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In the last decade mineable oil sands production in Canada has grown rapidly. Constraints on the planning and design processes employed by surface mining oil sands operations vary in distinct ways from other commodities mined by both hard and soft rock open pit methods. The unique waste handling needs, including tailings disposal, of contemporary oil sands mining requires specific planning considerations. It is the purpose of this research to analyze and document a conventional hard rock, metal mine planning system, and contrast this with the unconventional mine planning system used by oil sands mines. Systems activity models of both the conventional and unconventional systems are developed in support of documenting and contrasting the two systems. Constraints unique to oil sands mine planning are identified and their impact on the oil sands mine planning system are documented. The impacts of challenging waste handling and storage requirements and a uniquely prescriptive regulatory environment defining mineable ore are identified as key constraints. The research concludes with a proposal for a new planning system to better support the planning of oil sands mines. The proposed system respects the unique waste management considerations in oil sands planning and revisits the current regulatory approach to ensuring resource recovery. The proposed system is compatible with traditional approaches to economic analysis in open pit planning, and with emerging best practices to manage technical and economic uncertainty, improve project optimization, and develop robust mine plans. / Thesis (Ph.D, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-02 17:52:18.223

The interfacial behaviour of two amphiphillic poly iso-butenyl succinic anhydride (PIBSA)-derived surfactants and the effect of their interaction with various nitrate salts on the stability of a water-in-oil type emulsion has been investigated. The adsorption of the esterification product of PIBSA and coco-diethanolamide (PICDEA) and of Experse-70 (E-70) at the equilibrated aqueous-fuel oil interface was investigated via the measurement of interfacial tension using the ring detachment method.The interfacial pressure of PICDEA decreased in the presence of excess unreacted coco-diethanolamide (CDE) and for both PICDEA and E-70 interfacial pressure decreased with an increase in the length of the poly iso-butenyl (PIB) hydrocarbon tail. Interfacial tension-concentration curves and the Gibbs Equation were used to determine surfactant surface excess concentration and the packing efficiency of the surfactant in the interphase. The double hydrocarbon PICDEA molecule was found to occupy a larger interfacial area than the single hydrocarbon E-70 molecule. The pH of the aqueous phase effects the interfacial activity and nature of, PICDEA and E-70 at the interface. PICDEA is protonated at pH values less than 4.6 and deprotonated at higher pH values. E-70 is neutral at low pH and deprotonated at pH values greater than approximately 2.The effect of sodium, calcium and ferric nitrate salts on the interfacial free energy of the surfactant saturated interface was also determined. The interfacial tension at the E-70 aqueous nitrate interface was dependent on ionic strength alone with a general decrease in interfacial free energy as nitrate concentration was increased. In the case of PICDEA, however, a surfactant-cation orientation effect was observed. The divalent Ca2+ cation attracts two adjacent PICDEA anions resulting in the adverse interaction of hydrocarbon tails in the interphase. This produces an interface with a higher than expected interfacial free energy. The Na+ cation produces an interface with a more energetically stable orientation. PICDEA in the presence of a ferric nitrate solution (pH 1 to 2) is protonated and therefore the univalent nitrate anion forms the counterion layer at the positively charged surfactant interface. Stability studies were carried out on aqueous nitrate salt in diesel emulsions using PICDEA as the stabilizing surfactant. Droplet coalescence rates were determined from droplet size distribution data in the presence of varying concentrations of sodium, calcium and ferric nitrate salts. Droplets were sized microscopically at progressive time intervals and the rate of coalescence determined from the change in droplet concentration with time. Coalescence was found to follow two or more consecutive first order reactions. After an initial period of rapid droplet coalescence, involving small droplets with diameters of 5~m and less, a droplet distribution is attained conducive to a more stable emulsion which then undergoes a slower rate of coalescence involving larger droplets. The effect of the nitrate salt type on the initial droplet coalescence rate (in order of increasing rate) is as follows: Ca2+< Na+< Fe3+. The opposite trend was observed for the slower long term rate of coalescence, i.e. Fe3+< Na+< Ca2+. These trends are explained in terms of the surfactant cation orientation effect, the effect of the droplet's radius of curvature on the potential energy barrier against coalescence and the effect of the droplet distribution of the emulsion system. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1990.

The production of an efficient and low cost device has been the ultimate goal in the photovoltaic cell development. The fabrication and application of nanostructured materials in the field of energy conversion has been attracting a lot of attention. In this work, applications of surface plasmons (SPs) and photonic nanostructures to the field of energy conversion, specifically in the area of silicon solar cells and lanthanide energy upconversion (UC) luminescence applications were studied. Enhanced power conversion efficiency in bulk (single crystalline) silicon solar cells was demonstrated using an optimized mixture of the silver and gold nanoparticles (NPs) on the front of the cell to tackle the negative effect in the Au NPs plasmonic application. Then, a comparison of identically shaped metallic (Al, Au and Ag) and nonmetallic (SiO2) NPs integrated to the back contact of amorphous thin film silicon solar cells were investigated to solve a controversy issue in literature. The result indicates that parasitic absorption from metallic NPs might be a drawback to the SPs enhancement. A cost-effective fabrication of large area (5x5 cm2) honeycomb patterned transparent electrode for “folded” thin film solar cell application by combining the nanosphere lithography and electrodeposition were realized. Furthermore, the SPs enhanced tunable energy upconversion from NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ NPs in nanoslits were also demonstrated, our results shows that the relative red/green emission can be controlled by different plasmonic mode coupling. / Graduate / phwang@uvic.ca

The thesis considers and examines methods of surface propagation, where the normal velocity of the surface depends on the local curvature and the gradient of the surface. Such fronts occur in many different physical situations from the growth of crystals to the spreading of flames. A number of different methods are considered to find solutions to these physical problems. First the motion is modelled by partial differential equations and numerical methods are developed for solving these equations. The numerical methods involve characteristic, finite differences and transformation of the equations. Stability of the solutions is also briefly considered. Secondly the fronts are modelled by using a cellular approach which subdivides space into regions of small cells. The fronts are assumed to propagate through the region according to stochastic rules. Monte-Carlo simulations are carried out using this approach. Results of the simulations are carried out in two-dimensions and three-dimensions for a number of interesting physical examples.