Evaluation of the 20 L dust explosibility testing chamber and comparison to a modified 38 L vessel for underground coal

The phenomenon of combustible dust explosions is present within many industries. Tests for explosibility of dust clouds per ASTM E1226 use a 20 L explosive chamber that places the combustible dust directly below the dispersion nozzle which generates a thorough mixture for testing purposes. However, in the underground coal mining industry, there are a number of geologic, mining, and regulatory factors that change the deposition scheme of combustible coal dust. This causes the atmosphere of a coal mine to have a variable rock dust-coal dust mixture at the time of ignition. To investigate the impact of this variable atmosphere, a series of lean explosibility tests were conducted on a sample of Pittsburgh Pulverized coal dust. These explosibility tests were conducted in a 38 L chamber with a 5 kJ Sobbe igniter. The 38 L chamber generates a variable air-dust mixture prior to ignition. The test results indicate that the 38 L chamber experiences reduced explosive pressures, and lower explosibility index values when compared to the 20 L chamber.

CFD modeling and laboratory studies of dust cleaning efficacy of an efficient four stage non-clogging impingement filter for flooded-bed dust scrubbers

Fibrous-type flters are used to capture dust particles in mining and other occupations where personnel are exposed for prolonged periods.Dust cleansing devices including fooded-bed dust scrubbers use these mesh-type multi-layered flters.These flters trap dust particles efciently on their surface and inside their mesh.However,their continued operation leads to dust build-up and clogging.This results in increased resistance of the flter and lowered airfow rate through the scrubber.This could potentially enhance the exposure of the miners.A non-clogging self-cleaning impingement screen type dust flter was designed by the authors for use in mining and industrial dust cleansing applications.The flter guides dirt-laden air through rapidly turning paths which forces it to shed heavier particles.The particles impact one of the impermeable solid metallic flter surfaces and are removed from the airstream.A full cone water spray installed upstream prevents any surface buildup of dust.This paper summaried the computer models generated to show the flter operations and laboratory experiments including optical particle counting to establish the cleaning efciency.

Practical assessment of rock damage due to blasting

Blasting is the most cost effective methodology to break rock for mining or civil engineering applications.A good production blast will break only the rock that is needed to be removed,leaving the host rock with minimal damage.The control of rock damage due to blasting is very important when it comes to mine or construction design,safety,and cost.Damage to the host rock due to a production blast could result in failures,overbreak and unstable ground.Knowing how far the fractures generated by a production blast will go into the host rock is a valuable tool for engineers to design a safe highwall while keeping the actual excavation close to the design.Currently,there are several methods available to predict damage due to blasting.The accuracy of many of these methods is questionable,and in most cases,the methodologies over predict the results.This often leads to inefficient mines and poor construction works.When the current methodologies are reviewed,each one presents sound approaches,but in many cases they also lack consideration of other variables that,according to the authors,need to be included when predicting blast damage.This paper presents a practical methodology to assess the rock damage from blasting by combining other methodologies.The proposed method allows consideration of more variables when compared to available methods,resulting in a more accurate rock damage assessment.The method uses the estimation of the generated levels of peak particle velocity with the distance from a production blast presented by Persson and Holmberg,the peak particle velocity damage ranges proposed by Forsyth and the relationship between the static compressive strength and dynamic compressive strength of rocks from Liu.The new methodology was validated using the data published in a large-scale study performed in granite by Siskind.

Enhancing manual P-phase arrival detection and automatic onset time picking in a noisy microseismic data in underground mines

Accurate detection and picking of the P-phase onset time in noisy microseismic data from underground mines remains a big challenge. Reliable P-phase onset time picking is necessary for accurate source location needed for planning and rescue operations in the event of failures. In this paper, a new technique based on the discrete stationary wavelet transform(DSWT) and higher order statistics is proposed for processing noisy data from underground mines. The objectives of this method are to(i) improve manual detection and picking of P-phase onset; and(ii) provide an automatic means of detecting and picking P-phase onset time accurately. The DSWT is first used to filter the signal over several scales. The manual P-phase onset detection and picking are then obtained by computing the signal energy across selected scales with frequency bands that capture the signal of interest. The automatic P-phase onset, on the other hand, is achieved by using skewness-and kurtosis-based criterion applied to selected scales in a time-frequency domain. The method was tested using synthetic and field data from an underground limestone mine. Results were compared with results obtained by using the short-term to long-term average(STA/LTA) ratio and that by Reference Ge et al.(2009). The results show that the method provides a more reliable estimate of the P-phase onset arrival than the STA/LTA method when the signal to noise ratio is very low. Also, the results obtained from the field data matched accurately with the results from Reference Ge et al.(2009).

A modified model of a single rock joint's shear behavior in limestone specimens

The shear behavior of a single rock joint in limestone specimens,under a constant normal load(CNL),was analyzed in this study.Test specimens with different asperity roughness were prepared and tested.Goodman's model of a rock joint's shear behavior,under CNL,was modified to render a better representation of the data obtained.The model's applicability was validated.The proposed model showed better correlation with experimental data.It also,requires fewer variables.The steps to calculate all the necessary variables for the model are discussed.

Application of the fractal theory for evaluating effects of coal comminution by waterjet

Comminution of coal to ultrafine sizes by high-pressure waterjet provides a novel method for preparation of coal-water fuels for next generation,near-zero emission electric power generation.The particle size distribution(PSD)of ground coal is a key parameter in the preparation of slurries as it determines the settling behavior of the particles and viscosity of the coal-water mixture.There are several methods available for representation and evaluation of particle size analysis data.However,fractal theory provides a means by which the entire PSD of comminuted materials can be quantified by using of a specific and exact value.In this paper,a volume-based fractal model was deduced to characterize the PSD of the coal which is ground in a specially designed comminution cell.During the size reduction process,the inlet pressures up to 276 MPa were used.

Understanding the connection between blasting and highwall stability

Surface mines continue to implement highwalls for several reasons, such as increasing recovery, improving margins, and justifying higher stripping ratios. Highwall stability is a complex issue that is dependent upon a variety of mining and geologic factors, and a safe design is necessary for a successful surface operation. To improve highwall stability, it is important to understand the connection between local geology and blasting. Explosives are employed throughout the mining industry for primary rock breakage. There are a number of controlled blasting techniques that can be implemented to improve highwall stability.These include line drilling, smooth wall blasting, trim blasting, buffer blasting, air decking, and presplitting. Each of these techniques have associated advantages and disadvantages. Understanding local geology is necessary for selecting the appropriate controlled blasting technique. Furthermore, understanding the limitations and conditions for successful implementation of each technique is necessary. A discussion of the impact of geologic conditions on highwall stability is provided. Additionally, discussion is provided for the successful incorporation of the controlled blasting techniques listed above, and the associated mining and geologic factors that influence the selection and design of controlled blasting plans.Finally, a new methodology is proposed.

Role of Surface Roughness during Natural Convection

A computational study was performed in a two-dimensional square cavity in the presence of roughness using an algorithm based on mesoscopic method known as Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM). A single relaxation time Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) model of LBM was used to perform numerical study. Sinusoidal roughness elements of dimensionless amplitude of 0.1 were located on both the hot and cold walls of a square cavity. A Newtonian fluid of the Prandtl number (Pr) 1.0 was considered. The range of the Rayleigh (Ra) number explored was from 103 to 106 in a laminar region. Thermal and hydrodynamic behaviors of fluid were studied using sinusoidal roughness elements. Validation of computational algorithm was performed against previous benchmark studies, and a good agreement was found. Average Nu (Nusselt number) has been calculated to observe the effects of the surface roughness on the heat transfer. Results showed that sinusoidal roughness elements considerably affect the thermal and hydrodynamic behaviors of fluid in a square cavity. The maximum reduction in the average heat transfer in the presence of roughness was calculated to be 23.33%.

Ash Depression in Fine Coal Flotation Using a Novel Polymer Aid

The current study investigated the effects of novel hybrid polyacrylamide polymers as ash (slime) depressants in fine coal flotation to enhance combustible recovery and ash rejection. Coal samples at P80 of approximately 45 um with ~25% ash content were floated in the presence of in-house synthesized hybrid aluminum hydroxide polyacrylamide polymers (Al(OH)3-PAM, or Al-PAM). All flotation experiments were carried out in a 5-L Denver flotation cell. Various influencing factors were examined to optimize the flotation process in the presence of the Al-PAM polymers, including the Al-PAM dosage, Al-PAM conditioning time, impeller rotation speed and pulp pH. Comparative and synergistic studies were also performed using organic polyacrylamide polymers (PAMs), commercial dispersants and Al-PAM/dispersant system. Results showed a significant improvement in both combustible recovery and ash rejection at an Al-PAM dosage of 0.25 mg/L. The maximum combustible recovery obtained, at natural pH, with Al-PAM and Al-PAM/dispersant system was determined to be 70% and 66% at ash content of 7.74% and 7.4%, respectively. Zeta potential values of both the raw coal and concentrate products showed a large shift toward more positive values (from ˉ50 mV to ˉ13 mV), indicating a significant decrease in ash-forming minerals (slimes) when Al-PAM polymers were applied.

Nanometer ultrastructural brain damage following low intensity primary blast wave exposure

Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury（m TBI） is of particular concern among military personnel due to exposure to blast energy during military training and combat.The impact of primary low-intensity blast mediated pathophysiology upon later neurobehavioral disorders has been controversial.Developing a military preclinical blast model to simulate the pathophysiology of human blast injury is an important first step.This article provides an overview of primary blast effects and perspectives of our recent studies demonstrating ultrastructural changes in the brain and behavioral disorders resulting from open-field blast exposures up to 46.6 k Pa using a murine model.The model is scalable and permits exposure to varying magnitudes of primary blast injuries by placing animals at different distances from the blast center or by changing the amount of C4 charge.We here review the implications and future applications and directions of using this animal model to uncover the underlying mechanisms related to primary blast injury.Overall,these studies offer the prospect of enhanced understanding of the pathogenesis of primary low-intensity blast-induced TBI and insights for prevention,diagnosis and treatment of blast induced TBI,particularly m TBI/concussion related to current combat exposures.

Kinematic Analysis of an Under-actuated,Closed-loop Front-end Assembly of a Dragline Manipulator

Dragline excavators are closed-loop mining manipulators that operate using a rigid multilink framework and rope and rigging system,which constitute its front-end assembly.The arrangements of dragline front-end assembly provide the necessary motion of the dragline bucket within its operating radius.The assembly resembles a five-link closed kinematic chain that has two independent generalized coordinates of drag and hoist ropes and one dependent generalized coordinate of dump rope.Previous models failed to represent the actual closed loop of dragline front-end assembly,nor did they describe the maneuverability of dragline ropes under imposed geometric constraints.Therefore,a three degrees of freedom kinematic model of the dragline front-end is developed using the concept of generalized speeds.It contains all relevant configuration and kinematic constraint conditions to perform complete digging and swinging cycles.The model also uses three inputs of hoist and drag ropes linear and a rotational displacement of swinging along their trajectories.The inverse kinematics is resolved using a feedforward displacement algorithm coupled with the Newton-Raphson method to accurately estimate the trajectories of the ropes.The trajectories are solved only during the digging phase and the singularity was eliminated using Baumgarte's stabilization technique(BST),with appropriate inequality constraint equations.It is shown that the feedforward displacement algorithm can produce accurate trajectories without the need to manually solve the inverse kinematics from the geometry.The research findings are well in agreement with the dragline real operational limits and they contribute to the efficiency and the reduction in machine downtime due to better control strategies of the dragline cycles.