Mining Engineering Commons^™

Fuzzy Controlled Hydraulic Excavator With Model Parameter Uncertainty, Ganesh Kothapalli, Mohammed Hassan

Research outputs 2011

The hydraulic actuated excavator, being a non-linear mobile machine, encounters many uncertainties. There are uncertainties in the hydraulic system in addition to the uncertain nature of the load. The simulation results obtained in this study show that there is a need for intelligent control of such machines and in particular interval type-2 fuzzy controller is most suitable for minimizing the position error of a typical excavator’s bucket under load variations. We consider the model parameter uncertainties such as hydraulic fluid leakage and friction. These are uncertainties which also depend up on the temperature and alter bulk modulus and viscosity of …

Turbulent Flow Studies Of A Scaled Model Of A Large Mining Truck - Computations And Experiment, Wayne Randolph Sexton

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Modern mining operations are highly reliant on the amount of material that can be removed from the earth, transported to processing, and then processed. The companies that design and build mining dump trucks concentrate on improving the material payload capacity. Currently, the largest trucks are 400ton-class trucks. The design of these large mining dump trucks certainly does not stem from aerodynamics, but rather, from functionality and payload As a result, the shear size and asymmetric functional design creates interesting turbulent wakes on, around, and behind these trucks. This research focuses on the turbulent flow behind the truck. Computational Fluid Dynamic …

Creating Lakes From Open Pit Mines: Processes And Considerations, Emphasis On Northern Environments, Christopher H. Gammons, Les N. Harris, James M. Castro, Peter A. Cott, Bruce W. Hanna

Geological Engineering

Creating Lakes from Open Pit Mines: Processes and Considerations, Emphasis on Northern Environments. This document summarizes the literature of mining pit lakes (through 2007), with a particular focus on issues that are likely to be of special relevance to the creation and management of pit lakes in northern climates. Pit lakes are simply waterbodies formed by filling the open pit left upon the completion of mining operations with water. Like natural lakes, mining pit lakes display a huge diversity in each of these subject areas. However, pit lakes are young and therefore are typically in a non-equilibrium state with respect …

Nepa And The Dynamics Of Public Participation In The Environmental Review Process: An Analysis Of The Northmet (Polymet) Mining Project Near Hoyt Lakes Minnesota, Amber Neumann

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Hypothesis: That comments collected from agency “experts” during the scoping phase of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process would be disproportionately represented as changes in subsequent drafts of NorthMet’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Methods: Tabular analysis of data collected from the Minnesota DNR publication of Response to the Public Scoping Projects PolyMet Mining Inc.; NorthMet Project. 2005

Results: There is an excellent cross section of comment sources represented in changes to subsequent drafts of NorthMet’s EIS. A lot of overlap exists between various types of participants and their concerns, resulting in many of the successful comments stemming from …

The Drivers And Barriers To Customer Value Creation: Issues And Prespectives In The Marble Sector Smes Of North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, Muhammad Noman

Business Review

The concept of value and, more specifically, customer value is of increasing interest to both academics and practitioners. Many see it as the next source of competitive advantage. Like other regions of the country, the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan has a presence of SMEs in many sectors. A major one amongst these is the marble sector; characterized by two sub-sectors, marble mining and marble processing. A review of various studies in the marble sector reveals that about 70 percent of marble reserves in Pakistan are being wasted due to poor mining and processing techniques. The situation is further aggravated …

Effect Of Water Ice Content On Excavatability Of Lunar Regolith, Leslie S. Gertsch, Robert Gustafson, Richard E. Gertsch

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The amount of water ice contained within prepared samples of JSC-1 lunar regolith simulant strongly affects the excavatability of the material. As part of a NASA Phase I SBIR project, load-penetration testing of JSC-1 lunar regolith simulant was performed at water ice concentrations ranging from zero to 11% by mass (approximately saturated), after compaction and cooling to simulate probable lunar conditions. After mixing dry JSC-1 simulant with the appropriate amount of water, the samples were individually compressed into containment rings under 48 MPa of pressure. Thermocouples embedded in the samples monitored internal temperature while they were cooled in a bath …

Active Noise Control Of Stageloader Noise In Longwall Mining, Jeremy M. Slagley, Steven Guffey

Faculty Publications

With the large-scale mechanization inherent to the mining industry, noise-induced hearing loss remains a major concern. As part of on-going efforts to develop engineering controls to reduce noise levels in longwall mining, active noise control experiments were conducted above ground on a modified non-working stageloader. Recorded underground stageloader noise was broadcast into the above ground stageloader. The result was an average 7 dBA reduction when the active noise control was applied. These results suggest the possibility that active noise reduction can be a useful means to reduce stageloader noise if the control system can be made sufficiently rugged. The study …

Subsidence Resulting From Multiple-Seam Longwall Mining In The Western United States - A Characterization Study, United States Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Mines

Mines and Mineral Resources

This report details the investigation of multiple-seam longwall subsidence conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines from 1978 to 1989. A field investigation monitored ground surface movements over four upper-seam longwall panels and six lower-seam panels. The characteristics of the subsidence occurring as a result of mining these panels are examined; in particular, the angle of draw, subsidence development, total magnitude and areal extent, and critical width are evaluated and discussed. Comparisons are also made between the characteristics of multiple-seam longwall subsidence and single-seam longwall subsidence that occurred at the same site.

A Knowledge-Based Expert System For Managing Underground Coal Mines In The U.S., H. Singh, S. Yuan, C. M. Watts, J. M. Dean, N. P. Reddy, R. S. Nutter Jr., R. Larry Grayson

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Mine Management Support System which is being developed as a knowledge-based expert system for better management of underground coal mines, is presented. Concentrating on capturing the complex body of knowledge needed to enhance efficient management of a mine, it will encompass information and preferred rules on work scheduling, work practices, regulations impinging on the accomplishment of work, responses to operating problems, and the labor-management work agreement. Different components of the mine system, modeled using an object-oriented layering technique, are displayed graphically to aid in coordinating work plans and to present locations of equipment, supplies, and proposed subsystem components.

The History Of The Trinity Highway: A Study In Transportation Dynamics, Richard Wilutus

Books and Other Publications

Although the primary focus of this thesis is a history of California 299--the Trinity Highway, I have studied the construction of that road in the context of the history of transportation between Weaverville and Humboldt Bay. The history of a transportation network is not only a history of connections between people and places but also, in this remote region, the vital link connecting wilderness with civilization.

Ever since the settlement of the Weaverville area in 1848, its residents have sought reliable transportation to Humboldt Bay's seaport and merchandise. During this period a road has connected these two places for less …

The Development Of The Smelting Industry In The Central Salt Lake Valley Communities Of Midvale, Murray, And Sandy Prior To 1900, Charles E. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis found that the three communities of Midvale, Murray, and Sandy were the center of the smelting industry in the Salt Lake Valley. These communities became the center of smelting because of their central location, the readily available water supply, and the availability of an inexpensive, efficient transportation system to ship the bullion. The smelters were surrounded by two major mountain ranges which provided a ready supply of good lead, silver, and copper ore.

The development of the smelting industry followed three separate phases or periods. The first phase was one of experimentation or period of discovery, in which …

Knowledge Organization And Inference Engine For The Wvu Face Decision Support System, S. Carrow, R. S. Nutter Jr., R. S. Raman, N. A. Reddy, Y. V. Reddy, R. Larry Grayson

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The knowledge-based organization for the West Virginia University Face Decision Support System is given, along with the initial development of the associated inference engine. The knowledge base contains generic knowledge about underground coal mines that utilize continuous miners. A typical knowledge entry is given, and the inference engine methodology is explained. The engine utilizes this knowledge with data from monitoring systems and from interaction with the section foreman, to assist in making section management decisions and plans.

Infiltration Through Reconstructed Surface Mined Spoils And Soils, A. D. Ward, Larry G. Wells, R. E. Phillips

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

An extensive series of tests involving reconstructed profiles of spoil and topsoil material from a Western Kentucky surface mine site was conducted with a laboratory infiltrometer system. Infiltration through the reconstructed spoil profiles was very slow despite the coarse nature of the material. Low infiltration rates could be attributed to the material having a well-graded texture and to the high densities of the profiles. Infiltration through topsoil horizons was controlled, for the most part, by conditions at the surface. Following wetting, infiltration rates were primarily controlled by the hydraulic characteristics of the less permeable sub horizon of the spoil material. …