Mining Engineering Commons^™

Underground Mine Fire Simulation Using Multiscale Modeling Approach, Xichen Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

"Underground mine fires have always been a major concern. Past events show that fire poses a severe safety hazard to mine workers, and causes tremendous economic loss to the mine and surrounding communities. A good understanding of the interaction between a mine fire and the mine ventilation network is crucial for effective fire emergency planning and hazard control. Unfortunately our understanding of a fire is still limited due to the complex nature of mine fires and a lack of adequate resource for studying them.

A new multiscale modeling approach coupling conventional 1D and 3D techniques has shown to be a …

Diesel Particulate Matter Dispersion Analysis In Underground Metal/Nonmetal Mines Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Yi Zheng

Doctoral Dissertations

"Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) is a natural by-product from operating diesel engines. Since diesel power is a major source of energy for mining operations today, the adverse health effects of DPM are of a great concern. To thoroughly resolve DPM problems, it is critical that DPM propagation characteristics be understood to arrive at a sensible and practical method for addressing DPM-related issues. To achieve this, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is used to simulate DPM dispersion and to predict its concentration distribution. Industrial field studies were reconstructed to evaluate the possibility of different CFD models. Experiments were also carried …

Development Of A High-Resolution Target Movement Monitoring System For Convergence Monitoring In Mines, Tristan H. Jones

Doctoral Dissertations

"The research performed for this dissertation has been conducted with the goal of developing a ground convergence monitor that may better meet the needs of some mines, leading to increased use of ground monitoring programs and reduced fatality rates from falling and sliding rock. The developed monitor is a convergence monitor capable of achieving sensitivities similar to those of currently available convergence meters such as tape extensometers. The monitor is inexpensive and is capable of totally remote operation in some circumstances...A physical model of the meter was developed based on experimental results and compared to a derived theoretical model to …

Design And Evaluation Of A Virtual Reality Training System For New Underground Rockbolters, David Nutakor

Doctoral Dissertations

"The need for development of better training techniques for underground rock bolters is signified by the fact that a large number of experienced miners (Baby Boomers) will be retiring soon. This means that there will be very little interface time between the new miners and the experienced miners, which could have been used for training the new inexperienced miners. A new generation of workers (Nexters), who have grown up with computers and video games will replace the Baby Boomers, and the most efficient way to introduce them to the safety and health issues of the mining industry is to use …

Design And Optimization Of Abrasive Slurry Feed System, Control Circuit And Jet Drilling Tool For Mining Applications,, Pradeep Nambiath

Doctoral Dissertations

"This dissertation focused on an investigation of small diameter hole drilling using abrasive slurry jet (ASJ) technology. The existing ASJ feed systems were reviewed and found inadequate to satisfy the requirements of an ASJ drill. A novel feed system was designed which improved on existing systems by resolving problems with the inability to perform stop/start operations and ensure precise metering of abrasive feed. This system met standards of consistency and evenness of feed required for machining aircraft component parts for Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Theoretical and experimental analysis of the power of an ASJ stream yielded valuable design information …

Mechanics Of Dump Truck Vibrations In High-Impact Shovel Loading Operations, Nassib Aouad

Doctoral Dissertations

"The deployment of large machinery for low cost, bulk surface mine production operations has resulted in high-impact shovel loading operations (HISLO). In extreme cases, shovels load large dump trucks with 100-ton (or more) passes generating high-impact forces under gravity. HISLO generates high-frequency shockwaves that cause severe truck vibrations exposing operators to whole body vibrations (WBV). This WBV levels may exceed the recommended International Standards Organization (ISO) limits resulting in longterm lower-back disorders and other health problems. There is a need for fundamental and applied research to determine HISLO vibration levels for heavy mining machinery, their comparisons to ISO 2631 limits …

Analysis Of The Holistic Impact Of The Hydrogen Economy On The Coal Industry, Shannon Perry Lusk

Doctoral Dissertations

"As gas prices soar and energy demand continues to grow amidst increasingly stringent environmental regulations and an assortment of global pressures, implementing alternative energy sources while considering their linked economic, environmental and societal impacts becomes a more pressing matter. The Hydrogen Economy has been proposed as an answer to meeting the increasing energy demand for electric power generation and transportation in an environmentally benign way. Based on current hydrogen technology development, the most practical feedstock to fuel the Hydrogen Economy may prove to be coal via hydrogen production at FutureGen plants. The planned growth of the currently conceived Hydrogen Economy …

An Analysis And Policy Implications Of Comfort Levels Of Diverse Constituents With Reported Units For Blast Vibrations And Limits: Closing The Communication Gap, Braden Lusk

Doctoral Dissertations

"Differences exist between public perception of construction blasting and quarry blasting. In general, people are able to tolerate short term inconveniences much better than long term ones. Quarries and other long term mining operations utilizing blasting are coming under increasing public and legislative pressure in the United States. The question being posed for the blasting industry is, "Has our past haste in adopting complex scientific scales and units been detrimental to us?" In other words, are the most palatable things being reported? The goal of this dissertation is to determine whether current units create an atmosphere of discomfort among neighbors …

Optimizing Underground, Trackless Loading And Hauling Systems, Richard Lee Bullock

Doctoral Dissertations

"Determining the optimum system and equipment to be utilized in today's underground trackless haulage mine is a complex problem which was dealt with in this research by systems simulation. The computer program developed by the Caterpillar Tractor Company served as the starting point for simulating the equipment's capabilities to move material over a course in a prescribed time. Extensive time studies of the unsimulated events lead to structuring this program in the deterministic mode since it was felt to be more acceptable to the operating management which would eventually use the technique. Every phase of the simulation was successfully validated …

Deformation And Fracture Of Concrete Under Uniaxial Impact Loading, Esteban Eulogio Miranda

Doctoral Dissertations

"Stress wave propagation and interaction in plain concrete leading up to spall fracture was investigated experimentally with a computer numerical analysis of the bar-geometry axial-impact loading. The critical normal fracture strain energy U and mechanical energy W criteria are proposed for the spatial and time dependence explanation of spallation in concrete. The energy criteria are special cases of a more generalized cumulative damage model of the form:....

Finite-difference analyses of the wave propagation and interactions in the split Hopkinson bar showed that early failure in brittle materials limits the application of the conventional method of analysis because equilibrium in the …

The Use Of Shaped Explosive Charges To Investigate Permeability, Penetration, And Fracture Formation In Coal, Dolomite And Plexiglas, Calvin J. Konya

Doctoral Dissertations

"The concentration of methane gas which exists in the exhaust air from a coal mine is critical. It can be controlled by dilution of the gas with fresh air or by the regulation of the rate of methane emission into the mine workings. Degasification techniques which control the emission rate are currently being developed. The use of shaped charges to initiate fractures in coal and increase the gas flow rate was the object of this research. The three areas of investigation were: 1) permeability changes in coal models after fracturing with shaped charge jets, 2) fracture formation in coal and …

Statistical Study Of Rock Drilling By Hypervelocity Jets From Explosive Shaped Charges, John William Brown

Doctoral Dissertations

"The drilling effect in rock of hypervelocity jets from explosive shaped charges was investigated experimentally to supplement a rapid excavation concept. The effects of the design factors of the charge and the mechanical properties of eight rock types were studied. Experiments were both designed and analyzed upon statistical principles. A full factorial experimental design was used for each of seven rock types. An analysis of variance and the k-ratio least significant-difference test were applied to the results.

The optimum design of shaped charges for drilling was found to be independent of rock type and rock properties. For composition C-4 charges …

Penetration In Granite By Shaped Charge Liners Of Various Metals, Hemendra Nath Kalia

Doctoral Dissertations

"The penetration in Missouri red granite by cylindrical charges with metal liners of aluminum 2011 (T-3), aluminum 7075 (T-6), yellow brass, monel, maraging steel (vascomax 250), and copper was measured. Metals having high ductility and moderate compressive strength penetrated deeper than high strength maraging steel. Aluminum required a greater standoff for optimum penetration than the other metal liners tested. Preliminary metallographic studies of the liner metals and slugs showed that the grains had elongated along the slug axis. The metals containing zinc formed very small or no slugs. The granite grains were highly fractured. The holes were discolored and coated …

A Computer Simulation Of Mine Air Shaft Thermodynamics, Ambyo Sumopandhi Mangunwidjojo

Doctoral Dissertations

"Several earlier investigations have been conducted into various aspects of heat problems in underground mines. The application of general gas laws and thermodynamics in the approach of mine ventilation has been helpful in elucidating certain difficulties associated with the subject. By combining several of the techniques perfected by these researchers and applying Carrier's method of calculation for heat flow from exposed rock strata into a workable plan, a method was developed whereby it is possible to accurately and conveniently predict the quality of working environment at any point within a deep mine. The findings of this study may be of …

Numerical Inversion Of The Laplace Transformation And The Solution Of The Viscoelastic Wave Equations, Abbas Ali Daneshy

Doctoral Dissertations

"In the numerical inversion of Laplace transform two general techniques of inversion are analyzed; a study of the procedures based on an expansion of f̄(s) by a polynomial in 1/s (Salzer's method) provides accurate results for certain ranges of t. A curvature criterion for the selection of the range of points for polynomial interpolation, and a geometric distribution in this interval markedly improves the range and the degree of accuracy of inversion. The results may be further improved by multiplying f̄(s) by 1/s of 1/s². Other procedures are based on approximation of f̄(t). This investigation includes a general review of …

An Investigation Of The Creep Characteristics Of Portland Cement Mortar Under Static And Dynamic Strain, Ikram-Ul-Haq Dar

Doctoral Dissertations

"The combined effect of static and dynamic loads on design of underground openings is currently receiving much attention. It is known that the time-dependent behavior of rock is considerably different when a dynamic load is superimposed on prestressed rock. The shape of an underground opening has a definite influence on the magnitude of the local stresses and these may be significantly larger than those due to the weight of the overlying rock alone. Under these conditions, even a small dynamic load in the form of vibrations caused by blasting, drilling and related operations may increase the stress beyond a critical …

Centrifugal Model Study And Finite Element Analysis Of Stress Near A Fault, Christopher Haycocks

Doctoral Dissertations

"The adverse effects of faults on the stability of underground openings has long been realized. To date, however, discontinuities and most other types of geologic heterogeneities have not been amenable to mathematical analysis using the classical theories of elasticity and plasticity. This investigation examines the stress distribution around a single discontinuity and compares the experimental and numerical methods used for the analysis. The theory of elasticity, employing the equations of compatibility, equilibrium etc., was used to determine a stress function for the stress distribution around a circular hole loaded in a centrifugal field. The analysis was terminated after the stress …

A Theoretical Approach To The Problem Of Determining Ejecta Volumes In A Gravitational Vacuumed Half-Space, William J. Karwoski

Doctoral Dissertations

"The formation of an explosion crater is a highly complex process. All of the pertinent parameters governing the mechanisms of cratering are not clearly understood or known. Many cratering experiments were performed in desert alluvium in an effort to relate crater dimensions with charge weight and depth of burst. Various scaling laws were devised in an attempt to correlate the data gathered from these experiments. When cube-root scaling was used to correlate results of tests conducted at a constant scaled depth of burst, larger charge weights consistently gave smaller scaled results. This was particularly true of apparent crater volume. When …

An Introduction To Linear Time-Variant Digital Filtering Of Seismic Data, Richard Harold Lassley

Doctoral Dissertations

"The exploration geophysicist is constantly searching for new and better methods for analyzing seismic data. The primary purpose of this dissertation is to introduce linear time-variant digital filters as a technique for the filtering of seismic data. Methods of characterizing linear time-variant digital filters are discussed in general terms. The advantages of the different impulse and frequency responses are cited. In addition, the meanings and possible interpretations of the time and frequency variables introduced are considered. The concept of linear time-variant digital delay filters is presented along with their relationship to impulse responses. A pictorial diagram of discrete time-variant impulse …

A Study Of Plane And Spherical Compressional Waves In A Voigt Viscoelastic Medium, Gerald B. Rupert

Doctoral Dissertations

"In investigating the behavior of waves traveling through cohesive solids, two assumptions are usually made: that the propagating medium is either elastic or viscoelastic, and that the wave is either planar or spherical in form. For small distances from the source of the disturbance the medium can be considered elastic and the wave spherical rather than planar. The assumption of elasticity allows considerable simplification of the mathematical analysis, and assuming a spherical wave form is an acceptable approximation if the initial disturbance is essentially a point source and the propagating medium is nearly homogeneous. However, for large distances from the …

Some Physical, Chemical, And Thermohydrodynamic Parameters Of Explosive Ammonium Nitrate-Fuel Oil Mixtures, Joseph J. Yancik

Doctoral Dissertations

"The explosive properties of ammonium nitrate-fuel blasting agents were investigated by measuring their detonation velocity and sensitivity. Detonation velocity was measured by a pin oscillograph method with a modified pin technique. Five types of tests were used to evaluate the explosive sensitivity of AN-fuel mixtures under varied environmental conditions. These tests measured the confined and unconfined critical diameter, minimum primer for a three inch diameter iron pipe confined charge, for an unconfined charge at the critical diameter, and minimum primacord primer under special conditions.

Properties of ammonium nitrate-fuel blasting agents were evaluated by considering the effects which each component of …

Shaped Charges: Their Mechanism And Applications In Mining, Pranlal Girdharlal Sheth

Doctoral Dissertations

"A shaped charge, confined or unconfined, is a unit of explosive material with a cavity or hollow at the base. It behaves differently than an ordinary charge, and, when detonated, has been found to produce curious effects of concentrating the force of the explosive on an area opposite the cavity"--Introduction, page 1.

An Experimental Evaluation Of Explosives In Blasting Limestone And Granite, Harve Preston Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations

"The purpose of this study was the evaluation of military and commercial explosives. A standardized index of effectiveness was used as the basis of comparison.

Testing was conducted at the Experimental Mine of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy at Rolla, Missouri, and at Graniteville, Missouri. At the school mine, 16 drift rounds, 8 slab rounds and 70 quarry tests were made in the dolomitic limestone. This rock, known locally as the Quarry Ledge of the Jefferson City formation, is of Ordovician Age"--Abstract, page ii.

The Underground Electrocarbonization And Gasification Of Mineral Fuels, Erich Sarapuu

Doctoral Dissertations

"The development of underground gasification methods for recovering mineral fuels is comparatively recent and several methods have been evolved for treating the various source materials. The problem of recovering solid and liquid fuels by underground gasification in gaseous form was primarily approached by means of opening underground entries which created the required fire-drift for starting the gasification in place.

Increasing knowledge of the whole problem of gasification in situ led to the evolution of new improvements in the underground gasification technique and, in the course of progressive research the preparations required for starting the gasification were accomplished from the surface. …

The Relationship Of Regional Structural Geology To The Ore Deposits In The Southeastern Missouri Mining District, Jack Alexander James

Doctoral Dissertations

"The lead deposits in the Southeastern Missouri mining district have been examined by numerous geologists and mining engineers since the original discovery about 1720. A list of the men who have reported on them includes some of the outstanding students of ore deposits.

The regional geology in the mining district either was unknown or only vaguely known when most of the early examinations were made, and the discussions of the structural geology are restricted in scope owing to the lack of detailed information. The reports based on these examinations, although excellent for their time, are incomplete in view of the …