Mining Engineering Commons^™

Assessment Of Heavy Metal Concentration In Soils Around Geita The Gold Mine, Tanzania, Mariam G. Mgendi, Mkabwa L. K Manoko, W.J.S. Mwegoha, C. Southway C. Southway

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Health issues related to gold mining cannot be underestimated. Gold mining produce acid mine drainage (AMD), which in turn releases heavy metals into the nearby environment, hence causing environmental pollution. Heavy metals are naturally very toxic, thus pose a great health concern especially when their concentration exceeds the recommended permissible limits. In this study, concentrations of five heavy metals—including Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu and Zn—were assessed in the soil around Geita Gold Mine (GGM). A total of 17 sampling sites were established from which the soil samples were collected at 0-15cm and 15-30cm soil depth. The concentration of both total …

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 …

A Water Quality And Contaminant Source Assessment Of Arbuckle Creek In Fayette County, West Virginia, Sarah Ashby Simonton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Arbuckle Creek, located in Minden, West Virginia, is a stream that runs through Oak Hill, WV and is characterized by the presence of the Oak Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant and the history of the contamination of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) from the copious amount of contamination from the Shaffer Equipment Site and the pollution from mining completed in the area throughout the 1900’s. In order to assess the reaches of the current water quality, samples were collected and assessed for benthic macroinvertebrates, water parameters, benthic algae, and habitat. This was accomplished using the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) agency’s …

A Methodology For Autonomous Roof Bolt Installation Using Industrial Robotics, Anastasia Xenaki

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

The mining sector is currently in the stage of adopting more automation, and with it, robotics. Autonomous bolting in underground environments remains a hot topic for the mining industry. Roof bolter operators are exposed to hazardous conditions due to their proximity to the unsupported roof, loose bolts, and heavy spinning mass. Prolonged exposure to the risk inevitably leads to accidents and injuries.

The current thesis presents the development of a robotic assembly capable of carrying out the entire sequence of roof bolting operations in full and partial autonomous sensor-driven rock bolting operations to achieve a high-impact health and safety intervention …

Computational Intelligent Impact Force Modeling And Monitoring In Hislo Conditions For Maximizing Surface Mining Efficiency, Safety, And Health, Danish Ali

Doctoral Dissertations

"Shovel-truck systems are the most widely employed excavation and material handling systems for surface mining operations. During this process, a high-impact shovel loading operation (HISLO) produces large forces that cause extreme whole body vibrations (WBV) that can severely affect the safety and health of haul truck operators. Previously developed solutions have failed to produce satisfactory results as the vibrations at the truck operator seat still exceed the “Extremely Uncomfortable Limits”. This study was a novel effort in developing deep learning-based solution to the HISLO problem.

This research study developed a rigorous mathematical model and a 3D virtual simulation model to …

Evaluation Of Excavated Surface Irregularities And Hardness Of Mechanical Excavations And Their Relationship With Excavator Performance, Prosper Evaristus Akansah Ayawah

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research involved lab and numerical excavation of a clastic sedimentary rock (Roubidoux Sandstone) using a long-bladed disc cutter in a Linear Rock Cutting Machine (LCM) with the aim of establishing relationships between the cutting parameters, excavated surface parameters (underbreaks, overbreaks and hardness), and performance parameters (specific energy and cutting rate). Three-dimensional cutting forces were recorded during the linear cutting. A structured laser imaging system was used to image the excavated surfaces for the estimation of the irregularities (ridge volumes (RV) and overbreak volumes (OV)). The excavated surface hardness was measured using the N-type Schmidt hammer. The numerical simulation was …

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 …

Mining Haul Road Defect Detection -- Advancement In Automated Road Extent And Response Calibration For Improved Maintenance, Alexander David Douglas

Doctoral Dissertations

Mine haul roads degrade rapidly due to extremely heavy loads on sub optimal construction materials. This research tests two methods of defect detection to determine limitations to current technology: optical detection and vehicle vibration response. Optical defect detection was found to have the least significant limitations for surface defect detection and vehicle vibration response modeling has the least significant limitations for subsurface defects. This research proposes novel methods to eliminate the critical limitations of both technologies.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) equipped with GPS and a high-resolution camera is used to create a 3-D point cloud using a structure-from-motion algorithm. This …

Investigating The Focusing Effect Of Charge Geometry With Computer Simulations, Witness Plates, And High-Speed Videography, Kelly Ray Williams

Doctoral Dissertations

"Scaled distance is used to calculate a safe standoff radius from the detonation of a known mass of an explosive. It has been shown that varying only the geometry of the charge significantly overdrives regions of the blast wave potentially resulting in hazardous overpressure levels at scaled distance safe radii. Pressure transducers are used to measure overpressure surrounding spherical, cylindrical, and cubic charges to determine if bridge waves were formed at the edges between flat sides as seen in published studies of cylindrical charges. In the fireball field a witness plate is used to evaluate radial energy distribution with a …

Modeling Of Rare Earth Solvent Extraction Process For Flowsheet Design And Optimization, Vaibhav Kumar Srivastava

Theses and Dissertations--Mining Engineering

The separation and purification of rare earth elements (REEs) into individual products has been a topic of significant interest for researchers and engineers for many decades. The prime reason for such sustained interest is due to REEs’ demand and application in modern technology, as well as the challenges associated with their separation and purification. The chemical similarity of rare earth group elements is responsible for difficult separability which makes purification of individual elements challenging. Despite associated complications, processes such as solvent extraction (SX) and ion-exchange have been successfully utilized in the separation and production of REEs on pilot and commercial …

Effect Of Spectral Bandwidths On Linear Feature Extraction: An Evaluation Of Landsat Etm+ And Oli Sensors, Ali Imanian, Adel Asadi, Majid Hashemi Tangestani, Saeid Homayouni, Ali Faghih

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Hitherto there have been many studies comparing the usefulness of OLI and ETM+ sensors for linear feature extraction. However, not too much attention has been paid to the differences in the bandwidth of the two sensors. In this study, the suitability of Landsat ETM+ and OLI sensors for automatic detection of linear features by LINE algorithm was compared. In this study, eight regions in northern, central and southern parts of Iran were selected based on the diversity of lithology, the pristine status, and lack of human activities for the comparison of the two datasets. Results revealed that LINE algorithm performed …

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 …

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 …

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. …

Recovery Of Phosphorus From Florida Phosphatic Waste Clay, Amir Eskanlou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This MS thesis examines the recovery of phosphorus (P) from Florida waste clay (WC). A comprehensive literature review revealed that: (i)-The most important values being lost to WC are P and rare earth elements (REEs). For the recovery of these values from WC, two crucial attempts are the removal of extremely fine-sized clays, followed by the recovery of phosphate content, which can pave the path for the recovery of REEs; (ii)-Any scientific/ technological solution should, at the same time, be economically and environmentally attractive to the industry. As such, moving from mostly chemical separation processes to the primarily physical/ physicochemical …

Optimization Of Operating Conditions And Design Parameters On Coal Ultra-Fine Grinding Through Kinetic Stirred Mill Tests And Numerical Modeling, Francisco Patino

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the ultra-fine coal grinding performance of four low- to moderate-cost grinding media: ceramic balls, granular sand, alumina beads, and silica beads. The kinetic grinding tests were conducted using a stirred mill, while different operating conditions, including the media size, solids concentration, and the addition of viscosity modifiers, were examined. Characterization studies in terms of particle size, shape, and surface morphology were further performed to support the experimental findings. Moreover, using population balance modeling, grinding simulation was performed in Matlab to forecast the particle size distribution based on the specific energy input and experimental size-related data. The results …

Geology Oriented Loading Approach For Underground Coal Mines, Deniz Tuncay

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mining-induced stresses in underground coal mines play a significant role in pillar and support design, hence in the safety of mining operations. Adequate design of pillars and roof control plans rely on the accurate assessment of the mining-induced loads, as well as the load-bearing capacities of the supports. In pillar design tools frequently used by the underground coal mining industry and Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), overburden loading is estimated by geometric concepts such as the tributary area and the abutment angle method. These methods do not explicitly consider important mechanical responses such as specific overall ground behavior. The …

The Effects Of Rigid Polyurethane Foam As A Confinement Material On Breaching Charge Detonations, Nathan Franz Paerschke-O'Brien

Masters Theses

"The effects of a rigid polyurethane foam used as a confinement material on four types of breaching explosives were tested, focusing on the changes in shockwave peak pressures, detonation load compression forces, and brisance cratering abilities. The Plate Dent testing procedure was modified to incorporate a load cell force sensor, and two air overpressure sensors were included adjacent to the blast to quantify each test result. The testing variables focused on the polyurethane foam cure times and thickness volumes around the breaching explosives to determine the breaching charges' optimal energy output capabilities when confined by the foam material. The rigid …

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 …