Mining Engineering Commons^™

The Factors Impacting The Incorporation Of The Sustainable Development Goals Into Raw Materials Engineering Curricula, Dimitris Damigos, George Valakas, Anna Gaki, Katerina Adam

Journal of Sustainable Mining

It is widely recognised and acknowledged that the mining industry, if properly operating and managed, has the potential to positively contribute to “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. In this direction, the Raw Materials (RM) engineering education possesses a crucial role, given the need to instil in tomorrow’s mining engineers the sustainability principles. This paper explores the educational needs of the Greek RM sector and the factors constituting the RM whole value chain SDGs-education-innovation eco-system. The research follows a two-stage focus group approach. First, the perceptions, opinions and beliefs of invited stakeholders were explored in the context of semi-structured interviews. …

Flow Characterization In Mine Ventilation Fan Blade Design Using Cfd, Anwar Endris Hassen

Journal of Sustainable Mining

In axial ventilation fans, the generation of a uniform flow velocity is desirable for better efficiency. To that end, different fan blade types have been developed to achieve better flow uniformity. This article aimed to characterize the flow distribution and its uniformity in four blade designs, namely constant chord, tapered blade, skewed blade, and tapered skewed blade, using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The study employs an iterative study where key study decisions are made as the study progresses. The study began with the selection of a blade profile for the study. A comparative study between the NACA seven-digit and four-digit …

Application Of Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry To Monitor Surface Deformations Of The Trans-European Transport Network (Ten-T) – A Case Study Of The Motorways Crossing Areas Of Mining Operations In The Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland, Adam Smoliński, Mariusz Stawinoga, Tomasz Pindel

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Underground hard coal mining causes surface deformations. When the mining operations are conducted beneath linear objects, such as motorways, there is a risk of deformations of the axis of the road and its horizontal and vertical alignment (additional bends and vertical curvatures, longitudinal inclinations, deformations of crosssections). In the areas subjected to mining operations, mining plants conduct geodetic monitoring. Due to their labour intensity and costs, geodetic measurements are usually made only a few times a year. The article discusses the possibility of applying Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) to monitor the subsidence of the vertical alignment of motorways caused …

The Contribution Of Mining Sector To Sustainable Development In Saudi Arabia, Mourad Zmami, Ousama Ben-Salha, Sultan O. Almarshad, Houyem Chekki

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The mining sector development is among the priorities of the Saudi Vision 2030. There is currently a lot of interest in the role of the mining sector in Saudi Arabia. This research contributes to this debate by empirically assessing the effects of mining on sustainable development in Saudi Arabia during the period 1980-2018. Unlike many previous studies, the three sustainable development dimensions, namely economic, social, and environmental, are jointly considered. The cointegration analysis, based on the ARDL, Gregory-Hansen, and combined cointegration tests, confirms the existence of long-run relationships between mining and all sustainable development dimensions. Furthermore, the findings lend substantial …

Environmental, Health And Safety Intricacies Of Artisanal Mining In The Gold-Rich Landscapes Of Karamoja, North-Eastern Uganda, Eria Serwajja, Paul Isolo Mukwaya

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Artisanal small-scale gold mining presents opportunities for Uganda’s rural poor. However, it also poses serious environmental, health and safety challenges. A suite of data collection methods including interviews, focus groups discussions, water and soils sampling were used to examine the perceptions of miners on the status, prevalence and extent of mercury use in artisanal gold mining, mercury transit routes and toxicity levels of soils and water in Karamoja sub-region. It also explores the health, safety and environmental implications of artisanal small-scale gold mining in the sub-region. The findings show that trade and access to mercury is widespread; although trade in, …

Spatiotemporal Interactions Between Surface Coal Mining And Land Cover And Use Changes, Nikolaos Paraskevis, Aikaterini Servou, Christos Roumpos, Francis Pavloudakis

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Long-term surface mining and land cover and use changes have been evidenced to have a critical relationship. This study conducts trend and correlation analysis by statistical tools to quantitatively evaluate this relationship in the Ptolemais (Northern Greece) coal mining area for the period 1990-2018. Firstly, based on Corine data and satellite images, a relative spatial indicator (RSI) was adopted to describe the mineral land areas. Secondly, land cover and use changes were spatially defined using Corine data and ArcGIS tools. The active mining area was then distinguished by dumping area, using Landsat satellite imagery and mining maps, and finally, mine …

Evaluating The Performance Of Extreme Learning Machine Technique For Ore Grade Estimation, Clara Akalanya Abuntori, Sulemana Al-Hassan, Daniel Mireku-Gyimah, Yao Yevenyo Ziggah

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Due to the complex geology of vein deposits and their erratic grade distributions, there is the tendency of overestimating or underestimating the ore grade. These estimated grade results determine the profitability of mining the ore deposit or otherwise. In this study, five Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) variants based on hard limit, sigmoid, triangular basis, sine and radial basis activation functions were applied to predict ore grade. The motive is that the activation function has been identified to play a key role in achieving optimum ELM performance. Therefore, assessing the extent of influence the activation functions will have on the final …

Selection Mining Methods Via Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis Using Topsis And Modification Of The Ubc Method, Mahrous Ali Mohamed Ali, Jong-Gwan Kim

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Mine designers often face difficulties in selecting an appropriate mining method; however, such a method should be selected based on ore and rock characteristics. The selection of mining methods can be considered a type of multi-criteria decision making, and this depends on many factors used in the selection process. The general method used in this field is the University of British Columbia (UBC) method, which determines the criteria of the properties that are compared to determine the best and worst of several mining methods. In this paper we used as new technique which define as Technique for Order of Preference …

Is The Relationship Between Mining And Climate Change Only One-Way? Climate Change Potential Impacts On Mining Activity – Hazards, Risks And Adaptation Measures, Małgorzata Markowska

Journal of Sustainable Mining

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Precipitation On The Groundwater Of Coal Waste Dump, Tomasz Suponik, Dawid Franke, Robert Frączek, Katarzyna Nowińska, Piotr Pierzyna, Zenon Różański, Paweł Wrona

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of climate change, mainly higher and lower precipitation, on the intensity of the impact of a coal waste dump on groundwater. The analysis used meteorological data for the Katowice region in 2002-2020 as well as data on the height of the groundwater table in the vicinity of the coal waste dump, and data on physicochemical parameters and chemical composition of groundwater in 2004-2020. Based on the analyses, it was found that the periods of drought in the Silesian Voivodeship, located in the south of Poland, occurred mainly in spring, while …

The Level Of Securing Dust Deposits Against The Possibility Of Coal Dust Explosion In The Drilled Dog Headings, Bogdan Malich, Krzysztof Cybulski, Malgorzata Wysocka, Krystian Skubacz, Aneta Michałek, Paweł Urban

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The article presents the analysis how the actual coal dust explosion hazard is at the distance of the initial 200 metres of the safety zone maintained along the entire length of driven inclined drift II – face 567 in BRZESZCZE colliery, which was used during realization of the project titled Modelling of the mechanism of explosive coal dust deposition in the vicinity of mined faces in terms of identification, assessment and levelling the possibility of its explosion financed by the National Centre for Research and Development. The mine dust level was between 0.014 kg/m³ and 0.193 kg/m³, …

Blast-Induced Noise Level Prediction Model Based On Brain Inspired Emotional Neural Network, Victor Amoako Temeng, Yao Yevenyo Ziggah, Clement Kweku Arthur

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Although a major portion of the emitted energy from mine blast is sub-audible (lower frequency), there exist a component that is audible (high frequencies from 20 Hz to 20 KHz) and as such within the range of human hearing as noise. Unlike blast air overpressure (low frequency occurrence), noise prediction from mine blasting has received little scholarly attention in mining sciences. Noise from mine blast is considered a major detrimental blasting effect and can be a menace to nearby residents and workers in the mine. In this paper, a blast-induced noise level prediction model based on Brain Inspired Emotional Neural …

The Influence Of Pressure Drop On Gas Emissions From A Mining Shaft – An Overview, Paweł Wrona, Zenon Różański, Grzegorz Pach, Adam Niewiadomski, Tomasz Suponik

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Climate change can make an impact on the mining sector and post-mining sites. Among others, extreme weather events are connected with sudden and deep pressure drops which lead to gas emissions from an underground space to the surface through closed shafts. The tests undertaken in the frameworks of TEXMIN project lead to get measuring data of this phenomenon and will allow validating numerical models for further forecasts and mitigation means. Three examples of the results were presented. They showed that the intensity of pressure drop influences strongly on gas emissions from a closed shaft. Although the pressure drop process should …

The Impact Of Precipitation On State Of The Slopes Surface And Thermal Activity Of The Mine Waste Dump – Preliminary Study, Zenon Różański, Paweł Wrona, Grzegorz Pach, Adam Niewiadomski, Tomasz Suponik, Robert Frączek, Leszek Balcarczyk

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Precipitation, especially with a high intensity, affects the condition of mining waste dumps. The article presents the results of research aimed at determining the impact of rain on water erosion on the slopes of a coal waste dump and its thermal state. Preliminary tests of the condition of two slopes of the coal waste dump in Libiąż (Poland) undertaken in the frameworks of the TEXMIN project was carried out using modern geodesy techniques (low-ceiling photogrammetry and TLS terrestrial laser scanning). The current geometry of the slope surface was faithfully reproduced in the form of a cloud of points with known …

Acknowledge Of Reviewers

Journal of Sustainable Mining

No abstract provided.

The Acoustic Camera As A Tool To Identify Belt Conveyor Noises, Piotr Bortnowski, Anna Nowak-Szpak, Maksymilian Ozdoba, Robert Król

Journal of Sustainable Mining

This paper explores the possibilities of using an acoustic camera as a tool that allows the verification of the correct construction and operation of individual elements of a belt conveyor. Based on the simultaneously recorded components - a video camera and measuring microphones, the sound pressure level map of the belt conveyor was created. The tests were carried out in laboratory conditions and covered the location and identification of individual noise sources. The verification consists not only of searching for dominant sound sources, but above all, of searching for frequencies in the analysed spectrum that should not occur during their …

Optimization Of The Distribution Of Drilling Boreholes In Methane Production From Coal Seams, Anna Wątor, Jarosław Chećko, Tomasz Urych

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The paper presents an evaluation of methane production from coal seams. The Warszowice-PawłowicePółnoc deposit was selected for numerical modelling of methane production. The numerical model was made for a fragment of this deposit of about 2 km². The numerical model was constructed for 6 seams. Three deposits were selected for simulation of methane production. Three horizontal boreholes were designed within the model area, referring to the existing Suszec-19 borehole. A number of simulations related to methane production from the selected deposits were performed. They included different variants of the number of boreholes and also took into account the …

A Systematic Review Of The Use Of Environmental Economics In The Mining Industry, Maria Menegaki, Dimitris Damigos

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Environmental economics is increasingly being used in project appraisals, environmental liability estimates and design of market-based instruments. Mining, an actor capable of causing adverse effects on the environment, human health and well-being, has already been affected by these developments, at a great extent. Up to date, several research studies have been carried out to monetise the externalities of mining projects. Nevertheless, a systematic review of these publications has not been carried out, yet. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by investigating (i) the main non-market valuation techniques used; (ii) the main external costs or benefits of …

Covid-19: A Spectio-Temporal Analysis Of Air Quality Status In Coking Coalfields Of India Due To Nationwide Lockdown In India, Amarjeet Singh Mr., Gurdeep Singh Dr.

Journal of Sustainable Mining

A novel infectious corona virus disease (COVID-19) was identified in month of December 2019.It has now been announced as a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization [1]. The COVID-19 pandemic has positive impacts on the environmental pollutants. In present work, Coalfield areas of Jharia Coalfields (JCF), India have been taken as a case study to evaluate the effect of lockdown on air quality at 10 locations. This study had been selected to estimate the reduction in concentration of pollutants like PM₁₀, PM_2.5, SO₂, and NOx during 3 Seasons (summer, Post-Monsoon and winter season) …

Evaluation Of Undeveloped Hard Coal Deposits And Estimation Of Hard Coal Reserves In The Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland, Tomasz Urych, Jarosław Chećko, Marek Rosa, Anna Wątor

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The article presents the results of works concerning evaluation of undeveloped deposits in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin and an estimation of hard coal reserves which can be developed by 2050. Evaluation of hard coal deposits was established on criterions choice and their score determination. On the basis of obtained the final score and after consultations with experts in the field of hard coal mining, there were selected three areas of undeveloped deposits with the amount of about 1.99 Gt (billion metric tons) of anticipated economic resources which can extend the coal reserve base located in the direct vicinity of …

Use Of Image Processing Algorithms For Mine Originating Waste Grain Size Determination, Sebastian Iwaszenko

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The utilization of mineral wastes from the mining industry is one of most challenging phases in the raw materials life cycle. In many countries, there are piles of mineral waste materials that date back to the previous century. There is also a constant stream of accompanying mineral matter excavated during everyday mine operation. This stream of waste matter is particularly notable for deep coal mining. Grain size composition of waste mineral matter is one of most important characteristics of coal originating waste material. This paper presents the use of image analysis for the determination of grain size composition of mineral …

Optimum Location Of Last-Mined Stope With The Influence Of Backfilling, Huawei Xu, Derek B. Apel

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Many mines in Canada have adopted sublevel stoping method or one of its variations, such as blasthole stoping (BHS) and sublevel longhole retreat (SLR), for the extraction of steeply dipping orebodies. Stope, as the basic excavated element, plays a significant role in the whole process of mining activity. In the mining method of BHS, crossing cuts are excavated at tops and bottoms in each stope for drilling blast holes and transportation of mined out orebodies. Crossing cuts failure may result in prolonged production interruption, fatality, and equipment loss. After the completion of orebodies excavation from the sublevel open stope, the …

Improvement Of The Effectiveness Of Greywacke Crushing Process By Applying An Impact Crusher In Quarry For The Production Of Railway Ballast, Krzysztof Kurus, Karolina Jąderko-Skubis

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The production of aggregates in rock mining requires an optimal system of crushers, separators and conveyors. Proper machine selection allows to obtain aggregates with appropriate technical parameters and increase the output of required fractions with a given unit cost. The usage of rock raw materials for the production of railway ballast used in the railway track superstructure is connected with the necessity to meet strictly defined quality requirements.

This paper presents an example of the use of an impact crusher in a selected quarry for the purpose of obtaining the correct parameters of railway ballast and a suitable grain curve. …

Life Cycle Assessment To Demonstrate How Automation Improves The Sustainability Performance Of An Underground Mining Operation, Kyle Moreau, Corey Laamanen, Ron Bose, Helen Shang, John A. Scott

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The worldwide move to introduce more automation into underground metal ore mining is currently aimed at improving both operational productivity and safety. We have used a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) as a novel approach for the industry to determine the beneficial impacts automation can also have on environmental performance using data collected on mine site productivity and energy consumption. The LCA looked at four impact categories: global warming potential, acidification, eutrophication, and human toxicity. When comparing key automated equipment to their traditional manual counterpart, all four impact categories experienced a reduction with automation and a subsequent improvement in sustainability …

Evaluation Of The Extractive Gold Process: Open-Pit Mining Through Exergy Analysis, Hector I. Velasquez, Carlos Andres Orozco Loaiza, Christian Hasenstab, Natalia A. Cano

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The Colombian mining sector is characterized by the production of coal, nickel, emeralds, gold, and construction materials. It is considered by the National Development Plan of Colombia 2018-2022 as an economic agent that boosts development in the region and one that requires the strengthening of its policies and environmental liability. Therefore, this paper aims to show the importance of implementing methodologies based on the logic of nature (exergy) that objectively indicate the environmental impact of an extractive gold activity, such as open-pit gold mining. The extractive activity or process to be studied consists of the following stages: topsoil removal by …

Exergy Life Cycle Assessment Indicators In Colombian Gold Mining Sector, Natalia A. Cano, Christian Hasenstab, Hector I. Velasquez

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Thermodynamic methods, such as exergy analysis allow the assessment of environmental load (environmental impacts), by calculating the entropy generated or exergy destroyed due to the use of renewable and non-renewable resources along the entire production chain. In this research, exergy analysis will be approached as an extension of LCA to ExLCA (Exergy Life Cycle Assessment), as complementary tools, for sustainability assessment of two gold mining systems in Colombia: open-pit and alluvial mining. It is quantified exergy life cycle efficiencies; Cumulative Energy/ Exergy Demand, by distinguishing between renewable and non-renewable resources used in the process. The energy contained in renewable and …

True Cost Of Coal: Coal Mining Industry And Its Associated Environmental Impacts On Water Resource Development, Noshin Masood, Karen Hudson-Edwards, Abida Farooqi

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Coal is a strategic and essential resource that ensures quality of life, energy security and sustainable development. Being the cheapest source of energy, it is the second after oil that is used to generate 40% of the world's electricity. However, traditional and conventional coal fuel extraction can threaten human health bycontaminating air and water, harming land, and contributing to global warming. The environmental impacts associated with conventional methods of coal mining and consumption can affect all components of the environment, and these impacts may be beneficial or harmful, permanent or temporary, repairable or irreparable, and reversible or irreversible in nature. …

Measurement Of Surface Subsidence And Ground Collapse Caused By Underground Mining In The Boleo Copper District, Mexico, Jong-Gwan Kim

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Subsidence and vertical movements in mines are a challenge in mining operations. To qualify as a controlled mine site, ground movements must be measured regularly during mining operations. Boleo Copper District mine was monitored and the movement during mining operations was measured from Oct. 31, 2018 to March 15, 2019. The evaluation of vertical and horizontal movement was determined in four locations in the mine areas M303, M303S, M303 C, and M305. The exploitation area, which measured approximately 80 x 90 m² with a height of 2.4 m, impacted the surface in the form of cracks. These cracks were …

Recovery And Repurposing Of Thermal Resources In The Mining And Mineral Processing Industry, Shannon H. Mclean, Jeffrey Chenier, Sari Muinonen, Corey A. Laamanen, John A. Scott

Journal of Sustainable Mining

The consumption of energy contributes significantly to the overall cost of operations and the environmental impact of the mining and mineral processing industry. However, despite a few notable exceptions, most of the resulting waste heat produced is dissipated, without recovery, into the environment. There is also a lot of stored heat in mine water which can be tapped into long after a mine has closed. There is, therefore, significant opportunity to improve the industry's sustainability through increasing the amount of waste heat recovered and repurposed.

Mineralogical Variations With The Mining Depth In The Congo Copperbelt: Technical And Environmental Challenges In The Hydrometallurgical Processing Of Copper And Cobalt Ores, Michel Shengo Lutandula, W. S. Kitobo, M. B. Kime, M. P. Mambwe, T. K. Nyembo

Journal of Sustainable Mining

For a long time in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the mining of ores for the production of copper cathodes and salts of cobalt was mostly conducted in the near-surface oxidized mineralization of the Congo Copperbelt. An important part of this mineralization is found in geological settings where copper and cobalt mainly exist as mixtures of oxides and sulfides. With the depletion of surface-rich minerals, mining is taking place at depths where sulfide minerals are prevalent. Using current technologies, the hydrometallurgical processing of ores with high levels of sulfide minerals results in poor metal recovery due to their retention in …