VR-based digital twin for remote monitoring of mining equipment:Architecture and a case study

Background Traditional methods for monitoring mining equipment rely primarily on visual inspections,which are time-consuming,inefficient,and hazardous.This article introduces a novel approach to monitoring mission-critical systems and services in the mining industry by integrating virtual reality(VR)and digital twin(DT)technologies.VR-based DTs enable remote equipment monitoring,advanced analysis of machine health,enhanced visualization,and improved decision making.Methods This article presents an architecture for VR-based DT development,including the developmental stages,activities,and stakeholders involved.A case study on the condition monitoring of a conveyor belt using real-time synthetic vibration sensor data was conducted using the proposed methodology.The study demonstrated the application of the methodology in remote monitoring and identified the need for further development for implementation in active mining operations.The article also discusses interdisciplinarity,choice of tools,computational resources,time and cost,human involvement,user acceptance,frequency of inspection,multiuser environment,potential risks,and applications beyond the mining industry.Results The findings of this study provide a foundation for future research in the domain of VR-based DTs for remote equipment monitoring and a novel application area for VR in mining.

Mobility of Major and Trace Elements during the Bauxitization Processes in Ngaoundal Area (Adamawa Cameroon): Implication on Mining Perspectives

This study was focused to assess major and trace elements in bauxitic duricrusts from Ngaoundal and its surroundings in order to establish their mining interest. To this end, fieldworks, mineralogical and geochemical analyses were carried out. Four facies of duricrust were identified and characterized from the summit to the top of the slope of the Ngaoundal mountain: scoriaceous, pisolitic, nodular and massive. Mineralogical and geochemical analyses performed on 16 samples, revealed a significant concentration of Al2O3 mainly in the scoriaceous facies (over 45% in grade), moderate in Fe2O3 (averaging 23.69%) and SiO2 (averaging 21.7%). Trace elements were generally low, excluding Cr (421 ppm on average), Zr (327 ppm on average and V (213 ppm on average). In addition, the limited quantities of alkalis (Na2O, K2O) and alkaline earths metals (MgO, CaO) coupled with the very high values of Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) and Mineralogical Index of Alteration (MIA), (more than 99%) attest to the intense weathering of the studied materials. Allitization and monosiallitization constituted the crystallochemical phenomena that have led to the development of bauxitic minerals. More than 90% of gibbsite in scoriaceous facies, 52.21% - 76.01% of kaolinite in pisolitic facies and more than 40% of hematite in nodular facies were quantified. The relationships between the constitutive components indicated their interdependency during the bauxitization phenomenon. The mineralogical and geochemical properties highlighted the mining interest of the studied duricrusts to be valorized.

Innuendoes of Sterilisation Drilling in Surface Mining Operations—A Case Study

Surface mining operations play a crucial role in meeting the world’s increasing demand for mineral resources for the advancement of technology and debauched expansion of economies. The search for and exploitation of these mineral resources are therefore important for the sustainability of the mineral extraction industry. To this end, efficient mine planning must incorporate sterilisation drilling and effective waste rock management principles in the search and exploitation of these minerals. In this article, sterilisation drilling is being reviewed vis-a-vis the establishment of waste and tailings dump locations, backfilling of open pit excavations and mine closure giving critical attention to the minerals and mining laws of Ghana. Subsequently, a detailed case study of a surface mining operation that successfully incorporated sterilisation drilling in determining waste dump location in its mine planning process has been presented in this study. The findings indicate that the proposed waste dump location could present a potential mining prospect in the future based on enhanced milling capacity/technology and improved mineral commodity price;underscoring the significance of sterilization drilling in the sustainability of the mining industry.

The future of underground spatial planning and the resulting potential risks from the point of view of mining subsidence engineering

The topic of ground movements in Germany has been studied extensively in the past,especially in the field of active mines.The active hard coal mines in Germany were finally shut down in 2018 and lignite mining is expected to take place only until 2038.The so-called long-term liabilities of the mine operators in Germany include,among other things,the long-term guarantee of stability and thus the monitoring of ground motion.So far,the economic use of underground mining in Germany was mainly the supply of raw materials.In the future,the underground storage of compressed air,methane or hydrogen will play an important role in renewable energy supply and climate change.Therefore,the underground storage space will become more important and the spatial planning is essential to ensure availability of safe underground openings for the various options of environmentally friendly energy storage.However,this renewed usage of underground openings may also bring new and sometimes unknown challenges of geomechanical influence.The aftermath of hard coal and lignite mining will be an increasing challenge in mining subsidence engineering.On the other hand,new possibilities due to underground spatial planning may lead to subsidence and/or heaving of the upper surface.

Prediction of face advance rate and determination of the operation efficiency in retreat longwall mining panel using rock engineering system

A new approach for prediction of face advance rete (FAR) prior to mining operation and determination of the operation efficiency after mining operation in retreat longwall mining panel is presented based upon the concepts of rock engineering system (RES). For this purpose, six longwall panels considered in Parvadeh-I coal mine. Seven major effective parameters on FAR was selected including coal mine roof rating, gas propagation, safety factor of longwall face, ratio of joint spacing to cutting depth at longwall face, longwall face inclination, panel width, floor rock mass rating. To performance evaluation of the presented model, the relationship between the average vulnerability indexes of advance operation with FAR was determined in considered panels with coefficient of determination (R2) equal to 0.884 that indicate relatively acceptable correlation and compatibility. Investigations of the research indicated that it is possible to determine the actual operation efficiency under fair conditions by a RES-based model. The inevitable reduction of FAR for each longwall panel was determined by presented model that the difference amount between the maximum possible practical face advance rate (FARmpp) and recorded actual face advance rate (FARa) indicate the operation efficiency. Applied approach in this paper can be used to prediction of FAR in retreat longwall mining panel for same conditions that can have many benefits, including better and more accurate planning for the sales market and mine operation. Also, presented method in this paper can be applied as a useful tool to determination of actual operation efficiency for other sections and extraction methods in coal mines.

Recently deepened insights regarding Mg corrosion and advanced engineering applications of Mg alloys

This review summarizes recent insights into the Mg corrosion mechanism, clarifies many critical controversial points regarding the Mg corrosion behaviour, and updates some efforts made to extend the industrial application of Mg alloys. Based on the new understandings gained so far, future research directions are also suggested in the review. This review has the following logic. The first section "1. Scope"is a consolidation of the new understandings or developments regarding the Mg corrosion mechanism and the new applications for Mg alloys. It also highlights some key points for the review. The second section "2. Widely accepted knowledge" briefly summarizes the general understanding of Mg corrosion gained so far, which acts as the foundation for the following sections. The third section "3. Recently deepened insights" mainly briefs on some new insights into Mg corrosion phenomena based on recent findings. Different interpretations on the corrosion behaviours are comprehensively discussed in the fourth section "4. Controversial points" and the conclusions are drawn in the subsection"4.5 Clarified points". Apart from the fundamental understandings, various efforts in the application of Mg alloys are presented in the fifth section "5. New applications". Following the research tendency as indicated in the review, prioritized research areas are suggested in "6.Future directions". The review is concluded with "7. Concluding remarks" at last.

Raw Gangue Filling Mining under Construction —A Case Study in China

In order to recover the strip pillar coal resources, reduce the amount of gangue mountain and realize remediation of the goaf environment in the old mining area, the raw gangue filling mining technology was proposed. According to the previous practical experience, the feasibility of the implementation of raw gangue filling mining technology in the coal-pressed area was analyzed. Through the filling gangue compaction test, the deformation under different loading stages was obtained. Further, a reasonable prediction of the deformation beyond the experimental limited loading load was made based on the experimental results. Through the deformation source analysis of the whole process of gangue filling, the key factors for controlling deformation before, during, and after filling were determined. Additionally, the proportion of deformation during different stages was quantified. Considering the protection of surface buildings, mining fullness of the working face and mining technology, the production parameters of 1209 and 1210 filling working faces were preliminarily determined. Through numerical simulation, the rationality of mining scheme was verified. Based on the practice of 1209 working face and the key factors to control the deformation of gangue filling, the mining system and process in 1210 working face were optimized. According to the measured surface rock movement, raw gangue filling mining technology can meet the requirements of surface building protection level. Especially, this paper provides a method to quantitatively calculate the equivalent mining height (EMH) of raw gangue filling and its mining deformation, which has reference significance for old mining areas.

A review of monitoring,calculation,and simulation methods for ground subsidence induced by coal mining

Subsidence data acquisition methods are crucial to mining subsidence research and an essential component of achieving the goal of environmentally friendly coal mining.The origin and history of the existing methods of field monitoring,calcula-tion,and simulation were introduced.It summarized and analyzed the main applications,flaws and solutions,and improve-ments of these methods.Based on this analysis,the future developing directions of subsidence data acquisition methods were prospected and suggested.The subsidence monitoring methods have evolved from conventional ground monitoring to combined methods involving ground-based,space-based,and air-based measurements.While the conventional methods are mature in technology and reliable in accuracy,emerging remote sensing technologies have obvious advantages in terms of reducing field workload and increasing data coverage.However,these remote sensing methods require further technological development to be more suitable for monitoring mining subsidence.The existing subsidence calculation methods have been applied to various geological and mining conditions,and many improvements have already been made.In the future,more attention should be paid to unifying the studies of calculation methods and mechanical principles.The simulation methods are quite dependent on the similarity of the model to the site conditions and are generally used as an auxiliary data source for subsidence studies.The cross-disciplinary studies between subsidence data acquisition methods and other technologies should be given serious consideration,as they can be expected to lead to breakthroughs in areas such as theories,devices,software,and other aspects.

Ground fissure development regularity and formation mechanism of shallow buried coal seam mining with Karst landform in Jiaozi coal mine: a case study

A comprehensive study was undertaken at Jiaozi coal mine to investigate the development regularity of ground fissures in shallow buried coal seam mining with Karst landform,shedding light on the development type,geographical distribution,dynamic development process,and failure mechanism of these ground fissures by employing field monitoring,numerical simulation,and theoretical analysis.The findings demonstrate that ground fissure development has an obvious feature of subregion,and its geographical distribution is significantly affected by topography.Tensile type,open type,and stepped type are three different categories of ground fissure.Ground fissures emerge dynamically as the panel advances,and they typically develop with a distance of less than periodic weighting step distance in advance of panel advancing position.Ground fissures present the dynamic development feature,temporary fissure has the ability of self-healing.The dynamic development process of ground fissure with closed-distance coal seam repeated mining is expounded,and the development scale is a dynamic development stage of“closure→expansion→stabilized”on the basis of the original development scale.From the perspective of topsoil deformation,the computation model considering two points movement vectors towards two directions of the gob and the ground surface is established,the development criterion considering the critical deformation value of topsoil is obtained.The mechanical model of hinged structure of inclined body is proposed to clarify the ground fissure development,and the interaction between slope activity and ground fissure development is expounded.These research results fulfill the gap of ground fissures about development regularity and formation mechanism,and can contribute to ground fissure prevention and treatment with Karst landform.

Progress and prospects of mining with backfill in metal mines in China

Mining is the foundation of modern industrial development.In the context of the“carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”era,countries have put forward the development strategy of“adhering to the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.”The ongoing progress and improvement of filling mining technology have provided significant advantages,such as“green mining,safe,efficient,and low-carbon emission,”which is crucial to the comprehensive utilization of mining solid waste,environmental protection,and safety of re-mining.This review paper describes the development history of metal mine filling mining in China and the characteristics of each stage.The excitation mechanism and current research status of producing cementitious materials from blast furnace slag and other industrial wastes are then presented,and the concept of developing cementitious materials for backfill based on the whole solid waste is proposed.The advances in the mechanical characteristics of cemented backfill are elaborated on four typical levels:static mechanics,dynamic mechanics,mechanical influencing factors,and multi-scale mechanics.The working/rheological characteristics of the filling slurry are presented,given the importance of the filling materials conveying process.Finally,the future perspectives of mining with backfill are discussed based on the features of modern filling concepts to provide the necessary theoretical research value for filling mining.

Study on the disaster caused by the linkage failure of the residual coal pillar and rock stratum during multiple coal seam mining:mechanism of progressive and dynamic failure

Multi-seam mining often leads to the retention of a significant number of coal pillars for purposes such as protection,safety,or water isolation.However,stress concentration beneath these residual coal pillars can significantly impact their strength and stability when mining below them,potentially leading to hydraulic support failure,surface subsidence,and rock bursting.To address this issue,the linkage between the failure and instability of residual coal pillars and rock strata during multi-seam mining is examined in this study.Key controls include residual pillar spalling,safety factor(f.),local mine stiffness(LMS),and the post-peak stiffness(k)of the residual coal pillar.Limits separating the two forms of failure,progressive versus dynamic,are defined.Progressive failure results at lower stresses when the coal pillar transitions from indefinitely stable(f,>1.5)to failing(f,<1.5)when the coal pillar can no longer remain stable for an extended duration,whereas sud-den(unstable)failure results when the strength of the pillar is further degraded and fails.The transition in mode of failure is defined by the LMS/k ratio.Failure transitions from quiescent to dynamic as LMS/k.<1,which can cause chain pillar instability propagating throughout the mine.This study provides theoretical guidance to define this limit to instability of residual coal pillars for multi-seam mining in similar mines.

Artisanal Mining and Soil Quality in the Sudano-Sahelian Climate: Case of the Artisanal Mining Site of Yimiougou in Burkina Faso, West Africa

The majority of the population of Burkina Faso lives from agriculture and therefore depends on the land. The main objective of this study is to assess the quality of the soils in the area linked to artisanal mining activities. The methodology adopted consisted in sampling and characterizing the main types of soil. In order to assess the level of soil pollution by artisanal mining, parameters such as the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and the contamination factor (CF) are calculated. A prediction of acid mine drainage (AMD) was also carried out on samples of mine tailings which are potential sources of pollution of these soils. The results obtained show that the soils in Yimiougou are of nil to low agronomic interest. The Igeo shows that for lead, copper, zinc and arsenic the levels found in the different morphological units are partly attributable to human action and specifically artisanal mining. The values of the contamination factor indicate contamination. Cobalt presents the lowest contamination. For cadmium, the different types of soil are moderately contaminated except for the FITLC type, which has a CF value of 0.50, therefore synonymous with low or absent contamination. The various morphological units studied are very heavily contaminated with zinc, copper, lead and arsenic. The pH and conductivity values indicate that the mine tailings samples are non-acidogenic, therefore not yet oxidized. As for the sulphide contents, they show that only samples S17, S22, S23 and S24 present values that are strictly above the threshold (0.3%) and therefore potentially acid-generating. The comparative study of the acid potential (AP) and the neutralization potential (NP) reveals that the neutralization potentials of the different samples are clearly higher than the acid potentials even for the samples which present a proven acidification potential (S17, S22, S23 and S24). These results show that the mine tailings have the natural capacity to neutralize any possible mine drainage, given the presence of acid-eating minerals such as the carbonates associated with the mineralization.

黄河流域煤炭开发区地下水污染成因分析及防治建议

[研究目的]黄河流域内由于煤炭资源开发导致地下水污染严重,从整体角度对流域内重点煤炭开发区地下水进行归纳总结,为其可持续健康发展和地下水资源改善提供防治建议。[研究方法]从黄河流域战略地位出发,对地下水污染成因和污染模式进行归纳总结。采用改进后的综合水质指数法对流域内九大煤炭基地的地下水进行水质评价。选用主成分分析法赋权指标,并引入改进的内梅罗污染指数法,按照WPI分级法进行评价。[研究结果]通过对黄河流域各重点断面水质评价,得到目前流域内煤炭基地水质结果中Ⅲ、Ⅳ类占比较多,水质较差。分析成因当前流域内存在高矿化度矿井水、酸性矿井水和含特殊组分矿井水污染,同时阐述污染地下水形成的浅层和深层两种污染模式。[结论]对3种矿井水采用相应防治方法,并提出膏体充填技术和微生物修复技术2种防治技术建议,通过应用实际矿山为例,印证污染防治技术能够改善由煤炭开采引发的流域内地下水污染严重的问题,以期研究结果能够对成功推动中国绿色矿山的快速发展具有参考意义。

地质聚合物的制备与应用研究现状

地质聚合物是由硅铝酸盐原料经激发剂激发得到的一种无机非金属材料,具有原料来源广泛、制备工艺简单、碳排放量低、高强耐久等优点,应用前景非常广阔。介绍了地质聚合物及其性能特点,对制备过程中的原料活化、激发剂、外加剂和养护制度等工艺的研究现状进行了总结,列举了地质聚合物在胶凝材料、隔热吸音、催化剂和固封材料等领域的应用实例,并评述了其在制备及应用方面需要进一步探索的问题。

Effect of drying-wetting cycles on pore characteristics and mechanical properties of enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation-reinforced sea sand

Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation(EICP)is an emanating,eco-friendly and potentially sound technique that has presented promise in various geotechnical applications.However,the durability and microscopic characteristics of EICP-treated specimens against the impact of drying-wetting(D-W)cycles is under-explored yet.This study investigates the evolution of mechanical behavior and pore charac-teristics of EICP-treated sea sand subjected to D-W cycles.The uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)tests,synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography(micro-CT),and three-dimensional(3D)recon-struction of CT images were performed to study the multiscale evolution characteristics of EICP-reinforced sea sand under the effect of D-W cycles.The potential correlations between microstructure characteristics and macro-mechanical property deterioration were investigated using gray relational analysis(GRA).Results showed that the UCS of EICP-treated specimens decreases by 63.7% after 15 D-W cycles.The proportion of mesopores gradually decreases whereas the proportion of macropores in-creases due to the exfoliated calcium carbonate with increasing number of D-W cycles.The micro-structure in EICP-reinforced sea sand was gradually disintegrated,resulting in increasing pore size and development of pore shape from ellipsoidal to columnar and branched.The gray relational degree suggested that the weight loss rate and UCS deterioration were attributed to the development of branched pores with a size of 100-1000 m m under the action of D-W cycles.Overall,the results in this study provide a useful guidancee for the long-term stability and evolution characteristics of EICP-reinforced sea sand under D-W weathering conditions.

Numerical modelling of post-failure behaviors of coal specimens

A modelling approach consisting of best-fit relations to estimate the post-yield strength parameters is presented for simulating post-peak behavior beyond the point of residual strength of coal pillars having different w/h ratios.The model was developed based on back-analysis of the complete stress-strain behavior of specimens belonging to six different Indian coal seams with different w/h ratios of 0.5 e13.5.It was found that the simultaneous degradation of the cohesion and friction angle of the Mohr-Coulomb rock material characterizes the post-peak strength behavior of the rock.The resulting expressions are simplistic as they require parameters that can be easily determined using uniaxial and triaxial compression results.Eventually,the developed model was validated by simulating the triaxial tests of coal specimens with different sizes under varying confining stresses and comparing its findings with the published test results.The study showed that its implementation in the numerical model could reproduce laboratory-observed mechanical response,deformation behavior,and failure mechanism very closely.

深部多形式应用交岔点围岩失稳机理及能量演化研究

随着采矿进入深部地层,具有长服务年限的各类巷道交岔点围岩发生强烈破坏,需要明晰深部环境下交岔点围岩失效机理,以针对性地指导修复和补强作业。通过对多地矿井交岔点维护情况的调研,全面总结了连接型、交岔型、分岔型和旋岔型(环三角柱)四类16种交岔点类型,提出了三类交岔点的典型应用形式:单一大型交岔点、嵌套式两交岔点组和环三角岩柱式交岔点群。将现场交岔点的破坏情况分为围岩局部破坏、三角岩柱破坏和整体性破坏的三种级别,从灾害的诱因和来源上,提出了外部环境因素、自身结构属性和人为设计隐患的三类13种致灾因素,并详述了各种致灾因素的致灾路径。建立了三类典型应用形式下交岔点的精细化模型,对数值软件进行二次开发,引入了畸变能密度指标进行围岩的能量分析。研究表明,交岔点围岩的畸变能峰值在三角区岩柱内,增高系数在2.5左右。最大断面处围岩畸变能同样发生积聚,增高系数在1.5左右。因此,提出了交岔点的修复需以强化三角岩柱和大断面处围岩为重点,并对深井交岔点的修复提出了以三角岩柱和大断面段补强为主的针对性方案。本研究为深部交岔点的破坏因素分析、数值模拟指标引入和修复支护提供了参考。

New insights on the high-corrosion resistance of UHP Mg-Ge alloys tested in a simulated physiological environment

UHP Mg-Ge alloys was recently found to provide excellent corrosion resistance.This paper provides new insights on the mechanism of improved corrosion resistance of UHP Mg-Ge alloys in Hanks’solution.The studied UHP Mg-0.5Ge and UHP Mg-1Ge alloys showed superior corrosion resistance compared to UHP Mg and WE43,with the Mg-1Ge exhibiting the best corrosion performance.The exceptional corrosion resistance of the UHP alloy is attributed to(i)Mg_(2)Ge’s ability to suppress cathodic kinetics,(ii)Ge’s capability to accelerate the formation of a highly passive layer,and the(iii)low amounts of corrosion-accelerating impurities.

Sliding behaviors of the trapezoidal roof rock block under a lateral dynamic disturbance

The surrounding rock of underground space is always affected by external dynamic disturbance from the side position,such as blasting vibration from a stope at the same level or seismic waves from adjacent strata.A series of laboratory tests,numerical simulations and theoretical analyses were carried out in this study to disclose the sliding mechanism of roof rock blocks under lateral disturbance.Firstly,the experiments on trapezoidal key block under various clamping loads and disturbance were conducted,followed by numerical simulations using the fast Lagrangian analysis of continua(FLAC3D).Then,based on the conventional wave propagation model and the classical shear-slip constitutive model,a theoretical model was proposed to capture the relative displacement between blocks and the sliding displacement of the key block.The results indicate that the sliding displacement of the key block increased linearly with the disturbance energy and decreased exponentially with the clamping load when the key block was disturbed to slide(without instability).Meanwhile,when the key block was disturbed to fall,two types of instability process may appear as immediate type or delayed type.In addition,the propagation of stress waves in the block system exhibited obvious low-velocity and lowfrequency characteristics,resulting in the friction reduction effect appearing at the contact interface,which is the essential reason for the sliding of rock blocks.The results can be applied to practical underground engineering and provide valuable guidance for the early detection and prevention of rockfalling disasters.

Energy mechanism of bolt supporting effect to fissured rock under static and dynamic loads in deep coal mines

The stability control of fissured rock is difficult,especially under static and dynamic loads in deep coal mines.In this paper,the dynamic mechanical properties,strain rate evolution and energy dissipation of fissured and anchored rocks were respectively obtained by SHPB tests.It was found that bolt can provide supporting efficiency-improving effect for fissured rock against dynamic disturbance,and this effect increased quadratically with decrease in anchoring angles.Then,the energy dissipation mechanism of anchored rock was obtained by slipping model.Furthermore,bolt energy-absorbing mechanism by instantaneous tensile-shear deformation was expressed based on material mechanics,which was the larger the anchoring angle,the smaller the energy absorption,and the less the contribution to supporting efficiency improvement.On this basis,the functional relationship between energy dissipation of anchored rock and energy absorption of bolt was established.Taking the coal-gangue separation system of Longgu coal mine as an example,the optimal anchoring angle can be determined as 57.5°–67.5°.Field monitoring showed fissured rock with the optimal anchoring angle,can not only effectively control the deformation,but also fully exert the energy-absorbing and efficiency-improving effect of bolt itself.This study provides guidance to the stability control and supporting design for deep engineering under the same or similar conditions.