A block cave has a draw column height of at least 450 meters, a caved volume, a single extraction level and no undercut level, a plurality of drawbells extending upwardly from the extraction level to the caved volume, and a plurality of pillars separating the drawbells and supporting the rock mass above the extraction level. Each drawbell has a drawbell height of at least 25 meters. Each drawbell has the following profile when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a drawbell drive in the extraction level: a throat section having opposed parallel side walls extending upwardly from the extraction level, a tapered section above the throat section, and an undercut section above the tapered section.

A process and associated system for the improved reclamation of disturbed lands (e.g., mined lands) is disclosed. In particular, the system including a dewatering cyclone, a screw classifier, and a dewatering apparatus (e.g. a dewatering belt) arranged in series to enable rapid and cost effective dewatering of slurries containing dilute clay and sand tailings to create an improved engineered reclamation material (ERM). The ERM formed by the controlled combining of dewatered sand tailings with dilute clay slurry and with a flocculant and overburden. The ratio of clay:sand:overburden of the ERM may be achieved by balancing the solid content (Cw) and water content (1Cw) materials of the clay slurry, sand tailings and overburden. In some embodiments, the system may include at least one additional component, such as, for example, static screen(s), centrifuge(s), vibrating screens, drum screens, belt screens, belt filters, and/or other liquid-solid separation devices.

A method and system for mine design utilising mathematical modelling and optimisation based on mathematical modelling of connected bubbles. A mathematical model, based on mathematical modelling of behavior of connected bubbles, is applied to the 3D block model for a mine to cluster geometric elements from the 3D block model based on physical location and properties of the physical material for each of the geometric elements, and selecting at least one set of a plurality of contiguous geometric elements for extraction based on the clustering. Each set of a plurality of contiguous blocks can be associated with a phase of a mining process.

The present invention discloses a mine exploitation method based on stoping, separation and filling control. The design process comprises: deploying a gangue-less coal mining system; choosing a suitable coal and gangue separation method according to a separation requirement; choosing a suitable filling method according to mine geology, production conditions and rock stratum control requirement; reversely calculating a filling rate according to gangue discharge requirement and control indexes by utilizing theoretical calculation, simulation and experiment; determining a filling process and a separation process according to the filling rate; and feeding back and adjusting the filling process and separation process parameters by monitoring filling and control effect indexes. The design method is highly integrated with underground coal and gangue separation, gangue filling and coal stoping processes, design is performed aimed at different control requirements of controlled objects under different engineering backgrounds, the design method can be used for guiding the design of underground mining based on stoping, separation and filling control of a mine, the zero discharge of coal gangue on the ground can be realized, ground subsidence, rock burst and aquifer stability can be controlled, and therefore the design method has a good popularization prospect.

Disclosed herein are methods of measuring dissolved mineral isotopes, and other methods related thereto. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

An improved long range coil and driver assembly for a magnetic field generator wherein the driver and coil generate a large magnetic field is provided. The coil and driver assembly includes a source impedance control network which includes a plurality of pairs of resistors and amorphous noise suppression devices, and a coil that utilizes a unique basket weave winding pattern to reduce the effect of the back EMF from one wire on the adjoining wires, thereby reducing the impedance of the coil. The reduced impedance and improved impedance control increases the current that can flow creating a larger field.

A mining system with an inertial guidance system configured to enable precise excavation of geological material without a need to advance a survey line over a long distance and/or nonlinear excavation path, thereby maximizing productivity of the mind by minimizing a width of un-mined material necessary for support between adjacent excavation paths and minimizing equipment downtime.

Systems and methods for monitoring extraction height and volume of material extracted for a mining machine. The method includes operating the machine using a shearing motion at a plurality of cut locations. The method includes receiving boom height data and power consumption data. The method includes determining a cut start time. The method includes determining whether a relocation has occurred. The method includes, when the relocation has occurred: determining a cut end time. The method includes storing, in a memory, the cut start and end time, and the boom height and power consumption data. The method includes adjusting the operation of the mining machine based on the cut start and end time, and the boom height and power consumption data for at least one of the cut locations.

Systems and methods for monitoring extraction height and volume of material extracted for a mining machine. The method includes operating the machine using a shearing motion at a plurality of cut locations. The method includes receiving boom height data and power consumption data. The method includes determining a cut start time. The method includes determining whether a relocation has occurred. The method includes, when the relocation has occurred: determining a cut end time. The method includes storing, in a memory, the cut start and end time, and the boom height and power consumption data. The method includes adjusting the operation of the mining machine based on the cut start and end time, and the boom height and power consumption data for at least one of the cut locations.

A includes a control arm comprising a first link and a second link, a lift arm articulately connected to the first link by a first joint and a first actuating means articulately connected to the first link by the second joint. The second link and the lift arm are adapted to permit a pivotal connection with a loading means by a third joint and a fourth joint, wherein the lift arm is adapted to lift and lower the loading means and the first actuating means is adapted for actuating the control arm, by acting on the first link in at least a direction from the first actuating means, to achieve a rotational movement of the loading means around said fourth joint, when the loading means is connected to the control arm and to the lift arm. During action of the first actuating means on the first link in the direction from the first actuating means a decrease of a distance between the second joint and the third joint is achieved.