Major Research Areas
The School of Mining Engineering is involved in a broad program of industry and government funded research - focused at the applied end of the research spectrum, in response to identified industry priorities, including the all-important areas of safety and environmental protection.
The research program covers four core areas, summarised below, together with some new initiatives in areas such as deep surface mine geomechanics and undersea mining. The four core areas are:
Underground geomechanics (coal and metalliferous): oriented towards improving safety performance through alternative mine design/methods and ground control technologies.
Mine ventilation: a range of research initiatives, again focused on safety from both an OHS and major hazard management perspective, within the broad context of the underground mine environment. This includes research on wind and air blasts, underground gas monitoring, and the use of explosives in gassy environments.
Workforce training using virtual reality (VR) technologies: This work is aimed at developing and using new VR systems and software tools to provide the industry with more effective "off-site" training and evaluation tools.
Industry sustainability: A growing number of research initiatives are focusing on industry sustainability, incorporating a broad spectrum of topics such as legislative frameworks; sustainability measurement and reporting; environmental management; integrated mine closure planning.
Specific current research areas are outlined below in more detail.
UNDERGROUND MINE GEOMECHANICS
B Hebblewhite, P Hagan, J Galvin, Y Cai, C Fowler, J Watson, R Frith
This field of research encompasses a range of projects from mining method selection and design, to the specifics of ground control and pillar design. The research covers both coal and metalliferous underground mining, and utilises a combination of fieldwork, laboratory investigations and computational modelling and analysis.
Fieldwork has included geomechanical assessment of rock mass properties for assessing both stability and cavability, together with monitoring and performance of mining systems and trial operations. These have included crown pillar recovery trials and pillar replacement systems using paste fill in deep gold mines, together with underground thick coal seam mining methods such as single pass longwall and longwall top coal caving (LTCC). Development of pillar performance data for use in empirical design methodologies in coal mining is a major component of ongoing UNSW research.
Laboratory studies are currently focused on ground control systems - understanding the engineering mechanics and performance of different tendon reinforcement systems - both in terms of tendon anchorage and axial load transfer characteristics; as well as the behaviour of bolting systems under shear loading conditions. Physical modelling of mine subsidence on variable surface features has also been investigated.
Numerical design studies are conducted utilising a broad range of two and three dimensional numerical stress analysis packages.
A major field of research which covers both underground geomechanics and mine ventilation research is in relation to the phenomenon of windblasts, or airblasts, as they are known in hard rock mining. UNSW has developed an excellent understanding of this problem in the underground coal industry through extensive field monitoring and analysis, and is now extending this into hard rock mining scenarios including dynamic air movements in stopes and caving conditions, incorporating some fundamental investigation of dynamic air movements through caved ore muckpiles.
MINE VENTILATION
R Moreby, J Galvin, D Chalmers, C Fowler
UNSW is the location of the Australian National Centre for Mine Ventilation (established by the Minerals Council of Australia). The ANCMV provides both research and industry professional development training. The above work on the physics and thermodynamics of sudden air movements (windblasts) due to caving is a major part of the ANCMV research program. In addition, there is current research involving development of new gas monitoring transducer systems in dynamic mine atmosphere environments, plus work on spontaneous combustion and heat and dust in mines.
MINING SYSTEMS AND METHODS
B Hebblewhite, Y Cai, D Laurence
Research into new mining methods and systems of mining is complementary to the more specific geomechanics and ventilation research described above. The research extends into understanding the geological environment of ore and mineral deposits, as well as using simulation modelling to evaluate operational systems. UNSW has been active in evaluating new developments for the underground mining of thick coal seams for many years. Methods subject to ongoing research in this field include single pass longwall, longwall top coal caving, multi-slice longwall and hydraulic mining. In the metalliferous sector, the use of cemented rock fill and paste fill in open stoping operations to achieve more efficient recovery of crown pillars and remnant rib pillars has proved very successful at a number of mine sites in Western Australia.
SUSTAINABILITY OF MINING OPERATIONS
D Laurence
There are many integrated components that make up the high profile field of mine sustainability. Although very different to the more traditional high technology, quantitative engineering research and practices addressed elsewhere, this field is rapidly becoming one of the most important faced by the international mining industry. By combining a range of engineering and other skill sets, UNSW is now involved in research addressing areas such as environmental design and management; mine rehabilitation & closure; mine safety & health; legislative frameworks; mining and institutional strengthening in developing countries; and the social impacts and opportunities of mining on indigenous communities.
VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEMS FOR INDUSTRY TRAINING AND SIMULATION
J Galvin, C Fowler
The technology of virtual reality (VR) is growing faster than it can be implemented in practical workplace environments, with seemingly limitless opportunities for life-like three dimensional computer animations of real world scenarios and environments. Through this enormous growth in both the computer hardware and software technologies, there is a very real need and opportunity to develop and implement appropriate training packages for the mining industry. These not only look impressive, but provide a quantum level of improvement in the type of scenario training and assessment available to industry personnel, without tying up expensive equipment, or putting people at risk on a mine site without the requisite level of training. UNSW has for some years been developing both training scenarios using VR, as well as new VR algorithms and a library of templates for improved animation and simulation. This work continues to expand as the technology develops and new applications become apparent.
SEABED MINING
B Hebblewhite, D Laurence
Beyond the normal terrestrial mining applications, there is growing interest in developing systems for the responsible mining of seabed mineral deposits. Recent discoveries of very high-grade seabed massive sulphide (SMS) deposits, or chimneys, on the sea floor (also known as "black smokers" appear very prospective as mining targets. There is a significant amount of research required before such a system of mining becomes a reality. Recent UNSW research has focused on two aspects - engineering characterisation of the type of deposits with respect to assessing different excavation and mining systems; and also the essential characterisation of the pre-mining seabed environment and development of suitable models for assessing the impact of different mining systems on this environment.
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Description of Laboratory Facilities
The School of Mining Engineering
The School of Mining Engineering has a wide range of laboratory facilities, which form an integral component of the undergraduate course in Mining Engineering as well as providing facilities for postgraduate and staff research. The facilities can be classified under 6 categories.
Rock Mechanics
500kN Schenck/Instron servo-controlled testing machine
360 Tonne Avery compressive strength testing rig
50 Tonne Avery Universal testing machine
Fully instrumented rock bolt anchorage testing rig
Rock bolt shear loading facility
Triaxial creep testing rig
Shear boxes, rock and soil compression testing equipment
Full range of rock test sample preparation facilities (coring, saws, grinding etc).
Rock Excavation
Experimental rock cutting rigs
Rock abrasivity testing apparatus
Mine Ventilation and Safety
Ventilation educator/simulator
Gas modelling facility
Model ventilation networks for centrifugal and axial fans
Windblast laboratory model
Frictional ignition test rig
Computing
Range of networked PCs with various applications software packages including stress analysis, mine planning, ventilation simulation, and operational simulation and scheduling.
Individual PCs linked to experimental equipment described above.
Virtual Reality
Fully equipped 3D virtual reality and simulation laboratory for development of training and mining system simulation capabilities - interfaced with equipment control hardware.
Mineral Processing
Various comminution facilities (jaw, cone and gyratory crushers, rod and ball mills and grinder)
Rotary and riffle sampler
Float-sink bench and combustion furnaces for coal washability determination.
Sieves with shakers, cyclosizer, 100mm cyclone in closed circuit loop
Spirals, batch jig, electrical separators, magnetic separators
Bench and pilot scale mechanical and column cells.
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Further Information
Postgraduate Research Coordinator
School of Mining Engineering
Associate Professor David Laurence
Phone: +61 2 9385 4597
Fax: +61 2 9313 7269
Email: D.Laurence@unsw.edu.au
Website: http://www.mining.unsw.edu.au
