Systems and methods for estimating a hardness of a rock mass during operation of an industrial machine. One system includes an electronic processor configured to receive a rock mass model and to receive live drilling data from the industrial machine. The electronic processor is also configured to update the rock mass model based on the live drilling data and to estimate a drilling index for a hole based on the updated rock mass model. After estimating a drilling index for the hole, the electronic processor is also configured to set a blasting parameter for the hole based on the estimated drilling index.

A downhole gamma ray detector having improved resistance to shocks and vibrations encountered during use of modern drilling techniques. The detector includes a scintillator with a window for emitting photons upon receipt of gamma rays. The window faces a photon-receiving end of a photomultiplier tube. The scintillator and the photomultiplier tube are held in a fixed arrangement with respect to each other to provide an empty gap between the window and the photon-receiving end of the photomultiplier tube.

A drilling device for surveying front rock-mass intactness of a tunnel face for a tunnel constructed by a TBM and a method using the same are provided. The drilling device includes a drilling assembly, a drill-attitude control assembly, a data monitoring assembly and a TBM-platform fixing seat. The drilling assembly is connected to a TBM hydraulic system to obtain power, to drill the rock mass by an alloy bit through rotation and translation thereof. The drill-attitude control assembly controls an angle, a direction and a position of a drill rod and maintains drilling accuracy and stability. The data monitoring assembly acquires and stores a drilling dynamic-response signal by a high-accuracy sensor and a data recorder, to analyze an intactness characteristic of the rock mass. The TBM-platform fixing seat mounts the drilling device on the TBM.

Apparatus for the measurement of ore in mine ore benches or ore stockpiles is disclosed, the apparatus comprising: a mobile platform, defining a platform zone, wherein the mobile platform is positionable on or above a mine ore bench or stockpile; and at least one magnetic resonance (MR) sensor comprised in the mobile platform. The MR sensor includes a main loop and a drive loop located above the main loop. A magnetic resonance sensor control system is provided and configured to control at least one of: the positioning of the at least one MR sensor relative to the platform zone and/or mine ore bench or ore stockpile; the positioning of elements comprised in the MR sensor relative to each other; electromagnetic suppression characteristics of the at least one MR sensor; and/or sensitivity of the at least one MR sensor as a function of distance of the sensor from the mine ore bench or ore stockpile.

A measurement system 50 measures a grade of an excavated material generated from an underground tunnel including a plurality of mining points. The underground tunnel is constructed based on a mining plan of a mine planned based on primary grade data and primary position data corresponding to the primary grade data measured in a preliminary geological survey. The measurement system includes a measuring unit (grade measuring unit) 61 that measures the grade of the excavated material generated from the underground tunnel, a secondary grade data acquisition unit (grade data acquisition unit) 72 that acquires secondary grade data indicating the grade of the excavated material from the measuring unit 61, and a secondary position data acquisition unit (position data acquisition unit) 73 that acquires secondary position data corresponding to the secondary grade data.

A measurement system 50 measures a grade of an excavated material generated from an underground tunnel including a plurality of mining points. The underground tunnel is constructed based on a mining plan of a mine planned based on primary grade data and primary position data corresponding to the primary grade data measured in a preliminary geological survey. The measurement system includes a measuring unit (grade measuring unit) 61 that measures the grade of the excavated material generated from the underground tunnel, a secondary grade data acquisition unit (grade data acquisition unit) 72 that acquires secondary grade data indicating the grade of the excavated material from the measuring unit 61, and a secondary position data acquisition unit (position data acquisition unit) 73 that acquires secondary position data corresponding to the secondary grade data.

An apparatus includes a current excitation source, a roadheader telescopic protection cylinder, an electric rotating apparatus, auxiliary cutting teeth, a cutting head entity, a transmission shaft, an optical fiber ring protective housing, an optical fiber ring, an optical fiber current sensor control unit and a recovery electrode. The apparatus transmits an auxiliary current I.sub.e and a monitoring current I.sub.d to a coal seam. The auxiliary current I.sub.e and the monitoring current I.sub.d are homologous currents that are incompatible, and the auxiliary current I.sub.e squeezes the monitoring current I.sub.d, so the monitoring current I.sub.d monitors the environment of the coal seam. The monitoring current I.sub.d flows to the coal seam as, and a return current I.sub.f flows through the transmission shaft and a roadheader expansion part. The optical fiber ring measures the return current I.sub.f, when the roadheader is heading forward and encounters abnormal geological bodies.

A prediction method for coal and gas outburst based on comparing borehole gas flow curves includes the following steps: constructing a seam-crossing borehole in the coal seam, measuring or calculating gas flow corresponding to critical gas pressure P, which is a reference gas flow Q(t).sub.reference; performing linear regression on the reference gas flow Q(t).sub.reference to form a reference flow curve; constructing a predicted seam-crossing borehole in a predicted area, and directly testing a gas flow at each time t in a delayed manner, which is a predicted gas flow Q(t).sub.prediction; prediction; performing linear regression on the predicted gas flow Q(t).sub.prediction to form a predicted flow curve; and judging whether the predicted flow curve is above the reference flow curve or whether the predicted flow curve intersects with the reference flow curve, and judging whether the coal seam in the predicted area has a risk of coal and gas outburst.

A prediction method for coal and gas outburst based on comparing borehole gas flow curves includes the following steps: constructing a seam-crossing borehole in the coal seam, measuring or calculating gas flow corresponding to critical gas pressure P, which is a reference gas flow Q(t).sub.reference; performing linear regression on the reference gas flow Q(t).sub.reference to form a reference flow curve; constructing a predicted seam-crossing borehole in a predicted area, and directly testing a gas flow at each time t in a delayed manner, which is a predicted gas flow Q(t).sub.prediction; prediction; performing linear regression on the predicted gas flow Q(t).sub.prediction to form a predicted flow curve; and judging whether the predicted flow curve is above the reference flow curve or whether the predicted flow curve intersects with the reference flow curve, and judging whether the coal seam in the predicted area has a risk of coal and gas outburst.

The present invention relates to an integrated raise caving mining method for mining deposits in rock mass comprising: developing at least one raise (102,102a-f,202,302a-g,402a-e) in the rock mass (10), developing a drawbell (100,100a-c, 200a-g,300a-f,400a-e) in the rock mass (10), wherein at least a portion of the drawbell is excavated from the at least one raise (102,102a-f,202,302a-g,402a-e), initiating caving through undercutting, wherein at least a part of an undercut is created by gradually expanding the drawbell (100,100a-c, 200a-g,300a-f,400a-e) in upwards direction by excavation, developing at least two drawpoints (106,206,406) into the drawbell (100,100a-c, 200a-g,300a-f,400a-e), wherein the drawpoints (106) are developed from drifts (115,207,407) arranged on different levels and progressively drawing fragmented rock (101) from the at least one drawbell through the drawpoints (106,206,406).