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By Fulian He, Jianhang Chen, Dongdong Chen, Shoubao Zhang

"The Wangjialing Coal Mine is the main colliery of the China Coal Huajin Energy Limited Liability Company. The average thickness of the coal seam in District 201 is 6.21 m. Fully mechanized longwall mining was used in this district. The ventilation roadway of panel 20102 was influenced by the retreat mining of the adjacent panel 20104. Therefore, large deformation and severe roof falls occurred in this roadway, seriously influencing the safety production of this coal mine. To support the roadway, cable truss was proposed to strengthen the reinforcement of this ventilation roadway. First, numerical simulation was used to optimize the reinforcement parameters, including the cable installation angle, cable length, and eccentric distance. Based on numerical simulation results, in-situ tests were conducted in the ventilation roadway of panel 20102 with the cable truss technology. In-situ monitoring results showed that the roof-to-floor convergence and the convergence of roadway on two sides were within the safety range. Furthermore, no apparent separations occurred in the roof. These indicate that based on the designed parameters, the cable truss system can effectively maintain the roadway stability under the severe influence of the adjacent longwall mining.INTRODUCTIONCable bolts are flexible tendons composed of multi steel wires, which are wound into a strand (Chen, Hagan, and Saydam, 2018). They were initially introduced in the hard rock mining industry in the 1960s. Later, they found rapid application in coal mines to maintain the stability of excavations (Wang et al., 2015).The standard cable bolt is composed of seven steel wires with a diameter of 15.2 mm. Laboratory and in-situ tests showed that there is a low bonding capacity between the standard cable bolt and the grout (Craig and Holden, 2014; Chen, Hagan, and Saydam, 2018). Then, modified cable bolts are developed based on the standard cable bolts. They are improved by changing the surface geometry of standard cable bolts, such as birdcaged cable bolts (Hutchins et al., 1990) or nutcaged cable bolts (Hyett et al., 1993). Further tests proved that modified cable bolts have better mechanical interlock and friction between the cable bolt and grout, leading to larger load transfer capacity of cable bolts.Although cable bolts have been used for many years, failure of the cable bolting system still occurs. A common failure mode is the damage of surrounding confining medium while the cable bolt is still hanging in the roof, which is caused by the bond failure of the cable/grout interface (Hutchinson and Diederichs, 1996). To prevent the cable bolting system from failing, the cable truss system is more widely used in mining engineering."

Jan 1, 2019

When the mining and milling of 1100 copper orebody commenced at Mount Isa a satisfactory grade of copper concentrate was difficult to produce. The major concentrate contaminants were fine pyrite and silica, particularly in the minus 10 microns fraction. Studies of the 1100 orebody showed that much of the fine grained pyrite and a proportion of the silica present in the ore contained carbonaceous matter in the form of complete or partial rims and as internal carbon films disseminated throughout grains. The hydrophobic surface property of the carbonaceous material resulted in inherently flotable fine pyrite and siliceous particles.The addition of a 60:40 mixture of nigrosine and dextrine, initially to a prefloat concentrate of the inherently flotable carbonaceous material and finally to the total copper flotation feed, successfully controlled the flotation rates of the carbonaceous pyrite and silica. The objective of a 25 per cent Cu concentrate grade was then achieved without decreasing copper recovery.

Jan 1, 1971

By Fewings JH

When the mining and milling of 1100 Copper Orebody commenced, difficulties were experienced in producing a satisfactory grade of copper concentrate. The major concentrate contaminants were fine pyrite and silica, particularly in the minus 10 microns fraction. Studies of the 1100 Orebody showed that much of the fine grained pyrite and a proportion of the silica present in the ore contained carbonaceous matter in the form of complete or partial rims and as internal carbon films disseminated throughout grains. The hydrophobic surface property of the carbonaceous material resulted in an inherently flotable fine pyrite and silica fraction. The addition of a 60:40 mixture of nigrosine and dextrine, initially to a prefloat concentrate of the inherently flotable carbonaceous material and finally to'the total copper flotation feed, successfully controlled the flotation rates of the carbonaceous pyrite and silica. The objective of a 25 per cent Cu concentrate grade was then achieved without decreasing copper recovery.

Jan 1, 1970

By Jorge Cárdenas, Piero Mejía, Diego Gamarra

The present case study details the solution to a complex situation in a mining operation, involving the challenge of expanding the tailings storage facility in high-criticality areas adjacent to electrical rooms that provide continuous power to the entire mining process, including water pumping and drainage systems. For this purpose, blasting is required to prepare the construction areas for the new expansion facilities. Upon deciding to proceed with blasting, a comprehensive engineering assessment was conducted to ensure operational continuity without impacting the process, while generating sufficient fracturing in the rock mass to allow extraction with auxiliary equipment. Support from specialists through the Technical Assistance area was requested, and a detailed evaluation was carried out through advanced studies. Field vibration studies were conducted to define attenuation models and characterize the rock mass in the sector. With this information, simulations were carried out using predictive and probabilistic models with Monte Carlo methods to select delay charges and optimal timing for reducing vibration levels and increasing frequency levels. With these measures, the three blasts conducted near the Gas Insulated Substation room, which had distances ranging from 30 to 100 meters, produced the following results: • Vibrations; The three blasts conducted at distances of 100, 30, and 50 meters recorded vibration values of 5.3, 40.2, and 9.5 mm/s, all of which were below the maximum vibration level of 50 mm/s set by the projects area. According to the USBM RI8507-OSMRE standard, all values for Peak Particle Velocity (PPV) and frequency were below the permissible limits. • Flyrock; Through filming and post-blast inspection, it was confirmed that the ejections were within the safety zone. • Fragmentation; The results obtained showed a maximum overbreak size of 1.5 meters, allowing the broken material to be moved effectively.

Jan 21, 2025

By Fuqiang Zheng, Yufeng Guo, Pengfei Li, Guanzhou Qiu, Tao Jiang, Andrew Yakovlevich Travyanov

Low content of TiO2 and high impurities content of Ca and Mg are the shortcomings of domestic ilmenite. To meet the requirements of the material in the titania produced by chlorination process and titanium sponge industry, enrichment of ilmenite is necessary. In the process of enriching ilmenite, high temperature and reductive condition were beneficial to the formation of anosovite, but the high content of magnesium oxide which was solid soluble in anosovite baffled the following separation. So the effects of pre-oxidation and reductive conditions including reduction temperature, reduction time and hydrogen concentration on the phase composition and metallization rate were studied. The characteristics of reduction samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and optical microscope. Results have shown that the reduction product is mainly composed of Fe, Fe(Mg)TiO3 and TiO2 at 1123K, its metallization rate is about 65%,magnesium exists in Fe(Mg)TiO3.

Jan 1, 2015

By E. Lwamba

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of grain size distribution control of the raw material mixture on the permeability of the green sinter bed and the properties of the produced sinter. This was achieved by evaluating the granulation characteristics of the sinter mixture (moisture content, granulation time and mean granule diameter) in terms of its green bed permeability, and evaluating the productivity of the sinter bed, the coke rate, tumble index (TI), abrasion index (AI), reduction disintegration index(RDI) and reducibility (RI) of the produced sinter. The raw sinter mixtures contained combinations of Thabazimbi iron ore, Sishen iron ore, coke, lime and return fines. The grain size distributions were controlled by removing the ?0.5 mm size fractions of the return fines and coke, and the ?1 mm size fraction of lime. Of the examined mixtures, a mixture of 20 mass% Thabazimbi iron ore, 80 mass% Sishen iron ore and fluxes where the coke, lime and return fines were all sized had the highest granulation effectiveness and permeability. The sintering properties of the mixtures in which the grain size distributions were controlled, were very similar for all the mixtures, but superior to the base case mixture in which the grain size distribution was not controlled. Keywords: Thabazimbi iron ore; Sishen iron ore; granulation, permeability, grain size distribution; sinter.

Jan 1, 2008

By A. J. Williams, W. H. A. Timm

"Lake Dufault Mines, Limited, is located north of Noranda, Quebec, and is a producer of copper and zinc concentrates. Various papers have been given on the mill design, construction and operation. 1, 2This paper is intended to describe the application of computer control to the Lake Dufault milling process. A brief history and description of the plant flowsheet will be given, followed by the reasons for installing the computer and the development of the program up to its present use. The success attained to date, comments on economic justification and future plans will also be given.HISTORY AND FLOWSHEETThe Lake Dufault ore body was discovered in September, 1961, and the mill commenced production during August, 1964. The rated capacity of 1,300 tons per day was reached by October 1, 1964. In milling the Lake Dufault ore, many metallurgical problems have been encountered, mainly due to wide and rapid variations in mill heads and oxidation of the massive sulphide ore. However, flexibility in plant layout and the incorporation of up-to-date instrumentation have facilitated its processing."

Jan 1, 1969

By Christian Trassy, Pierre Proulx

"Inductive plasmas are now commonly used in material processing: spraying, powder synthesis, densification or spheroidization. An inductive discharge presents, in the coil region, recirculation eddies due to the Lorentz forces, resulting in an axial backflow. If the central jet is strong enough to ""pierce"" the recirculation this axial backflow disappears on the centerline, but the external layer of the injection flow is skimmed by the remaining eddy, and particulates are rejected to the discharge periphery. To avoid this disadvantage, it is common to introduce the injection pipe inside the discharge, so that its outlet is positioned after the recirculation eddy. The powders remain confined in the axial zone, to the expense of shortened residence time.In order to increase the efficiency of the particle trajectories, a double flow injector has been designed. It enables the particles to travel closer to the axis, while the outer schrouding gas is skimmed and passes through the electromagnetic eddies. This injector is made up of two concentric tubes. The powders are injected with the carrier gas in the inner tube. A schrouding gas is injected in the annular space between the inner and the outer tubes. The powder is confined to the vicinity of the axis, resulting in a more homogeneous thermal treatment.Tungsten powders have been spheroidized with and without this device. Using the double flow injection, the spheroidization yield has been increased from 70 % up to 95 %.The design of such an injection device has. been studied and improved using numerical modelling. Another useful tool, a visualisation technique described elsewhere, has been used for the experimental study, that drastically simplifies the comparison between experimental and theoretical results: injecting yttrium oxide into the discharge results in a colorful display of the 4000 K isothenn: the ""cold"" zone, below 4000, appearing as red, and the ""hot"" zone as blue. Furthermore, it is of great industrial interest since it is a very cheap and efficient way to obtain a picture of an important isotherm."

Jan 1, 1999

By P. K. Kaiser

A rational approach for the design of fully grouted bolts in underground excavations is presented. An analytical model involving elasto-plastic concepts and the mechanics of bolt/ground interaction was developed and tested by comparison with laboratory tests and field measurements. The theory elucidates the influence of shear stress distribution, bolt pattern and geometry on tunnel convergence. Laboratory simulation has provided convincing evidence to support the theoretical predictions. A dimensionless bolt efficiency parameter is introduced as a design tool that relates the reduction of tunnel convergence to the bolt length and density. Its application in practice is highlighted by the analysis of one case history.

Jan 1, 1987

By William Gregg

Recent environmental and workplace safety legislation has Imposed more stringent limits on the amount and type of particulate emitted Into the air. In the past, the mass of particles contained In a volume of air was the governing criteria. Now the size and precise chemical nature of the particulate must be known and controlled In addition to it's ?mass. Processors of metallic materials have to implement stricter control practices and more efficient control equipment to meet the new regulations. Pulse-Jet dust collector systems are being used to control particulate emissions from various process gas streams. Pulse-jets :are also being used for maintaining a healthy environment In the workplace. this paper will discuss the impact of these regulations, the control techniques used to comply with such regulations, and the equipment needed for compliance.

Jan 1, 1992

By Earl Hanson

FIRES in heavily timbered mines are disastrous, involving danger to both life and property. Some mines have been completely ruined or so heavily damaged that reopening them would not pay. Though few mines are entirely free from danger of fire, the risk is minimized by proper care and good design of plant. The Tintic Standard mine is at Dividend, Utah, in the famous Tintic mining district, about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City. The development of the mine was begun in 1907 by the late Mr. E. J. Raddatz and his associates. From the beginning, the work was hampered by high rock temperatures and the presence of high concentrations of rock gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Development work was carried on with great perseverance for nine years, and resulted in the discovery of ore in 1916. The total production of the Tintic Standard mine to Jan. 1, 1936, amounted to 1,664,388 tons of ore, having a gross value of .$61,996,719.

Jan 1, 1936

By D. Kao, J. Gogal, S. Humphrey, T. Byrne, M. Davoodi

"High total and dissolved uranium values were noted in the process water at the Cigar Lake Operation (CLO) during early production start-up period, whereas significant levels of dissolved uranium had not been observed previously at similar operations. The excess dissolved uranium resulted in higher demands on the water treatment plant, along with higher operating costs, environmental risks and some unrealized revenue potential. A species balance indicated that uranium was leaching into solution in the grinding, dewatering, and storage circuits under normal operating conditions. Jet boring, water recycle, ball milling, and the use of Pachuca tanks for ore storage results in a highly oxidative environment, which is favourable to leaching.This paper will outline the testwork performed to identify the conditions under which the uranium leaches into solution and to determine required conditions for uranium precipitation. Maximum uranium leaching was found to occur under normal operating conditions (pH ranging from 7.0 to 8.5); testwork indicated that both lowering and raising the pH can significantly reduce the uranium leaching. Analytical results combined with the batch scale testwork indicate that the uranium solubility is associated with carbonate species in the ore. Uranium precipitation was maximized at pH values greater than 10.5 or less than 6, corresponding well to carbonate leaching and precipitation values from literature. Higher precipitation efficiencies were noted at high pH ranges.As a result of this work, a pH control system has been implemented in the Pachuca storage vessels and thickener prior to water treatment plant on a trial basis. Caustic soda is recommended for pH control due to ease of operation, economic viability and material requirements and downstream constraints."

Jan 1, 2016

Problems caused by water discharge from surface mine ventilation shafts can be significant and are usually unforseen. The discharged water is often hyper-saline or acidic and can cause environmental degradation over a wide radius. It can also lead to recurring power pole fires and primary fan breakdowns. A range of solutions to the water discharge problem has been implemented in many Australian mines. In most cases the solutions have been ad hoc, with the overall cost and effectiveness varying tremendously. This paper reviews and contrasts the practicality and effectiveness of the various available remedial options.

Jan 1, 2002

By Humberto Tronconi Coelho

The use of friction dampers are wide proposed for a variety of mechanical systems for which it is not possible to apply viscoelastic materials, fluid based dampers or others viscous dampers. An important example is the application of friction dampers in aircraft engines to reduce the blades vibration amplitudes. In most cases, friction dampers have been studied in a passive way, however, a significant improvement can be achieved by controlling the normal force in the contact region. The aim of this paper is to study four control strategies for friction dampers based on three different hysteresis cycles. The first control strategy maximizes the energy removal in each harmonic oscillation cycle, by calculating the optimum normal force based on the last displacement peak. The second control strategy combines the first one with the maximum energy removal strategy used in the smart spring devices. Finally, is presented the strategy which homogenously modulates the friction force. Numerical studies were performed with these four strategies defining the performance metrics. The best control strategy was applied experimentally. The experimental test rig was fully identified and its parameters were used for numerical simulations. The obtained results have shown the good performance for the friction damper and selected strategy, also, the agreement between numerical and experimental results.

Jul 31, 2018

By Sangwhui Cho

In comminution processes including crushing, grinding and pulverizing, the efficiency of the comminution system is very low. Since the early 1980s, research has been conducted to increase the efficiency of pulverizing mills. Additionally, the application of microprocessors and Personal Computers to process control have come into general use. Given appropriate models of the process and control algorithms, these systems can economically control comminution processes. The ring-roller type mineral pulverizer is known as an energy saving mill. In this study, a control strategy to increase the efficiency of this type mill is explained.

Jan 1, 1992

By B. C. Flintoff

In general, process control systems in solid-solid separation have not evolved to the same level as in flotation circuit control. Perhaps one of the more significant contributing factors in this regard is the lack of suitable on-line analytical instrumentation. In spite of the obstacles, some interesting work has been done. This paper presents a review of current industrial control strategies in ore sorting, dense media separation, gravity separation and electrical and magnetic separation.

Jan 1, 1986

By K. C. Carriere

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to introduce the reader to basic control strategies for solid/liquid separation in mineral processing and to indicate some of the implementation difficulties to be encountered, without becoming overly involved in details of process, equipment or software. It is assumed that the reader has some familiarity with control systems and with dewatering processes, since exploration of these topics would require considerably more length. The paper is organized into three parts: first a general discussion on the need for control of dewatering processes and of the general criteria involved, next a more detailed elaboration on control strategies for the various unit operations, and finally a case study showing a specific approach towards such a project. Motivation & Objectives The justification for implementing any control system in an industrial plant is to improve operations and thereby to increase profitability. Without this motivation, the system will likely be perceived as unnecessary and will decline into disuse, an expensive and troublesome monument to someone's ill-conceived ideas. However, when a control strategy is correctly conceived, implemented and integrated into operations, it can provide significant advantages in operating ease and efficiency, and a handsome return on investment. In general terms, the objectives in establishing a control system are: • stabilization of process disturbances maintenance of product quality • maximization of throughput • dearer definition of process • protection of personnel and equipment A successful control strategy must address at least some of the above criteria. However, the most important requirement is a commitment on the part of plant personnel and management to start up, operate and maintain the system, and to upgrade it to reflect current process status and operational philosophy. Process Applications In this paper, control strategies will be explored for the most common methods of dewatering of mineral pulps. These unit operations include: drying, centrifuging, filtering and sedimentation. While the first three are important, they do not tend to be as complex as sedimentation, and thus will not be as exhaustively treated. Sedimentation is very widely applied, not

Jan 1, 1986

By Luis G. Bergh

Today, large size mechanical flotation cells of 100 to 300 m3 are used in rougher operation in different flotation industrial plants, in Chile and worldwide. However, in spite of the advances in fundamental research and the notable growing in equipment size, with more complete instrumentation systems, there are still a lack of reliable data for industrial flotation modeling and simulation to advance in better control systems design. In this work, a model of a rougher flotation circuit, based on operating variables and parameters fitted from industrial data, obtained in some previous work, is used to develop a set of logic rules in order to aid operating decisions. The simulator was first used to sensitize the effect of changing the froth depth profile on target variables, and then to find out the best profile to reject common disturbances coming into the plant. The flotation circuit simulator was redesigned to incorporate an expert system following the proposed control algorithm. Several tests were performed to evaluate the control responses to different correlated series of input variables, such as feed grade, tonnage, particle size distribution, and solid percentage. Control alternatives are discussed based on the circuit simulator. Keywords: modeling, industrial data, flotation control, mineral processing.

Sep 1, 2012

By Jay P. Chapman

The basic control requirement for multi-pump, long distance slurry pipelines are discussed and a particular example of an operating slurry pipeline using programmable controllers is presented.

Jan 1, 1983

By Alexander Filimonov, Yury Bloshteyn

Ventilation of gas mines keeps necessary sanitation and hygienic conditions for labor in mines and increases the safety by dilution and removal of hazardous and dangerous gases in accordance with the safety rules. Several different concepts exist at the present time to design mine ventilation control systems. But technical ideas have been developed inadequately and technological solutions have not been investigated experimentally enough to build a serviceable system. This paper presents a new concept of high- efficiency mine ventilation process control system (MVPCS). The methods of modern system engineering (Kalman, 1969) are used to establish its functional and algorithmic structure. A three level hierarchical principle of system building is considered.

Jan 1, 1991