Mining Engineering Commons^™

Investigation Of Coal Burst Potential Using Numerical Modeling And Rock Burst Indices, Cristian David Cardenas Triana

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Coal bursts are typically defined as a rapid failure of coal or surrounding rock producing a violent release of energy and ejection of rock particles. This phenomenon is extremely complex and dynamic, and this has made it very difficult to predict. In the last decades, different researchers have aimed to understand the sources and mechanisms of failure of coal bursts. Various indices have been developed to assess the burst potential such as the Burst Potential Index (BPI), Energy Storage Rate, and the Strain Energy Density. Lately, numerical modeling has also been used as a tool to examine the rock deformation …

An Approach For Predicting Flow Characteristics At The Continuous Miner Face, Kayla Henderson

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

As coal and rock are mined, dust is dispersed into the air. This dust, among other contaminants, poses a serious health and safety risk to mineworkers. Very fine dust known as respirable dust can infiltrate the deepest part of the lungs, and long-term exposure to these particles leads to a disease called coal worker’s pneumoconiosis (CWP). Occurrence of this disease declined steadily over the latter half of the 20^th century; however, a recent study indicates that CWP has reemerged with an upward trend beginning at the turn of the century. To combat dust exposure, mine operators use a combination …

Application Of A Novel Ventilation Simplification Algorithm, Caitlin V. Strong

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Ventilation network analysis is an integral part of maintaining a safe mine environment. Despite its important role, liberties are often taken with the representation of networks in ventilation network analysis software. In order to provide an alternative to heuristic methods used by ventilation engineers, a simplification algorithm has been developed. This algorithm is designed to work as a compliment to ventilation software. Comparisons of original ventilation networks and simplified networks show little to no change in fan operating point. The program utilizing this algorithm provides an alternative to reducing networks with a parallel factor. It can also be used in …

Capture Of Respirable Dust Using Maintenance Free Impingement Screen, Neeraj Kumar Gupta

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Dust produced during mining activities has a detrimental effect on both miners’ health and operations’ safety. There is no definitive treatment for coal miners’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), which is caused by prolonged inhalation of respirable dust. Elevated coal dust concentrations have also been shown to cause several disastrous explosions in the United States and worldwide, resulting in the death of miners and loss of operations. Flooded-bed dust scrubbers are used on all modern-day continuous miners. These devices cleanse the dust-laden air and assist in bringing fresh air towards the mining face. Scrubbers use a multi-layered fibrous screen to capture airborne particles. …

Concepts For Development Of Shuttle Car Autonomous Docking With Continuous Miner Using 3-D Depth Camera, Sibley Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

In recent years, a great deal of work has been conducted in automating mining equipment with the goals of increasing worker health and safety and increasing mine productivity. Automating vehicles such as load-haul-dumps been successful even in underground environments where the use of global positioning systems are unavailable. This thesis addresses automating the operation of a shuttle car, specifically focusing on positioning the shuttle car under the continuous miner coal-discharge conveyor during cutting and loading operations. This task requires recognition of the target and precise control of the tramming operation because a specific orientation and distance from the coal discharge …

Oxidation Pretreatment For Enhanced Leachability Of Rare Earth Elements From Bituminous Coal Sources, Tushar Gupta

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical components in advanced electronics, clean energy technologies, and national energy and economic security. The global supply situation of these strategically valuable elements remains critical as the market is largely monopolistic. Thus, to alleviate the dependence on global imports, investments are being made in the research and development of innovative and cost-effective technologies for the indigenous processing and recovery of REEs from alternate sources that are cheap and abundant. Numerous research findings have identified potential benefits and proven the technological feasibility of extracting and selectively concentrating REEs from coal byproducts such as preparation plant rejects …

Implementing The Empirical Stone Mine Pillar Strength Equation Into The Boundary Element Method Software Lamodel, Samuel Escobar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this research, the equation for the increasing stress into the interior of a stone mine pillar, as a function of the pillar width-to-height ratio, is derived from the empirical pillar strength equation proposed by Esterhuizen et al. (2011). The gradient stress equations for the stone mine pillars were derived by following similar approaches to those presented by Mark et al. (1992) and Johnson et al. (2014). In these approaches, it is assumed that the variation of stresses within the pillar is a function of distance to the closest rib. The stress gradient function provides the stress distribution within the …

Investigation Of Anomalous Data Trends During Coal Dust Explosibilty Testing, Jacob Lee Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

Coal dust explosibility is a health and safety concern that has been a recognized hazard for over 100 years. Initial testing by the Author using a Siwek 20L apparatus recorded a secondary maximum pressure at higher dust concentrations (1,000-7,000g/m³) with Pulverized Pittsburgh Coal (PCC). Higher dust concentrations are beyond the typical ASTM E1226 testing procedure but are possible in mining and processing scenarios. No reference documents have been discovered that show a secondary maximum pressure at higher dust concentrations. Literature reviewed identified that once a coal dust concertation generates a peak pressure, the pressure remains constant or decreases …

Improving Real-Time Methane Monitoring In Longwall Coal Mines Through System Response Characterization Of A Multi-Nodal Methane Detection Network, Brian Philip Cappellini

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Machine automation and atmospheric monitoring are used by many industries to improve safety and productivity in the workplace. The underground Methane Watchdog System (MWS) is a multi-nodal network of sensors currently under development. The MWS aims to improve safety and productivity by introducing 10 compact sampling units designed to be easily integrated within the current roof support equipment of the mine. Each unit contains an array of sensors used to continuously monitor the environmental conditions which include methane concentration, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. All MWS units report information back to a remote central processing hub (CPH) which collects nodal …

Evaluation Of Lidar Systems For Rock Mass Discontinuity Identification In Underground Stone Mines From 3d Point Cloud Data, Mario Alejandro Bendezu De La Cruz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this thesis is to compare the accuracy and precision of the discontinuity identification results obtained by three active remote sensing technologies along with a point cloud processing program, and the results obtained by conventional methods. For this research, the active remote sensing devices were terrestrial LIDAR, mobile LiDAR with Simultaneous localization, and mapping (SLAM), and LIDAR/Camera on an autonomous UAV. The open-source point cloud data processing programs Discontinuity Set Extractor (DSE) and the Cloud Compare were used to process point cloud data.

The results of this research found that it is possible to identify certain geological structures …

Various Operational Aspects Of The Extraction Of Critical Minerals From Acid Mine Drainage And Its Treatment By-Product, Zhongqing Xiao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is environmentally hazardous acidic water, which is continuously generated in large volumes at coal mining sites, typically when pyrite is exposed to oxygen and water. As its continuous migration under the geologic conditions, AMD tends to leach metal elements out from the surrounding minerals, leading to high concentrations of metal elements, like iron, aluminum, magnesium, manganese, lead, arsenic, as well as critical cobalt and rare earth elements (REEs). AMD must be treated and monitored to meet the effluent limits, under U.S.C §1251, the Clean Water act, before being discharged to receiving streams.

Recently, the research is …

The Effect Of Natural Fractures On The Mechanical Behavior Of Limestone Pillars: A Synthetic Rock Mass Approach Application, Mustafa Can Süner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In general, underground limestone mines have inherently strong rock and experience good ground stability. Also, modern pillar design guidelines developed by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have improved the design of stable layouts for modern limestone mines. However, ground control-related incidents are still an important problem. In underground limestone mines, previously mined sections stay open for the life of the mine which may be many years, and it is possible for travel ways to working faces to pass through these old sections. In a recent massive pillar collapse in an old section of a mine in Pennsylvania …

Using Similitude Theory And Discrete Element Modeling To Understand The Effects Of Digging Parameters On Excavation Performance For Rubber Tire Loaders, Atta Ur Rehman

Doctoral Dissertations

"The large sizes of mining equipment pose challenges for analysis using experiments or simulation. While scaled physical and simulation models can address this challenge, no previous work has explored how similitude theory and modeling can provide valid analysis of large equipment such as rubber tire loaders. The objective of this research was to apply similitude theory and discrete element modeling (DEM) to study the effect of different digging parameters on the penetration and the draft on the buckets of rubber tire loaders. The work sought to (1) test the hypothesis that the geometry of a rubber tire loader bucket and …

Downhole Water Drainage From A Gas Reservoir For Water Dumpflood In An Underlying Oil Reservoir, Htet Myet Zin Naing

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

For wells drilled in a bottom water-drive gas reservoir, water coning may lead to a considerable amount of water production which diminishes the gas recovery. If the gas reservoir has an oil reservoir underneath, a method called “Downhole Water Drain for Water Dumpflood” (DWDDF) can be performed to drain water from the aquifer underneath the gas reservoir and dump it into the oil reservoir to perform waterflooding. DWDDF technique can help increase gas production from the upper gas reservoir and oil production from the lower reservoir at the same time. In this study, a simple reservoir model having common rock …

Quality Control Of Chemical Grade Calcium Carbonate From Lopburi Limestone Deposit In Thailand, Pimpichcha Teawpanich

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is naturally produced from calcite, limestone, chalk, and marble. It is being used as raw material in various industries (e.g., cement, plastic, paint, paper, and pharmaceutical industries). The low-grade CaCO3 samples obtained from a calcite plant at Khoktum Sub-district, Muang Lopburi District, Lopburi Province, Thailand were used in this study. These samples contain more than 98% of CaCO3 while Fe2O3 contents are higher than 0.1% and increased after finished the process. Because of this problem, the products could not be sold since lower Fe2O3 contents are required (e.g., ≤0.05% for filler grade and ≤ 0.1% for animal …

Effects Of Clay Minerals On Oil Recovery Mechanism In Low Salinity Waterflooding In Shaly-Sandstone Formation, Tri Yudha Putra

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Low Salinity Waterflooding (LSWF) is one of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques that are often mentioned nowadays. Several studies showed that injecting low salinity water leads to Multi-component Ion Exchange (MIE) which is one of oil recovery mechanisms provided by this technique. This study was performed to investigate the effects of specific clay mineral in rock and ion in injected water. First, representative clays were analytically tested to ensure their mineral compositions and the selected representative clays were tested by filtration with different water formulations to identify ionic capacities in MIE for each clay. Results obtained from filtration test and …

Calculation Of Real Evapotranspiration By The Application Of Metric Method On Landsat-8 Data, Ali Imanian, Majid Hashemi Tangestani, Adel Asadi, Mohammad Zare

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

In geological remote sensing approaches for estimating evapotranspiration, METRIC method is among the most modern and precise approaches that many positive experiments have been reported regarding its applicability. In this study, the value of actual evapotranspiration (ET) occurred in Marvdasht farmlands, Fars province, Iran, was calculated instantaneously (hourly) and daily (24 hours), at 24 April 2017 using METRIC method and Lansat-8 data. In order to accuracy assessment of the results, estimated values were compared to the values calculated with Penman Monteith method in places that covers by alfafa crop. Our observations showed that ET values obtained via METRIC model on …

Nonlinear Wave Evolution In Interaction With Currents And Viscoleastic Muds, Elham Sharifineyestani, Navid Tahvildari

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

A numerical model is extended to investigate the nonlinear dynamics of surface wave propagation over mud in the presence of currents. A phase-resolving frequency-domain model for wave-current interaction is improved to account for wave modulations due to viscoelastic mud of arbitrary thickness. The model compares well with published laboratory data and performs slightly better than the model with viscous mud-induced wave damping mechanism. Monochromatic and random wave simulations are conducted to examine the combined effect of currents, mud-induced wave dissipation and modulation, and nonlinear wave-wave interactions on surface wave spectra. Results indicate that current effects on wave damping over viscoelastic …

Celestite Upgrading By Jigs In Presence Of Steel Balls As Ragging Material, Ahmed Sobhy, Ayman A. El-Midany, Suzan S. Ibrahim

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Gravity separation using jigs is widely used for coarse particle sizes separation. However, fine sizes reduce jig performance. In this study, the upgrading of celestite ore by jig was investigated at different size fractions in the presence of ragging material. Three size fractions, i.e., -15+2 mm, - 2.0 + 0.50 mm and - 0.50 + 0.08 mm were used. The steel balls were used, as ragging material, to improve the separation of fines as well as to improve the concentrate quality. The statistical design was used to correlate celestite grade and recovery with studied operating variables, i.e., the ragging number …

Evaluation Of Various Separation Techniques For The Removal Of Actinides From A Rare Earth-Containing Solution Generated From Coarse Coal Refuse, Deniz Talan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rare earth elements have emerged as a vital commodity due to their significance in the production of high-tech devices as well as their utilization in defense and military systems. They are deemed critical due to potential scarcity, supply constraints, and the lack of minable concentrations. Therefore, alternative sources are needed to meet the demand and continue manufacturing rare earth-required products. Coal and coal by-products, in that regard, have presented a significant opportunity and proven to contain a considerable amount of rare earths. However, toxic elements such as thorium and uranium are frequently seen in the same mineralization as rare earths. …