purpose of presplitting is to form a fracture plane across which the radial cracks from the production blast cannot travel. The purpose of this study is to investigate of effect of presplitting on the generation of a smooth wall in continuum and jointed rock mass. The 2D distinct element code was used to simulate the presplitting in a rock slope. The blast load history as a function of time was applied to the inner wall of each blasthole. Important parameters that were considered in the analysis were stress tensor and fracturing pattern. The blast loading magnitude and blasthole spacing and jointing pattern were found to be very significant in the final results.
文摘A directive, legislated by the South African Department of Minerals and Energy(DME) in 1997, was introduced to reduce the dust exposures of continuous miner(CM) operators to below 5 mg/m3, when measured at the operator's cab position. The focus of this paper is to review the effectiveness of observing this rule for almost two decades and discuss industry perceptions arising from the application of this rule. The results have demonstrated that the engineering sample cannot predict the personal shift dust exposure of a CM operator. Therefore, it is recommended that the engineering sampling, as currently practiced,should be reviewed with the objective to discontinue and replace it by the approved PDM3700 realtime dust monitor.
文摘Rope shovels are used to dig and load materials in surface mines. One of the main factors that influence the production rate and energy consumption of rope shovels is the performance of the operator. This paper presents a method for evaluating rope shovel operators using the Multi-Attribute Decision-Making （MADM） model. Data used in this research were collected from an operating surface coal mine in the southern United States. The MADM model consists of attributes, their weights of importance, and alter- natives. Shovel operators are considered the alternatives, The energy consumption model was developed with multiple regression analysis, and its variables were included in the MADM model as attributes. Preferences with respect to min/max of the defined attributes were obtained with multi-objective opti- mization. Multi-objective optimization was conducted with the overall goal of minimizing energy con- sumption and maximizing production rate. Weights of importance of the attributes were determined by the Analytical Hierarchy Process （AHP）, The overall evaluation of operators was performed by one of the MADM models, i.e., PROMETHEE If. The research results presented here may be used by mining professionals to held evaluate the performance of rode shovel operators in surface mining.
文摘The integration of sustainable development challenges and opportunities into the decision making process during the design and/or implementation of multi-disciplinary mining projects is generally not supported by decision support systems(DSS). A new hybrid decision support tool, which features an integrated assessment of sustainable development issues as they apply to mining projects, is hereby proposed. The proposed DSS framework, named ‘‘Acropolis DSS", can be used to assist involved stakeholders in critical decisions, especially when addressing issues such as stakeholder participation, transparency,and trade-offs. The proposed DSS is based on a multi-criteria decision analysis combined with the multi-attribute utility theory.
