Mining Engineering Commons^™

An Investigation Of Some Characteristics Of Explosive Ammonium Nitrate-Reducing Fuel Mixtures, Klaus M. Kohler

Masters Theses

"It was the purpose of the investigation described herein to find the answers to some of the questions which arise with the use of an ammonium nitrate--non nitroglycerine--mixture as an explosive, such as

a) the effect of the percentage of fuel oil in the mixture

b) the effect of the loading density of the mixture

c) the effect of the diameter of the charge

d) the effect of the particle size of the ammonium nitrate

e) the effect of different reducing fuels

f) the effect of different primers"--Introduction, pages 5-6.

Rheological Measurement Of A Starch Suspension As A Dilatant Fluid, Earl Edward Pape

Masters Theses

"The measurement of the rheological properties, consistency of viscosity and fluid type, necessary for system design calculations, has fallen behind the industrial applications for non-Newtonian fluids. In the petroleum industry in particular, the process of well flow stimulation known as Hydraulic Fracturing utilizes the properties of various non-Newtonian fluids to carry sand at high flow rates to the formation to be fractured. Other non-Newtonian fluids in the petroleum industry are Bentonite clay drilling fluids, whose unique gelling properties are helpful in suspending drill cuttings when the circulation of the fluid has ceased. In Newtonian liquids and gases the consistency is …

A Preliminary Investigation Of Strains And Fracturing In Small Hydro-Stone Beams Due To Impact Loading, Niels B. Haubold

Masters Theses

"Every structure has a fundamental frequency which is sometimes referred to as its first natural frequency. If a periodic force acts on the structure whose frequency is equal to that of the natural frequency of the structure, a vibration is set up whose amplitude would approach infinity if it were not for the presence of damping. Since damping is always present, steady state conditions will finally be reached provided that the applied force is not so great that it will cause the structure to fail. The amplitude of the vibration will be a function of the applied force and the …

The Development Of A Device To Replace The Oil Well Dynamometer, Jerry Bernard Overton

Masters Theses

"The mechanical dynamometer is recognized as being a valuable tool in measuring resultant forces acting on the polished rod of an oil well pump. The dynamometer is used extensively to determine loads, torque, and horsepower. "It is also used to determine pump action and trouble-shoot for any seemingly abnormal pumping condition."

Although it is desirous to periodically make dynamometer studies, it is also very time consuming. Because of high labor costs, it has been almost discontinued by many companies. The author became convinced that a less costly method of obtaining the same information could be developed. This method was the …

Performance Parameters Of Low-Density Ammonium Nitrate Base Explosives; Experimental Results And J. Taylor's Method, Mohammad Azhari Warga-Dalem

Masters Theses

"Ammonium nitrate has been known to the explosive industry for a long time. Compelled by the ever increasing mining costs, in 1954 "Akremite" was introduced to the market. It is a simple carbonaceous ammonium nitrate mixture and is the cheapest explosive available to the open-pit operators.

During the following years considerable amount of research was done, resulting among others with the introduction of ammonium nitrate-hydrocarbon mixtures as an explosive. During the Second World War research was done toward the refinement of the hydrodynamic theory. Several methods of calculating the detonation velocities of the explosives were introduced: Brown (1942), Kistiakowski and …

A Statistical Approach To The Zonation Of A Petroleum Reservoir, Leroy Allan Beghtol

Masters Theses

"The problem of dividing a reservoir into distinct permeability zones, in order to predict fluid flow and thereby the production history of the field, has long troubled the petroleum engineer. As a solution to this problem a new statistical method for zoning a reservoir was developed, using a modification of the analysis of variance technique. The application of the statistical zonation procedure to permeability data obtained from eight closely spaced wells substantiated the validity and effectiveness of the new method in determining distinct permeability zones"--Abstract, page iii.

Analysis Of Mining Mechanization In The Fluorspar Mine, Southern Illinois, Marangin Simatupang

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this study is to analyze the underground mechanization in the fluorspar mines in Southern Illinois. The mining mechanization in this district is confronted with manifold problems which are typical of most small or medium size mines.

The ore reserve in each mine is not very large. The method of development had to be planned accordingly such as not to exceed the depreciative capacity of the deposit.

The ore bodies consist of thin bedded layers or small veins. This thickness controls the sizes of the equipment to be used.

The mining operations always lack skilled equipment operators. In …

A Simplified Mathematical Method For Petroleum Property Evaluation, Charles G. Edwards

Masters Theses

"The economic evaluation of a petroleum reservoir involves two fundamental operations; 1) predicting future production behaviour, 2) determining the present worth or this future production. This thesis purposes to eliminate the necessity of repeated calculation which is required in performing the second operation under existing methods.

Because the first operation, that of predicting future behaviour, is necessarily an estimate, there is an apparent tendency to employ approximate methods in the determination of present worth. The evaluation method developed in this paper confines estimation to the first operation, where it rightly belongs, and treats all subsequent work with mathematical exactness.The estimation …

Development Of Large Hole Burn Cut Drift Rounds, Joseph J. Yancik Jr.

Masters Theses

"A decided change in the attitudes of mining management toward the need for mine research has taken place during the past decade. More emphasis is being placed not only on the improvement of existing mining methods, but also on the adaptation of new ideas. As the depletion of the high grade ore deposits in this country becomes a reality, the need for reducing the costs of mining is pressing. The successful exploitation of low grade ore bodies will depend upon the continued advancement in the science of mining.

The methods used today in driving a small drift or tunnel in …

A Study Of Tunnel Demolition By Hasty Methods, Richard Lee Bullock

Masters Theses

"The use of explosives to construct obstacles which impede the enemy or close his routes of communication has long been employed by our armies. They have developed fairly effective methods for destroying bridges, setting up road craters and constructing abatis. However, one phase of obstacle construction, that of tunnel demolition, has been neglected in that no procedures or methods have been formulated which will aid in the proper destruction of tunnels.

At the present time, under the auspices of the Department of the Army, The Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy is conducting a research program on tunnel demolition. The …

Tunnel Rehabilitation, Jay C. Dotson

Masters Theses

"This paper is an outgrowth of research conducted at Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy over a two year period. The purpose of the study is to assemble into one volume information that is pertinent to the rehabilitation of tunnels. Notwithstanding the voluminous size of the paper, much descriptive material necessarily has been omitted because of the far-reaching scope of tunneling practices and of the specialized fields therein. An extensive bibliography has been prepared to supplement the material that has been selected for presentation. Through consultation with tunnel men of all ranks, observations in the field, and an intensive search …

Plastic Deformation Of Rocks, Muhammed Abdul Waheb

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this investigation is to search for a method by which the strength properties of a rock may be described.

For this purpose, an attempt has been made to find out some relationship by which the rooks may be classified or described. For the solution of problems of mine stability, the mechanical properties of a rock should be known, i.e., hardness, toughness and strength. It is difficult to make a study of some method of classification or description of a rock without knowledge of these properties.

With a view to achieve the solution of a general classification for …

An Investigation Of The Use Of Surface-Active Agents In The Secondary Recovery Of Oil By Water Flooding, Robert P. Schafer

Masters Theses

"The importance of producing oil cannot be emphasized enough in this modem world. Therefore, when primary methods of production seemingly exhaust the oil reservoirs, a secondary method of producing more oil is a necessity. At the present time, secondary methods of oil recovery have developed into a large industry. They are not a new development. The need of introducing compressed air or air-gas mixtures into the wells to increase production was quickly realized. Water flooding methods followed, and at first were restricted to the Eastern fields. Later, about 1935, systematic water flooding methods were developed and applied all over the …

A Study Of Size Of Diamonds In Diamond Drilling, Robert J. M. Miller

Masters Theses

" ''A Study of Size of Diamonds in Diamond Drilling' is the research problem which will be discussed in this treatise.

The author's interest in the effect of size of diamonds was created by Mr. R. D. Longyear of the E. J. Longyear Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Longyear, when asked for suggestions for a research problem concerning diamond drilling suggested, among other things, that there was a need for further work on the factor of size of stones. After extensive reading and reviewing, the author learned that many investigators had recognized changes in results attributable to changes in size …

The Application And Utilization Of Mining Models For Instruction And Display, William M. Shepard

Masters Theses

"The subject of the utilization of mine models for instruction and display at institutions offering courses in mining engineering has not been widely discussed in the literature. The value of models as visual aids in teaching has long been recognized, and they have been extensively employed by some institutions and by some instructors. However, the writer believes that a wider range of types of models are suitable for instruction purposes than have been employed in the past, and that mining models, properly arranged and adequately labelled, may be used in displays to give both the layman and the beginning student …

A Comparison Of The Real Price And Market Price Of Some Common Metals, Kon-Hock Khaw

Masters Theses

"A number of complex factors influence the fluctuation of the price of a metal. In this investigation, the writer is concerned with the influence of the purchasing power of the dollar and, therefore the difference between the value (real price) and market price of nine metals. That is, this is a study of metal prices and their corresponding values. No attempt is made to analyze the supply and demand of the past or the future, except as they are expressed by their function -- price.

To aid in the comparison, a set of index numbers for metals is compiled and …

An Efficiency Analysis Of Underground Haulage In The Tri-State Mining District, Leroy King Wheelock

Masters Theses

"Purpose of Investigation: This study was undertaken to describe and analyze the system of haulage as practiced in mines of the Tri-State District by the Eagle Picher Mining and Smelting Company.

The investigation is concerned with all of the operations involved in moving the broken rock and is composed of three distinct procedures: loading, hauling, and hoisting.

One of the important items in the cost of mining is the movement of ore and waste to the surface for further disposition. Increased efficiency of transportation should introduce lowered production costs.

In this paper the efficiency of the present equipment and the …

A Study Of The Effect Of Jointing On The Blasting Of Granite, Graniteville, Missouri, Avery Ala Drake

Masters Theses

"Purpose of investigation: The purpose of this investigation is to attempt to determine the influence that joints exert upon the blasting of granite and if joints are induced by blasting. The problem grew out of an explosive evaluation project that was conducted by the Mining Department, Missouri School of Mines. In late May 1950, the project was moved into the granite area near Graniteville, Missouri. It became apparent upon study of this area that the jointing would have certain effects upon the results obtained. Dr. J. D. Forrester, Chairman, Department of Mining Engineering, Missouri School of Mines, Rolla, Missouri, suggested …

Rehabilitation Of Land Stripped For Coal, Richard Matthaei

Masters Theses

"The usual connotation of the word rehabilitation as applied to land areas is the restoration of that land to its former efficiency. However, in the spirit of conservation that is essential to our standard of living, the word has begun to have added meaning. In the fullest concept, rehabilitation involves a study of soil characteristics and capabilities, and creation of productive uses of which the land was not capable in its original condition. The true conservationist has an opportunity to make a useful contribution to the future generations of this country. The United States Forestry Service and the United States …

A Method Of Mining The Kumtepe Lignite Deposit Of Turkey, Hilmi Dokuzoglu

Masters Theses

"The Agacle lignite deposit, as a potential source of fuel, near Istanbul, Turkey has been used in this study to apply the principles of strip mining operations. The details of the deposit upon which this thesis is predicated will be presented later in this paper.

The fuel requirement of the city of Istanbul with a population of nearly a million is considerably greater then can easily be met. Some of the fuel needs are accommodated by electrical energy by producer gas, by bituminous coal brought from Zonguldak (about 200 miles from the city), by charcoal, and by fuel wood. During …

Recovering Oil From An Unconsolidated Sand By Means Of Combustion, David K. Anderson

Masters Theses

"For many years, there has been talk expressing great concern about the oil reserves in the United States. Every four or five years, articles are published stating that we are running out of oil and our proved reserves, to date, are only adequate, at our present rate of consumption, for about 20 years. While this is true, it does not leave us with the complete picture. The industry in the past 20 years has never had more than a 20 year reserve. It must be said, however, that it is becoming more difficult with each passing year to find oil …

Well Interference In The South Silica Field, Langdon B. Taylor

Masters Theses

"During World War II the Federal Government restricted oil-field drilling in the United States in order to conserve steel. The wartime regulations required 40-acre spacing in most areas. At the close of the war, the Federal drilling restrictions were lifted, and control of oil-well spacing reverted to the several state regulatory bodies. Each of these state agencies was then confronted with this problem: should 40-acre spacing be continued or should pre-war 10- and 20-acre spacing patterns be re-established?

The regulatory authority in Kansas, the State Corporation Commission, ordered an investigation in January, 1946, for the purpose of developing information upon …

Uses And Advantages Of Short Period Delay Blasting Systems In Mining And Quarrying, Irving C. Falk

Masters Theses

"One of the most recent developments in blasting practice is that of applying the principle of short period delay electric blasting. In this type of electric blasting, instead or having all holes fire at one time, each hole or group of holes is a shot in itself. To provide a short period delay, of a few thousandths of a second, between each hole or group of holes, either millisecond (split-second) delay electric blasting caps or a suitable delayed action blasting switch may be used.

Short period delay electric blasting systems were originally developed for use by quarries in or near …

The Use Of Oil-Base Drilling Fluids, William Wesley Collins

Masters Theses

"Within the past few years the development of oil-base drilling fluids has become one of the more important contributions to drilling and production technology. The use or these new muds has increased as the benefits obtained have become more widely known and appreciated. Major problems in the petroleum industry have been, for many years, the contamination or drilling muds by salt water; control of mud when drilling through anhydrite, gypsum, or salt deposits; control of heaving or swelling shale; and water or mud blocking or the producing horizons. The development or oil-base drilling fluids is a direct contribution or engineers …

Increased Stripper Well Recovery By Means Of High Voltage Electrical Heating, John Curtin Schratwieser

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this work is to investigate the possibility of using high voltage electrical heating to obtain increased stripper well production.

A substantial portion of the oil produced in the United States is obtained from stripper wells. These wells reach their economic limit when they can no longer produce sufficient oil to justify the cost of operation. In the majority of cases, however, there is still a high percentage of oil in the sand. If a production stimulus of sufficient magnitude is introduced into the formation, oil, otherwise nonproducible, may be recovered. It is the writer’s thesis that high …

Stress Analysis Of Thin Bedded Mine Roofs Subjected To Evenly Distributed Lateral Load And Supported By Barrier Pillars, Sahap Sakip Aybat

Masters Theses

“Theoretical stress analysis in mine structures begins with the assumption that the structural elements are homogeneous, isotropic and perfectly elastic. It is this writers belief that stresses in a mine roof supported by barrier pillars may be compared to those stresses which may be found in a thin plate supported and restrained in the manner similar to such a mine roof. Therefore the stress and moment equations developed for plates are herein applied to mine roofs of limited thickness.

A thin roof bed which is stressed with evenly distributed lateral load and supported with barrier pillars will be regarded as …

A Study Of Mine Scraper Efficiency On Materials Of Different Specific Gravities, Kermit Guy Rowley

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this study is to determine the effect that the specific gravity of the material scraped has on the power consumption and the efficiency of the common types of mine scrapers. As scraper weight, rope speed, and moisture content of the muck are important factors affecting the power consumption and efficiency, these variables are the ones considered for each type scraper. Two materials of different specific gravities are used in the study with an equal number of tests run on each material"--Introduction, Purpose of Problem, page 2.

Efficiency Studies Of The Effect Of Moisture On The Power Consumption Of Mine Scrapers, Georges J. Vigier

Masters Theses

"Many years of practice have resulted in the standardization of several types of scrapers which are now commonly manufactured for use in mining. Although experience has brought out much information on scraping operations, no systematic studies of the efficiency of mine scrapers have been carried out before the experimental works done in the last few years at Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy. "Purpose of Problem": The purpose of this present study is to consider the effect which moisture in the muck has on the efficiency as regards power consumption and amount of material scraped, of different types of mine …

A Study Of The Efficiency Of Split-Second Delay Electric Blasting Caps In Underground Limestone Mining, John B. H. Fitzwilliam

Masters Theses

"The introduction of electric blasting caps have delay intervals of the order of one-half to one second proved of advantage in many aspects of underground mining, particularly development work. Their use spread, until they now supersede fuse-and-cap firing wherever possible. Split-second delay electric blasting caps are a comparatively recent development from conventional delay caps. They have been found of practicable use in quarrying operations, and have been applied in many phases of underground mining. While evidence, to show that short-delay firing in quarrying is more efficient than instantaneous firing, is becoming increasingly conclusive, it remains to be proved that split-second …

A Comparative Study Of Some Rock Drill Bits, Charles Roger Knopp

Masters Theses

"The detachable single-use rick-drill bit has attracted considerable attention in the mining industry of the United States during the past few years. While this type of bit has been used for some time in other countries, it has been only recently that these bits have been manufactured in the United States. It was decided to test this type of bit and make a comparative study of a single-use bit and a widely used detachable rock-drill bit"--Introduction, page 1.