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By Robin O. Williams

The increase in internal energy as the result of deformation has been measured for lead, aluminum, silver, nickel, iron, and zirconium by using rapid, adiabatic compression. The stored energy increase is roughly Proportional to the strain; the propor-tionality constant increases rapidly with increasing melting point. The fraction of the mechanical energy which is stored increases more slowly, since the strength of the metals also increases with melting point. The values of the stored energy are considered accurate to about 10 pet. The present values appear about 50 pet larger than the more reliable published results where comparisons are possible. It is possible that this difference is due to the high strain rate used in this investigation. Immediately after deformation all these metals release energy at a rate roughly proportional to (time)-'. This release is considered to be associated with dislocation motion but in aluminum (and copper) some additional process seems to be present. This release can represent 20 pet or more of the stored energy. WHEN pure metals are plastically deformed, most of the mechanical energy is converted into heat. The energy remaining within the metal is significant in that it is the energy of the disorder produced and thus detailed knowledge of this energy is a powerful tool in understanding the nature of deformational disorder. While much effort has been expended on this problem, the amount of information available is limited. The situation as of 1958 has been carefully reviewed by Titchener and ever.' The present results have been obtained by a new experimental approach to this problem. The method necessitates high-strain rates which make comparisons with published results less certain, but a high-strain rate is an advantage in that the energy release immediately after deformation can be followed. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE In the experimental method used, the internal (stored) energy is given as the difference between the mechanical work used in deforming the sample and the heat which is released (the first law of thermodynamics). The work is supplied by two identical hammers swinging freely from a fixed height, the available energy being the product of the mass, the gravitational constant, and the distance through which the center of gravity moves. The initial temperature rise of the sample represents the heat produced by the deformation. The sample temperature is determined by a small thermocouple embedded in and supporting the sample. This process can be repeated over and over to produce increased strains. Most samples are run through about five cycles to a total strain of around 0.7. Further details are covered elsewhere. The determination of the heat is dependent upon the sample weight, its specific heat, the rise in temperature, and any gains or losses to the surroundings. One is dependent on published results for specific heals (the values were taken from a collection).3 The values must be accurate to about 0.1 pet in order that they not affect the results. The best values thus do not contribute to the uncertainty, but this is probably not always the case. The accuracy of the temperature rise is limited primarily by knowledge of the thermocouple characteristics over short temperature intervals, but careful calibration eliminates this as an important factor. One can calculate readily the heat flow between the sample and hammers if the time of contact and the sample temperature are known and if there were no oil at the interface. Assuming the maximum temperature difference, upper values for this interchange have been calculated (the time of contact is determined from the decrease in sample length) and it may or may not be significant. However, no correction is colnsidered necessary because of the presence of a thin oil film which has a thermal conductivity much less than the metals. Except for the possible uncertainty in specific heat, the heat is considered to be adequately known. The mechitnical losses which are recognized as important are: 1) friction between the sample and the hammer:;, 2) the kinetic energy in the hammer suspension system which may not be entirely usable, 3) the rebound energy of the hammers, and 4) the vibration of the hammer heads. All these have been covered in detail elsewhere2 and only the more significant points are made here. The friction turns out to be small except for soft materials (lead)

Jan 1, 1962

By R. W. Raymond

Four portraits have recently been hung in the rooms of the Institute, in recognition of four illustrious men with whom we, as mining engineers and metallurgists, may claim fellowship. Luther. Martin Luther is often spoken of as a miner's son; but it is less generally known that John Luther, his father, was, in a small way, a metallurgist as well as a miner, and that Martin Luther himself, in his youth, worked in a forge or bloomary established by his father at Mansfeld, Saxony. Since this is the only manual occupation on his part of which we have ally record, it is fair to assume that the great scholar and reformer derived from his work in this department the practical familiarity with the conditions of human labor so abundantly evinced in the homely illustrations which accompany even his serious arguments, and in the witty apothegms of his famous " table-talk." At the same time, I must confess that I have not been able to find in any of the works of Luther distinct allusions to mining or metallurgy. Körner. Theodor Körner, a student at the Mining Academy of Freiberg, Saxony, threw himself into the German War of Freedom in the first decade of the 19th Century. He was a poet of no mean rank; and his " Song of the Sword " is one of the great lyrics of literature. This poem was written but a few days before he died in battle. In many respects, Körner may be compared with our American hero Theodore Winthrop, who similarly met a glorious fate, and left behind him prophetic indications of geniue, of which his premature death prevented the complete fulfillment. I am informed by a member of the Institute that Körner's admirable collection of minerals is still preserved at Dresden.

Jan 1, 1909

By E. G. Woods, A. G. Comer

A mathematical model is presented and solved for determinution of the saturation distribution and pressure in a radial gas-storage reservoir. The model consists basically of two parts: (I) the growing gas-bubble core, and (2) the surrounding aquifer. Since the total pressure at the injection well is a function of the two-phase flow in the gas bubble and the unsteady single-phase flow in the aquifer, the resistance to flow in both zones was taken into consideration. The assumptions involved for both the radial equivalent of the Buckley-Leverett two-phase-flow equation and the injection-pressure equation are as follows: (I) the geometry is radial, (2) the gas bubble is free to expand or contract, (3) compression or expansion of the gas within the bubble may occur at the beginning of a time step, (4) the fluids are immiscible, (5) water is incompressible within the gas-storage region whereas it is compressible outside of this region, (6) a stable gas-water interface exists and (7) gas injection occurs at a constant rate or a series of constant rates. The mathematical model was solved numerically using an IBM 650 computer. A comparison is presented between the predicted results of the model, the results assuming steady-state flow and the actual initial injection-pressure history of an operating reservoir. Using the initial field pressure for a basis, the average deviation between the predicted pressure and the actual field pressure was less than 4.3 per cent. INTRODUCTION Underground storage of natural gas in abandoned oil fields, in abandoned coal mines, in caverns and in aquifers has had varying degrees of success. The lack of these first three facilities in the vicinity of most major gas marketing areas is leading more and more to storage in virgin aquifers. For the most part, this storage in aquifers has led to the study upon which this paper is based. Several excellent papers have been published discussing the problems involved in the underground storage of natural gas; however, to these writers' knowledge, none of them considered the two-phase flow of fluids in the gas bubble and the fact that the gas bubble will grow or shrink in size depending upon the injection and withdrawal history of the reservoir. Not only will both of these factors influence the required injection pressure, but also they will have a definite bearing upon the amount of water production occurring upon withdrawal from the storage area. To solve this problem on an IBM 650 computer, several simplifying assumptions were made. Only the drainage portion of the relative-permeability curve was considered, thereby neglecting any hysteresis effects introduced during an imbibition cycle. The quantity of gas withdrawn during the period of the field study was only a small percentage of the total gas in place; therefore, this assumption is justified. For the problem studied in this case, the combined effects of capillarity and gravity were assumed to be negligible. This assumption becomes less valid as the formation thickness or the average pore diameter increases markedly. The justification of these assumptions should be studied in each case. THEORY This mathematical model for the prediction of saturation distribution and pressure for a radial gas-storage aquifer is based upon the equations for radial two-phase fluid flow'.' and for radial, unsteady-state, single-phase fluid flow.' The two-phase flow is considered to take place in a "core" whose radius is equal to the maximum radius that the gas zone will attain, as indicated in Fig. 1. The injection-withdrawal history is approximated by a series of constant flow rates. Within the "core", gas is assumed to behave as a semi-compressible fluid; that is, the gas is assumed to have a constant density based on the average gas-zone pressure for the flow period. Between each constant-rate time increment, the gas density is allowed to change. This involves an iterative solution of the pressure equation. The liquid phase in this zone is considered to be incompressible, whereas it behaves as a compressible liquid outside of this region. The equations of incompressible flow in the "core" may be written for the gas phase

By Frederick J. McGarry, Parviz F. Rad

Although tunneling machines have attained very high advance rates in medium-hard rocks, the need for frequent repairs has slowed their use in very hard rocks. Laser- assisted tunneling is expected to improve tunneling machine performance by improving either specific energy or amount and quality of muck. The beneficial effects of lasing are the initiation and growth of microcracks from differential thermal expansion of grains, and overall spalling in the vicinity of the lased area. Using a constant thrust rock cutting device with disk cutters, the effects of cutter geometry, cutter diameter, thrust, and speed variations on specific energy and muck were explored and the improvement in performance of disk cutters caused by lasing was evaluated. It was found that the improvement depends on beam power and density, beam speed, pattern of heating, and cutting pattern and procedure. A focused beam slightly offset from the cutter path gives the most improvement both when cutting on a smooth surface and when cutting in previously cut grooves.

Jan 1, 1971

By E. L. Mooney, D. F. Gibson, T. E. Lehman

This paper outlines the features of a computerized planning system, which was developed to aid surface mining and reclamation evaluation. Essential features of the system include three main modules: production, reclamation, and impact analysis. In addition, the system incorporates a large number of computerized data analyses and display features, which are described and illustrated in this paper.

Jan 1, 1983

By Toshihisa Adachi, Shosei Serata, Shunsuke Sakurai

Many different methods of measuring the in-situ stress field have been developed in recent years. They are all based on the assumption of elasticity without allowing any viscoelastic deformation. By using the high resolution strain-measuring technique recently developed in the laboratory at Serata Geomechanics, many rocks were found to be viscoelastic. The viscoelasticity of rock media was found to be dependent upon the resolution of the strain measurement. The higher the resolution of the strain measurement, the greater number of rocks could be identified as viscoelastic. All rocks eventually exhibit viscoelastic deformation under high stresses relative to the strength of the material. Therefore, the conventional methods of elasticity become less reliable with increase of ground stress. In deep underground formations, even hard rocks become viscoelastic. At the same time, many ground formations near the surface are actually viscoelastic. A new method was developed in the laboratory to determine the in-situ stress field in viscoelastic rock media. Rocks in general exhibit a small amount of viscoelastic creep whenever mean stress and octahedral shearing stress are changed substantially from their initial states. Such changes take place around a borehole immediately following the drilling although they are short-lived. We developed a viscoelastic method of determining the in-situ stress field by relating the time-dependent behavior of the borehole with the tensor properties and stress field of the underground. In developing the viscoelastic relation, only isotropic and homogeneous

Jan 1, 1970

By H. Habenicht, J. J. Scott

An experimental method is described to compare strain data for rock and rock bolts when exposed to shock waves released by blastings. Static and dynamic strains were measured. Bolt gage response indicated a static decay of the bolt anchorage coupled with a reaction due to blasting vibrations. A distinct loss of bolt tension was indicated during vibrations and this was accompanied by a smaller but steady loss of tension due to static loading. The strain losses were found to relate to the shock source distance and the vibrational amplitude in the rock and bolts. Millions of roof bolts are used each year to stabilize mine openings and prevent their failure. Frequently, bolts become loose and lose their effectiveness as reinforcement to the mine structure. Many attempts have been made to determine the cause of loosening, including observation of the bolt tension or bolt torque through the use of torque wrenches, compression pads, and load cells. Pull tests have been used extensively to determine anchorage characteristics.102 These investigations have shown that even when bolts are loaded below the nominal anchorage capacity of the rock under 'static' conditions they exhibit a decay of load through adjustments and slippage at the bolt anchor. Since bolts are quite often found with the plate hanging loose from the rock surface, this condition suggests that some additional mechanism may have played a part in loosening the anchorage. Vibration from blasting or shock loading have been suggested as one cause in this type of anchorage deterioration. This paper gives the results of an investigation carried on at the University of Missouri at Rolla to determine the influence of shock waves on rock-bolt anchorage stability. ROCK BOLT ANCHORAGE UNDER DYNAMIC LOADING CONDITIONS In this report dynamic loading conditions are defined as conditions under which rock and bolts are exposed to vibrations occurring as a consequence of blasting, machine vibrations, earthquakes, rock bursts, etc. Whatever the location of the shock source, the waves created suffer extensive alterations along their travel paths, depending upon the vibrational properties and geometric parameters of the transmitting media. Together with reflection, refraction and diffraction at material boundaries, waves suffer changes in their nature to form tensile, compressive and shear waves. They become polarized, retracted, accelerated, dispersed, so that the waves incident at a point in the material can be the result of either one or a combination of this wide range of processes. A certain fraction of the wave energy will be lost due to friction, deformation, and material failure at the anchor-rock contact. Thus, the physical nature of wave propagation is such that it inhibits an exact analytical solution. For this reason this investigation should be considered qualitative rather than quantitative even though numerical data have been used as a base. CONCEPT OF THE INVESTIGATION Experiments were designed to find, from a series of rock bolts installed in natural mine rock, whether or not, and to what extent, bolt tensions would be influenced when bolts were exposed repeatedly to shock waves such as those produced by blasting. Electronic instrumentation available in the rock mechanics laboratory of the University of Missouri at Rolla was used to observe wave development in the rock and vibrational reactions in the bolts. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Fig. 1 illustrates schematically the experimental equipment. Electric resistance wire strain gages were used as sensors for the strain response of the rock and the bolts. Bolts were 5 ft long and 5/8 in. in diam, equipped with two-leaf type expansion shells for 1 3/8 in. boreholes. The bolt gages were mounted by use of Du Pont Household Cement, covered with an epoxy insulation and then enclosed in a copper foil for electronic shielding. For details of placement and the wiring diagram see Fig. 2 and 3. The output of both the rock gages and the bolt gages was fed into cathode ray oscilloscopes from which the vibrational traces could be photographed. A static strain indicator was also used to read the output of all gages.

Jan 1, 1968

By Hsun Hu, R. S. Cline

The formation of annealing textures during the course of recrystallization in 2 pct Al-Fe crystals rolled in the (111) [112], (112) [111], and (112) [Till orientations has hem studied in detail. When the rolling texture is composed of both (111) [121] and (001)[110] components, the annealing texture consists of mainly (110) [001] and (113) [332] components. As the (001) [110] component diminishes from the surface to the interior of the rolled crystal, the relative concentration of the (113) [332] component in the annealing texture decreases accordingly, whereas that of the (110)[001] component increases with the (111)[112] component in the rolling texture. Such dependence of the annealing texture on the composition of the rolling texture is in accmdance with the oriented growth mechanism. Grain-growth characteristics during recrystallization, hence the annealing texture, can he considerablv different in (112) [111]-type crystals depending sensitively on the initial orientation of the crystal. In a previous publication,' the formation of rolling textures in 2 pct A1-Fe single crystals with initial orientations of approximately (1ll)[112], (112)[111], and (112)[111] was studied in detail. The deformation texture of these crystals consisted of either a single (111)[112] or a combination of (111)[112] and (001)[110] components in various concentrations. For the (lll)[112] crystal, the deformation texture was a single (lll)[112] up to 70 pct rolling reduction, but it became (lll)[112] plus (001)[110] after -90 pct reduction. For the (112)[113.]-type crystals, the relative concentration of the (111)[ 112] and (001)[110] components varied with the depth below the surface of the crystal, as well as with the amount of deformation. These series of specimens, having deformation textures with a range of concentration of the (111)[112] and (001)[110] components, could therefore be used for a thorough investigation of the effect of deformation-texture components on the formation of annealing textures. In a study of rolling and annealing textures in Si-Fe crystals, Dunn and Koh3 noted that the addition of a (001)[110] component to the (111)[112]-type deformation texture had practically no effect on the recrystallization texture.* According to the ori- ented growth mechanism for the formation of annealing textures, nuclei related to the deformation texture by approximately 30-deg rotation around a common [110] axis have the highest rate of growth and the resulting annealing textures generally have such an orientation relationship with respect to the deformation textures.314 It was reasoned by Dunn and Koh3 that if the oriented growth mechanism operated the recrystallization texture developed from a deformation texture containing both (111)[112] and (001)[110] components should be strongly centered around (113)[332], because (113)[332] is approximately midway between the (111)[112] and (001)[110], and is related to both of these two orientations by [110] rotations of 25 to 30 deg. Hence, nuclei of (113)[332] orientation should have a high rate of growth in the deformed matrix. However, their results were not in accord with this prediction. It was felt by the writers that a detailed study was needed to clarify the effect of deformation-texture components on annealing-texture formation. For this reason, the present investigation was conducted. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Specimens used for the present investigation were taken from the crystals rolled previously for deformation-texture studies.' In order to follow the progress of annealing-texture formation during the course of recrystallization, a single specimen was taken from each rolled crystal and its textural changes examined after successive anneals until recrystallization was complete. The specimen was carefully cut from the rolled strip with a jeweler's saw. Prior to annealing, the sawed edges were etched to remove distorted metal, while both faces of the specimen were protected from the etching solution by acid-proof plastic tape. After annealing, the specimen was etched from the "bottom" face only (the reference or "top" face of the specimen was protected by plastic tape) to one half of its original thickness, so that the texture at the surface and at the central section of the strip could be determined by the reflection technique. The

Jan 1, 1965

By C. W. Arnold, H. L. Stone, D. L. Luffel

The purpose of this research is to determine (I) the efficiency of small banks of enriched gar driven by methane in displacing oil from a porous medium and (2) the effects of variation in bank size and composition of that efficiency. Most of the experiments were conducted in a sand-packed tube 20-ft long and 1/2-in. in diameter. The hydrocarbon system generally used was methane, butane and decane at 2,500 psia and 160°F. The results of these experiments indicate that, in the regions contacted by the gas, a small bank of an oil-miscible gas driven by methane can displace all of the oil in a piston-like manner. If the enriched gas is of such composition as to remain immiscible with the oil, displacement of oil is less efficient than for the miscible case, and the gas bank travels through the sand with a velocity less than that of the driving gas. These data along with theories discussed imply that smaller banks and less total gas are required when the enriched gas and oil are miscible. INTRODUCTION Widespread application of enriched-gas drive to the recovery of oil rests upon a key factor — the use of limited quantities, or "banks", of enriched gas. At the present time, the value of liquefied petroleum gas or other enriching agents discourages their use in a continuous injection technique, or even in a large bank, except in a few isolated reservoirs. If small banks of enriched gas driven by methane were as effective in displacing oil as is continuous injection, the enriched-gas drive process might be applied to a larger number of reservoirs. Previous research on the mechanics of the enriched-gas drive process reported by Stone and Crurnpl and by Kehn, Pyndus and Gaskell has utilized continuous injection of enriched gas. This work has shown that two types of displacements occur. With gases containing sufficient intermediates. the oil is displaced misciblv and complete recovery is obtained from the regions swept. When gases are used which contain insufficient intermediate hydrocarbon for miscible displacement, oil is displaced immiscibly. In the latter type, selective solution of the intermediate hydrocarbons causes a swelling and reduction in viscosity of the oil and leads to an increased recovery over that obtained by dry-gas (methane) drive. The size of the enriched-gas bank necessary for efficient displacement of oil is determined by those factors which cause deterioration of the bank. A differentiation may be made between those factors which operate on a microscopic scale and those which act on a macroscopic scale. On the smaller scale, the enriched gas mixes in the direction of flow by diffusion and convection with the fluids immediately preceding and following it. On the larger scale, the gas may by-pass the oil by flowing through permeable streaks, by overriding the oil because of density difference, or by fingering because of unfavorable viscosity ratios. In such cases, the enriching material tends to mix with the oil both laterally and in the direction of flow. The increase in effective area available for diffusion and dispersion of the enriching components leads to a faster degradation of the bank and a need for a larger bank than is necessary for those cases in which no by-passing occurs. The effects of such macroscopic factors in the deterioration of enriched-gas banks have been reported in a separate paper by Blackwell, Terry and Rayne. The present study was confined to the factors which operate on the smaller scale, in particular to the behavior of banks of enriched gas in sands uniformly swept by the gas. Experiments were designed to answer the following questions. 1. Can small banks of enriched gas driven by methane be used to secure oil recoveries comparable to those obtained by continuous injection of enriched gas? 2. What is the optimum bank size (the minimum bank size necessary to obtain a recovery comparable to that obtained by continuous injection of the same enriched gas)? 3. How many total pore volumes of gas must be injected to obtain the maximum recovery when the optimum bank size is used? 4. What is the effect of varying the number of enriching components in a gas bank? This report describes the experimental investigations and discusses the results in terms of their significance to reservoir behavior.

By William E. Ford, Edward Salisbury Dana

The NATIVE ELEMENTS are divided into the two distinct sections of the Metals and the Non-metals, and these are connected by the transition class of the Semi-metals. The distinction between them as regards physical characters and chemical relations has already been given (Art. 453). The only non-metals present among minerals are carbon, sulphur, and selenium; the last, in one of its allotropic forms, is closely related to the semi-metal tellurium. The native semi-metals form a distinct group by themselves, since all crystallize in the rhombohedra1 class of the hexagonal system with a fundamental angle differing only a few degrees from 90°, as shown in the following list :

Jan 1, 1922

By K. K. Clark

Excessive injection pressures in water injection wells may create deeply penetrating fractures, or may open up existing reservoir fractures. If these fractures are oriented toward offset producing wells, oil recovery at injected water breakthrough and ultimate recovery will be impaired. A method of calculating fracture lengths from pressure fall-off test data is presented. The method is based on a linear flow model that simulates conditions present during the early-time period after shutting in an injection well. Fracture lengths can be calculated directly if formation permeability is known. A graphical technique is presented that provides fracture lengths based on permeabilities calculated from normal fall-off tests, where those permeabilities are adjusted for flow geometry. Test data from four injection wells and results obtained from applying the method to these wells are discussed. Introduction Rates of water injection into nonstimulated wells in low permeability reservoirs frequently fall below economically desirable levels. Therefore, some form of stimulation such as hydraulic fracturing often is performed on these wells. Usually these fractures penetrate a short distance from the well — short as compared with interwell spacing — and therefore should not create problems of water channeling to offset producing wells. In the past, some operators have been tempted to increase injection pressures continually to maintain a specified injection rate. But pressures cannot be increased indefinitely. Field data indicate that continued injection above fracture opening pressure can cause excessively long fractures to approach between well distances. If these long fractures intersect or closely approach offset producing wells, premature water breakthrough can result. It is difficult to seal effectively these fractures by various workover procedures after premature water breakthrough has occurred. This paper describes testing procedures that are potentially capable of detecting premature water breakthrough before it occurs. Knowledge of fracture lengths and fracture opening pressures can assist field engineers in selecting optimum operating conditions for water injection wells. Fracture lengths should be calculated from pressure fall-off tests on injection wells, and maximum permissible iniection pressures should be determined from step-rate injectivity tests. Equipped with this information, the field engineer is in a better position to recommend for a particular injection well the optimum operating conditions that will lessen the chances of channeling to offset producers. Historically, pressure transient tests have been conducted primarily on producing wells and analysis procedures have been based on radial flow concepts. Several authors have suggested that these same procedures be applied to tests conducted on water injection wells. This application is justified for wells that are not connected to extensive fracture systems. However, if the formation is severely fractured, the interpretation methods must be modified. Several authors have presented the pressure response of various systems that are intended to simulate reservoir conditions. A paper by Russell and Truitt* on vertically fractured svstems is probablv the most useful from the standpoint bf the fieid engineer. Russell and Truitt presented the pressure-vs-time behavior of a well connected to vertical fractures with various fixed lengths. Their permeability adjustment technique is used in this paper to refine methods of calculating fracture length and interwell permeability. Theory and Definitions Three flow-system geometries are considered in analyzing injection well test data. These various geometries are applicable during specific time intervals of transient pressure tests. Schematic drawings of the flow models, and the time intervals over which they are applicable, are shown in Fig. 1 in the chronological order that they are applied to the pressure response of water injection wells in fractured formations. The very early response is simulated by an infinite linear system as shown in Fig. 1A. This representation permits the calculation of matrix surface area exposed to the fracture. The model shown in Fig. 1B is identical with the one studied by Russell and Truitt. They evaluated the transient pressure response of this vertically fractured system by finite difference techniques. The results were presented as tabulations of dimensionless pressure drop functions for a range of fracture lengths. A semilog plot of these data shows that the apparent matrix permeability can be related to the true matrix permeability by a simple exponential function. Their adjustment factor is used in this paper to improve the accuracy of matrix-permeability and fracture-length calculations.

Jan 1, 1969

By Geo. H. Eldridge

This sketch of the Florence oil-field, presented to the Institute by permission of the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, is accompanied with a map, Fig. 1, the topography of which has been taken from a field-manuscript of the Survey. The scale of the map and

Jan 1, 1892

By Charles V. Riley

While the late 1960's are known as the years of the public recognition of impending environmental crises, the 1970's will be known as the decade of public concern for improving the quality of that environment. One of the major environmental concerns is the temporary disturbance resulting from coal surface or open cast mining. Increasing energy demands in the U.S., a doubling of electrical power consumption each decade during the present century and the projected needs for the remainder of the century are indications that coal surface mining as a major extractive industry will continue. Coal and lignite, prime energy resources and extremely abundant in these United States, in the face of seemingly limited gas, oil and uranium reserves, are both destined for expanded future use. Presently some extremely serious technological and environmental problems are associated with the development and use of nuclear power. It is true that the extraction and use of coal as an energy fuel poses disruptive problems for the environment, but the solutions to many of the problems are known or can he solved within a reasonable time framework Certainly our national well-being and continued survival as a free nation within the world community automatically dictate the continued use of the coal resource for energy. Concurrently, those engaged in coal surface mining, with the temporary disturbance of the land and water resources, must also realistically conclude that public concern for maintaining and improving the quality of the environment will not diminish. Although as ecological, economic, social and aesthetic elements of cost-benefits and human desires are more adequately understood, a more rational and reasonable public and governmental attitude hopefully will result.

Jan 3, 1973

By A. C. Watts

For several years, a mine in Colorado experienced considerable trouble from small fires caused by the blasting of coal. Although a well-known make of permissible powder was used, it was first thought that the powder ignited gas that might be present and that this, in turn, set fire to line brattices or to the coal. Experiments were, therefore, conducted with another make of powder, but the results convinced the superintendent of the mine, Robt. Williams, Jr., that the fires were not caused by the powder but by the high-voltage electric current used for detonating the shots. The mine "makes" gas very freely, giving off from three-fourths to one million cubic feet of methane every 24 hours. The coal is a good grade bituminous of a very free burning quality. Electric shot-firing from the outside, after all men and animals were outside, had been practiced for a number of years. The shooting circuit was connected with the main power circuit at the mouth of each entry. Shooting circuit switches were mounted in boxes, which were kept locked with the handle of the switch, in open position, showing through the bottom of the box. The door of the box could not be shut and locked when the shooting switch was closed. At the entrance to each room, or working place, a small switch, called the miner's switch, was placed on the shooting line. It was the duty of the miner, when entering his place at the beginning of the shift, to see that this switch was open and that it was kept open until he left the placc at the end of the shift to go out of the mine. Grounded return was used for main power lines. The current was 500 volts, direct current, with 100 to 300 amp. The nearest working face was 9600 ft, from the shot-firers' switch outside the mine and the most remote working face was 2½ miles. The various working faces were scattered over a wide area between these two points. A description of the main power line would be valueless; the conductors were of sufficient size, the drop in voltage being not more than

Jan 1, 1927

By Edward W. Parker

This plant was built in 1907 at the Bankhead mines to manufacture briquettes by the Zwoyer process under license from the Zwoyer Fuel Co., of New York, N. Y. The building was constructed to contain two units, each of a capacity of 10 tons per hr.; one unit was installed at the time the building was constructed, and the second unit is now being built. The coal used is an anthracite, which is more friable than that of Pennsylvania, and, as a consequence, a larger percentage of dust or waste is produced, which was formerly thrown upon the slack-pile as waste, but is now passed to the ? dust-bin " in the breaker, from which it is conveyed to the briquette-plant.

Jan 5, 1908

By Richard McCaffery

WHEN we began the study of blast furnace slags we limited our work at first to a study of those slags containing only lime, alumina and silica. In our paper1 on some of the results of this first work, the solubility of. sulfur in slags containing no magnesia was reported and the question of sulfur solubility and slag viscosity discussed. There has been, for a long time, a very great difference of opinion among metallurgists as to .the effect of magnesia in blast furnace slags, and the literature is full of expressions of the most contrary opinions on the subject. As a result, our next publication2 developed the constitution of slags considered as a four-component system, silica-alumina-lime-magnesia, and advanced an explanation of slag structure which accorded with the facts and with scientific theory. The present paper continues our study of the general subject of slags. As blast furnace slags are included in the silica-alumina-lime-magnesia system, which is a particular case of four-component solutions, we have determined that there are 22 components (Table 1), which may enter into the silica-alumina-lime-magnesia system and that 10 or 12 of these components may be present in blast furnace slags which are within the ordinary ranges of composition. To have a very definite conception of the behavior of these components in a slag, we have developed the theory of the cooling of a four-component solution from the liquid state to the solid and the conclusions that we obtained have been made use of in this paper. On account of the importance of the four oxides and 18 compounds which enter into the silica-alumina-lime-magnesia system, some method of calculating the percentages of the various compounds that are present in the slag when the percentages of the oxides are given, seemed very desirable and we develop a method later herein for doing this, and finally we give illustrations of

Jan 10, 1926

By W. H. Somerton

The effects of drilling variable on rotary drilling rates and efficiencies have been studied by a series of laboratory drilling tests. TWO-cone 1.25-in. diameter hits were used to drill vertically upwards into rock samples at corltrolled weights and rates of rotation. Shale, sandstone and specially prepared concrete samples were used in this study. Power input to the ririllirig systeln was measured and drilling chips collected for energy — .size reduction studies. Reasouably good correlations between drilling variables and rates of penetrotion were found. Qrrantities that are difficult to evaluate include rock strength parameters and the effects of bit wear. Effects of bit size and geormetry require further investigation. Analysis of the drilling chips confirmed the premise that, for rocks containing two or more mineral constituents of diflerent strengths, a greater amourrt of rock breakage occurs in the weaker constituent. Drilling conditions which required greater amounts of energy produced finer drilling chips. As bit tooth wear progressed, drilling chips became finer. Efficiency of rotary drilling as a rock breakage mechanism was extremely low. Comparison was made with theoretical energy requirements and with energy requirements for size reduction by comminution methods. INTRODUCTION Many technological developments and innovations have made possible the successful drilling of oil wells by the rotary method to depths exceeding 20,000 ft. Bigger, more powerful rigs, better steels, improved bit design and more careful control of the circulating system have all contributed to this success. Despite these advances comparatively little is known regarding the basic mechanism of rock breakage by the rotary drilling process. Future improvements and, in particular, reduction of drilling costs will undoubtedly require a clearer understanding of the variables controlling effectiveness and efficiency of rotary drilling. Rotary drilling is inherently an inefficient means of producing rock breakage. Loss of energy in transmission from the surface to the cutting mechanism may be large, thus limiting the total amount of energy which may be applied to rock breakage. Increased efficiency may be realized by improved energy transmission methods such as the turbodrill. Conversion of transmitted energy to rock breakage by use of rotating cutter teeth is likewise inefficient. Improvement of cutter efficiency has been obtained essentially by empirical means —changes in bit tooth size, shape and spacing, and tooth deletion to give clean bottom-hole patterns. The present work was undertaken to investigate the factors controlling rates of bit penetration under laboratory drilling conditions. Laboratory drilling apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. The effects of rock strength and bit wear on drilling rates were investigated. Drill cuttings were analyzed to determine the character of breakage and to compare this with other methods of producing rock breakage. VARIABLES INVOLVED IN ROTARY DRILLING Some of the variables controlling bit penetration rates can be studied conveniently by dimensional grouping. R/DN f(F/D2S) or

By Richard T. Ely

Conservation, narrowly and strictly considered, means the preservation in unimpaired efficiency of the resources of the earth; or in a condition so nearly unimpaired as the nature of the case, or wise exhaustion, admits. And broadly considered, it means more than the word itself implies, for it naturally includes an examination of methods whereby the natural inheritance of the human race may be improved; and still more broadly considered—and as used in popular discussion—it includes a treatment of the effects of productive conservation measures upon distribution. We shall give our attention briefly to the main points in this informal definition before we pass on to the thesis that conservation is largely a matter of property relations—-that a wise conservation policy means wise property relations.

Jan 1, 1916

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Jan 1, 1938

By Henry M. Howe

In discussing the classification of iron to-day, we are to leave out of consideration the general division into non-malleable or cast iron and malleable iron, as to the adequacy of which no question has been raised; and to confine ourselves to the subdivisions of malleable iron. This has been classified, according to the extent to which the properties imparted by carbon are present (viz., resilience, hardness,strength, and, above all, the capacity for being hardened by sudden cooling from a high temperature), into (1) wrought iron which cannot be hardened, and (2) steel which can be hardened; and this classification I shall, for briefness, term the carbon classification. Until within a few years all authorities, both metallurgical and general, have concurred in explicitly recognizing the carbon-given qualities, and preeminently the capacity for being hardened, as the essential qualities of steel; this is laid down with clearness by every writer on the subject. For several years this old classification has not been sufficient to meet all our needs, since the genius of Bessemer, Siemens, and, I may add, Holley, has produced wrought iron which has been perfectly melted, and thus freed from certain mechanical adhering impurities. This causes what we call homogeneousness for want of a better word, and gives rise to many important qualities which the old wrought iron had not; qualities universally recognized, though not readily described. I shall, for briefness, style them the fusion qualities, and a classification based on them, a fusion classification. These qualities render the new product so vastly superior, for most purposes, to the wrought iron formerly known, that it is neces-