Objective
THE AIM OF THE RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP, IN THE SCOPE OF THE CUT AND FILL CONCEPT, A SYSTEM OF NON EXPLOSIVE MINING OF HARD ROCK DEPOSITS, LEADING TO A SAFER AND LESS ENVIRONMENTALLY DESTRUCTIVE METHOD FOR THE RECOVERY OF MINERALS FROM VEIN TYPE DEPOSITS.
Total mechanization of hard rock mines has proved extremely difficult to achieve especially in the field of rock breaking at production stopes. The primary objective of this research project was to identify potential rock breaking systems and to develop a stoping method, specifically a cut and fill method, which could be used to mine hard rock without the use of explosives. Underground trials of proposed rock breaking systems were carried out in the test mine at Curraghinalt. The following areas of research were carried out: identification of rock breaking systems, mining machine trials ar Curraghinalt, correlation of machine performance and rock mass properties, investigations of fill materials and fill systems and the development of computer models for the analysis of cut and fill stope stability and economic analysis of the stoping operations. A major literature study was completed and this identified the systems felt to have the potential for this research project.
In situ trials of different rock breaking systems and research carried out on the relationship between machine performance and rock mass and rock material parameters has shown that it is possible to develop an equation to predict machine performance from standard rock mass measurements. These equations were applied to the rock mass data from Cononish mine and machine performance was predicted. This suggests that the scheme can be applied to other mines in the future. The investigation into mechnaical properties of backfill materials has shown that cemented tailings (150 um) and rockfill (25 mm) can successfully be used as stable backfill materials. Computer models of the cut and fill stope layouts and mine planning systems were developed. The stability of backfilled stopes were analyzed and optimum mining, fill transport and emplacement techniques were selected for the test mine. In situ trials with the Webster impact ripper showed that a combination of an impact ripper and a kerf cutting machine (pr obably a diamond wire saw) can be economical method for the mechanical mining of hard rock.
THE MAIN STEPS OF THE RESEARCH WILL BE:
- INVESTIGATION OF NON EXPLOSIVE MINING SYSTEMS, DESIGN AND SELECTION OF THE EQUIPMENT;
- INVESTIGATION OF FILL MATERIALS AND FILL SYSTEMS;
- ROCK CHARACTERISATION TO ENABLE FINAL DESIGN OF MACHINERY;
- IN SITU TESTING OF MINING MACHINERY AND SYSTEMS;
- INTERACTIVE COMPUTER MODELLING OF MINING AND FILLING SYSTEMS, GENERAL ENOUGH TO BE USED IN VARIOUS SITES;
- WRITING OF A DESIGNER'S MANUAL FOR THE USE OF THE SYSTEM.
IF SUCCESSFULL, THIS RESEARCH COULD LEAD TO AN IMPROVEMENT OF PRODUCTIVITY AND ENABLE MINERALS TO BE MINED MORE COMPETITIVELY IN THE EEC COUNTRIES, IT COULD ALSO ENABLE ORE BODIES TO BE EXPLOITED THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO BE MINED AND COULD HELP IN THE EXPORT OF MINING EQUIPMENT TO NON EEC COUNTRIES BY EEC MANUFACTURERS.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities languages and literature literature studies
- social sciences economics and business economics production economics productivity
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Coordinator
LONDON
United Kingdom
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