Micro fractures aid in mineral recovery - ISEE2024

January, 2024

2024 Conference - International Society of Explosives Engineers (isee.org)

Creating Micro Fractures in Rock Fragments for Blasting Efficiency Improvement

Dr. Ruilin Yang, Orica Limited

Prof. Sidney Green, Enhanced Production Inc.

Abstract

Blasting is a commonly used method for rock fragmentation in mining operations for mineral extraction. It involves breaking the rock mass into small pieces, and ideally creating micro fractures within the small pieces. Such micro fractures could significantly reduce the energy required for subsequent processes like crushing and comminution. Additionally, micro fractures would enhance the rock-fragments fluid permeability thereby enhancing desired chemical reactions during certain processing operations.

This paper presents recent developments of the Multiple Blasthole Fragmentation (MBF) model, which simulates blasting rockmass fragmentation. The MBF model allows estimating rock strains experienced during the blast, for various blast design parameters and geometries. The intent is to correlate these strains with created micro fractures in the blast rock fragments. Adjusting blast design parameters in the MBF model of explosive loading and delay timing allows blast optimization. Such optimizing would create desirable strains to enhance micro fractures within the rock fragments. This would improve mining operations by enhancing downstream operation efficiency, thus reducing costs. Questions? Reach out regarding this presentation.

Peak Particle Velocity for Blasting Rock Modeling - R. Yang & S. Green

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New ARMA paper downloadable from OnePetro.

57th U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (June 2023)

Blasting mechanisms are a complex coupling of the rock mass properties and the explosive detonation performance as well as the blast design parameters. Both rock mass and explosive properties have parameters that are inherently not well defined. Thus, blast modeling is greatly challenging to predict rock fragmentation, blast vibration, and the broken-rock mass movement. For blast modeling, previous work has shown that near-field signature-hole blast vibration monitoring is an effective method to obtain critical blast model input. In a blast field, multiple charges create nonlinear additive strains at a given point in the rock and time, which further complicates blast modeling. This paper shows how the measured peak particle velocity ("PPV") from the signature-hole blast vibration serves as a key controlling parameter for modelling. Using PPV as the controlling parameter, pressures and strains can be approximated at a point of interest. Rock breakage is then related by simplified approximations to the pressures and strains. The modelling method described in the paper relates all blast design parameters to the PPV induced by multiple charges at a point in the rock. Therefore, using PPV as a key parameter allows blasting models to simulate all blast design parameters and significantly simplifies blast modeling.

INTRODUCTION Predicting the results of rock blasting has been a long-standing challenge since its inception. However, the complex and dynamic mechanisms of rock blasting remain unclear (Fourney, 2015). The variables affecting the blast results are numerous, including rock mass properties, explosive properties, and blast design parameters. These variables interact in a nonlinear manner, making rock blast modeling more difficult than static or quasi-static rock mechanics modeling. If a blasting model is built purely based on the first principles of physics, it must involve many parameters related to rock properties and explosives. However, these parameters are often difficult to impossible to measure, which makes it challenging to obtain relevant blast modelling input. Moreover, most of these blast models cannot simulate full blasts and design parameters. Even a single modeling prediction requires a large amount of computing time and can only simulate a small number of blastholes. This forms a major impediment to the engineering applications of blast modelling. Researchgate.

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Equilibrium newsletter Inaugural issue

Global Energy Security Institute creates Equilibrium newsletter presenting “Energy in Context”.

November 30, 2023 —EPI is among those interviewed for their inaugural issue. (jump to EPI’s article here)

…Five articles begin the conversation: First an interview with former Israeli diplomat Ambassador Yuval Rotem on how Israel’s transformation from energy consumer to exporter affected its diplomatic and security policy.

Also included are contributions from Deputy Executive Director Dr. Rich Outzen and Director of Program Development Matt Yocum, as well as from noted energy experts Dr. Brenda Shaffer from the Naval Postgraduate School Energy Academic Group and Sidney Green, president and founder of Enhanced Production, Inc.

We hope you enjoy Equilibrium and look forward to your feedback and to continuing the global energy conversation at GEST 2024 in Tokyo! – Mike Nelson, Editor, Equilibrium

Rotary of Salt Lake City invited speaker

*Update* on the Energy Transition Underway

September, 2023

Are the efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions doing anything yet? Watch the talk. (Introduction by Jeff Young, of Young Electric Sign Co. In case you were wondering!)

SPE presentation Pacing the Change of Energy – the US and Global

April, 2023

Presentation for the Salt Lake Chapter of Society of Petroleum Engineers April 18, 2023

Energy has the attention of the world, with developments rapidly progressing. Brief highlights and updates are presented on energy production and consumption, carbon emissions, and the transition from oil-gas-coal to renewable energies and carbon capture. Comments regarding energy availability and cost, and energy and minerals security facing the US as well as other nations and other broad conclusions are noted.

Please download the presentation and facts here.🌎

O.C. Tanner Lecture “From Atomic Bombs to Nuclear Energy”

March, 2023

Sidney Green gave the Keynote Lecture for Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, Letters annual conference. Topic was the migration of nuclear used for atomic bombs to using it as a renewable energy source for the present and for our future.

To view the lecture click here

Conference held March 18, 2023 at the Waterford School in Sandy, Utah

Daniel Poole presents Sidney Green with an award

New pre-print paper: Potential and Challenges of Expanded Nuclear Energy

January, 2023

Nuclear fission reactors have long been part of the world energy supply, and provide about 2-percent of total annual world energy. The contribution as steam-produced grid electricity is about 10 percent of annual world electricity and over 20 percent of US annual grid electricity. This overview-summary speaks to the potential and challenges of much-expanded nuclear energy deployment.

Shippingport, PA. – May 1958

The potential and challenges for nuclear energy – for electricity and more broadly heat for industry – are considered in light of the worldwide energy transition that is focusing heavily on solar and wind primary energy sources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear energy – although less promoted in the on-going energy transition – has an opportunity to contribute much toward reducing emissions. Expanded nuclear energy is advocated by many, but often without complete consideration of the challenges that must be overcome to enable such expansion.

The overview-summary discusses the opportunities and challenges and draws on numerous previous publications and presentations, and most importantly on experience with nuclear technology. It seems clear that nuclear energy is a key part of the energy transition. Better public understanding based on facts can help to remove misconceptions and negative concerns and advance nuclear energy; nuclear energy is indeed important. Download paper here. 🌎

College of Engineering, University of Utah presents, Graduate Seminar: Energy Transition in Perspective

September 26, 2022

The energy transition driven by climate warming and fossil fuel carbon emissions is on the forefront technically, economically, politically, and even nation-security wise. Engineering and science contributions are essential to reduce emissions in any meaningful manner, with energy facts suggesting the enormity of the problem. The Seminar will review facts and observations of the energy transition underway and suggest broad conclusions that have emerged.

Graduate seminar given by Sidney Green, founder/president of Enhanced Production, Inc. and Research Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah. Hosted by University of Utah College of Engineering & the Dept. of Chemical Engineering.

Watch recorded presentation Download slides

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