The typical preparation plant producing coal for the utility market targets a relative separation density in the plant of around 1.60 whereas plants generating metallurgical coal use relative cut point density values approaching 1.50. In some cases, achieving the specified coal quality requires operating at lower cut point values, which results in a significant loss of valuable coal. In these situations, a middlings stream can be produced using a secondary separator or a three-product unit, which would allow crushing of the middlings for liberation purposes and re-introduction into the plant feed. In this manner, higher quality coal can be produced while maximizing plant yield. A detailed laboratory analysis was conducted to study the liberation characteristics resulting from the crushing of middlings at different top sizes. The experimental data were later used as input for modeling and simulation of plant flowsheet in LIMN. Simulations were run for several regrinding cases. The results of the current study investigating the economic benefits of middlings liberation and re-treatment are presented and discussed in this thesis. Improvement up to 6% in plant yield with 16-21% reduction in ash and 14-18% sulfur reductions can be achieved by crushing the +1/2 inch middlings to a ½-inch top size.

Coal mine impoundment failures have been well documented to occur due to an increase in excess pore pressure from sustained monotonic loads. Very few failures have ever occurred from dynamic loading events, such as earthquakes, and research has been done regarding the stability of these impoundment structures under such natural seismic loading events. To date no failures or damage have been reported from dynamic loading events caused by near-by production blasting, however little research has been done considering these conditions. Taking into account that current environmental restrictions oblige to increase the capacity of coal impoundments, thus increasing the hazard of such structures, it is necessary to evaluate the effects of near-by blasting on the stability of the impoundment structures. To study the behavior of excess pore pressure under blasting conditions, scaled simulations of blasting events were set inside a controlled sand tank. Simulated blasts were duplicated in both saturated and unsaturated conditions. Explosive charges were detonated within the sand tank at various distances to simulate different scaled distances. Information was collected from geophones for dry and saturated scenarios and additionally from pressure sensors under saturated conditions to assess the behavior of the material under blasting conditions.

No description available.

This thesis addresses the development, evaluation and modelling of an anti-segregation system ("AS-System") for.use in larger silos handling alumina in the aluminium smelting industry. This work is unlike much of what has gone before because it is much more grounded in the technical and economic consequences of segregation for a particular manufacturing process. Segregation of particulates, i.e. separation of components due to differences in properties such as size, density etc., has an extensive literature going back as far as 1915, but this focuses mainly on the segregation process itself and largely ignores the context and the consequences. The consequence of segregation is loss of homogeneity; the impact that has on any given process, is generally not addressed very deeply. Surveying the literature on segregation, and studying the total processes of aluminium production, creates a basis for understanding the importance of segregation for aluminium production, as well as the importance of powder technology in general for this industry. A method for quantification of segregation in this production process, based on sampling, has been established. This was intended to give the fundamental information necessary for measuring the extent of the problem and the degree of improvement achieved. By placing sampling points along the logistic chain for the alumina, and by sampling these points for a long enough period, information about the influence of the various handling steps on the bulk solids can be identified. Segregation by particle size is the main type of influence, although the work has shown that attrition is another. Standardised statistical expressions have been used for analysing the bottlenecks of the logistic loops, and study of the results has led to a useful way of expressing the level of segregation, the change of segregation level in a handling step (silo filling and discharge), and improvements in this change. The degree of segregation when handling alumina has proven to be quite considerable in terms of effects on the production process. The effects on the efficiency of the aluminium smelting process, and the environment, have both been evaluated. Variations in the alumina due to segregation have been found to correlate with both dust concentration in the smelter pot room, and anode effects (an unwanted upset in the smelting process). An economical evaluation of an investment in anti segregation systems has been made. This evaluation has shown significant economic consequences, clearly justifying both the investigations of segregation, and the implementation of anti segregation measures. To remedy the effects of air current segregation in the aluminium industry, a complete Anti Segregation System (AS-System) based around Anti Segregation Tubes (AST) utilising a special inlet configuration has been developed. In a number of full size installations, this solution has proved itself capable of handling the variations and transients of process conditions which occur in the industry, with a large operational capacity range, due to the special inlet configuration. The effect of the full scale installed anti segregation systems have been measured, and compared to other systems. The AS-System clearly demonstrated a homogenising effect no matter how low the ingoing variations in particle size were. Other commercial systems which have been evaluated have turned out to be no more than Segregation Effect Damping Systems, since they only seem to reduce the segregation effect after it has happened, instead of trying to eliminate the problem by directly attacking the segregation mechanism itself which is what the AS-System does. A new scaled down test rig for the AS-System was developed, consisting of three ASTs fed from a central distributor. To test the potential effect of the AS-System, to determine its efficiency in countering segregation, tests with repeated filling and emptying of a scale silo were carried out. The results clearly showed that the AS-System very much reduced segregation, compared to conventional filling, even in a small-scale silo. Improved models have been developed for the function of the AST and these have been verified against measurements from the new test rig. The early version of the test rig for the AST used only one centre-mounted tube, with one pressure measurement in the top of the tube. The first models were based on the assumption of the pressure being linear, and assumed full dispersion of the falling material inside the tube; and calibrated from the single pressure measurement inside at the top of the tube. Although this simple model calculated very conservative values of the negative pressure, the model was used for the initial development and design of the AST, and later the ASSystem (Anti Segregation System). A second model was derived, where the material velocity was calculated based on free fall. This model was also based on the idea of full dispersion, but was in better agreement with measured values during further tests, which showed a considerable deviation from the original assumption of a linear pressure distribution once intermediate pressure measurements were available. When using the multi-phase-flow-simulation-program-code FLUENT to simulate the pressure distribution of the AST, the results were quite disappointing, however the FLUENT program was able to identify an initial positive pressure generated by the flow from the inlet box to the tube. Implementing this initial pressure into the simple non-linear model above, both the trend and values correspond quite well with the measured values. A single particle drag model was tried, but dismissed after calculating the maximum possible capacity for known tubes and finding the predictions to be unrealistically low. A new approach was introduced, modelling the fall of the powder in a continuous layer along the inner wall of the tube on one side, creating skin drag along the surface between the falling solid powder and the air. The length of the tube and the width of the chosen AST profile define this surface. This approach assumes that the powder falls like a layer along the tube wall. Previous theory for pressure drop in pneumatic conveying inspired this approach, but it had not previously been used for gravity flow in vertical tubes, and as a result the novel Solid Surface Body Drag Model (SSBDM) was developed. This analytical model gives very good correspondence with the measured data for the pressure distribution inside the AST, yet is extremely simple to use. When comparing the model with measured data, the SSBDM was able to predict the pressure distribution within the error boundaries of the test measurements. A method for design of the AST was derived from the SSBDM, using a dimensionless parameter function determined for the pressure drop model. The models giving the design indicate that the capacity is more than proportional to the cross sectional area of a chosen tube profile, which is in agreement with observations. The model suggests that the capacity is proportional to the cross sectional area in the power of 1.25. This model allowed the study of the effect of tube shape, which revealed that a square profile for the AST does not seem to be the optimum design; rather, a rectangular profile should be chosen for maximum capacity. The model suggests that the capacity is proportional to the width of the side of the tube along which the powder layer is falling, but proportional to the perpendicular side in a rectangular profile in the power of 1.5. The model gives an equation for pressure drop which can also be utilised to place the first valve on the tube. It also shows that for high capacities, and large silos, a system consisting of several ASTs should be chosen (AS-System). Predictions from the model have been tested against the measured capacities of full scale installed systems and give good agreement. Overall, the AS-System has been shown to be cost-effective in reducing segregation; results measured from the full scale installations show a homogenising factor (reduction in variation of the material being handled) of 1-1.5. As a result of these verifications and the simplicity of the model presented in this thesis, the plant engineer can confidently design a system which will function correctly and make a positive, predictable improvement in the homogeneity of the alumina in his plant.

Emerging health concern for gaseous nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted during surface mine blasting has prompted mining authorities in the United States to pursue new regulations. NOx is comprised of various binary compounds of nitrogen and oxygen. Nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are the most prominent. Modern explosive formulations are not designed to produce NOx during properly-sustained detonations, and researchers have identified several causes through laboratory experiments; however, direct sampling of NOx following full-scale surface mine blasting has not been accomplished. The purpose of this thesis was to demonstrate a safe, innovative method of directly quantifying NOx concentrations in a full-scale surface mining environment. A small unmanned aircraft system was used with a continuous gas monitor to sample concentrated fumes. Three flights were completed – two in the Powder River Basin. Results from a moderate NOx emission showed peak NO and NO2 concentrations of 257 ppm and 67.2 ppm, respectively. The estimated NO2 presence following a severe NOx emission was 137.3 ppm. Dispersion of the gases occurred over short distances, and novel geometric models were developed to describe emission characteristics. Overall, the direct sampling method was successful, and the data collected are new to the body of scientific knowledge.

Thesis (MScEng (Process Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Earthquakes and other seismic events are known to have catastrophic effects on people and property. These large-scale events are almost always preceded by smallerscale seismic events called precursors, such as tremors or other vibrations. The use of precursor data to predict the realization of seismic hazards has been a long-standing technical problem in different disciplines. For example, blasting or other mining activities have the potential to induce the collapse of rock surfaces, or the occurrence of other dangerous seismic events in large volumes of rock. In this study, seismic data (T4) obtained from a mining concern in South Africa were considered using a nonlinear time series approach. In particular, the method of surrogate analysis was used to characterize the deterministic structure in the data, prior to fitting a predictive model. The seismic data set (T4) is a set of seismic events for a small volume of rock in a mine observed over a period of 12 days. The surrogate data were generated to have structure similar to that of T4 according to some basic seismic laws. In particular, the surrogate data sets were generated to have the same autocorrelation structure and amplitude distributions of the underlying data set T4. The surrogate data derived from T4 allow for the assessment of some basic hypotheses regarding both types of data sets. The structure in both types of data (i.e. the relationship between the past behavior and the future realization of components) was investigated by means of three test statistics, each of which provided partial information on the structure in the data. The first is the average mutual information between the reconstructed past and futures states of T4. The second is a correlation dimension estimate, Dc which gives an indication of the deterministic structure (predictability) of the reconstructed states of T4. The final statistic is the correlation coefficients which gives an indication of the predictability of the future behavior of T4 based on the past states of T4. The past states of T4 was reconstructed by reducing the dimension of a delay coordinate embedding of the components of T4. The map from past states to future realization of T4 values was estimated using Long Short-Term Recurrent Memory (LSTM) neural networks. The application of LSTM Recurrent Neural Networks on point processes has not been reported before in literature. Comparison of the stochastic surrogate data with the measured structure in the T4 data set showed that the structure in T4 differed significantly from that of the surrogate data sets. However, the relationship between the past states and the future realization of components for both T4 and surrogate data did not appear to be deterministic. The application of LSTM in the modeling of T4 shows that the approach could model point processes at least as well or even better than previously reported applications on time series data.

No description available.

Designing a safe and economical mining activity is the main goal of every mine design engineer. With the rise of computer modeling in mine design there is a need for a standardized method to use geologic characterization of rocks in engineering design. In this research, first a review of empirical methods will be conducted and after that a step-by-step method is presented to adequately use FLAC3D, for development pillars, in room and pillar mine in development stage. ARMPS database is used to evaluate the FLAC3D model results. ARMPS database consists of 645 case study in room and pillar mines. 170 of them are mines in development phase. In this research all 170 cases will be analyzed in FLAC3D v4.0 and the results will be compared to actual success and failure from the database. Also, the stability factor found from FLAC3D will be compared to ARMPS. Finally, it is tried to calibrate FLAC3D stability factor so it can be used in room and pillar design.

People’s perceptions of mining are heavily based on the media they consume and the messages therein. News outlets ordinarily report on mining only when there is an accident or environmental concern. When messages that the public is exposed to are negative, it is no wonder that there are negative perceptions about mining. Current public relations campaigns on the behalf of specific companies or select sectors do exist; however, this is often a reactionary move in response to recent shifts in the socio-political environment. The details of these campaigns are often tied up in proprietary information or withheld by public relations firms. Hiring public relations firms is often cost prohibitive for many single mining companies. Mining serves a vital purpose in providing society with the base resources to sustain the standard of living it has come to expect. This important purpose needs to be fully communicated to the public in order to educate them. Attitudes about mining need to be identified so misinformation can be accurately targeted. Before this can begin, these attitudes must be measured and knowledge gaps identified. This work focused on two main objectives on the mining industry’s behalf. The first focus was to determine attitudes towards mining and knowledge about mining. This was done through a survey administered to three counties in Kentucky. From this survey, guidance for communication efforts were produced, through the suggestion of specific topics for messages, which directly addresses identified attitudes of the public and misconceptions about mining. Relationships between knowledge and attitudes were explored, as well as relationships between demographic information and knowledge, and attitudes. Subsequently, an empirical model for predicting individuals' knowledge of mining was produced. The second focus was to apply theoretical foundations to educational and community engagement efforts. Different theories are required for different groups of people depending on the level that mining plays a role in those peoples' lives. In all, how the mining industry communicates with the public needs to be improved, and the work proposed here will steer these improvements.

There is a lack of fundamental studies by means of state of the art numerical and scale modeling techniques scrutinizing the theoretical and technical aspect of air table separators as well as means to comprehend and improve the efficiency of the process. The dissertation details the development of a workable empirical model, a numerical model and a scale model to demonstrate the use of a laboratory air table unit. The modern air-based density separator achieves effective density-based separation for particle sizes greater than 6 mm. Parametric studies with the laboratory scale unit using low rank coal have demonstrated the applicability with regards to finer size fractions of the range 6 mm to 1 mm. The statistically significant empirical models showed that all the four parameters, i.e, blower and table frequency, longitudinal and transverse angle were significant in determining the separation performance. Furthermore, the tests show that an increase in the transverse angle increased the flow rate of solids to the product end and the introduction of feed results in the dampening of airflow at the feed end. The higher table frequency and feed rate had a detrimental effect on the product yield due to low residence time of particle settlement. The research further evaluated fine particle upgrading using various modeling techniques. The numerical model was evaluated using K-Epsilon and RSM turbulence formulations and validated using experimental dataset. The results prove that the effect of fine coal vortices forming around the riffles act as a transport mechanism for higher density particle movement across the table deck resulting in 43% displacement of the midlings and 29% displacement of the heavies to the product side. The velocity and vector plots show high local variance of air speeds and pressure near the feed end and an increase in feed rate results in a drop in deshaling capability of the table. The table was further evaluated using modern scale-modeling concepts and the scaling laws indicated that the vibration velocity has an integral effect on the separation performance. The difference between the full-scale model and the scaled prototype was 3.83% thus validating the scaling laws.