http://hdl.handle.net/1974/832 2013-06-20T01:52:11Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/8039 Title: Establishing Total Airflow Requirements for Underground Metal/Non-metal Mines based on the Diesel Equipment Fleet Authors: Stinnette, Joseph Abstract: Traditionally, ventilation requirements for modern, mechanized underground mines have been based upon the power of the diesel equipment fleet, with a multiplier (determined from empirical data collected and compiled over a long period of time or required by regulations) being applied in order to determine the total airflow volume requirements of entire mines and/or individual sections or working areas. Often, in the absence of unusual geographic, climatic or geologic conditions that warranted special consideration, the airflow required for the dilution of diesel exhaust products would provide sufficient ventilation for the entire mine. However, recent studies regarding the health-effects of diesel exhaust, particularly the relationship between exposure to diesel emissions and cancer in humans, coupled with additional scrutiny on so called greenhouse gas emissions, have resulted changes to the regulations for engine and equipment manufacturers to provide cleaner burning and less polluting equipment; and are currently causing profound uncertainty in the mining industry. This influence is particularly felt in the case of ventilation engineers and those involved in long-term mine planning who have responsibility for designing the ventilation systems of both existing and future mining projects around the world. This thesis identifies the major parameters affecting airflow requirements for diesel-powered mining equipment and examines how each of them will change in scale and scope in the aftermath of regulatory changes mandating drastic reductions in the type and amount of diesel engine emissions. Culminating from this research, a new procedure for making total airflow determinations based on the underground diesel equipment fleet is proposed and tested with a practical case-study. Ultimately, the determination of the amount of airflow required for an underground mining operation or other sub-surface facility can depend on several factors, including the equipment fleet, ambient temperature, rock type, mining method and airway type (or use). Obtaining a universal, repeatable protocol for determining airflow quantities required for underground diesel equipment fleets is in the best interest of the industry as a whole, including ventilation practitioners, mine-planning engineers, mining financiers, executives, equipment manufacturers, and of course, the mine workers themselves, who perhaps have the most at stake of anyone involved in the equation. Description: Thesis (Master, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-05-23 22:33:11.36 2013-05-24T04:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/8005 Title: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE INPUTS TO LONG RANGE MINE PLANNING OF OPEN PIT PORPHYRY TYPE COPPER DEPOSITS Authors: Abdeljalil, MUHANAD Abstract: Long term planning is the process used by a mining organization to develop a strategic business plan. The plan describes how the ore is going to be extracted over the mine life. As such, it is routinely updated in order to declare annual reserves, evaluate options and react to changes in the initial assumptions. Inputs into this planning process are the parameters that drive profitability. The purpose of this research is to understand and document the open pit long range planning process in current use by mining operations, isolate the input parameters that feed into this process, and conduct a critical review of these parameters in an effort to develop a more robust plan. The thesis also searches for answers to the following questions: Can the copper metal price be correlated to a factor (or a set of factors)? Can the price be predicted? How useful is the work of O’Hara and Taylor in predicting the mine life and milling rate at the scoping study stage? How can the pit by pit graph be used to better guide the selection of the ultimate pit? Is there a realized benefit from operating at an elevated cutoff grade strategy with low grade copper porphyry deposits? The research concludes with a proposal (not common in the industry) for the selection of the metal price as an input into the mine planning process. This approach, if implemented, can give a corporation a dominant position in the future. The research also presents a modified approach for the selection of the ultimate pit. Furthermore, the use of Taylor’s rule in predicting the mine life was tested and verified on an open pit copper porphyry deposit and the benefits of operating at an elevated cutoff grade strategy was demonstrated for the deposit. Description: Thesis (Master, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-30 12:57:12.084 2013-05-01T04:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/7798 Title: Investigation of Fe(III)-As(III) bearing phases and their potential for arsenic disposal Authors: Opio, FAITH Abstract: Fe(III)-As(III) bearing precipitates have been successfully used for arsenic immobilization in copper smelter weak acid effluents. However, knowledge on their precise characteristics is very limited compared to ferric arsenate precipitates which are the preferred disposal option. As(III) is the dominant arsenic species in the weak acid effluents, and high costs are incurred in oxidizing As(III) to As(V) prior to ferric arsenate precipitation. Detailed characterization of Fe(III)-As(III) bearing residues is fundamental for accurate prediction of their long term stability. Synchrotron-based analysis of the Fe(III)-As(III) bearing precipitates from the effluent treatment plant (ETP) at Xstrata’s Horne Copper Smelter in Quebec identified ferric arsenate and gypsum as the major phases, and other minor phases including zinc hydroxide and franklinite. The predominant As species was As(V) which accounted for 49 to 84% of the total As in the Horne ETP sample. The high As(V) levels detected in the Horne ETP co-precipitates may be due to the partial oxidation of As(III) during prolonged storage, prior to synchrotron analysis. Tooeleite was investigated as an alternative potential disposal option for As(III) immobilization from copper smelter weak acid effluents. Lime neutralization of an equimolar Fe(III)-As(III) bearing weak acid solution resulted in about 85% As being removed at pH 2.7 and the formation of gypsum-bearing tooeleite at pH 2 to 3.5. At >pH 4, the rapid transformation of tooeleite occurred to form a poorly crystalline equimolar ferric arsenite which was stable at pH 6 to 10. Co-precipitation tests also showed that equimolar ferric arsenite was precipitated at pH>4. US EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analysis indicated that both tooeleite and ferric arsenite have relatively high As solubilities. Calcination of tooeleite was explored as a method for improving the stability of tooeleite, and calcination of tooeleite in air at 600˚C produced a ferric arsenate calcine with a TCLP solubility of <5 mg/L As. The calcine iii produced from the lime-precipitated tooeleite at 600 ˚C was found to contain an iron arsenate (Fe7As6O24) which had a slightly higher TCLP As solubility of 13.1 mg/L. The precipitation of tooeleite from an As(III)-bearing weak acid and calcination of the resultant precipitate may offer a new process for As(III) fixation from copper smelter weak acid effluents. Description: Thesis (Ph.D, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-31 23:47:37.942 2013-02-01T05:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1974/7772 Title: Concept Design and Testing of a GPS-less System for Autonomous Shovel-Truck Spotting Authors: OWENS, BRETT Abstract: Haul truck drivers frequently have difficulties spotting beside shovels. This is typically a combination of reduced visibility and poor mining conditions. Based on first-hand data collected from the Goldstrike Open Pit, it was learned that, on average, 9% of all spotting actions required corrective movements to facilitate loading. This thesis investigates an automated solution to haul truck spotting that does not rely on the use of the satellite global positioning system (GPS), since GPS can perform unreliably. This thesis proposes that if spotting was automated, a significant decrease in cycle times could result. Using conventional algorithms and techniques from the field of mobile robotics, vehicle pose estimation and control algorithms were designed to enable autonomous shovel-truck spotting. The developed algorithms were verified by using both simulation and field testing with real hardware. Tests were performed in analog conditions on an automation-ready Kubota RTV 900 utility truck. When initiated from a representative pose, the RTV successfully spotted to the desired location (within 1 m) in 95% of the conducted trials. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach is a strong candidate for an auto-spot system. Description: Thesis (Master, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-28 09:49:20.584 2013-01-29T05:00:00Z