Mining Engineering Commons^™

Solutions To Some Mine Subsidence Research Challenges, Jian Yang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this work is to address three challenging topics, (1) effects of overburden key strata on subsurface subsidence; (2) effects of longwall subsidence on interstate highways and highway bridges; and (3) effects of dewatering mine water on surface subsidence over inactive room-and-pillar mines, in mine subsidence and to continue improvement of mine safety and health by reducing mine-subsidence related hazards.

Surface and subsurface subsidence events induced by underground mining activities are often capable of causing significant disturbances not only to surface structures, but also to subsurface structures. In this work, models and techniques to study three challenging topics …

Design And Development Of A Multi-Nodal Methane Detection System For Longwall Coal Mining, Amber P. Barr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Methane (CH4) explosions pose significant dangers in longwall mining that may lead to injuries and fatalities. Safety is improved through diligent monitoring of CH4 concentration. Currently, regulations require a CH4 monitor be placed on the shearer, downwind of the cutting head. Portable monitor measurements must be taken at various times and locations. If any CH4 monitor measures a concentration greater than 1%, a warning signal must be given. Based on previous research and the location of the CH4 monitor mounted on the shearer (closest monitor to the face), if 1% methane is measured, the concentration at the face may be …

The Influence Of Spatial Variance On Rock Strength And Mechanism Of Failure, Danqing Gao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The heterogeneity in the rock formation affects both rock behavior and the strength. The effect of heterogeneity is observed both at the laboratory scale and at the rockmass level. The mechanical properties of intact rock vary considerably at laboratory scale and often an average value is used for design purposes. Similarly, the values are arbitrarily scaled when used at rockmass level. In underground coal mines, the effect of variability of properties is often observed with the erratic roof failure events that occur throughout the mine. The approach often was to use the deterministic values from limited site data to estimate …

Upstream Tailings Dam - Liquefaction, Mladen Dragic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The collapse of Dam I, tailings dam, at Vale S.A.’s (“Vale”) of the Córrego do Feijão Iron Ore Mine in Brazil was an accident that caused over 270 casualties and made irreparable damage to the surrounding environment. The exact reason for the failure is not known however, liquefaction was suspected to be the most influencing factor in the failure. Liquefaction failure of impoundment is increasing concern in the mining community and especially mine planners who will have to design and build the tailings dam. Different design methods are available with varied degree of challenges. Upstream construction methods, as one of …

Rational Drilling Control Parameters To Reduce Respirable Dust During Roof Bolting Operations, Hua Jiang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Roof bolting has been the primary means to improve mine safety in the aspect of preventing different types of roof falls in underground mines. However, based on the published researches, underground roof bolting operators exhibit a continued risk for overexposure to high levels of respirable coal and crystalline silica dust from the roof drilling operation. Inhaling these dust can cause coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), also known as black lung. Another job-related lung disease silicosis, a disabling and even fatal and irreversible illness, could be developed through overexposure to quartz-laden dust. A recent NIOSH research shows that the quartz content in …

An Interactive Mobile Equipment Task-Training With Virtual Reality, Lazar Zujovic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Improving the quality of equipment training for the Heavy Equipment Operators (HEO) is a critical task in the ever-lasting effort to improve safety and eliminate equipment-related injuries in mining environments. Traditional miner training includes the use of hardcopy documents and video instructions. However, modern mobile and computer technology offers tremendous potential to improve the training process. One major responsibility for the heavy-machine operators is proper machine inspection. Establishing new training methods that utilize modern technologies—such as 360-degree images, videos, and Virtual Reality—and implementing computers for training purposes have a potential to help new operators learn how to conduct proper machine …

Copper And Gold In Vapors And Liquids As A Function Of Hcl At 700°C And 100 Mpa, Corrie A. Lucchesi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Porphyry ore deposits are major sources of copper (Cu) and gold (Au) and form when a magmatic volatile phase (MVP) exsolves from a porphyritic intermediate to felsic melt and transports metals to surrounding country rock where they precipitate in an ore zone. There is a consensus that the chloride concentration of the MVP has a direct relationship to the concentration of Cu and Au in the MVP, but the role of dissolved HCl on Cu and Au concentrations has not been addressed. It is hypothesized that increasing HCl concentrations in the MVP will result in higher concentrations of Cu and …

Modeling And Optimization Of Froth Flotation Of Low-Grade Phosphate Ores: Experiments And Machine Learning, Ashraf Alsafasfeh

Doctoral Dissertations

”In this research work, bench-scale and micro-scale flotation tests were conducted to separate “minerals from silicate minerals using direct and reverse flotation approaches, respectively. Experiments were conducted at different flotation conditions including reagents’ type, reagents’ dosages, pulp’s pH, and flotation time.

In the direct flotation process, two polymers were selected to promote the depression of silicates: hybrid polyacrylamide-based polymers (Hy-PAM) and chitosan. Results indicated that the highest recovery of P₂O₅ (86.82%) was obtained when the Hy-PAM polymer was used compared with 66.7% and 40% when chitosan and commercial inorganic depressant were used, respectively. The experimental datasets obtained …

Investigation Of The Stability Of Liquid And Air Films By Synchronized Tri-Wavelength Reflection Interferometry Microscope, Yuesheng Gao

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Liquid films are widely involved in many processes, such as froth flotation, oil extraction, foam/bubble stabilization, etc. In the meantime, air films are commonly seen in diverse fields like dust control, ink print, coating industry, and so on. Stabilities of these liquid/air films are of great importance to improve the processes. As more and more researchers are paying increasing attention to liquid/air films, tremendous efforts have been made to explore the properties of the films. On the one hand, some theoretical models have also been well developed in recent decades. State-of-the-art technologies, such as AFM, SFA, and RICM, have also …

A Novel Pixel-Based Multiple-Point Geostatistical Simulation Method For Stochastic Modeling Of Earth Resources, Adel Asadi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Uncertainty is an integral part of modeling Earth's resources and environmental processes. Geostatistical simulation technique is a well-established tool for uncertainty quantification of earth systems modeling. Multiple-point statistical (MPS) algorithms are specifically advantageous when dealing with the complexity and heterogeneity of geological data. MPS algorithms take advantage of using training images to mimic physical reality. This research presents a novel and efficient pixel-based multiple-point geostatistical simulation method for mineral resource modeling. Pixel-based simulation implies the sequential modeling of individual points on the simulation grid by borrowing spatial information from the training image and honoring conditioning data points. The developed method …

Microscopic Fabric Characteristics Of Typical Red Soft Rock In Badong Formation Under Uniaxial Compression Test, Xiao Zunqun, Wang Xin, Tang Dongsang, Dong Qiongying, Jiang Yinan, Yang Kai, Cao Tongtong, Deng Zhen

Coal Geology & Exploration

Red silty mudstone and argillaceous siltstone are the representatives of special rock and soil in Badong Formation, are easy to disintegrate when encountering water. According to the uniaxial compression test of rock samples, a numerical model of medium and soft rock uniaxial compression test was established based on PFC_2D program. With the characteristics of stress-strain curve, subsection quantitative parameter calibration method was used to calibrate the microscopic parameters of soft rock samples. The adjustment method and the ratio of tangential bond strength(σ_c/τ_c) control specimen under uniaxial compression failure mode. The uniaxial compression test of silty …

Analysis Of Suitable Development Technology Of Cbm(Gas) In Guizhou, Xu Xiaoqian, Meng Yingfang, Duan Zhengpeng, Li Guohong, Li Qingsong

Coal Geology & Exploration

In recent years, technical bottlenecks have been encountered in the practice of CBM exploration and development in Guizhou Province, selecting suitable development technology is one of the key issues. Based on the background that CBM exists in thin coal seams and geological structures are complicated in Guizhou, combined with successful development and utilization of CBM, the CBM development and utilization technology suitable for complex geological conditions in Guizhou was put forward. Air drilling is recommended for drilling in Guizhou, according to different distance of thin seams, such as optical casing composite fracturing and salvageable bridge plug fracturing can be used. …

Key Technology Of Drilling In-Seam Directional Borehole Of 3 000 M In Underground Coal Mine, Shi Zhijun, Dong Shuning, Yang Junzhe, Xu Chao, Hao Shijun, Li Quanxin, Chen Dianfu, Yao Ke, Liu Jianlin, Tian Dongzhuang

Coal Geology & Exploration

The pre-mining gas governance mode in Baode coal mine requires that long directional borehole of more than 3 000 m can be drilled along coal seam. In view of the existing technology and equipment, there are technical problems in the construction of ultra-long directional borehole, such as the difficulty of sliding drilling, the large hydraulic pressure consumption in inlet waterway, the limited transmission distance of wireline MWD signal, and incapability of flushing liquid recycle. The technology of friction reduction in sliding drilling based on the hydraulic thrust of DHM and the torsion penetration of the ultra-long drilling tool, the technology …

Extension Model Of Fracturing Cracks Of Translayer Horizontal Well In Roof Of Soft Coal Reservoir, Wang Zhirong, Hu Kai, Yang Jie, Chen Lingxia

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to study the propagation rules of hydraulic fracturing crack formed by a horizontal well in roof to coal seam, taking the Permian-Carboniferous coal field in North China as an example, through the classical theory of fracture mechanics, damage mechanics and fluid mechanics, combined with field actual data, the modeling and verification of the space-time evolution law of the crack propagation distance and fracturing time were carried out. Firstly, considering the additional stress of perforation, the characteristics of primary fracture and the permeability characteristics of rock formation, the calculation formula of cracking pressure of vertical hydraulic fracture caused by …

Technology Feasibility Of Gas Drainage With Comb-Shaped Long Borehole In Floor Instead Of Translayer Borehole, Li Hong, Liu Mingju, Hao Guangsheng, Deng Qigen, Dong Yanjun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Drainage technology of translayer borehole in floor roadway and directional long hole are the most important gas control measures in high gas and outburst-prone mining face at present. The coal seam in Zhaozhuang mine has the characteristics of being soft and low gas permeability. It is difficult to drill and form holes in a coal seam. For gas control, the major method is to drill a translayer borehole to eliminate gas outburst, supplemented by in-seam gas drainage boreholes. However, there are shortcomings such as large engineering volume, long construction period and high cost of drilling in floor rock roadway. The …

An Improved Method For Characterizing Coal Metamorphism By Xrd, Wang Chao, Zhao Younan, Wang Zhenwei, Lu Zhaolin

Coal Geology & Exploration

At present, the X-ray measurement method of coal metamorphism has the problem that the γ band is not well divided, the δ peak information is not used, and the background of the bottom is unreasonable. The X-ray diffraction pattern of coal with different metamorphosed degrees is compared and studied. It is proposed to correct the metamorphic coefficient formula by using the information of the slope of the 002 peak, the extended half-height width and the δ peak without deducting the so-called background information. The calculation of the XRD patterns of coal samples with different degrees of metamorphism is verified. The …

Effect Of False Boundary Of Microscopic Image On Automatic Identification Of Maceral Group, Song Xiaozhong

Coal Geology & Exploration

In automatic detection of coal petrology by image analysis technology, it is found that the boundary of various components in the microscopic image of coal petrology demonstrates a "rim" of gray transition zone, and the pixel of this rim cannot reflect the true gray level of the components on both sides. In order to analyze its influence on the identification and detection of macerals, the characteristics and causes of the false boundary between various adjacent components were studied with analysis of microscopic images collected from a large number of coal samples in China. Generally, the false boundary is ring-shaped or …

Effects Of Iron-Nickel Ion Combination On Methane Produced By Lignite Fermentation, Xia Daping, Huang Song, Zhang Huaiwen

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to study the mechanism of the influence of exogenous optimal iron-nickel ions combination on the gas production process of fermentation, taking Daliuta lignite as an example, experiments were carried out with different contents of iron-nickel ions and the optimal concentration of single ions was elected. The optimal combination concentration of iron-nickel ions were determined by combined design of quadratic regression and common rotation. The fermentation broth of experiment group and blank group(not to added any ions), the coal sample of before and after experiment were analyzed by gas chromatography, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, etc. The results …

Origin And Geochemical Characteristics Of Coalbed Methane In Abandoned Coal Mines, Panzhuang Block, Southern Qinshui Basin, Liu Chao, Feng Guorui, Zeng Fangui

Coal Geology & Exploration

In order to analyze the carbon and oxygen composition and origin of the coal seam gas(CSG) in abandoned mines, Panzhuang block, south of Qinshui basin, in this paper, the coalbed methane and produced water samples were collected. The results show that the CSG of abandoned mines is dominated by CH₄, the average is 91.99%, with minor amounts of N₂(6.73%) and CO₂(1.26%). The δ¹³C values of CH₄ range from -31.36‰ to -33.53‰, with an average of -32.25‰, the hydrogen isotope(δD) value is between -182.76‰ and -193.20‰, and the average value …

Mine Water Inrush Rescue Model Based On Optimized Spfa Algorithm, Cai Mingjie, Zhu Xi’An, Liu Demin, Wang Zhangang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Due to the occurrence of coal mine water inrush accidents, it is easy to cause major personnel and property losses. In order to improve the emergency rescue capability of mine water inrush disasters and reduce the water inrush hazard, a mine water inrush rescue route model was proposed. The undirected map and the adjacency list were used to describe and store the mine roadway network. According to the calculation ratio of the height of the water level and the height of underground personnel in roadway, the safety coefficient of the roadway was calculated, and then the equivalent length of the …