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IC 
 
 8908 
 
 Bureau of Mines Information Circular/1982 
 
 Health and Safety In-House and Contract 
 Research and Development 
 in Fiscal Year 1983 
 
 By Staff, Division of Health and Safety Technology 
 
 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
 
/CH / !/>-■•/ • -w ^/ • I -• -r J 
 
 -jw r — ^ 
 
 Information Circular 8908 
 
 Health and Safety In-House and Contract 
 Research and Development 
 in Fiscal Year 1983 
 
 By Staff, Division of Health and Safety Technology 
 
 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
 James G. Watt, Secretary 
 
 BUREAU OF MINES 
 Robert C. Horton, Director 
 

 o<3 
 
 This publication has been cataloged as follows: 
 
 Health and safety in-house and contract research and development in 
 fiscal year 1983. 
 
 (Information circular / United States Department of the Interior, 
 Bureau of Mines ; 8908) 
 
 Supt. of Docs, no.: I 28.27:8908. 
 
 1. Mine safety— Research— United States. 2. Mine sanitation- 
 Research— United States. I. United States. Bureau of Mines. Division 
 of Health and Safety Technology. « II. Series: Information circular 
 (United States. Bureau of Mines) ; 8908. 
 
 TN295.U4 622s [622\8] 82-600304 
 
•si 
 
 4 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 I 
 
 Abstract 1 
 
 Introduction 1 
 
 Program outline 
 
 Part I. — In-house research 2 
 
 Health 2 
 
 Respirable dust 2 
 
 Control of dust formation 2 
 
 Control of generated dust 3 
 
 Dust instrumentation and measurement 3 
 
 Radiation hazards 4 
 
 Control of radiation hazards 4 
 
 Radiation instrumentation and measurement 4 
 
 Noise control 5 
 
 Industrial hygiene 5 
 
 Toxic gases and materials 5 
 
 Diesel engines and alternative power sources 6 
 
 Ventilation. 6 
 
 Safety 7 
 
 Fire and explosion prevention 7 
 
 Prevention and detection research 7 
 
 Ignition research 8 
 
 Suppression research 8 
 
 Propagation and extinguishment research. 9 
 
 Methane control 9 
 
 Fundamental factors 9 
 
 Control in advance of mining 10 
 
 Control during mining 10 
 
 Ground control 11 
 
 Mine design and development. 11 
 
 Hazard detection and monitoring systems 14 
 
 Roof support systems 15 
 
 Safe support installation 17 
 
 Mining and minerals processing waste stability 18 
 
 Industrial hazards 19 
 
 Human factors 19 
 
 Electrical 20 
 
 Mine equipment safety 21 
 
 Illumination 22 
 
 Mine communications and monitoring 22 
 
 Haulage and materials handling 23 
 
 Postdisaster 24 
 
 Survival 24 
 
 Communications 24 
 
 Rescue and mine recovery 24 
 
 Explosives 24 
 
 Systems engineering 26 
 
 Systems analysis 26 
 
 Test facilities 27 
 
 
ii 
 
 CONTENTS— Cont inued 
 
 Page 
 
 Part II . — Contract research 27 
 
 Health 27 
 
 Respirable dust 27 
 
 Control of generated dust 27 
 
 Dust Instrumentation and measurement 28 
 
 Noise control 28 
 
 Industrial hygiene 29 
 
 Toxic gases and materials 30 
 
 Diesels 30 
 
 Ventilation 30 
 
 Safety 31 
 
 Methane control 31 
 
 Control during mining 31 
 
 Ground control 31 
 
 Roof support systems 31 
 
 Safe support installation 31 
 
 Industrial hazards 32 
 
 Human factors 33 
 
 Electrical 33 
 
 Mine equipment safety. 34 
 
 Illumination 34 
 
 Mine communications and monitoring 34 
 
 Haulage and materials handling 35 
 
 Postdisaster 35 
 
 Survival 35 
 
 Communications 36 
 
 Rescue and mine recovery 36 
 
HEALTH AND SAFETY IN-HOUSE AND CONTRACT RESEARCH 
 AND DEVELOPMENT IN FISCAL YEAR 1983 
 
 By Staff, Division of Health and Safety Technology 
 
 ABSTRACT 
 
 This publication summarizes, for potential contractors and all other 
 interested parties, the research and development of in-house and con- 
 tract projects programmed by the Bureau of Mines for fiscal year 1983 
 (October 1, 1982-September 30, 1983) under its Health and Safety Tech- 
 nology program. The objective of these projects is to provide an or- 
 dered and sequenced series of advance toward the Bureau's overall goal 
 of providing the systems technology required to create a more healthful 
 and safer working environment for the Nation's mining and minerals pro- 
 cessing workers. 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 The Bureau of Mines conducts a balanced, continuing in-house research 
 and development program to accelerate systematic improvements in health 
 and safety conditions in U.S. mines. Part I of this report outlines 
 the Bureau's present in-house effort to all interested parties; in par- 
 ticular, potential contractors can refer to it when submitting USP's 
 (unsolicited proposals), thus avoiding proposing research that dupli- 
 cates work being performed by the Bureau. 
 
 It is the policy of the Bureau of Mines to utilize as fully as possi- 
 ble the capabilities of the private sector in minerals research, and to 
 that end Part II of this report outlines the Bureau's current projected 
 contract research needs. 
 
 The projects presented were planned at the beginning of the fiscal 
 year and are subject to change based on emerging priorities and avail- 
 ability of funds. Contingencies may require that a significant portion 
 of the program be deferred into fiscal year 1984 (FY 84) or beyond. It 
 is important to realize that since this is a summary document, the 
 project descriptions related to a design, fabrication, and demonstra- 
 tion effort do not necessarily imply total package procurement. 
 
 Contracts for the Health and Safety Research program will be con- 
 ducted in strict accordance with Federal Procurement Regulations. 
 Availability of requests for proposals (RFP's) will be formally adver- 
 tised in the Commerce Business Daily. No additional information will 
 be supplied on these projects until after the RFP's are made available 
 and then only in strict accordance with prescribed procedures. This 
 document is not intended to solicit proposals from the contracting com- 
 munity. All USP's whose content reflects the objective(s) of the pro- 
 posed projects listed herein will be returned without formal review. 
 
PROGRAM OUTLINE 
 
 The objective of the Health and 
 Safety Technology program is to protect 
 the health and safety of mining and min- 
 erals processing workers while insuring 
 that newly developed technology incorpor- 
 ates health and safety criteria. In 
 achieving this objective, four fundamen- 
 tal and complementary requirements must 
 be considered by the research program, as 
 follows: 
 
 1. Contributing to the viability of a 
 basic industry. 
 
 The Health and Safety Technology program 
 is divided into 12 subprogram areas as 
 shown: 
 
 Health 
 
 Respirable dust 
 Radiation hazards 
 Noise control 
 Industrial hygiene 
 Ventilation 
 
 Safety 
 
 2. Sustaining productivity. 
 
 3. Allowing for a return on capital 
 investment. 
 
 4. Providing 
 the public. 
 
 material and energy to 
 
 Fires and explosion prevention 
 
 Methane control 
 
 Ground control 
 
 Industrial-type hazards 
 
 Postdisaster 
 
 Explosives 
 
 Systems engineering 
 
 Since mining and minerals processing 
 involve a highly integrated and inter- 
 related set of functions, the program 
 has been divided into a set of inter- 
 related subprograms, each with goals that 
 will provide systems technology solu- 
 tions" to the problems within the frame- 
 work of these fundamental requirements. 
 
 The objectives of these subprograms are 
 described in the following pages, fol- 
 lowed by the planned projects and their 
 corresponding descriptions. The aggre- 
 gate value of the planned in-house proj- 
 ects is approximately $23 million and of 
 the anticipated contracts, $8 million. 
 
 PART I.— IN-HOUSE RESEARCH 
 
 Health 
 
 Control of Dust Formation 
 
 Respirable Dust 
 
 Program Objectives : To develop proce- 
 dures for controlling the respirable 
 dusts that still constitute the severest 
 health problem facing the mining and min- 
 eral processing industries. To develop 
 and/or improve techniques and equipment 
 to prevent formation of hazardous dust 
 concentrations, and to protect miners 
 against dusty atmospheres. 
 
 1. Reduction of Airborne Coal Dust With 
 Increased Machine Efficiency 
 
 Objective : To develop background in- 
 formation of a fundamental nature on 
 coal cutting technology that supports 
 long-term solution to problems of pri- 
 mary dust generation during coal cutting. 
 Specifically, to continue research on the 
 relationship between bit geometry and 
 

 dust generation; to continue to develop 
 in situ cutting force and dust informa- 
 tion data using the Bureau-developed "in- 
 seam tester;" and to initiate multiple- 
 bit testing on a full-diameter, one- 
 quarter-wide continuous mining machine 
 drum section to evaluate bit interaction 
 and/or lacing effects on primary respir- 
 able dust generation. 
 
 Control of Generated Dust 
 
 2. Dust Control by Chemicals and 
 Chemical Additives 
 
 Objective : To continue development 
 of wetting agent selection criteria and 
 correlate with in-mine results. To in- 
 vestigate methods, such as the addition 
 of small quantities of dispositive ions, 
 for making wetting agents more effec- 
 tive on coal at low concentrations. To 
 establish which mining operations can 
 benefit from the use of surfactants. To 
 continue laboratory studies to determine 
 the effectiveness of calcium chloride 
 and wetting agents on airborne dust 
 reduction. 
 
 3. Development of Improved Dust Control 
 Technologies for Coal Mines 
 
 Objective : To continue to develop 
 and evaluate improved dust control tech- 
 niques in underground coal mines based on 
 the use of remote control, double brat- 
 tice ventilation, high-pressure conven- 
 tional sprays, and water-powered scrub- 
 bers. To conduct surveys on mining faces 
 to determine dust sources and the effec- 
 tiveness of control techniques. To de- 
 velop improved techniques to evaluate 
 longwall face ventilation. To continue 
 to develop improved dust sampling strat- 
 egies for the evaluation of longwall 
 dust control technology. To continue to 
 transfer technology developed under con- 
 tracts and in-house studies to the mining 
 industry. 
 
 4. Dust Control Technologies for Metal 
 and Nonmetal Mines and Processing 
 Mills 
 
 Objective : To continue to conduct 
 preliminary studies leading to develop- 
 ment of improved dust control techniques 
 for metal and nonmetal mines and mineral 
 processing mills. To evaluate various 
 preconditioning agents and their effect 
 on lowering overall dust levels in pro- 
 cessing plants. To determine whether the 
 sampling efficiency of the 10-mm Dorr- 
 Oliver cyclone is adversely impacted by 
 high air velocities and orientation rela- 
 tive to the airflow. 
 
 5. Analysis of MSHA Health and Safety 
 Inspection Data From Metal and 
 Nonmetal Mines 
 
 Objective : To develop a health haz- 
 ard index for metal and nonmetal mines 
 that will aid the Mine Safety and Health 
 Administration (MSHA) in determining its 
 inspection and sampling strategy, and in 
 ranking mine health hazards. To maintain 
 and expand the Mine Inspection Data Anal- 
 ysis System (MIDAS) to include informa- 
 tion from the Bureau's Minerals Avail- 
 ability System (MAS) data base. 
 
 Dust Instrumentation and Measurement 
 
 6 . Respirable Dust Measure me nt and 
 Instrumentation Evaluation 
 
 Objective : To continue the design of 
 coal mine respirable dust monitoring 
 strategies for control of the miner's ex- 
 posure. To conduct evaluations of newly 
 developed instruments and measurement 
 techniques. To seek out new aerosol de- 
 tection techniques and determine feasi- 
 bility of applying them to the measure- 
 ment needs of the mining industry. To 
 maintain an aerosol laboratory and conti- 
 nue to improve the in-house expertise in 
 aerosol measurement. 
 
7. Determination of Silica Particle 
 Size Distribution in Respirable 
 Mine Dust Samples 
 
 Objective : To provide reliable sil- 
 ica determinations for effective enforce- 
 ment and control of dust levels in mines. 
 Specifically, silica particle-size dis- 
 tributions will be determined on mine 
 respirable dust samples to allow selec- 
 tion of a matched distribution in the 
 silica standard material used for silica 
 analysis. 
 
 Radiation Hazards 
 
 Program Objectives : To develop and 
 provide new and improved measurement in- 
 strumentation and control technology for 
 protection of miners from exposure to 
 radon and radon daughters and other nu- 
 clear radiation hazards in uranium and 
 other mines. 
 
 Control of Radiation Hazards 
 
 1. Radon Control Technology 
 
 Objective : To continue to evaluate 
 the effectiveness of overpressurization 
 ventilation on radon control for typical 
 thicknesses, grades, and physical proper- 
 ties of ore, subore, and waste using com- 
 puter simulation. To continue modeling 
 of diurnal barometric pressure change and 
 its effects of radon entering the envi- 
 ronment, and to examine the potential of 
 incorporating fractures and moisture ef- 
 fects in the porous media models. To 
 conduct preliminary surveys in at least 
 two active mines to determine the extent, 
 of radon transported by mine water and 
 develop corrective measures. To evaluate 
 the effectiveness of bulkheads to control 
 radon emanation from a nonproductive area 
 in one mine. 
 
 2. Control of Radon Daughters Through 
 Air Cleaning and Other Removal 
 Techniques 
 
 Objective : To continue studies on 
 various methods of removing radioac- 
 tive components from mine atmospheres. 
 
 Emphasis will be on determining the fea- 
 sibility of using methods other than fil- 
 ter media for removing radioactive par- 
 ticulates, such as water sprays, negative 
 ion generators, and special membranes. 
 To provide necessary technical assistance 
 to the contractor during testing phase of 
 a prototype air-cleaning system. 
 
 Radiation Instrumentation and Measurement 
 
 3. Personal Exposure Instrumentation 
 and Measurement Technology 
 
 Objective: To continue studies on 
 passive radon dosimeters that will in- 
 clude (1) overall accuracy in a mine en- 
 vironment, (2) improvement in sensitivity 
 through electrostatic collection, and 
 (3) determination of the characteristics 
 of the equilibrium factor (F) needed to 
 convert cumulative radon measurements to 
 cumulative radon daughter measurements. 
 To continue evaluation of airless conti- 
 nuous working level detectors through 
 both laboratory and active mine studies. 
 To continue evaluation of beta detectors 
 for rapid working level measurements by 
 grab sampling techniques that do not use 
 air collection on filters. To evaluate 
 commercial radon daughter measuring sys- 
 tems for accuracy and reliability in mine 
 environments. To determine the validity 
 of radon sampling for measuring concen- 
 trations of radon and radon daughters. 
 
 4. Radiation Warning System for 
 Uranium Mines 
 
 Objective : To determine the feasi- 
 bility and benefits of combining the de- 
 sirable features of the 32-channel and 
 the 500-channel systems into one system. 
 This system will have the capability to 
 sound alarms both at the surface and un- 
 derground, record conditions, turn fans 
 on and off, and as monitor power use, 
 ventilation, and other critical engineer- 
 ing parameters and environmental condi- 
 tions. The system also will have the 
 capability of printing out trend logs 
 (historical) and shift reports (averaged 
 readings per shift) for up to 30 detec- 
 tors or monitors. Field evaluation of 
 

 the improved system will be conducted in 
 two active mines. 
 
 Noise Control 
 
 Program Objectives ; To work with 
 industry to identify noise sources in 
 underground and surface mines and in 
 related mineral cleaning and preparation 
 facilities, and to abate these noise 
 sources sufficiently to meet Federal 
 noise exposure standards. 
 
 1. Development of Noise Control 
 Techniques for Coal Mining 
 Machinery 
 
 Objective : To further the implemen- 
 tation of noise control techniques by the 
 mining industry. This will be accom- 
 plished via equipment development and 
 dissemination of information. 
 
 2. Noise Control Research and Testing 
 of Mining Machinery 
 
 Objective : To extend the capability 
 to acoustically evaluate the performance 
 of mining machinery in order to make com- 
 parisons of equipment performance before 
 and after noise control technology has 
 been applied. To test long-term relia- 
 bility of mining equipment to which noise 
 control technology has been applied. 
 
 3. Reduced Gear Noise Research 
 
 equipment to make in-mine measurements of 
 hearing protector performance. 
 
 Industrial Hygiene (Toxic Substances) 
 
 Program Objectives : To identify and 
 control health hazards in surface and un- 
 derground mines and mineral processing 
 plants caused by toxic gases and fumes, 
 and certain particulates produced by ex- 
 plosives, combustible materials, and die- 
 sel engines. To develop and evaluate new 
 instrumentation for monitoring these sub- 
 stances. To develop and/or refine ana- 
 lytical techniques for measuring and 
 characterizing toxic substances, and 
 investigate methods for controlling the 
 formation and accumulation of toxic prod- 
 ucts. To analyze alternative power 
 sources that may have health advantages 
 over existing mine diesels. 
 
 Toxic Gases and Materials 
 
 1. Explosive Fume Characterization 
 
 Objective : To establish the rela- 
 tionship between toxic fumes produced in 
 a 38,000-L chamber and those produced in 
 the Bichel Gage and C-J apparatus and re- 
 late these to actual explosive fumes from 
 in-mine measurements. To carry out fume 
 measurements on all types of mining ex- 
 plosives including blasting agents and 
 establish standard test procedures for 
 the measurement of toxic fumes. 
 
 Objective : To initiate a literature 
 search and analysis of noise control 
 of gear sets and transmissions in order 
 to assess the applicability to mining 
 machinery. 
 
 4. Measurement of Noise Reduction 
 Provided by Hearing Protectors 
 Worn by Miners 
 
 Objective : To investigate methods of 
 evaluating hearing protector perform- 
 ance that could be used to determine the 
 degree of noise reduction provided in 
 the field. The in-mine performance of 
 personal hearing protectors is to be 
 established, along with procedures and 
 
 2. Improved Instruments for Mine Gases 
 
 Objective : To evaluate and verify 
 the performance of commercially available 
 or contract-developed instruments and 
 devices for noxious and toxic gases. To 
 acquire instruments and devices and eval- 
 uate their operation under varying con- 
 ditions of temperature, humidity, and 
 pressure. To determine the stability, 
 accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and ap- 
 plicability to measure noxious and toxic 
 gases in the mining environment. To as- 
 sess air quality monitoring strategies 
 and methods to determine their effective- 
 ness in the underground mine environment. 
 To develop a portable, self-contained 
 
self-contained diesel exhaust gas ana- 
 lyzer which is mine rugged. 
 
 3. Measurement and Control of Welding 
 Fumes 
 
 Objective : To assess related indus- 
 try practices pertaining to measurement 
 and control of welding and cutting fumes, 
 dust, and radiation, and adapt this tech- 
 nology to confined work areas found in 
 the mining environment. To determine the 
 quantity and character of welding pollut- 
 ants and personnel exposure levels. To 
 propose control systems and/or isolation 
 techniques to reduce or eliminate expo- 
 sure to toxic substances resulting from 
 welding and cutting. 
 
 4. Mercury Vapor Suppression in Mercury 
 Ore Processing 
 
 Objective : To determine the condi- 
 tions under which mercury vapor is re- 
 leased during grinding and froth flota- 
 tion operations, and correlate these con- 
 ditions with measured levels of vapor 
 emissions. To develop a hydrometallurgi- 
 cal alternative to the present roasting 
 process for processing mercury concen- 
 trates into the pure metal. 
 
 Diesel Engines and Alternative Power 
 Sources 
 
 5. Control of Diesel Exhaust 
 Contaminants 
 
 Objective : To supplement contract 
 research in the control and analysis of 
 diesel exhaust emissions. To measure am-, 
 bient contaminants and correlate with 
 emissions data. To investigate control 
 systems for contaminants by means of lab- 
 oratory experiments. To devise and se- 
 lect analytical procedures for emission 
 control systems and components at the 
 tailpipe and ambient levels. 
 
 6. Investigation of Emission Controls 
 for Diesel Engines Operated 
 Underground and Alternative Power 
 Source Assessment 
 
 Objective : To identify potential 
 methods and hardware applicable for use 
 as emission controls for turbocharged 
 mine diesels. To review the literature 
 as to the current state of knowledge per- 
 taining to the use of internal combustion 
 engines operating underground. To study 
 applications of diesel equipment in new 
 mining systems such as oil shale. To as- 
 sess alternative power sources that may 
 have health and operational advantages 
 over existing mine diesels. 
 
 7. Industrial Hygiene Hazards 
 
 Objective : To analyze occupational 
 and industrial exposure profiles for 
 welding fumes and toxic gases and relate 
 these to occupational illnesses reported 
 to the Health and Safety Analysis Center 
 (HSAC) and to analyze HSAC data in order 
 to identify those areas where industrial 
 hygiene problems are most severe. 
 
 Ventilation 
 
 Program Objectives : To develop ven- 
 tilation systems required to maintain 
 a safe and healthful atmosphere condu- 
 cive to efficient work output in noncoal 
 mines. 
 
 1. Development of Improved Ventilation 
 Technology for Noncoal Mines and 
 Mills 
 
 Objective : To develop improved tech- 
 nologies for ventilating and cooling 
 stopes and development headings in hot 
 metal and nonmetal mines. To develop im- 
 proved and safe methods of heating shafts 
 in winter to prevent ice buildups and to 
 
make the transport of personnel comforta- 
 ble. To continue to develop methods of 
 ventilating dead-ended working headings 
 in metal and nonmetal mines. 
 
 Safety 
 
 Fire and Explosion Prevention 
 
 Program Objectives : To reduce the 
 potential for a fire or explosion in min- 
 eral extraction and processing opera- 
 tions, to minimize the danger to people 
 on account of fires or explosions that do 
 occur, and to diminish the vulnerability 
 to such attendant hazards as high temper- 
 ature, asphyxiating and toxic fumes, and 
 explosive gas mixtures. 
 
 Prevention and Detection Research 
 
 1. Field Testing of Coal Mine Dust 
 Incombustible Meter 
 
 Objective ; To produce a suitable 
 number (five) of field-prototype coal 
 mine dust incombustible content meters 
 for field testing. 
 
 2. Remote Methane and Mine 
 Fire Detection 
 
 Objective : To determine the Raman 
 scattering properties of methane and oth- 
 er flammable gases, and demonstrate on a 
 laboratory scale remote measurement tech- 
 niques for these gases. To improve upon 
 fire sensors and fire sensing methodolo- 
 gies, and determine detection criteria 
 and associated guidelines for the optimum 
 deployment of sensors and/or sensing sys- 
 tems for early warning of fires. 
 
 3. Float Dust Formation, Deposition, 
 and Control 
 
 Objective : To perform field tests 
 on the effectiveness of techniques such 
 as water sprays to control the amount of 
 float coal dust. To field-test the IRAD 
 dust deposition meter, which consists of 
 a set of small sensor heads that can be 
 
 placed along an airway and 
 remote readout meter. 
 
 wired to a 
 
 4. Mechanism of Dust Explosion 
 Suppression 
 
 Objective : To determine the chemical 
 and physical processes that underlie the 
 flammability behavior of dusts and the 
 effectiveness of powdered extinguishants 
 in suppressing dust explosions. 
 
 5. Ignition Hazard of Sintered 
 Metal Brake Linings 
 
 Objective : To determine the extent 
 of methane ignition hazard when using 
 sintered metallic friction components in 
 the braking systems of underground coal 
 mining equipment. If a hazard exists, to 
 develop an evaluation method that in- 
 cludes suggested guidelines. 
 
 6. Mine (Fire) Ventilation Code, 
 Modification and Maintenance 
 
 Objective : To improve the applica- 
 bility, utility, and acceptability of the 
 mine (fire) ventilation simulation com- 
 puter program developed by Michigan Tech- 
 nological University (under contract 
 JO285002) for the Bureau. 
 
 7. Fire and Explosion Hazards of Large 
 Diesel-Powered Mining Equipment 
 
 Objective : To delineate problems as- 
 sociated with the use of large mining 
 equipment in gassy underground mines, to 
 identify methods to make this equipment 
 permissible for underground use, and to 
 establish an in-house test capability to 
 validate control technology. 
 
 8. A Pneumatic Fire Detection System 
 for Deep, Multilevel Shafts 
 
 Objective : To evaluate and field- 
 test a rapid, reliable fire detection 
 system for underground mines with deep, 
 multilevel shafts. 
 
Ignition Research 
 
 9. Flammabillty and Spontaneous 
 
 Combustion of Mine Combustibles 
 
 Objective : To improve and simplify 
 the Bureau's conveyor belt flammability 
 apparatus, evaluate the flammability haz- 
 ard of aerosol electrical spray cleaners, 
 develop a small-scale flammability test 
 for ventilation dust materials, and in- 
 vestigate flame propagation of mine com- 
 bustibles in a slope utilizing a tilting 
 tunnel. To investigate the spontaneous 
 combustion of coal, oil shale, and py- 
 rites, develop reliable criteria for 
 identifying self-heating hazards, and de- 
 velop mathematical models of the sponta- 
 neous combustion process in piles of 
 coal, oil shales, and sulfide ores. 
 
 10. Thermal and Electrical Ignition of 
 Mineral Dusts 
 
 Objective ; To delineate the do- 
 mains of thermal and electrical ignit- 
 ability of coal, oil shale, and other 
 flammable mineral dusts. To determine 
 the mechanisms of ignition, and to use 
 these data to assess the hazards of sur- 
 face facilities or other industrial oper- 
 ations that use or generate flammable 
 dusts. 
 
 identify chemical and physical inhibitors 
 and validate, first in larger scale labo- 
 ratory tests and ultimately in mines, 
 the ability of these inhibitors to pre- 
 vent or retard sulfide oxidation and 
 thereby reduce the probability of mine 
 fires and the resultant loss of property 
 and life. 
 
 Suppression Research 
 
 13. Laboratory Dust Flammability Testing 
 
 Objective : To develop a reliable 
 standard apparatus and procedure for 
 evaluating the flammability limit igni- 
 tion sensitivity and pressure development 
 for dusts, gases, vapors, and their mix- 
 tures. To test dust samples that are 
 submitted from industry or other Govern- 
 ment agencies, to correlate the data with 
 full-scale studies in mines or large sur- 
 face facilities, to investigate new in- 
 hibitors as alternatives or supplements 
 to rock dusting, to determine hazard 
 classifications for oil shale 
 to unify the diverse 
 flammability behavior 
 theory. 
 
 dusts, and 
 observations of 
 into a coherent 
 
 14. Microscopic Structure and 
 Composition of Combustible 
 Dusts and Residues 
 
 11. Improved Bit Materials for 
 Continuous Coal Mining Machines 
 
 Objective : To reduce frictional 
 ignitions by improving the materials or 
 the configuration of materials used in 
 coal cutter bits on continuous mining* 
 machines. In particular, to verify the 
 optimal fraction of nickel in the cobalt- 
 nickel binder, used for the tungsten car- 
 bide inserts, that will minimize fric- 
 tional ignition. 
 
 12. Pacification of Sulfide Oxidation 
 
 Objective : To determine the kinet- 
 ics and mechanisms of low-temperature ox- 
 idation of sulfides, particularly pyrite, 
 to identify the rate-controlling step(s). 
 To apply the result of this study to 
 
 Objective : To conduct quantitative 
 microscopic structure studies, size dis- 
 tributions, and composition analyses 
 of various dusts with the scanning elec- 
 tron microscope, and to apply the 
 data obtained to combustion research and 
 the forensic science of postdisaster 
 investigation. 
 
 15. Coal Mine Fire Protection System 
 Component Ruggedization 
 
 Objective : To expand and improve 
 the fire sensing system installed in the 
 Peabody No. 10 underground coal mine un- 
 der Bureau of Mines — Engineering Systems 
 Development Contract H0100017 by develop- 
 ment of permissible or intrinsically safe 
 components and inclusion of fire sensing 
 
capability in the south shaft. To assist 
 commercialization of vehicle fire protec- 
 tion systems previously developed under 
 this project. 
 
 16. Improved Mine Fire Protection 
 
 Objective : To improve fire safety 
 in underground metal and nonmetal mines 
 through tests of improved early fire 
 sensing and/or warning systems at FMC's 
 Green River trona mine, Noranda's Lake- 
 shore copper mine, Bunker Hill's silver 
 mine, International Salt's Detroit salt 
 mine, 
 mine. 
 
 and AMAX's Henderson molybdenum 
 
 Propagation and Extinguishment Research 
 
 17. Full-Scale Mine Explosions 
 
 Objective : To conduct research on 
 the propagation and suppression of full- 
 scale explosions of dust and gas in ex- 
 perimental mines, to test explosion-proof 
 bulkheads, and to develop and maintain 
 instrumentation in both the Bureau's 
 experimental mine and the Lake Lynn 
 Laboratory. 
 
 18. Mine Fire Diagnostics 
 
 Objective : To continue developing 
 needed guidelines for safe reopening of a 
 mine following sealing of a coal mine 
 fire, to evaluate mine fire detection and 
 suppression systems, and to evaluate 
 full-scale fires involving other mine 
 combustibles such as mine dusts, brattice 
 curtains, and conveyor belts. 
 
 19. Prevention and Suppression of 
 Ignitions and Explosions 
 
 Objective : To develop, test, and 
 conduct field trials of (1) new tool 
 bit materials and/or tool bit geometries 
 for the prevention of face ignitions, 
 (2) barriers for the suppression of face 
 
 ignitions, and (3) of gas and coal dust 
 explosion barriers. 
 
 20. Fire and Explosion Hazards of Oil 
 Shale and Oil Mining 
 
 Objective : To continue to test fire 
 and explosion hazard scenarios in large- 
 scale tests involving bulk material and 
 dust, to monitor methane emissions in 
 operating oil shale mines and vapor and/ 
 or mist hazards in oil mines, and to con- 
 duct laboratory evaluations of spontane- 
 ous combustion of oil shale and explosi- 
 bility of retort gas and oil vapor. 
 
 Methane Control 
 
 Program Objectives : To develop, dem- 
 onstrate, and transfer (1) technology 
 that will prevent the formation of flam- 
 mable methane-air mixtures in underground 
 mine workings through improved ventila- 
 tion and (2) procedures for degasifying 
 the mineral deposit in advance of and 
 during mining. To establish correlations 
 between the geology of the mineral, adja- 
 cent strata, and their gas content, and 
 to use these correlations to predict 
 methane emission hazards. 
 
 Fundamental Factors 
 
 1. Prediction of Coalbed 
 
 Discontinuities To Increase 
 Effectiveness of Drilling 
 for Methane Drainage 
 
 Objective : To determine fundamental 
 geological criteria that can be used to 
 predict the presence of coalbed disconti- 
 nuities in advance of mining and to re- 
 fine statistical techniques that can be 
 used to evaluate the probability of en- 
 countering discontinuities during methane 
 drainage drilling. Particular emphasis 
 will be placed upon those discontinuity 
 characteristics that adversely affect 
 methane drainage projects. 
 
10 
 
 2. 
 
 Influence of Geology on Occurrence 
 and Emission of Methane in Coal 
 Measures 
 
 Objective ; To conduct geologic in- 
 vestigations of gassy, minable coalbeds 
 to determine the factors controlling the 
 amount and distribution of methane and 
 the effect on mining, to determine the 
 gas contents of U.S. coalbeds and improve 
 predictive techniques, to determine the 
 influence of coal macerals on gas gener- 
 ation and retention, and to aid in as- 
 sessing the geologic feasibility of pro- 
 posed methane drainage sites. 
 
 3. The Origin and Geologic Influences on 
 the Migration of Methane Into Metal 
 and Nonmetal Mines 
 
 Objective : To establish, by means 
 of data obtained by in-mine and labora- 
 tory studies, the stratigraphy and geo- 
 logical structures that contribute to 
 varying concentrations of gases within 
 metal and nonmetal mines, to determine 
 the composition of gases and the factors 
 that influence the migration and reten- 
 tion of these gases into metal and non- 
 metal mines , and to develop predictive 
 models for the occurrence of gassy 
 areas within the ore bodies in advance of 
 mining. 
 
 Control in Advance of Mining 
 
 4. Application of Vertical Borehole 
 Methane Drainage to Mine Safety 
 
 Objective : By demonstrating the fea- 
 sibility of draining gas in advance of* 
 mining from gassy coalbeds through verti- 
 cal boreholes, to determine the effects 
 of borehole spacing and methods of stimu- 
 lation on reducing methane gas emissions 
 into mine workings . 
 
 Control During Mining 
 
 5. Application of Horizontal Drilling 
 Technology to Health and Safety 
 Problems in Metal and Nonmetal Mines 
 
 Ojective : To conduct detailed anal- 
 yses of methods for locating and 
 
 identifying gas-bearing zones in metal 
 and nonmetal mines by drilling small- 
 diameter holes in advance of mining, and 
 to investigate techniques for reducing or 
 eliminating the hazards associated with 
 the rapid release of energy (outbursts) 
 when mining encounters the gas-bearing 
 zones. 
 
 6. Development of Control Techniques 
 Using Horizontal Boreholes 
 
 Objective : To determine the effec- 
 tiveness of long, horizontal boreholes in 
 reducing methane levels during mining 
 through natural drainage, and to deter- 
 mine the application of drilling in ad- 
 vance of mining to locate and identify 
 areas such as clay veins , fault zones , 
 and other coalbed discontinuities that 
 may cause problems for future mining. 
 
 7. Gob Degasification From Underground 
 Locations 
 
 Objective : To develop a method for 
 controlling methane in gob areas of re- 
 treating longwall panels by drilling 
 small-diameter boreholes into the overly- 
 ing strata from underground locations. 
 Optimum spacing, length, and angle of 
 holes above horizontal must be determined 
 to extract the maximum quantity and puri- 
 ty of methane from the gob and to prevent 
 it from entering the ventilation system 
 of the mine. Optimum design parameters 
 for the gob drainage system will be de- 
 veloped for geologic conditions above 
 the Upper Kittanning Coalbed and within 
 2 years for geologic conditions above the 
 Pittsburgh Coalbed. 
 
 8. Design of Horizontal Drilling 
 Equipment for Increasing the 
 Cost Effectiveness of Methane 
 Drainage 
 
 Objective : To design, develop, and 
 improve horizontal drilling equipment and 
 pipeline equipment for use underground 
 that will improve methane drainage tech- 
 nology and make it more reliable and 
 cost-effective. 
 
11 
 
 9. Ventilation In Control of Methane 
 
 Objective : To develop improved ven- 
 tilation methods for methane dilution 
 in gassy coal, metal, and nonmetal mines. 
 This includes techniques for increasing 
 airflow as well as improved methods 
 of assessing the degree of hazard that 
 exists. 
 
 10. Development of Improved Horizontal 
 Hole Grouting Techniques 
 
 Objective : To improve presently 
 available techniques of grouting horizon- 
 tal methane drainage holes. 
 
 11. Assessment of the Potential for Gas 
 Outburst Hazards in Coal Mines 
 
 Objective : To generate criteria for 
 evaluating and determining the potential 
 for gas outbursts in coal mines. 
 
 Ground Control 
 
 Program Objectives : To conceive, 
 develop, demonstrate, and transfer tech- 
 nology that will prevent mine accidents 
 attributable to falls of ground, out- 
 bursts, slope failures, and collapse of 
 waste impoundment structures. 
 
 Mine Design and Development 
 
 1. Delineation of Abandoned Mine 
 Workings and Other Mining Hazards 
 With Integrated Geophysics 
 
 Objective : To field-test high- 
 resolution seismics, acoustic seismics, 
 radar, resistivity measurement, and 
 controlled-source tellurics over known 
 abandoned mine workings. The data from 
 these tests will be processed with the 
 latest integrated geophysics modeling, 
 and reverified with onsite drilling. 
 
 2. Computerized Remote Sensing 
 Techniques for Detection of 
 Potential Hazards in Mine 
 Areas 
 
 Objective : To refine and demon- 
 strate to the mining industry the use 
 and the advantages of a computerized 
 
 lineament mapping technique for detecting 
 geologic hazards, which may cause sudden 
 inundation and roof falls. Also to eval- 
 uate the correlation between linear fea- 
 tures and mine hazards by comparing 
 selected regional geophysical data and 
 lineament information. 
 
 3. Develop Improved Coal Mine 
 Design Procedures 
 
 Objective : To improve the MIN SIM 
 (mine simulation) computer program for 
 application to coal mine design, and dem- 
 onstrate its use in designing safer coal 
 mine openings, pillars, and extraction 
 layouts. 
 
 4. Evaluation of Room-and-Pillar 
 Design Methods 
 
 Objective : To validate theoretical 
 and empirical pillar design methods with 
 in-mine instrumentation, and prepare up- 
 dated design guidelines for room-and- 
 pillar coal mines. 
 
 5. Entry Design for Longwall Mining 
 on Steeply Pitching Coal Seams 
 
 Objective : To demonstrate the appli- 
 cation of computer modeling techniques to 
 planning of an advancing longwall mining 
 system in a steeply pitching coal seam, 
 with emphasis on establishing an optimum 
 safe entry width as a function of over- 
 burden depth, evaluating a new concrete 
 crib design, and determining acceptable 
 packwall requirements. 
 
 6. Face Slabbing Along High Longwall 
 Faces in the Western United States 
 
 Objective : To investigate the face 
 slabbing problem along high longwall 
 faces in the Western United States and 
 devise remedial measures for controlling 
 face slabbing in order to improve mine 
 safety. 
 
 7. Longwall Mining Design Parameters 
 
 Objective : To determine the critical 
 design parameters for safe longwall 
 mining systems by measuring pillar con- 
 straints, mining-induced load transfer, 
 
12 
 
 roof and floor strata movements, and face 
 support loads. 
 
 8. Design of Single Entries for the 
 Safe and Efficient Development 
 of Steep Seam Longwall Panels 
 
 Objective : To design a single- 
 entry, retreat longwall mining system 
 that may be applied to steep-seam coal 
 mining for improving mine safety and 
 productivity. 
 
 9. Evaluate Borehole Instruments for 
 Rock Mechanics Investigations 
 
 Objective ; To 
 ance and long-term 
 types of borehole 
 for rock mechanics 
 loading conditions, 
 effects of time and 
 performance. 
 
 evaluate the perform- 
 stability of various 
 instruments available 
 study under biaxial 
 and investigate the 
 temperature on their 
 
 10. Inexpensive Testing Techniques 
 Used in Mines on Unprepared 
 Rock and Coal Samples 
 
 Objective ; To evaluate available 
 in-mine testing methods for determining 
 physical properties of coal and rocks 
 from unprepared samples, and develop rec- 
 ommended practices. 
 
 11. Design of Mine Plans for Longwall 
 Mining of Multiple-Seam Coal 
 Reserves 
 
 Objective ; To apply the numerical 
 model analysis of mine structures to de- 
 sign of multiple-seam longwall mining 
 systems with emphasis on determining the 
 optimum mining sequence and the overbur- 
 den load transfer characteristics. 
 
 1 2 . Development of Classification of 
 Mine Roof According to Support 
 Mechanism Efficiency 
 
 Objective : To develop a systematic 
 framework for classifying mine roofs 
 based on the effective roof control 
 techniques being used in mines and com- 
 pile roof support selection guidelines. 
 
 13. Anchorage of Inundation Bulkheads 
 in Coal Mine Openings 
 
 Objective : To test and evaluate 
 various methods of anchoring inundation 
 bulkheads in underground coal mine open- 
 ings and develop technical guidelines 
 for inundation bulkhead design and 
 construction. 
 
 14. Development of Design Procedure To 
 Be Used in Layout of Workings in 
 Multiple-Seam Mining Situations 
 
 Objective : To develop a technique 
 to assess the impacts of a mine layout in 
 the vicinity of a previously mined seam, 
 based on the case study of an active coal 
 mine that is engaged in multiple-seam 
 mining . 
 
 15. Prediction of Unstable Mine Roof 
 Based on Remote Sensing Analysis 
 
 Objective : To verify the relation- 
 ship between photolinears and unstable 
 roofs and identify the hazardous geologic 
 features associated with the photolinears 
 in selected coal mines. 
 
 16. Pressure Grouting To Control Water 
 Seepage Through Barrier Pillars 
 and Strata Surrounding Inundation 
 Bulkheads 
 
 Objective : To evaluate pressure 
 grouting techniques as a means to control 
 water seepage through barrier pillars and 
 the roof, rib, and floor strata surround- 
 ing an inundation bulkhead. Field tests 
 of selected grouting methods and their 
 effectiveness will be conducted. 
 
 17. Ground Control Measures for Coal 
 Mines Operating Under Mined-Out 
 Areas 
 
 Objective : To conduct a survey of 
 past, current, and proposed ground con- 
 trol measures for coal mines that are 
 operating beneath previously mined-out 
 areas, and establish a data base for 
 ground control planning. 
 
13 
 
 18. Effectiveness of Air-Tempering 
 Entries in Reducing Shale Roof 
 Disintegration 
 
 Objective : To determine the long- 
 term effectiveness of air-tempering en- 
 tries in reducing shale roof disinte- 
 gration at the Valley Camp No. 1 Mine, W. 
 Va. , in order to confirm the benefits of 
 the humidity control technique. 
 
 19. Effects of Excessive Roof Loading 
 on Mine Supports, Installations, 
 and Openings 
 
 Objective : To observe physical 
 signs of excessive roof loading on vari- 
 ous types of mine supports and mine 
 structures, and compile an illustrated 
 guide for identification of roof hazards. 
 
 20. Hazardous Roof Structures and 
 Special Support Techniques 
 
 Objective : To conduct a survey haz- 
 ardous geologic structures and associated 
 coal mine roof conditions in the northern 
 Appalachian coal region, and identify the 
 support techniques best suitable for each 
 particular roof condition. 
 
 21. Model Studies and Field Verification 
 of Roof Bolting Criteria 
 
 Objective : To develop design guide- 
 lines for mine roof reinforcement using 
 mechanically anchored bolts , fully- 
 grouted resin bolts, friction stabili- 
 zers, inorganic-cement-grouted bolts, in- 
 clined bolts, and roof truss systems. 
 This work will be accomplished by collat- 
 ing the results of full-scale model test- 
 ing, finite-element computer analysis, 
 and in-mine tests. 
 
 22. Single-Entry Development Systems 
 for Longwall Mining 
 
 permit employing single-entry longwall 
 mining concepts in the United States. 
 
 23. Roof Stability Through Automated 
 In-Mine Environmental Control 
 
 Objective : To measure surface prop- 
 erties of coal mine roof rocks and deter- 
 mine swelling pressure and strain in 
 rocks under dry and wet conditions in or- 
 der to establish a technical basis for 
 mine humidity control to achieve maximum 
 roof stability. 
 
 24. Blasting Parameters That Affect 
 Highwall Stability 
 
 Objective : To determine by field 
 tests the effect of controllable blasting 
 parameters on overbreak, and to develop a 
 design guide for improved highwall sta- 
 bility in surface coal mining. 
 
 25. Engineering Recommendations for 
 Geotechnical Investigations of 
 Hazardous Ground 
 
 Objective : To conduct a survey of 
 geotechnical investigation practices in 
 mining, tunneling, and civil engineering 
 industries, and to identify the best 
 practices for use in coal mines to pre- 
 vent accidents due to unexpected ground 
 failures. 
 
 26. Analyses of Rock Fall and Geologic 
 Hazard Data 
 
 Objective : To search, retrieve, and 
 analyze rock fall case histories, acci- 
 dent reports and statistics, and ground 
 control plans of underground coal mines 
 to obtain an in-depth perspective on the 
 conditions contributing to roof falls and 
 roof fall accidents, evaluate the effec- 
 tiveness of mine support, and identify 
 future research needs. 
 
 Objective : To develop alternative 
 designs of single-entry development sys- 
 tem for retreat longwall mining, complete 
 synthesis of previous experimental data, 
 and determine recommended variances in 
 health and safety requirements that will 
 
 27. Application of Geodynamic 
 
 Accumulated Strain Sensor To In 
 Situ Rock Stress Measurement 
 
 Objective : To develop acoustic 
 transducers for in situ rock stress 
 
14 
 
 measurement based on the pulsed-phase- 
 locked-loop technology that has been de- 
 veloped by a cooperative effort between 
 the Bureau and the National Aeronautics 
 and Space Administration. Field applica- 
 tion of the geodynamic accumulated strain 
 sensor will be demonstrated. 
 
 28. Evaluation of Ground Stability 
 Problems in Quarry Operations 
 
 Objective ; To investigate ground 
 movements and highwall stability at a co- 
 operating slate quarry in eastern Penn- 
 sylvania, and identify ground control 
 problems associated with such quarry 
 operations. Application of geotechnical 
 engineering to quarry planning and opera- 
 tions will be demonstrated. 
 
 29. Mine Planning To Reduce Ground 
 Control Problems and Rock Burst 
 Hazards in Deep Vein Mines 
 
 Objective : To perform a structural 
 analysis of mine models of a variety of 
 cut-and-fill mining methods for vein-type 
 mineral deposits at great depths, using 
 various combinations of mining systems, 
 destressing techniques, stope geometries, 
 excavation sequences, and fill materials 
 for the purpose of reducing safety haz- 
 ards inherent to deep vein mines. The 
 use of flexible liners to prevent damage 
 to raises, when rock preconditioning by 
 blasting is used for rock burst control 
 in the stope, will be investigated also. 
 
 Hazard Detection and Monitoring Systems 
 
 3 . Automated Roof Fall Warning System 
 
 Objective : To evaluate the perform- 
 ance of the prototype microseismic roof 
 fall warning system at a variety of mine 
 sites and transfer the innovated technol- 
 ogy to the industry. 
 
 3 1 . Coal Mine Bounce a nd Outb urst 
 Studies 
 
 Objective : To identify seisraicity 
 patterns prior to coal mine bounces and 
 outbursts using the digital microseismic 
 monitoring and recording system developed 
 
 by the Bureau, and demonstrate utiliza- 
 tion of microseismic techniques for pre- 
 diction and early warning of coal 
 bounces and coal and gas outbursts at se- 
 lected deep coal mines. 
 
 32. Mine Roof Movement Warning System 
 
 Objective : To evaluate the proto- 
 type roof movement monitoring and warning 
 system using a laser beam by a series of 
 in-mine tests, and transfer the innovated 
 technology to the industry. 
 
 33. Application of In-Seam Seismic 
 Techniques for Detection of 
 Voids and Faults 
 
 Objective : To establish the uses 
 and limitations of seismic seam wave 
 technology for detecting mine voids and 
 faults ahead of the working face in U.S. 
 coal mines. Emphasis will be placed on 
 field acquisition of guided wave data un- 
 der known geologic conditions, and on the 
 determination of optimum field operation 
 techniques and seismic source-detector 
 configurations . 
 
 34. Cleat Influence on Pillar Bursts 
 in Coal 
 
 Objective : To investigate the rela- 
 tionship between coal cleat characteris- 
 tics and coal bump potential, and develop 
 a practical method that will enable 
 miners to identify potential hazards by a 
 quick inspection of coal seams. 
 
 35. Mine Inundation Warning Systems 
 
 Objective : To investigate methods 
 and equipment capable of providing a 
 warning in the event of mine inunda- 
 tion. The best suitable instrumentation 
 will be tested in mines to evaluate its 
 effectiveness. 
 
 36. Deconvolution as a Technique for 
 Pe rformance Improvement of the 
 Synthetic Pulse Radar Met hod 
 
 Obj ective : To develop signal en- 
 hancement techniques for the synthetic 
 pulse radar being developed under a 
 
15 
 
 
 Bureau contract for coal mine hazard de- 
 tection, using a deconvolution method 
 based on computer analyses of physical 
 models. The theoretical studies will be 
 validated by a laboratory experiment 
 using liquid-filled coaxial waveguide 
 sections to simulate subsurface media. 
 
 37. Develop and Demonstrate Ultrasonic 
 Closure Rate and Roof Fall 
 Prediction Device 
 
 Objective : To field-test an intrin- 
 sically safe ultrasonic roof-to-floor 
 closure rate measuring device which is 
 nonobstructing for use in haulageways and 
 other high-traffic areas for early pre- 
 diction of roof falls. The test results 
 will be compared with those of an elec- 
 tronic closure rate measuring device 
 using potentiometric extensometers. 
 
 38. In-Mine Hazard and Bad Roof 
 Detection Systems 
 
 Objective : To fabricate a cross- 
 roof acoustic system and an impact 
 hammer-accelerometer system, which have 
 been designed by the Bureau, for detect- 
 ing hazardous roof conditions in coal 
 mines. Their performance will be evalu- 
 ated by laboratory and field tests. 
 
 39. Prediction and Control of Rock 
 Bursts and Failures in Mines 
 
 Objective : To conduct coordinated 
 research in the application of microseis- 
 mic techniques to prediction of cata- 
 strophic ground failures in deep vein 
 mines. The tasks include continuous mon- 
 itoring of microseismic activity from 
 burst-prone stopes using a digital micro- 
 seismic monitoring and recording system, 
 analysis of the field data to determine 
 seismicity patterns prior to a rock 
 burst, verification of the reliability of 
 rock burst prediction and warning, evalu- 
 ation of a portable rock burst monitor 
 and ultrasonic sensors as a supplement to 
 the main microseismic rock burst monitor- 
 ing system, and a feasibility study of 
 developing a laser-based microseismic 
 transducer. 
 
 40. Develop Fiber Optic Transmission 
 System for Seismic Events 
 
 Objective : To improve the transmis- 
 sion of seismic data from a rock burst 
 monitoring system in electrically noisy 
 mediums by eliminating all electrical 
 connections between the transducer and 
 the recording instrument and replacing it 
 with fiber optic transmission. Fiber op- 
 tic links will be designed and installed 
 for a microseismic geophone network for 
 field evaluation. 
 
 41. Detection of Rock Fall Hazards 
 Utilizing Electromagnetic 
 Sensors 
 
 Objective : To evaluate the perform- 
 ance of a prototype ground penetrating 
 radar which has been designed and con- 
 structed by the Bureau for detecting roof 
 and rock fall hazards in mines. The pro- 
 totype unit will be tested in selected 
 underground metal, nonmetal, and coal 
 mines. If the test results prove suc- 
 cessful, an attempt will be made to re- 
 package the ground penetrating radar into 
 a simplified portable and permissible 
 unit. 
 
 Roof Support Systems 
 
 42. Inorganic Grout for Coal Mine Roofs 
 
 Objective : To develop practical 
 systems for installing fully grouted coal 
 mine roof bolts with fast-set inorganic 
 cements. Material properties for the 
 inorganic full-column roof bolt systems 
 will be determined, and field tests will 
 be conducted on the water microcapsule 
 and gypsum cement cartridges in selected 
 mines . 
 
 43. Effectiveness of Angle Bolting 
 To Support Cutter-Type Roof 
 
 Objectiv e: To provide the mining 
 industry with an effective method of sup- 
 porting cutter-type (shear or snap top) 
 roof using angle bolting. 
 
16 
 
 44. Inorganic Grout — Material Study 
 
 Objective : To provide a fundamental 
 analysis of hydrocal plaster, quantify 
 chemical and mechanical properties of 
 Hydrocal-water capsule reaction products, 
 and examine the special qualities and 
 problems of the Hydrocal-water capsule 
 system for grouting roof bolts. 
 
 45. Field Evaluation of Existing and 
 Innovative Roof Bolt Elements 
 
 Objective : To complete documenta- 
 tion of comparative bolt properties for 
 innovative roof bolts so that these bolt- 
 ing systems can be evaluated by compari- 
 son to standard parameters previously 
 established. Secondly, determine in situ 
 performance of novel bolting systems 
 through in-mine testing. 
 
 46. Effects of Bolt Installation 
 Procedures on Mine Roof Stability 
 
 Objective : To determine required 
 resin-column length for insuring integ- 
 rity of resin-grouted bolts, evaluate the 
 Energy and Minerals Research Co. ultra- 
 sonic stress device for testing resin- 
 grouted bolts , and complete the evalu- 
 ation of the effects of installation 
 procedures on resin-grouted bolts. 
 
 with different size rebar grouted in 
 holes drilled in concrete blocks with a 
 1-3/8-inch drill (commonly used in metal 
 and nonmetal mines). 
 
 49. Evaluation of Plates on Resin- 
 Grouted Roof Bolts 
 
 Objective : To perform field tests 
 to determine the effectiveness of plates 
 used with resin-grouted bolts. 
 
 50. Modular Concrete Post Design 
 and Development 
 
 Objective : Utilizing the basic 
 technology developed in the steel fiber 
 reinforced concrete crib program, to de- 
 velop sectionalized concrete posts for 
 mine roof support. 
 
 51. The Investigation and Development 
 of Face Protection Systems To 
 Control Existing Hazardous 
 
 Roof Conditions on Longwalls 
 
 Objective : To develop and evaluate 
 techniques to minimize the hazards cre- 
 ated by the fall of friable roof at long- 
 wall faces. 
 
 52. Anchorage Problems With 
 Resin-Grouted Roof Bolts 
 
 47. Mine Roof Stabilization Using 
 Inorganic Chemical Bonding 
 
 Objective : To develop chemical 
 binders and methods of application to 
 mine roofs to increase the mine roof sta- 
 bility, with special attention to poten- 
 tial inorganic binders. 
 
 48. Inorganic Grouted Rock Bolts 
 
 Objective : To perform laboratory 
 investigations on the problems of glove 
 fingering and insufficient grout with 
 fully grouted roof bolts. 
 
 53. Yielding Mine Roof Supports 
 
 Objective : To develop a high- 
 strength cylindrical roof support that 
 yields in a controlled manner. 
 
 Objective : To develop an inorganic 
 grout system suitable for the large bolt 
 holes commonly drilled in metal and non- 
 metal mines. The initial task will be 
 to identify reasons for poor anchorage of 
 small-diameter bolts grouted in large- 
 diameter holes. Pull tests will be made 
 
 54. Concrete Crib Field Test 
 
 Objective : To complete final test- 
 ing and report on the project. The re- 
 port will contain results of laboratory 
 and field tests and discuss commerciali- 
 zation of the cribs. 
 
17 
 
 55. Sealants To Stop Shale Degradation — 
 Long-Term Evaluation 
 
 Objective ; In cooperation with a 
 mine operator, to monitor the long-term 
 weathering ability of several shale 
 sealants. 
 
 56. Evaluation of Roof Trusses 
 
 Objective : To test a device devel- 
 oped under a Bureau contract for deter- 
 mining the tension in horizontal truss 
 rods. 
 
 instrument to determine the strength loss 
 of rotted timber. 
 
 61. Control-Prevention of Ignitions 
 From Light Metals Impact 
 
 Objective : To determine the feasi- 
 bility of alloy modification and/or pro- 
 tective coatings on mining equipment made 
 of aluminum alloys to prevent or retard 
 ignition potential. To determine the 
 causes of ignition-inducing reaction 
 arising from the rubbing impact of light 
 metals and steels. 
 
 57. Support Systems for High 
 Underground Openings in 
 Thick Coalbeds 
 
 Objective : To investigate various 
 support systems for high development 
 openings in underground coal mines. 
 
 58. Analysis of Various Tunnel 
 Linear Shapes 
 
 Objective : To develop engineering 
 data to determine most effective and ef- 
 ficient tunnel liner shapes for use in 
 resupport work where roof falls have 
 occurred. 
 
 
 59. Minimum Column Lengths for 
 Resin-Grouted Bolts in 
 Evaporites 
 
 Objective : To determine the minimum 
 column lengths required to ensure safe 
 working conditions when rock conditions 
 are such that some grout is forced out 
 into the rock mass. 
 
 Safe Support Installation 
 
 60. Determination of Decay in Mine 
 Timber 
 
 Objective : To test the timber decay 
 system developed under contract HO202009 
 to evaluate the effectiveness of the 
 
 62. Field Test and Modification of 
 Lightweight Hydraulic Props 
 
 Objective : To complete long-term 
 field testing of lightweight props and 
 modify them, if necessary, to improve 
 the safety of handling and support func- 
 tions in various seam heights and mining 
 conditions. 
 
 63. Preparation of Longwall Support 
 Selection Guide 
 
 Objective : To prepare for the min- 
 ing industry a guide for selecting the 
 optimum longwall support system for a 
 particular set of mining conditions. 
 
 64. Retreat Mining Methods — Field Study 
 
 Objective : To identify changing 
 ground conditions during various retreat 
 mining operations and provide guidelines 
 for uniform safety practices during re- 
 treat mining by FY 85. Instrumentation 
 will be installed at two sites during 
 development and retreat mining to monitor 
 stress patterns and convergence during 
 the various mining sequences. Observa- 
 tions and mine inquiries will be made 
 along with instrument monitoring at the 
 test sites to gain a better understanding 
 of the ground conditions, method of oper- 
 ation, and hazards associated with re- 
 treat pillaring operations. 
 
18 
 
 65. Backfill Material for Tunnel Liners 
 
 Objective : To test and write speci- 
 fications and recommendations for the use 
 of backfill material (in conjunction with 
 specific liner geometry) that is used to 
 insulate tunnel liners from the impact 
 loading of roof falls through the absorp- 
 tion of energy and redistribution of 
 loads. 
 
 66. Metallurgy Evaluations 
 
 Objective : In coordination with 
 MSHA Technical Support, to establish and 
 maintain a program at the Bureau's Rolla 
 Research Center for metallurgical evalu- 
 ation of roof-rock bolts and other steel 
 supports. 
 
 gateroad entries, based on underground 
 tests and data collection. 
 
 71. Ground Control Accident Data 
 Evaluation and Analysis 
 
 Objective : To examine ground con- 
 trol accident reports to determine trends 
 and significance of conditions and cir- 
 cumstances contributing to accidents and 
 fatalities. 
 
 72. Equipment Evaluation 
 
 Objective : To develop in-house ca- 
 pability for evaluation and modification 
 of ground control equipment, monitor on- 
 going ground control equipment perform- 
 ance and tests. 
 
 67. Corrosion of Metallic Roof Support 
 Elements 
 
 Objective : To develop guidelines to 
 aid MSHA and mining personnel in predict- 
 ing the life of roof support systems, de- 
 termine detrimental effects of corrosive 
 mine environments on friction rock stabi- 
 lizers (split set), and help identify po- 
 tential control measures. 
 
 6 8 . Improved Roof Sounding Techniques 
 
 Objective : To develop a piece of 
 hardware that can be easily used to de- 
 termine the competency of roof rock in 
 mines. This device may be either incor- 
 porated in a scaling bar or a stand-alone 
 device. 
 
 69. Scaling Technology « 
 
 73. Support of Thick Coal Roof 
 
 Objective : To determine analytical- 
 ly and through field tests the perform- 
 ance of various roof support systems when 
 used in coal mine roofs where the major 
 portion of the immediate roof is a thick 
 layer of coal. 
 
 74. Evaluation of Ultrasonic Elongation 
 Measurement Instrumentation 
 
 Objective : To evaluate a commer- 
 cially available instrument to determine 
 its suitability for underground use. 
 
 Mining and Minerals Processing Waste 
 Stability 
 
 7 5 . Evaluation of Filter Cloth for 
 Stabilization of Coal Mine Wastes 
 
 Objec t ive : To develop a safer, more 
 effective, and less strenuous means of 
 scaling mine roof and ribs by testing, 
 analyzing, and modifying, if necessary, 
 scaling tools developed from previous 
 contracts. 
 
 7 . Investigation of Longwa l l Gateroad 
 Roof Support Characte r istics 
 
 Objective : To complete the devel- 
 opment of rational design criteria and 
 support system techniques for longwall 
 
 Objective : To provide safer, longer 
 lasting dams of coal mine waste materials 
 through the use of filter media to con- 
 trol seepage. The immediate objective is 
 to evaluate criteria for selection of 
 filter cloth and test the filters under 
 simulated mine waste dam environments. 
 Also, to evaluate the deterioration of 
 the cloths by sunlight and chemicals used 
 in coal preparation plants and investi- 
 gate possible unidirectional flow in some 
 filter cloths. 
 
19 
 
 I 
 
 76. Microseismic Monitoring of Waste 
 Dam Stability 
 
 Objective : Using existing micro- 
 seismic equipment and previously devel- 
 oped techniques, to install a system and 
 monitor a waste embankment to demonstrate 
 and define the limits and use of micro- 
 seismic techniques for determining the 
 stability of waste dams. 
 
 77. Effects of Horizontal Drains on 
 Phreatic Surface and Factor 
 
 of Safety 
 
 Objective : To model the effects of 
 horizontal drains on the phreatic surface 
 in mine waste embankments using an exist- 
 ing finite element code. For various em- 
 bankment conditions, to determine optimum 
 spacing and drain length to enhance sta- 
 bility and compare results with those at 
 two existing embankments using horizontal 
 drains. 
 
 78. Analytic Techniques — Waste Disposal 
 
 Objective : To conduct a field trial 
 for determination of the factor of safety 
 at a large waste embankment using a pro- 
 babilistic slope stability analysis tech- 
 nique previously developed. To compare 
 results using the probabilistic technique 
 with those using traditional factor-of- 
 safety analyses. Field and laboratory 
 work will be undertaken to determine geo- 
 technical properties of the embankment 
 materials. 
 
 79. Electrokinetic Technique for 
 Stabilizing Coal Sludge Ponds 
 
 Objective : To conduct a field test 
 using electrokinetic techniques to de- 
 water an abandoned coal waste sediment 
 pond so as to allow effective reclamation 
 or potential resource recovery in ponds 
 containing fine coal with high heat- 
 ing values. This technique will be used 
 to demonstrate the dewatering of 350 to 
 400 tons of coal sludge per day at a pow- 
 er cost of about $2/ton. 
 
 80. Consolidation of Coal-Clay Wastes by 
 Improved Flocculation Techniques 
 
 Objective : To demonstrate the tech- 
 nical feasibility of using an improved 
 flocculation technique to dewater waste 
 coal sludge generated in coal preparation 
 plants to produce a consolidated, stable 
 waste material that can be safely dis- 
 posed of. A field test unit will be 
 operated at a cooperating coal prepara- 
 tion plant at the rate of 300 to 500 gpm. 
 The feasibility of mixing dewatered 
 coal sludge with coarse coal refuse mate- 
 rial for long-term stabilization of waste 
 products will also be determined. 
 
 81. Compaction Criteria for Metal 
 and Nonmetal Wastes 
 
 Objective : To determine the com- 
 paction characteristics of metal and 
 nonmetal tailings. Optimum layer thick- 
 ness, densities, and compactive effort 
 will be developed on an operating waste 
 embankment . 
 
 Industrial Hazards 
 
 Program Objectives : To (1) deter- 
 mine how the quality of training can be 
 increased to ensure miners can do their 
 tasks safely and productively, (2) define 
 the role of the human in all aspects of 
 tasks required during the mining cycle, 
 
 (3) determine how the human can be pro- 
 tected from the hazards of mining, 
 
 (4) determine what information must be 
 available to the miner and at what level 
 to increase safety, and (5) determine 
 what information must be available to re- 
 flect the human requirements in equipment 
 designed for mining. 
 
 Human Factors 
 
 1. Computerized Index of Available 
 Training 
 
 Objective : To complete the develop- 
 ment of a computerized index of train- 
 ing materials and aids available from 
 
20 
 
 Government, academia, 
 and industry. 
 
 labor , management , 
 
 for recognizing dangerous and 
 and rib conditions. 
 
 safe roof 
 
 2. Development of Criteria for 
 Evaluating New Hire and 
 Annual Refresher Training 
 
 Objective : To continue to identify, 
 field-test, and document performance cri- 
 teria to be achieved via training man- 
 dated under 30 CFR, part 48. 
 
 3. Research To Reduce Back Injuries 
 in the Mining Industry 
 
 Objective ; To review existing train- 
 ing and education plans, determine the 
 nature and type of back injuries common 
 in underground mining; and develop a 
 model program to reduce back injuries. 
 
 4. Human Factors Design of Mining Work 
 Stations and Operator Compartments 
 
 Objective : To develop a computer 
 model for researching the man-machine 
 interaction in mining machines and devel- 
 opment of procedures for work station 
 design. 
 
 5. Workshop Series on Critical Human 
 Resources in the Mining Industry 
 
 Objective : To bring together in a 
 series of workshops the most active re- 
 searchers involved in research about the 
 human aspects of work in the coal indus- 
 try that affect safety, absenteeism, and 
 productivity. 
 
 6. Organizational Behavior Research ♦ 
 
 Objective : To research the relation- 
 ship between organizational variables and 
 mining accidents and injuries. 
 
 7. Feasibility Study on the Use of 
 Visual Skills Training in Hazard 
 Recognition for Underground Miners 
 
 Objective : To investigate the poten- 
 tial for training new miners to develop 
 visual search and discrimination skills 
 
 8. Development of Performance Measures 
 for Underground Equipment Operators 
 
 Objective : To assess the feasibil- 
 ity of developing a standarized method of 
 performance evaluation for underground 
 equipment operators. 
 
 9. Human Factors in Surface Mining 
 Safety 
 
 Objective : To identify human fac- 
 tors relating to surface mine safety 
 problems and provide background infor- 
 mation to help correct these human- 
 factors-related safety problems in the 
 areas of safety motivation and training 
 strategies. 
 
 10. Computer Based Training 
 
 Objective : To investigate the fea- 
 sibility of conducting individualized, 
 competency-based training utilizing com- 
 mercially available microprocessors. 
 
 11. Fundamental Causes of Mine Accidents 
 
 Objective : To define the fundamen- 
 tal causes of mine accidents and deter- 
 mine corrective actions. 
 
 12. Advanced Advertising Techniques 
 for Miner Safety Training 
 
 Objective : To utilize the most ad- 
 vanced advertising techniques available 
 as a basis for a low-cost, in-mine, pas- 
 sive safety program to improve miner 
 safety. 
 
 Electrical 
 
 13. Intrinsic Safety 
 
 Objective : To investigate problems 
 related to a basic understanding of in- 
 trinsic safety, supply technical support 
 to Bureau of Mines researchers, contrac- 
 tors, and MSHA, and participate in 
 
21 
 
 national and international committees to 
 develop recommendations and standards for 
 using electrical equipment in potentially 
 explosive atmospheres. 
 
 14. Electrical Equipment, Devices, 
 and Systems 
 
 Objective : To conduct preliminary 
 investigations and final evaluations rel- 
 ative to contracted research and design 
 tasks in the field of mine electrical 
 systems and devices, and to pursue in- 
 house basic research for the general im- 
 provement of metal and nonmetal mine 
 electrical safety. 
 
 15. Explosion-Proof Enclosures 
 
 Objective : To (1) determine mini- 
 mum safe electrical clearances between 
 uninsulated live conductors used in 
 explosion-proof enclosures for voltages 
 greater than 2,000 V and (2) investigate 
 the mechanisms by which high-power arcs 
 affect internal pressures in explosion- 
 proof enclosures containing potting 
 material. 
 
 16. DC Power Systems 
 
 Objective : To demonstrate the ef- 
 fectiveness of the discriminating circuit 
 breaker protection system by implementa- 
 tion of the system on a 1-mile test sec- 
 tion in an active mine, evaluate sensi- 
 tive ground fault interruptors and dead 
 front panel construction techniques, and 
 begin construction of a new cable reel 
 tensioning device. 
 
 17. Handbook for Improved Mine Equipment 
 Battery Safety 
 
 Objective : To produce a practical 
 handbook on battery safety for large sur- 
 face mobile mining equipment. Emphasis 
 will be placed on preventing electrical 
 shock, fires, acid burns, and explosions. 
 Guidelines for implementing a battery 
 safety program at mine sites will be 
 developed. 
 
 Mine Equipment Safety 
 
 18. Assessment of the Role of Mining 
 Equipment Rebuild Shops in Bureau 
 of Mines Technology Transfer 
 Activities 
 
 Objective : To study, evaluate, and 
 optimize the role of underground coal 
 mining equipment rebuild shops in trans- 
 ferring the results of Bureau research 
 into industry practice. The main objec- 
 tives of the continued effort will be to 
 expand a directory of rebuild shops and 
 to work more closely with cooperating 
 rebuild shops to incorporate Bureau- 
 developed research into their operations. 
 
 19. Participation in the Institute of 
 Shaft Drilling Technology (ISDT) 
 
 Objective : To coordinate Bureau re- 
 search results and participate with in- 
 dustry in the advancement of safer shaft 
 sinking practices. 
 
 20. Extended Field Validation for the 
 Front-End Loader Stability Indicator 
 
 Objective : To validate the utility 
 of the front-end loader stability indi- 
 cator with extended field operation and 
 to increase manufacturer interest in the 
 system for commercial production. 
 
 21. Development of Technology To Reduce 
 Equipment-Related Accidents 
 
 Objective : To provide the mining 
 industry with solutions to selected 
 equipment safety problems and to provide 
 advanced technology to minimize human ex- 
 posure to mining hazards. This will be 
 accomplished by development of devices to 
 sense the presence of workers near dan- 
 gerous equipment situations, identifica- 
 tion and investigation of special cab and 
 canopy problems, validation of automatic 
 steering technology for selected mining 
 equipment , and development of apparatus 
 to minimize human labor for selected dan- 
 gerous mining situations. 
 
22 
 
 22. Assessment of Canopy Performance In 
 the Underground Mining Industry 
 
 Objective ; To determine and vali- 
 date if limited coverage protective 
 structures can be successfully employed 
 in low-seam mining conditions and not ad- 
 versely affect operator visibility and 
 comfort. To assess the need for operator 
 side protection on underground mining 
 equipment. 
 
 23. Mobile Equipment Maintenance Safety 
 
 Objective : To determine and quan- 
 tify hazards and causes of maintenance- 
 and repair-related accidents on large 
 surface mining equipment. To prepare a 
 report on recommendations for new mainte- 
 nance methods, maintenance equipment, or 
 modified designs to improve safety during 
 machine maintenance. 
 
 24. Underground Equipment Brake 
 Performance Evaluation 
 
 28. Collision Protection Systems 
 
 Objective : To develop and validate 
 techniques that reduce the vehicle colli- 
 sion hazard in surface mines. 
 
 Illumination 
 
 29. Illumination Reseach 
 
 Objective : To determine the poten- 
 tial benefits of the proposed MSHA sur- 
 face mine illumination standards, develop 
 low-glare lighting sources and systems 
 for use in underground coal mines (parti- 
 cularly for thin-seam applications), de- 
 velop a reflectance determination pro- 
 cedure for underground metal and nonmetal 
 mines , and develop technology needed 
 to enable the underground metal and non- 
 metal industry to provide adequate and 
 effective illumination systems for its 
 workforce. 
 
 Mine Communications and Monitoring 
 
 Objective : To determine braking dy- 
 namics of underground mining and to clas- 
 sify them according to machine type. 
 
 25. Operator Protection for Surface 
 Mining Equipment 
 
 Objective : To validate the Bureau- 
 developed safety vest restraint system 
 and the improved seat design to provide 
 equipment operators with comfort and 
 restraint in the event of rollover or 
 collision. 
 
 26. Surface Mine Equipment Safety 
 
 Objective : To improve surface mine 
 mobile equipment safety. The effective- 
 ness of Bureau-developed driver alertness 
 monitors and improved ladder systems will 
 be evaluated. 
 
 27. Robotics Research Program 
 
 Objective : To investigate the ap- 
 plicability of robotics for solving safe- 
 ty problems related to mining and to keep 
 abreast of current robotics technology. 
 
 30. Performance Standards and Systems 
 Approach to Mine Monitoring 
 
 Objective : To conduct investiga- 
 tions and analyses, collect data, evalu- 
 ate hardware, and maintain a base of 
 knowledge in support of continuous, re- 
 mote mine monitoring. Specific areas of 
 concern include reliability performance, 
 system safety, cost and benefits, data 
 security, performance specifications, and 
 the impact of regulations on monitoring 
 systems. 
 
 31. Multirange Prototype Methane 
 Monitor Study 
 
 Objective : To develop a multirange 
 0% to 5%, 0% to 100% methane fixed-point 
 transducer prototype. 
 
 32. Mine Telemetry and Environmental 
 Surveillance Systems 
 
 Objective : To perform an extensive 
 in-mine evaluation and data gathering of 
 current mine monitoring validation proj- 
 ects and to investigate color graphic 
 
23 
 
 display for rapid visual display of 
 alarms indicating mine emergencies. 
 
 an effective electromagnetic nondestruc- 
 tive testing method for wire ropes. 
 
 33. Underground Communications Systems 
 
 Objective : To develop and field- 
 validate a variety of special techniques, 
 systems, and hardware for the pur- 
 pose of improving underground mine 
 communications . 
 
 Haulage and Materials Handling 
 
 34. Wire Rope and Hoisting Research 
 Program 
 
 Objective : To operate the Wire Rope 
 Laboratory to collect the data necessary 
 to evaluate nondestructive testing de- 
 vices and develop criteria for identify- 
 ing and accurately measuring the degrada- 
 tion of wire rope. 
 
 35. Materials Handling Equipment 
 Development 
 
 Objective : To investigate methods 
 by which various facets of mine materials 
 handling and haulage activities can be 
 made less labor intensive, thus reducing 
 the probability of accidents. 
 
 36. Evaluation of Nondestructive Testing 
 Equipment and Methods Using a 
 Laboratory Standard 
 
 Objective : To develop a laboratory 
 standard rope incorporating a range of 
 anomalies that can occur and begin evalu- 
 ation of nondestructive testing devices. 
 
 37. Corrosion Rating Standard For Wire 
 Rope 
 
 Objective : To research and develop 
 a corrosion standard for wire rope to be 
 used by the mining industry to evaluate 
 and designate the degree of corrosion 
 degradation in a consistent manner. 
 
 38. Electromagnetic Nondestructive 
 Testing of Wire Rope 
 
 Objective : To formulate a program 
 plan for the research and development of 
 
 39. Effect of Unsafe Parameters on Wire 
 Rope Life Using the University of 
 Illinois Computer Model 
 
 Objective : To develop a better un- 
 derstanding of wire rope behavior by per- 
 forming a computer analysis using varying 
 rope parameters and defining the parame- 
 ters necessary for further destructive 
 testing. 
 
 40. Self-Centering Coupler for Track 
 Haulage Vehicles 
 
 Objective : To lessen the possibil- 
 ity of injury during coupling and uncou- 
 pling operations by designing, fabri- 
 cating, and testing a coupler centering 
 device capable of centering most coupler- 
 truck combinations, thereby eliminating 
 the need for manual coupler alignment. 
 
 41. Conveyor Safety 
 
 Objective : To develop improved 
 shutoff and lockout hardware, and inves- 
 tigate alternatives to unsafe conveyor- 
 related work practices, such as conveyor 
 man-trip usage and startup warning proce- 
 dures to reduce the number of conveyor- 
 related accidents. 
 
 42. Laboratory Analysis of Wire Rope 
 
 Objective : To define the mechanical 
 and chemical characteristics of wire rope 
 that affect its degradation in mine 
 hoisting and determine mechanisms of 
 hoist rope deterioration through labora- 
 tory analysis of new and used wire ropes. 
 To relate the results to manufacturing 
 procedures, rope construction, or in— use 
 procedures in order to improve the 
 performance and safety of wire rope used 
 in mining. 
 
 43. Wire Rope Cleaning and Lubrication 
 
 Objective : To categorize cleaning 
 and lubrication techniques into groups 
 such as specific applications, effective- 
 ness, cost, and commercial availability, 
 
24 
 
 and to develop a plan for evaluating rope 
 lubricants and lubricating techniques. 
 
 Postdisaster 
 
 Program Objectives : To develop 
 technology that will (1) enable survivors 
 of a mine disaster to escape from the 
 mine or to survive while awaiting rescue 
 by providing protection against toxic 
 and/or oxygen-deficient atmospheres, 
 
 (2) aid in the location of miners trapped 
 underground, using seismic and electro- 
 magnetic means of communication, and 
 
 (3) facilitate postdisaster rescue and 
 recovery operations through surface moni- 
 toring of conditions underground, emer- 
 gency communications, and mechanized 
 transport and lifesupport equipment for 
 mine reentry and rescue operations. 
 
 Survival 
 
 1. Development of Life Support 
 Technology 
 
 Objective ; To develop technology 
 that maximizes the likelihood that a 
 miner will survive a mine disaster and to 
 improve the safety and efficiency of mine 
 rescue and recovery missions. 
 
 2. Long-Term Field Evaluation of 
 Self-Contained Self-Rescuers 
 
 Objective : To determine if the 
 testing procedures recommended by the 
 manufacturers for self-contained self- 
 rescuers (SCSR's) are adequate and to 
 study the effects of long-term mine stor- 
 age on SCSR performance. 
 
 Communications 
 
 3. Trapped Miner Location and 
 Communication 
 
 Rescue and Mine Recovery 
 
 4. A Medium-Frequency System for In-Mine 
 Location, Communication, and Rescue 
 
 Objective : To develop a MF communi- 
 cation system that will work in conjunc- 
 tion with breathing apparatus used by 
 mine rescue teams. 
 
 Explosives 
 
 Program Objectives : To assess the 
 problems associated with the safe and ef- 
 fective use of explosives in all types of 
 mining activity including fixed explo- 
 sives, blasting agents, blasting devices, 
 and blasting accessories. To conduct 
 fundamental studies of explosive behavior 
 and apply the results in the development 
 of new technology. To develop new and 
 improved test procedures as new mining 
 methods are introduced and new types of 
 explosives are formulated. 
 
 1. Review of Blasting Practices in Gassy 
 Noncoal Mines 
 
 Objective : To recommend safe blast- 
 ing practices for gassy noncoal mines and 
 recommend research needed to develop im- 
 proved blasting practices for these 
 mines. To examine current and proposed 
 blasting practices in gassy noncoal mines 
 to identify hazardous practices. 
 
 2. Development of Improved Blasting 
 Procedures 
 
 Objective : To develop improved safer 
 blasting procedures for use in metal and 
 nonmetal mines. To make recommendations 
 during FY 83 for preventing misfire acci- 
 dents through examination of the causes 
 of misfires, methods of detection, and 
 techniques for disposing of misfires. 
 
 Objective : To develop emergency de- 
 tection and location systems for postdis- 
 aster rescue efforts, evaluate hardware 
 for these rescue efforts, and provide 
 technical assistance to contractors con- 
 ducting field test programs. 
 
 3. Determination of Recommended Blasting 
 Products and Procedures in Gassy 
 Noncoal Mines 
 
 Objective : To generate experimental 
 information as a basis for developing 
 
25 
 
 guidelines and standards for nonincendive 
 explosives and blasting agents and per- 
 missible blasting practices in oil, oil 
 shale, and other noncoal mines having 
 potential gas or dust explosion hazard. 
 
 4. Investigation of Explosives Products 
 Involved in Coal and Noncoal Mine 
 Accidents 
 
 on nonelectric initiating systems, and 
 (5) further develop the thermal explosion 
 tests, for large-size samples, to deter- 
 mine at which temperature decomposition 
 or explosion occurs. 
 
 8. Generation of Hazard Criteria and 
 Test Procedures for Explosive 
 Products 
 
 Objective : To provide supporting re- 
 search for accident investigations and on 
 potentially hazardous situations, prod- 
 ucts, or practices identified by MSHA 
 and so to establish guidelines for the 
 development, clarification, revision, or 
 enforcement of related safety standards. 
 
 5. Analysis of Mine Blasting Accidents 
 
 Objective : To insure that the Bureau 
 research effort is directed toward the 
 real causes of blasting accidents by ana- 
 lyzing coal mine blasting accidents. 
 This effort will include analysis of 
 metal and nonmetal mine accidents. 
 
 6. Improvements of Nonincendive 
 Explosive Charge for Unconfined 
 Shooting 
 
 Objective : To develop and test ver- 
 sions of the nonincendive explosive 
 charge for applications where the current 
 prototype would not be suitable. For ap- 
 plications such as breaking larger or 
 smaller stone slabs, or dislodging hung- 
 up roof rock, it would be advantageous to 
 develop larger and smaller charges and 
 thin charges that will fit into crevices 
 in the stone. 
 
 7. Fire Hazard Evaluation of Explosives 
 and Blasting Agents 
 
 Objective : To (1) perform large- 
 scale fire tests on materials normally 
 classified as blasting agents to verify 
 previous work on the development of fire 
 hazard estimation procedures, (2) develop 
 information in the area of sensitivity to 
 direct electrical stimuli, (3) perform 
 routine thermal tests in connection with 
 accident investigations and new blast- 
 ing materials, (4) perform thermal tests 
 
 Objective : To (1) perform an evalu- 
 ation and comparison of the character- 
 istics of all types of nonelectric ini- 
 tiating systems, (2) evaluate new explo- 
 sives and blasting accessories, (3) in- 
 vestigate merits of (a) vented versus 
 unvented "drop trailers" used as stor- 
 age facilities for blasting materials 
 and (b) grounded versus nongrounded ex- 
 plosive storage magazines, and (4) devel- 
 op improved capability for testing and 
 assessing the sensitivity of blasting 
 materials. 
 
 9. Basic Research on Initiation and 
 Propagation of Detonation 
 
 Objective : To formulate explosive 
 criteria that reflect the interrelation- 
 ship of explosive characteristics, explo- 
 sive states, stimulation mechanisms, and 
 reaction modes. This work would involve 
 research experiments with different rela- 
 tionships between pulse characteristics 
 (form, strength, duration, impulse, etc.) 
 and theoretical model development in- 
 tended to correlate explosive properties 
 with the salient pulse characteristics. 
 
 10. Investigation of Pressure 
 
 Desensitization of Permissible 
 Explosives 
 
 Objective : To update current and 
 develop new schedules and standards as 
 needs arise for permissible explo- 
 sives and related articles, stemming de- 
 vices, and blasting devices. To recom- 
 mend changes to MSHA for the purpose of 
 providing safer and more effective explo- 
 sives and devices. To extend basic 
 knowledge by investigating mechanisms 
 involved in and associated with pres- 
 sure desensitization and performance of 
 explosion. 
 
26 
 
 11. Evaluation of New Permissible 
 
 Explosives and Develop Improved 
 Permissible Coal Mine Explosives 
 
 Objective ; To continue evaluating 
 explosives and explosive devices for 
 underground coal mine use. To monitor 
 field samples for conformance with their 
 basic specifications. To research those 
 items that will improve the safety and 
 performance of coal mine explosives, in- 
 cluding the relatively new water gel and 
 water emulsion permissibles. 
 
 Systems Engineering 
 
 Program Objectives : To develop 
 methods for evaluating the impact of spe- 
 cific technological improvements or in- 
 adequacies on the total mining operations 
 and identify problems whose solutions 
 would provide the greatest health and 
 safety benefit. To operate and maintain 
 underground research and test facilities 
 for use in testing and demonstrating new 
 procedures and equipment before they are 
 tested in commercial mines. 
 
 into cost statistics, (2) identify exist- 
 ing (statistical or other) types of meth- 
 odologies appropriate for analyzing these 
 data, (3) simplify run procedures on 
 (1) so that any interested person may 
 conduct the on-line retrieval and analy- 
 sis, (4) conduct correlation statistics 
 among various accident statistics and 
 mine characteristics, (5) identify useful 
 information that can be obtained from the 
 data and methodologies, and (6) apply the 
 technique to real situations and extract 
 information from the mine accident data 
 bases by applying the latest statistical 
 techniques designed for categorical data 
 (a characteristic of some of the mine 
 accident data) . 
 
 4. Cost Effectiveness of Bureau- 
 Developed Methane Drainage 
 Techniques and Other Technology 
 
 Objective : To study the cost and 
 benefits of the different methane drain- 
 age techniques and to forecast trends in 
 mining systems impacting on or being im- 
 pacted by methane control. 
 
 Systems Analysis 
 
 1. Risk Analysis of Job Tasks and Other 
 Mining Activities 
 
 Objective : To determine for current 
 high-risk tasks and other mining activi- 
 ties if risk is decreasing or increasing 
 with time. To continue studying risk and 
 supplementary techniques that aid plan- 
 ning research programs using HSAC data. 
 
 2. Health and Safety Considerations of 
 Novel Mining Systems 
 
 Objective : To review and assess the 
 state-of-the-technology of selected novel 
 mining systems beginning to emerge. 
 
 3. Information Retrieval System for 
 Costs of Mine Accidents and 
 Applications 
 
 Objective : To provide information to 
 the mining industry and researchers for 
 making decisions. To (1) convert the 
 1981 and 1982 HSAC accident statistics 
 
 5. Demonstration of Sheathed Explosive 
 Charge Blasting Practices 
 
 Objective : To develop instrumenta- 
 tion to evaluate and demonstrate the 
 sheathed explosive charge. 
 
 6. Hazard Analysis of Underground Mining 
 
 Objective : To (1) develop recommen- 
 dations for new technology or modifica- 
 tions of current practices to reduce the 
 roof fall hazard to personnel making 
 methane measurements at the coal face, 
 
 (2) identify and analyze major safety 
 problem areas in gassy noncoal mines, and 
 
 (3) quantify operational parameters in 
 surface and underground mines and specify 
 component performance requirements to 
 assure reliable operation of safety sys- 
 tems on mobile equipment. 
 
 7. Application of Mine Safety Hardware 
 
 Objective : Perform a benefit-cost 
 analysis of the Bureau-developed fueling 
 
27 
 
 area fire protection system for under- 
 ground noncoal mines. 
 
 Test Facilities 
 
 8. Operation of Lake Lynn Laboratory 
 
 Objective ; To operate the Lake Lynn 
 Laboratory in support of ongoing Bureau 
 of Mines programs. Examples of programs 
 to be pursued include testing new 
 types of explosion barriers or ignition- 
 suppression devices, diagnosis and abate- 
 ment of methane roof layers, minimum ini- 
 tiation conditions for dust explosion, 
 and explosion and hydrostatic testing of 
 candidate explosion-proof bulkheads and 
 water seals. 
 
 9. Operation of Underground Test 
 Facilities 
 
 Objective ; To operate the two ex- 
 perimental mine facilities located at 
 
 Bruceton for the purpose of supporting 
 ongoing research and development proj- 
 ects. Examples of project activities 
 scheduled for work in the mine facilities 
 include construction and testing of 
 explosion-proof bulkheads, trickle duster 
 testing in return air courses, coal and 
 oil shale fire tests, reduction of respi- 
 rable dust generation by coal cutting 
 equipment, and ground control instrumen- 
 tation tests. 
 
 10. Operation of Twilight Mine 
 Radiation Facility 
 
 Objective ; To continue to operate 
 and maintain an underground uranium mine 
 as a test facility to provide typical 
 mine environmental conditions for re- 
 search and development studies conducted 
 by the Bureau of Mines, MSHA and other 
 Government agencies, and outside contrac- 
 tors in the area of radiation hazards. 
 
 PART II.— CONTRACT RESEARCH 
 
 Health 
 
 Respirable Dust 
 
 Program Objectives ; To develop pro- 
 cedures for controlling the respirable 
 dusts that still constitute the severest 
 health problem facing the mining and min- 
 erals processing industries. To develop 
 and/or improve techniques and equipment 
 to measure and prevent formation of haz- 
 ardous dust concentrations and to protect 
 miners against dusty atmospheres. 
 
 Control of Generated Dust 
 
 1. Conveyor Belt Dust Control 
 
 Objective ; To reduce the occurrence 
 of respirable dust at conveyor belt 
 loading, dumping, screening, and transfer 
 points by cost-effective dust control 
 systems. The effort shall consist of 
 data collection and analysis, design and 
 fabrication of a dust control system, and 
 in-plant evaluation. This is a continu- 
 ation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 2. Mine Evaluations of Longwall Dust 
 Control Techniques 
 
 Objective ; To evaluate the effec- 
 tiveness of available dust control tech- 
 nology for double-drum shearer longwall 
 sections in a coordinated, systematic 
 program at several longwall test sec- 
 tions, and to make the results available 
 to the entire coal mining industry. 
 These evaluations should guide the coal 
 mining industry toward the best available 
 technology to control respirable dust 
 with the least adverse impact on coal 
 production. This is a continuation of an 
 ongoing effort. 
 
 3. Improved Canopy Air Curtain 
 
 Objective ; To develop an improved 
 canopy air curtain system for mining and 
 mineral processing use and to investigate 
 the feasibility and develop a meth6d and 
 hardware that will remove gaseous contam- 
 inants in addition to particulates from 
 
28 
 
 the mine air that will be delivered by 
 the canopy air curtain. This is a conti- 
 nuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 4. Near-Face Infusion for Longwall 
 Dust Control 
 
 Objective : To evaluate the feasibil- 
 ity and effectiveness of utilizing near- 
 face water infusion as a dust control 
 technique on longwall mining operations. 
 As much work has been done by foreign 
 countries to develop equipment for this 
 procedure, the main effort will be to 
 make the modifications necessary to adopt 
 this equipment to U.S. mining conditions, 
 and then to conduct underground tests at 
 various areas along the longwall face. 
 This is a new RFP. 
 
 5. Ventilation and Dust Control of Low 
 
 Auger Mining Sections 
 
 Objective : To provide a ventilation 
 system with sufficient capability to sig- 
 nificantly reduce the dust exposure at 
 the jacksetter location. To design and 
 install a water spray system that would 
 suppress dust and move the air towards 
 the desired direction. In-depth full- 
 scale model testing of a coal mine work- 
 ing face area with an auger-type mining 
 machine, water spray system(s), and ven- 
 tilation with line curtains or tube will 
 be required to define the optimum system 
 prior to underground evaluation. This is 
 a new RFP. 
 
 6. Evaluation of Electret Fiber 
 Material for Mining and 
 
 Milling Applications » 
 
 Objective : To investigate the feasi- 
 bility and practicality of using electret 
 fiber material as a collection medium to 
 remove respirable dust and other contami- 
 nants from the air in mining and min- 
 eral processing operations. This is a 
 new RFP. 
 
 Dust Instrumentation and Measurement 
 
 7. Guidelines for Selecting Sampling 
 Location(s) on Longwall Shearer 
 Facess 
 
 Objective : To provide guidelines for 
 selecting dust sampling locations on 
 longwall mining faces. Sampling will be 
 conducted on three or more longwall min- 
 ing sections using shearers. Multiple 
 instantaneous sampling instruments will 
 be used to measure simultaneously dust 
 levels at locations up to 200 ft downwind 
 of the shearer. Airflow characteristics 
 will be monitored, and any physical ob- 
 structions that might affect the airborne 
 distribution of dust will be noted. In- 
 formation will be used to produce a dust 
 concentration map to aid in selection of 
 a sampling location. This is a new RFP. 
 
 Noise Control 
 
 Program Objectives : To identify 
 noise sources in underground and surface 
 mines and in related mineral processing 
 surface facilities, to abate these noise 
 sources through both field retrofit and 
 factory redesign approaches so that the 
 mining operations and minerals processing 
 activities meet the Federal noise expo- 
 sure standards, to provide more accurate 
 measurement of the noise environment, and 
 to provide industry with the technical 
 knowledge necessary to select, design, 
 and implement noise control measures. 
 
 1. Noise Study of Longwall Mining 
 Sy s terns 
 
 Objective : To develop quieter long- 
 wall mining equipment. The noise prob- 
 lems of longwall systems shall be identi- 
 fied, and feasible engineering controls 
 that achieve quieter operation without 
 affecting production shall be assessed 
 and demonstrated. It is anticipated that 
 the demonstration phase will involve a 
 
29 
 
 cooperative effort with a longwall equip- 
 ment manufacturer. Prototype development 
 of a quieter shearer was initiated in FY 
 82. This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 2. Current Levels of Whole-Body 
 Vibrations in Mines 
 
 Objective : To determine and assess 
 the present levels of mine personnel ex- 
 posure to whole-body vibrations and to 
 compare these levels with the results of 
 a medical literature search relating 
 vibration parameters to physiological ef- 
 fects. To assess the capability of com- 
 mercially available high-performance 
 seats to reduce the adverse effects of 
 whole-body vibration on the health, safe- 
 ty, and productivity of the machine 
 operator. 
 
 3. Retrofit of Underground Load-Haul- 
 Dump Machines With Noise Control 
 Packages 
 
 intent of this project is to take an in- 
 tegrated approach to noise controlling a 
 continuous miner. Noise control technol- 
 ogy that will be developed for the cut- 
 ting head will be incorporated with pre- 
 viously developed chain conveyor controls 
 and other noise controls into a test bed 
 piece of equipment. The technology will 
 be validated by underground testing. 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 6. Development of Prototype Production 
 Noise-Controlled Jumbo Drills 
 
 Objective ; To develop a cost- 
 effective, manuf acturable , quiet jumbo- 
 mounted drill through redesign of major 
 components. A preproduction prototype 
 jumbo drill is to be designed, fabri- 
 cated, and field-tested. This is a con- 
 tinuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 7. Assessment of Noise in the Metal 
 and Nonmetal Mining Industry 
 
 Objective : To develop retrofit noise 
 control technology for specific models of 
 load-haul-dump (LHD) machines. Noise 
 control techniques shall be implemented 
 and in-mine tested. Participation of the 
 contractor with equipment manufacturers 
 and mine operators is considered essen- 
 tial in conducting this contract, which 
 is a continuation of ongoing efforts to 
 quiet LHD's through retrofit means. 
 
 4. Development of a Prototype Hand-Held 
 Rock Drill for Use in Metal and 
 Nonmetal Mines 
 
 Objective : To develop a reduced- 
 noise hard rock drill for use in the 
 metal and nonmetal mining industry. The 
 basic technology that was successful in 
 the development of a quieter coal mine 
 pneumatic stoper drill shall be applied. 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 5. Integrated Approach to Noise 
 Control for a Continuous Miner 
 
 Objective : To develop and field-test 
 a noise-controlled continuous miner. The 
 
 Objective : To gather data on noise 
 levels, machine populations, duty cycles, 
 and operator populations in the metal and 
 nonmetal mining industry and to use these 
 data to quantify the noise exposure im- 
 pact in this industry and to identify 
 primary noise sources and potential 
 impact of noise control research. This is 
 a continuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 8. Development of Engineering Design 
 Concepts for Percussion Drill 
 Steel Noise 
 
 Objective : To develop and demon- 
 strate the feasibility of novel engineer- 
 ing approaches to controlling the noise 
 of drill steels. This is a new RFP. 
 
 Industrial Hygiene (Toxic Substances) 
 
 Program Objectives : To identify and 
 control health hazards in surface and 
 underground mines and mineral process- 
 ing plants caused by toxic and/or noxious 
 gases and fumes, and certain particu- 
 lates produced by explosives, combustible 
 materials, and diesel engines. To de- 
 velop and evaluate new instrumentation, 
 
30 
 
 methods, and procedures for monitoring 
 these substances. To analyze alternative 
 power sources that may have health advan- 
 tages over existing mine diesels. 
 
 Toxic Gases and Materials 
 
 1. Toxic Fumes From Explosives Tests 
 in Underground Mines 
 
 Objective : To determine the presence 
 of trace toxic products such as nitro- 
 s amines and others that may be present 
 along with the expected products CO, 
 CO2 , N0 X , SO2 , and NH3 in the fumes from 
 explosives fired at the working face 
 in a mine. Results will be used to char- 
 acterize the transient nature of fumes 
 generated during blasting, and to com- 
 pare these in-mine results with results 
 obtained by laboratory test methods. 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 2. Monitoring of Mine Air Pollutants 
 
 Objective : To develop and test en- 
 gineering approaches for the control of 
 mine air quality. To characterize ex- 
 haust gas distributions in various venti- 
 lation configurations in deadend drifts. 
 To evaluate exhaust control hardware in 
 simulated and real conditions. To inves- 
 tigate methods to identify diesel soot on 
 respirable dust filters. This is a con- 
 tinuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 Diesels 
 
 3. Control of Diesel Exhaust in 
 Mines — Af tertreatments 
 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 4. Control of Diesel Exhaust in Mines — 
 Fuel Modifications 
 
 Objective : To investigate the con- 
 trol of diesel exhaust emissions by fuel 
 modifications that can be made at the 
 mine site. Specifically, water-fuel 
 emulsifications will be evaluated, and 
 optimization of the engine operating pa- 
 rameters to combust these fuels will be 
 performed. This is a continuation of an 
 ongoing effort. 
 
 5. Development of a Clean Internal 
 Combustion Engine for Underground 
 Mining Machinery 
 
 Objective : To evaluate a diesel- 
 metal hydride power source (a diesel en- 
 gine modified to burn hydrogen) for use 
 in underground mining equipment from the 
 standpoint of mine safety, technical fea- 
 sibility, industry acceptance, and eco- 
 nomics. Hydrogen fuel will be stored in 
 a metal-hydride lattice. To design a 
 program leading to construction of a pro- 
 totype and subsequent demonstration of 
 such a vehicle should it be warranted. 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 Ventilation 
 
 Program Objective : To develop ven- 
 tilation systems required to maintain 
 a safe and healthful atmosphere condu- 
 cive to efficient work output in noncoal 
 mines. 
 
 Objective : To develop and field-test 
 an exhaust emission control system for 
 diesel-engine-powered equipment suitable 
 for underground mining applications. 
 Combinations of emission control methods 
 including exhaust gas recirculation, cat- 
 alytic converters, particulate filters, 
 and water-fuel eraulsif ication will be 
 investigated to determine the optimum 
 combination for mining vehicles. The 
 final combination will be field-tested. 
 
 1. Optimization and Testing of 
 Water-Spray Coolers 
 
 Objective : To optimize the presently 
 available 5,000-cfm water-spray cooler to 
 assess its potential for larger cooling 
 capacity operation. To investigate new 
 and improved direct-contact, air-water 
 heat exchangers for cooling the hot work- 
 ing areas of deep mines. This is a con- 
 tinuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
31 
 
 2. Water Turbine Energy Recovery System Roof Support Systems 
 
 Objective ; To design, develop, and 
 test a fluid motor system that takes 
 energy from the high-pressure water flow- 
 ing in vertical pipelines in deep hot 
 mines and converts this energy into use- 
 ful mechanical or electrical energy. 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 1. Design, Fabricate and Test 
 a Pumpable Bolt System 
 
 Objective : To develop a system for 
 installing longer-than-seara-height fiber- 
 glass core, epoxy-grouted roof bolts. 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 Safety 
 
 Methane Control 
 
 Program Objectives ; To develop, dem- 
 onstrate, and transfer technology that 
 will prevent the formation of flammable 
 methane-air mixtures in underground mine 
 workings through improved ventilation and 
 procedures for degasifying the coal seam 
 in advance of and during mining. To es- 
 tablish correlations between the geology 
 of the material to be mined and its gas 
 content, and to use these to predict 
 methane emission hazards. 
 
 Control During Mining 
 
 1. Improved Diffuser and Spray Fan 
 System for Ventilation of Coal 
 Mine Working Faces 
 
 Objective ; To provide a spray fan 
 system with sufficient methane control 
 capability for any gassy work face; to 
 devise, develop, and test a new auxiliary 
 face ventilation concept, combining the 
 advantages of diffuser fan and water 
 spray ventilation; to evaluate, modify, 
 and upgrade sensor positioning and pro- 
 tection for machine-mounted methane moni- 
 tors. This is a continuation of an on- 
 going effort. 
 
 Ground Control 
 
 Program Objectives : To conceive, de- 
 velop, demonstrate, and transfer technol- 
 ogy that will prevent mine accidents at- 
 tributable to falls of ground, outbursts, 
 slope failures, and collapse of waste 
 impoundment structures. 
 
 Safe Support Installation 
 
 2. Remote Manually Controlled 
 Roof Bolter 
 
 Objective : To develop a roof bolter 
 in which the operator performs the bolt- 
 ing function from a protected location 
 under permanently supported roof through 
 the use of remote controls. This is a 
 continuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 3. Confined Space, Drag- Jet Drill 
 
 Objective : To develop a longer-than- 
 seam-height roof bolt hole drill that in- 
 cludes the best characteristics of a 
 water jet drill. This a new RFP. 
 
 4. An Electrically Powered Scaling Bar 
 
 Objective : To develop a hand-held 
 portable scaling bar that uses electro- 
 hydraulic energy. This is a new procure- 
 ment effort as the result of an unsolic- 
 ited proposal. 
 
 5. Development of a Roof Competence 
 
 Tester 
 
 Objective : To develop and evaluate 
 a hand-held instrument for accuracy and 
 reliability in detecting cracks, fis- 
 sures, delaminations, and poorly cemented 
 and otherwise weak rock structure in coal 
 mine roofs. The instrument shall be 
 suitable for use with all thicknesses of 
 coalbeds and different roof compositions. 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
32 
 
 6. Retreat Mining Support System 
 
 Objective : To design, build, and 
 field-demonstrate a second-generation mo- 
 bile roof support machine for retreat 
 mining that will operate in 5- to 15-ft 
 coal seams. This is a continuation of an 
 ongoing effort. 
 
 7. Inorganic Grout Slurry Bolters 
 
 Objective : To design, build, and 
 mine test a machine that will mix and in- 
 ject fast-setting inorganic grouts. The 
 final object of the program is commercial 
 acceptance of the bolter. Phase III 
 (laboratory testing of the complete syn- 
 thesized system) and phase IV (mine test- 
 ing and final report) shall be completed. 
 This will include installation of 70 to 
 100 bolts to support an intersection. 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 8. Develop Equipment To Expedite the 
 Safe Installation of Roof Trusses 
 
 Objective : To design and demon- 
 strate mechanical installation equipment 
 and practices for solid-rock roof trusses 
 which will speed up the cycle time yet 
 reduce the handling hazards associated 
 with current practices. This is a conti- 
 nuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 9. Fabricate and Test an Articulated 
 Remote, Manual Roof Bolter 
 
 Objective : To fabricate, laboratory- 
 test, and perform an underground demon- 
 stration of a prototype, articulated, re- 
 mote manual roof bolter to evaluate the 
 amount of accident reduction potential 
 and production rate improvement. This a 
 continuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 10. Extended Field Test of Torque-Thrust 
 Control and Hardened Washers 
 
 Objective : To determine the ef- 
 fects of using hardened washers and a 
 
 Bureau-developed, torque-thrust control 
 bolter on uniformity of bolt tension and 
 roof control. This is a continuation of 
 an ongoing effort. 
 
 11. Resin Injection and Resin Doweling 
 for Longwall Face Stabilization 
 
 Objective : To define and rank prob- 
 lems of roof and face stabilization in 
 longwalls, evaluate foreign and domestic 
 technology in resin-injection and resin- 
 doweling for application in U.S. mines, 
 select those techniques that indicate the 
 greatest benefits per cost and are not 
 unnecessarily hazardous, develop testing 
 procedures to demonstrate their effec- 
 tiveness on longwall stabilization prob- 
 lems, perform and document the demonstra- 
 tion, and reassess the cost and safety 
 benefits. This is a continuation of an 
 ongoing effort. 
 
 12. Remote Drill-Bolting System for 
 Metal and Nonmetal Mining 
 
 Objective : To design, build, and 
 mine-test a remote drill-bolt system for 
 metal and nonmetal mining that will re- 
 move the bolter operator from the bolting 
 operation and place him or her in a pro- 
 tected area not exposed to unsupported 
 ground or moving equipmment. This is a 
 continuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 Industrial Hazards 
 
 Program Objectives : To (1) deter- 
 mine how the quality of training can be 
 increased to insure miners can do their 
 tasks safely and productively, (2) define 
 the role of the human in all aspects of 
 tasks required during the mining cycle, 
 
 (3) determine how the human can be pro- 
 tected from the hazards of mining, 
 
 (4) determine what information must be 
 available to the miner and at what level 
 to increase safety, and (5) determine 
 what information must be available to re- 
 flect the human requirements in equipment 
 designed for mining. 
 
33 
 
 Human Factors 
 
 1. Determining the Effect of Incentive 
 Programs on the Occurrence of 
 Accidents, Injuries, Productivity, 
 and Employee Attitudes 
 
 Objective : To identify types of in- 
 centive programs that reduce accidents 
 and injuries and are acceptable to the 
 management and employees of underground 
 coal mining companies. This is a new 
 RFP. 
 
 2. Formalizing Occupational Training 
 
 Objective : To continue development 
 of instructional guides and performance 
 criteria for selected underground and 
 surface mining tasks. This is a continu- 
 ation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 3. Preparation of Baseline Training 
 Materials for Assisting Compliance 
 and Accident Reduction in the Metal 
 and Nonmetal Mining Industry 
 
 Objective : To establish health and 
 safety performance criteria and evalua- 
 tion techniques for the underground salt 
 mining industry. This is a continuation 
 of an ongoing effort. 
 
 4. Increasing the Effectiveness of Mine 
 Management by Career Development and 
 Job Engineering 
 
 Objective : To increase the safety 
 and productivity performance of mine man- 
 agers and supervisory personnel by re- 
 searching ways to apply recently devel- 
 oped approaches to human resource utili- 
 zation and integrating new methods of 
 supervisory and managerial training with 
 on-the-job career development techniques. 
 This is a new RFP. 
 
 Electrical 
 
 5. Ground and Ground Bed Monitoring 
 
 Objective : To determine methods of 
 reducing ground bed conductor corrosion, 
 including the bias current method. To 
 improve measurement methods, particularly 
 
 where large ground beds or extremely high 
 or low resistivities are involved. To 
 investigate innovative approaches to 
 ground monitoring for feasibility of ex- 
 tending coverage to all varieties of 
 grounding systems. This is a new 
 contract. 
 
 6. Implementation of Shock Prevention 
 in Mine Equipment and Machinery 
 
 Objective : To verify that the shock 
 prevention concepts now being completed 
 will be practical and effective. To con- 
 duct final evaluation of these concepts 
 and initiate in-mine tests of concepts 
 showing the most promise at a power cen- 
 ter and one piece of face equipment. 
 This is a new contract. 
 
 7. Administration and Maintenance of the 
 Mine Electrical Research Laboratory 
 
 Objective : To maintain support of 
 the mine electrical research laboratory 
 for use on Bureau of Mines in-house and 
 contract research projects. This is a 
 continuing contract. 
 
 8. Mine Power System Monitoring 
 
 Objective : To formulate an overall 
 basis for monitoring mine power systems. 
 The performance of hazard-prediction 
 techniques shall be evaluated by mathe- 
 matically modeling electrical machines 
 and cable-connected electrical machines 
 under various deteriorating conditions. 
 To verify results of algorithm computa- 
 tions to predict a given incipient safety 
 hazard, and perform a system error analy- 
 sis. A microprocessor prototype shall 
 then be constructed and in-mine-tested. 
 This is a new contract. 
 
 9. Mine Hoist Electrical System Study 
 
 Objective : To develop a maintenance 
 and inspection manual for hoisting sys- 
 tems used in U.S. mines. The maintenance 
 section will aid operators in performing 
 periodic preventive maintenance on 
 hoists, while the inspection portion will 
 aid MSHA in performing hoist inspections. 
 This is a continuing contract. 
 
34 
 
 Mine Equipment Safety 
 
 10. Advancement of Cab and Canopy 
 Design and Use in Coal Mines 
 
 Objective ; To update the cab and 
 canopy catalog and print additional 
 copies. This will conclude the effort. 
 
 11. Extension of Low-Coal Cab and Canopy 
 Technology To Include Coal Drilling 
 and Cutting Machines 
 
 Objective ; To develop adequate 
 human-engineered operator cabs with pro- 
 tective canopies for coal drilling and 
 cutting machines, and validate these in 
 low-coal. This is a continuation of an 
 ongoing effort. 
 
 12. Validation of Remote Operator's 
 Compartment for Controlling a 
 Low-Seam Continuous Miner 
 
 Objective ; To develop and validate 
 the technology for controlling a low-coal 
 continuous miner from a remote operator 
 station. This is a continuation of an 
 ongoing effort. 
 
 tests and computer analysis to determine 
 if present criteria are adequate. This 
 will conclude the project. 
 
 16. Analysis of ROPS in Service For 
 at Least 5 Years 
 
 Objective ; To examine and evaluate 
 the fatigue-related problems of ROPS 
 owing to vibrations inherent to the ma- 
 chines on which they are mounted and the 
 terrain characteristics of the surface 
 mine. This is the continuation of an on- 
 going effort. 
 
 Illumination 
 
 17. Feasibility Study of Alternate 
 Methods for Mine Illumination 
 Systems 
 
 Objective ; To evaluate methods of 
 mine illumination where minimal luminance 
 requirements are met without causing 
 glare problems and to investigate alter- 
 nate methods of specifying illumination 
 regulations to provide maximum luminance 
 with minimum glare. This is a continuing 
 contract. 
 
 13. Portable Dynamic Brake Testing 
 
 Apparatus 
 
 Objective ; To develop a testing ap- 
 paratus to enable remote evaluation of 
 brake performance on underground mining 
 vehicles at near-zero speeds and higher. 
 This will conclude the project. 
 
 14. Extended Validation of Low-Coal 
 Bridge Carrier Operator's » 
 Compartment with Canopy 
 
 Objective ; To further validate the 
 utility of a successful operator compart- 
 ment with canopy in lower coal seams. 
 This will conclude the project. 
 
 15. Development of ROPS Performance 
 Criteria for Large Mobile Mining 
 Equipment 
 
 Objective ; To provide data on large 
 machine ROPS performance criteria by 
 
 18. Development of Minimal Luminance 
 Systems for Underground Metal 
 and Nonmetal Mines 
 
 Objective ; To design illumination 
 systems for selected work areas and tasks 
 as recommended by present studies. These 
 designs will be evaluated to verify that 
 these systems can meet the minimal re- 
 quirements without producing excessive 
 glare. This is a new contract. 
 
 Mine Communications and Monitoring 
 
 19. Multiplex Distribution System for 
 Multichannel Pager Phone Communication 
 
 Objective ; To design, fabricate, 
 and validate a multichannel telephone 
 communication system using the selectable 
 pager phone as a local intercom which 
 will provide maximum communication capa- 
 bility at minimum cost. This is a conti- 
 nuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
35 
 
 20. Guidelines for Control Systems 
 In Mines 
 
 Objective : To investigate guide- 
 lines for safe implementation of 
 processor-based, remote control systems 
 in underground mines. A general philoso- 
 phy on safety considerations for control 
 systems will be arrived at which can be 
 applied to hoists, fire suppression sys- 
 tems, belts, rail haulage, face equip- 
 ment, fans, circuit breakers, and other 
 equipment. This is a new RFP. 
 
 21. An Analysis of the Interaction of 
 Mine Radio Systems With Mine 
 Telemetry and Control Systems 
 
 Objective ; To investigate potential 
 problems concerning the parasitic cou- 
 pling of electromagnetic energy into en- 
 vironmental or control telemetry lines, 
 and to environmental sensors or control 
 devices. This is a new RFP. 
 
 22. Second Western Mining Industry 
 Electrotechnology Conference 
 
 Objective ; To provide a forum for 
 industry and Government to present the 
 latest developments in mine health and 
 safety related electrotechnology. This 
 is a directed RFP. 
 
 23. Evaluate Hardware for Medium- 
 Frequency Mine Wireless 
 Communication System — 
 Phase IV 
 
 Objective ; To evaluate and validate 
 Bureau-developed medium-frequency hard- 
 ware under mine operational conditions 
 and to document the results. This is a 
 continuing contract. 
 
 Haulage and Materials Handling 
 
 24. Safety Evaluation of Conveyor 
 Belt Cleaning Systems 
 
 Objective : To determine conveyor 
 belt cleaning system parameters to reduce 
 the amount of hazardous hand labor asso- 
 ciated with the cleanup of conveyor areas 
 
 that is required owing to the use of in- 
 effective belt cleaners. This is a con- 
 tinuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 25. Development of Consistent Low-G 
 Hoist Arrestment Devices 
 
 Objective ; To complete the develop- 
 ment of predictable consistent low-G ar- 
 restment devices that eliminate the high 
 transient forces during an arrestment. 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 26. Hoisting System Components — 
 Selection and Guidelines 
 
 Objective : To develop a comprehen- 
 sive set of guidelines that cover all as- 
 pects of analysis, selection, and design 
 of the electrical and structural compo- 
 nents of a hoisting system. This is a 
 continuation of an ongoing effort. 
 
 Postdisaster 
 
 Program Objectives : To develop tech- 
 nology that will (1) enable survivors of 
 a mine disaster to escape from the mine 
 or to continue to survive while awaiting 
 rescue by providing protection against 
 toxic and/or oxygen-deficient atmos- 
 pheres, (2) aid in the location of miners 
 trapped underground, using seismic and 
 electromagnetic means of communication, 
 and (3) facilitate postdisaster rescue 
 and recovery operations through surface 
 monitoring of conditions underground, 
 emergency communications, and mechanized 
 transport and life support equipment for 
 mine reentry and rescue operations. 
 
 Survival 
 
 1. Guidelines for Oxygen Self-Rescuers 
 
 Objective : To develop recommenda- 
 tions on the safest, most practical meth- 
 ods for complying with new regulations 
 requiring that all underground coal 
 miners be provided a self-contained self- 
 rescuer (SCSR). This is a continuation 
 of an ongoing effort. 
 
36 
 
 2. Physiological Responses of Coal 
 Miners to Emergency 
 
 Objective : To quantitatively evalu- 
 ate the physiological responses (circula- 
 tory and respiratory) of male and female 
 miners while wearing self-contained 
 breathing apparatus (SCBA) for purposes 
 of emergency escape or rescue. This 
 involves measuring the psychomotor and 
 physiological costs to the wearer while 
 breathing against (1) positive pressue, 
 (2) high CO2 concentrations, and (3) var- 
 iable resistance. Within the next 
 2 years, this contract should define safe 
 limits for the parameters listed and pub- 
 lish data to support said limits to sup- 
 port efforts to revise MSHA-National 
 Institute for Occupational Safty and 
 Health (NIOSH) regulations (30 CFR 11). 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 system has been shown to be effective in 
 a substantial number of coal mines no 
 deeper than 300 meters. However, for 
 deeper mines, which comprise about 10 pet 
 in number and involve 20 pet of the work 
 force, improvements will be necessary. 
 The overall goal of this effort is to 
 investigate possible alternatives, select 
 the most promising of these options, and 
 build and demonstrate implementing hard- 
 ware. This is a continuation of an on- 
 going effort. 
 
 5. Adaptive Noise Cancellation 
 Techniques 
 
 Objective : To study adaptive noise 
 cancellation techniques using multiple 
 three-axis loop antenna and to develop 
 algorithms to implement these techniques. 
 This is a continuation of an ongoing 
 effort. 
 
 3. Computerized Breathing Metabolic 
 Simulator 
 
 Objective : To purchase a computer- 
 ized breathing and metabolic simulator 
 for use in conducting in-house research 
 related to breathing apparatus. This is 
 a new RFP. 
 
 Communications 
 
 4. Electromagnetic Rescue System 
 for Deep Mines 
 
 Objective : Over the past several 
 years, the Bureau has been experimenting 
 with voice frequency (VF) communication 
 systems for detection and location of 
 workers trapped underground. The present 
 
 Rescue and Mine Recovery 
 
 6. Trapped Miner Location Systems 
 Performance Guidelines 
 
 Objective : To establish performance 
 guidelines for systems developed for 
 locating trapped miners. This is a new 
 RFP. 
 
 7. Rescue Team Helmet 
 
 Objective : To build five preproduc- 
 duction rescue team helmets (RTH) , to be 
 compatible with the new low-profile, 
 lightweight rescue breathing apparatus 
 (LPRBA). This is a continuation of an 
 ongoing effort. 
 
 INT.-BU.OF MINES,PGH.,PA. 26505 
 
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